News & features

worst things about playing the violin

The 10 worst things about playing the violin

Habanera ping pong

This violinist can play Habanera one-handed while bouncing a ping pong ball in time to the music

ysaye violin sonata 3

This frankly terrifying solo violin piece is surely one of the hardest ever written

Charles Barren violin at Dartington

Need some inspiration to keep playing? Here’s a 96-year-old violinist playing Massenet’s Méditation from Thaïs

Ivry Gitlis concert at 93

This 93-year-old violinist is proof that music never ages and never leaves you

violin drop

When your conductor gets a little too close to your priceless 17th century violin…

Fedor Rudin montreal competition

Competition violinist: ‘musicians should be competitive with themselves, not with other people’

Adrian Anantawan

This violinist plays one of the most virtuosic solo pieces - and he was born without a right hand

bow break kid

This girl’s reaction to her bow breaking is the sad-cutest thing to ever happen in 12 seconds

Violin

Mum offers reward for return of 19th century violin left on bus by schoolboy

blood on violin

This is what a violinist’s fingers look like after playing Shostakovich

menuhin competition 2016

The Menuhin Competition has announced its 2016 competitors

boy violin feet

Terrifying new study suggests '1 in 10 violin prodigies attempt suicide'

Maxim Vengerov violinist

Maxim Vengerov: 'Playing an instrument should never become routine'

Maxim Vengerov

jessica schmitz airpot security

Flautist threatened with arrest in airport security nightmare

Julia Fischer

The Classic FM Q&A: violinist Julia Fischer

Julia Fischer

Joshua Bell masterclass

Joshua Bell came in to the studio and we put your violin questions to him

Joshua Bell