I spoke with violinist Mari Samuelsen, over Zoom, from her home in the Norwegian countryside. Out of the generous windows behind her I could see a valley descend into a blue lake, with a mountain range in the distance. Somehow the sunroom in my small inner-Sydney apartment suddenly felt a little less – impressive? (Queue […]

Somewhere within us all there is a secret garden. A garden in which we can seek refuge when times are rough, or retire to in joy or contemplation – Rolf Løvland Secret Garden is the musical duo of Norwegian composer Rolf Løvland and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry. The duo rose to prominence during the mid-90s […]

Unlike the piano – which unless creatively modified is confined to the 12 pitches of the Western chromatic scale – the strings have access to the notes between the notes. This freedom allows for all manner of expressive wobbling, bending, and sliding. The emotional potential of stringed instruments is only magnified when they gather in […]

Having fallen in love with Vivaldi as a kid Max Richter recomposed ‘The Four Seasons’ – and fell in love with the original again.