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For the Record, Op. 365: Anne Akiko Meyers; Cuarteto Casals; Rafaell Altino; Quatuor Ébène & Belcea Quartet

January 9, 2026, 6:11 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.

The Pacific Has No Memory
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Eric Whitacre, composer

On Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of the devastating fires in Southern California, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers held a set of concerts at The Parish of Saint Matthew, a church in the heart of the Pacific Palisades burn scar. The sanctuary miraculously survived but required 10 months of remediation before it could open again. Anne's concert was the first in the recently re-opened church, bringing together members of a community that has been permanently displaced. Her album, released the same day, features Eric Whitacre's "The Pacific Has No Memory," dedicated to those affected by the wildfires. Anne will offer the official West Coast premiere in performance with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra on Saturday, April 11. Read our interview with Anne here. BELOW: "The Pacific Has No Memory" by Eric Whitacre, performed by Anne Akiko Meyers and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

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Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition Begins Thursday in Florida

Laurie Niles

January 6, 2026, 10:40 PM · The 2026 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition (EOIVC) officially begins Thursday at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. with the start of its Preliminary Round, featuring 19 violinists ranging in age from 18 to 30 and representing 11 countries.

All rounds will be live streamed by the EOIVC’s YouTube Channel and the Violin Channel. Find the schedule of whom is playing when here.

The Preliminary Round will take place over three days (January 8-10), followed by the Semifinal Round January 13–14 and the Final Round on January 18 at the Keith C. & Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center. For those in Florida who wish to see the performances live: admission to the Preliminary and Semifinal rounds at Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall is free; tickets for the Final Round are available here. Keep reading...

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 531: Benjamin Beilman, Renaud Capuçon, Maxim Vengerov

Laurie Niles

January 6, 2026, 12:57 PM · In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world. This time we have several weeks in review! Click on the highlighted links to read the entire reviews.

Benjamin Beilman performed Dvorák's Violin Concerto in A minor with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Andris Nelsons.

Seen and Heard International: "Beilman exhibited marvellous musicality on his ‘Ysaye’ Guarneri del Gesu violin of 1740 and was matched by magnificent playing from Dohr’s horn and Pahud’s flute."

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Making Violin Goals Come True This Year

Laurie Niles

January 5, 2026, 11:26 PM · Happy New Year! As we look over our resolutions for 2026, I thought I'd offer some practical advice on how to achieve big goals - beginning with a story about a rather impractical one.

Years ago, when I was studying violin pedagogy with the wonderful British violin teacher Helen Brunner, she posed the following question to the aspiring teachers in her class: "How would you go about eating a bicycle?"

We all laughed. What strange goal. She had to be joking, right? Eat a bicycle! And what does this have to do with the violin?

But she didn't bat an eye. Eyebrows went up. "Are you serious? You can't eat a bicycle!"

"Yes you can," she said. "How would you eat a bicycle?"

We went around the circle, each trying to answer this question. Hmmm...start with the tires - cut them up and put them in a salad? No. Melt down all the metal? But then it would be too hot, you'd burn your tongue. And it would cool into a massive lump - still inedible. We were stumped. Pretty soon we were begging her for the answer. Keep reading...

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