I’ve become obsessed with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.  This morning I woke up with one of the strong melody lines running through my head, much to my delight.  Since reading Lois Shepheard’s memoir of Suzuki, I have taken to heart the notion that I must listen to good violin music if I ever hope to play good violin music.

If Suzuki were to ask me right now, “Who’s your teacher?” I might say “Tchaikovsky.”  YouTube has been very good to me on this one –  I’ve watched Sarah Chang charm at about age 12 and Itzhak Perlman playing a tiny violin, and, while Leokisas Kavakos does that tiny violin trick  too, I opted for his full-sized version.  I’ve discovered Arabella Steinbacher’s dazzling grace.  But my personal favorite so far is Sayaka Shoji.  Below is a brief interview with her wherein she discusses her international background and the Stradivarius she plays, followed by a recording of her taking Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto to task.

Thanks for reading.

Ryan