We have thousands of human-written stories, discussions, interviews and reviews from today through the past 20+ years. Find them here:
The Week in Reviews, Op. 537: Hilary Hahn's Return, with Philadelphia Orchestra
In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world. Click on the highlighted links to read the entire reviews.
Hilary Hahn returned to the concert stage after a six-month break for injury recovery, performing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Santtu-Matias Rouvali.
- Bach Track: "No surprise here: it was like she never left....Prokofiev requires not just a dextrous technician but an artist who can shift moods on a dime. Hahn fits that bill down to the ground."
Keep reading...
24 Violin Participants Named in 2026 Montreal International Music Competition
The Concours musical international de Montréal (Montreal International Music Competition or CMIM) has announced 24 competitors, aged 16 to 30, from 18 countries who will participate in the 2026 edition for violin.
The participants were chosen from more than 250 applicants, according to the CMIM. The Montreal competition will take place from May 27 to June 4 at Bourgie Hall and the Maison symphonique, with violinists competing for prizes and scholarships worth more than $150,000. Finalists will perform with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) and conductor Sascha Goetzel on June 4 at the Maison symphonique in Montreal.
The 2026 violin participants will include:
Keep reading...
For the Record, Op. 370: Leila Schayegh, Esther Yoo, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maiani da Silva
Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.
Biber Rosary Sonatas (Rosenkranzonaten)
Leila Schayegh, violin
La Centifolia
Before the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, there were Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's "Rosary Sonatas." In this cycle of 16 sonatas, Biber sets to music the mysteries of the various Rosary prayers that trace the life of Jesus. Biber made extensive use of "scordatura," requiring a new tuning for each sonata, and these sonatas are some of the most technically challenging of the Baroque era. Swiss violinist Leila Schayegh, who specializes in Baroque and period performance, performs with her ensemble La Centifolia. BELOW: Leila Schayegh performs Biber's Rosary Sonata No. 9.
Keep reading...
Interview with Esther Yoo: Love Symposium
Music and love - these are two things that connect us all and allow us to relate without words. This is the idea at the heart of violinist Esther Yoo's new album, Love Symposium.
"It's an exploration of the many different aspects and forms of love," Yoo told me in an interview in late January. "It's an invitation for listeners to experience a philosophical and an emotional discovery of love - through music."
From the beginning, music has provided an important source of connection for Yoo.
As a painfully shy child, "music was my most comfortable means of communication," she said. "Somehow I wasn't shy about being on stage, playing the violin or the piano for someone." For her, the violin best conveyed the range emotions that she wished to express.
Esther was born in New Jersey to parents loved going to symphony concerts. Since she was an only child, they simply took her along, even as a toddler.
"The first orchestra I heard in my life was the New York Phil, so I was very spoiled!" she said. "I heard some great concerts at Lincoln Center at Carnegie Hall. I remember seeing Perlman, Midori, Sarah Chang... and so I discovered the violin through those concerts. And it wasn't just the violin soloists on stage, but also violinists of the orchestra - my focus was always on the violins."
While she had started piano lessons at age four, it's not surprising that she quickly developed a desire to play the violin, and that it soon eclipsed the piano.
Keep reading...
