Graham Pellettieri's Page

As both a violinist and recording engineer, I’ve spent a great deal of time testing out different techniques, equipment, and approaches for successfully recording string players. The problem is that stringed instruments are so dynamic, and each one has such unique timbres, they can be difficult to capture in an authentic manner when recording. Any recording engineer, or string player who has ever tried to record a stringed instrument, has probably experienced this difficulty before. Well, since… Continue

Lately here at Strings, we’ve been working on producing three upcoming Strings Charts titles that will be published and released in the next few months. These range from string arrangements of rock originals to Latin-jazz standards to Eastern European dance music. As the music editor for the project, let me tell you that the process is both fascinating and enlightening! To help deliver a polished sheet-music product, part of our process involves proofreading the music with a group… Continue

These days, one of the biggest challenges facing the classical music industry is figuring out how to successfully program new music. It is no secret that concerts that only feature contemporary composers’ works and none of the traditional favorites—like Mozart and Beethoven—have a hard time filling the seats. So how do performing ensembles draw an audience to hear new music?

To find the answer, one needs to look no further than the Cypress String Quartet. Having the pleasure of attending the gr… Continue

When you’ve been playing violin for as long as I have (more than 22 years), you don’t expect to find any big surprises about your playing. At least that is what I thought until recently. Like many violinists, I’ve been through the gauntlet of classical training, had many teachers, and developed habits in my practicing over the years—some good, some bad. I’ve even done some teaching myself, but none of those things prepared me for what I recently discovered: I frown when I play!

And by frown, I… Continue

The air was sharp and cold against my face, and I could see my breath as I walked along the crowded nighttime city sidewalk. The only comfort came not from the warmth of my jacket, but the thousands of LEDs and towering electric billboards that wrapped the sides of buildings around me, showering the city square with a neon glow of dazzling fluorescent colors. I was in Times Square, New York, last week for the Chamber Music America 2009 conference, and I was experiencing firsthand the immense imp… Continue