Behind the scenes

135 Posts
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The bits you don’t see… backstage at concerts and competitions
Sitting in a comfortable seat in a concert hall, watching the soloist striding out confidently, you relax knowing that the performer arrived in good time, had ample rehearsal, and a quiet place to rest beforehand in order to be in
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Behind the Scenes at Aldeburgh with the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme
Many think of big festivals in the UK as happening in the bigger cities – London, Cambridge, Huddersfield… But tucked away in the not-too-far reaches of Suffolk lies the quiet town of Aldeburgh, home to one of the most formidable
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Backstage Secrets
“Why don’t you get a new publicity photo to match your new hair color?” a man said to me immediately after I performed the Elgar Cello Concerto in a Northern Minnesota town. I thought I’d played it pretty well… and
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In touch with Michaël Adda of La Dolce Volta Records
The Art of the Recording
We have to admire, in this increasingly digital age, the determination and drive of Michaël Adda of the French label La Dolce Volta. He has created a perfect new label that brings us both the best of the past with
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In touch with James Conway
Amidst much doom and gloom, the UK’s opera scene has quietly flourished into perhaps the country’s most diverse and creative arts sector. As well as regular performances from the Royal Opera House (now offering cheaper seats than ever before), English
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Lufthansa Festival
In May, a corner of London just south-east of Victoria Station will spend a week ringing to the sound of some of the world’s finest baroque musicians. The Lufthansa Festival celebrates its 30th birthday this year, and there are other
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Tours of Duty – Musically Speaking
Orchestra “Tours of Duty” to venues across the globe results in memorable concerts and quirky tales. I remember a Florida tour in February — who wouldn’t be pleased about that? First we performed in Carnegie Hall, in New York. After
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Are you playing, still?
When I was a young cello student, I was reprimanded for moving too much when I played. My teachers would say, “Don’t beat your foot! Don’t wiggle! It’s too distracting.” I just couldn’t play a Brahms Cello Sonata without moving,
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