How Stradivari created his amazing sounding violins is the subject of much research, speculation and discovery.  Now a retired Texas University professor believes he has discovered one of the keys, with proof.  For years, Joseph Nagyvary a biochemist has believed that the stradivarius violins’ sound was largely due to the  chemically treated wood which he used.  Minute wood samples were burned and the resulting smoke was analyzed by an electron microprobe.  The analysis revealed the wood was treated with borax, fluorides, chromium and iron salts.
news article
read the research paper here

The sycamore tree that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to sit in as a school boy  has been cut down.  Doyle, the creator of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes was born one hundred and fifty years ago.  When the roots of the tree in an Edinburgh suburb were determined to be too rotten it had to be cut down.  The teachers and students of the schoolhouse in which Conan Doyle was brought up decided to have a violin crafted from the tree.
read the story here

Coming april 24th, The Soloist starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. is the story of a former classical music prodigy living on the streets of LA and the friendship he develops with a journalist who attempts to help the solist find his way back.  It is based on a true story and directed by Joe Wright (Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee for Atonement).   A movie “about the redemptive power of music”
visit the films website
or watch the trailer here

The Chaconne is definitely a journey and you feel it from the outset… And then Bach manages to take you through the entire range of human emotion… -Joshua Bell
Michael Lawrence’s new film which explores Bach from a spiritual, intellectual point of view as well as from the perspective of instruments and performance includes interviews with violinist Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn and many others.  The project is now in post production and looks like it will be a beautifully shot and very interesting documentary.  Watch a preview and Joshua Bell playing …

Not only will Yo-Yo Ma be featured in a Hyundai commercial for the XLIII Super Bowl but fans will be able to visit Hyundai’s web site and edit the video for the ad.
read the story here:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/autoNews/idUKTRE5050GA20090106