http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:37:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en My parents started taking me to classical concerts when I was about five years old. This was in 1986. Toddler me would sometimes look around the hall before the performance, or during intermission, and couldn’t help noticing the peculiar demographic of classical audiences: most of the heads were gray, and ... http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin/2011/07/21/why-do-teenagers-hate-classical-music/ Hello Everyone! I’m officially on vacation now, and, like every year, I’m using the opportunity to catch up on sleep, television shows, and reading. On top of my book list this year was the infamous Tiger Mom’s memoirish parenting guide, not least because it was recommended to me by at least ... http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin/2011/07/14/a-response-to-the-tiger-mom/ Qap’lah!...as the Klingons would say. Stefan and I just completed recording our first CD together and are very pleased with how it went. We did Elgar’s “Salut d’Amour” and “Offertoire” (with Stefan on piano) in studio a couple of weeks ago. Then, a few days ago, we recorded his violin ... http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin/2011/07/05/elgar-recording/ Playing an instrument is a curious thing: part intellectual, part creative, and part gymnastics. The physical aspect has always been the most uncomfortable for me, given its reliance on something as incredibly fragile as a pair of hands. One of the scariest prospects for an instrumentalist is that of injury, ... http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin/2011/06/08/advice-for-violinists-recovering-from-injury/ There’s a famous interview with Daniel Barenboim and Jacqueline Du Pré, in which they’re asked whether the presence of a personal relationship between two individuals improves the musical chemistry between them. Both reply categorically that it’s irrelevant, that persons who are in relationships might have bad ... http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin/2011/05/23/what%e2%80%99s-it-like-to-work-with-your-spouse/ Concert Dates: 12 and 13 April 2008 Repertoire: Dvorak Violin Concerto With: Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, Royston Nash I've joined the ranks of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. No, I wasn't arrested for DUI, but I did get my mugshot and fingerprints taken on Thursday. Whenever I work in the United States, the ... http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin/2008/04/14/adventures-at-the-airport/ Concert Date: 01 March 2008 Repertoire: Elgar Violin Concerto With: Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Jonas Alber I'm en route back to Toronto, having arrived here from Yerevan, Armenia a few hours ago. (I hope you'll forgive that I stopped for some steak and fries before committing these thoughts to screen.) It used to be ... http://www.catherinemanoukian.com/violin/2008/03/02/one-week-in-the-life-of-catherine-manoukian/