Contents

VOL.134 ISSUE NO

1597

M AY 2 0 2 3

26 COVER STORY Alina Ibragimova

34 Luthiers Sans Frontières

4 THE STRAD MAY 2023

EDITOR’S LETTER 7 CONTRIBUTORS 8 SOUNDPOST 10

FEATURES

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ALINA IBRAGIMOVA

The UK-based violinist speaks to Jessica Duchen about her myriad influences, lockdown projects and making the move to becoming a player–director

LUTHIERS SANS FRONTIÈRES

For the past two decades, luthiers have been teaching their skills to people in some of the world’s poorest countries. Peter Somerford discovers their stories

THE BLIND STRING PLAYER

Being visually impaired has never prevented Myra Ross from fulfilling her dream of playing the violin and viola in quartets, orchestras and chamber music groups

SHOSTAKOVICH CELLO SONATA

Elizabeth Wilson sifts through the various editions of the Russian composer’s 1934 work, in an attempt to decipher the real intention behind the piece

SESSION REPORT

Baroque violinist Rachel Podger speaks to Toby Deller about her most recent project, recording some of C.P.E. Bach’s sonatas for violin and keyboard

PLATE ARCHINGS AND TONE

The first of two articles in which luthier Nigel Harris presents his findings on the relationship between the plates, bass-bar, soundpost and a violin’s sound www.thestrad.com