VC VOX POP | “Who is the Most Underrated Composer of All Time?” [Q&A]

The Violin Channel recently caught up with 30+ of the world’s top string players to find out …

“Who is the most underrated composer of all time?”

The Violin Channel recently caught up with 30+ of the world’s top string players to find out …

British Cello Soloist Steven Isserlis:

“Perhaps Serge Taneyev ... none of whose music is well-known ... he’s a fascinating musical figure”

Canadian Violin Soloist James Ehnes:

“I do think Wieniawski’s music is underrated to a certain extent ... and there are still people that don’t consider Mendelssohn to be in the absolute highest rank ... which is completely crazy to me”

Italian-German Soloist, VC Artist Violinist Augustin Hadelich:

“There are many composers who should be played more ... I am a big fan of Britten ... I think he is one of the great composers and deserves more attention and respect than he usually gets”

Australian Soloist, VC Artist Violinist Ray Chen:

“I ... haven't heard of them"

VC Artist Dover Quartet 1st Violinist Joel Link: 

"I feel there are so many composers that are amazing and incredibly underrated ... right now I'm thinking about Ernest Bloch ... I really love his music"

Canadian Violin Soloist Lara St. John:

“I think there are many present composers who are not as well-known as they should be ... including Americans Samuel Thompson and Michael Ippolito ... also Australian composer Matthew Hindson should be much better known in the Americas"

VC Young Artist Violist Timothy Ridout:

“York Edwin Bowen ... the English composer ... sadly his language of writing went out of fashion in the mid 20th Century ... I think that it is gorgeous music and would love to hear it more"

VC Rising Star Violinist Johan Dalene:

“The Swedish Composer Wilhelm Stenhammar”

Czech Philharmonic Concertmaster, VC Artist Josef Spacek:

“Szymanowski”

Emerson String Quartet Violinist, Philip Setzer:

“Haydn”

VC Artist Attacca Quartet Cellist Andrew Yee:

"I think my favorite composer who doesn't get as much play as he deserves is my man Poulenc ... his songs make my heart break and laugh and sing more than most other music out there"

VC Young Artist Cellist Zlatomir Fung:

“In my opinion ... Jean Barraque"

VC Young Artist Violinist Richard Lin:

“Leonard Bernstein”

VC Artist Violinist Nikki Chooi:

“Mendelssohn”

Dallas Symphony Concertmaster, Alexander Kerr:

"Schumann ... just listen to the intense beauty packed into each and every one of his songs and you'll see what I mean"

New York Philharmonic Principal Cellist, Carter Brey:

"Gabriel Faure"

American Soloist, VC Artist Violinist Stefan Jackiw:

“Charles Ives ... a lot of people dismiss his music as being thorny, difficult-to-listen-to stuff ... but I think at its core, his music is deeply nostalgic, and reminds us of the bittersweet sadness of time passing us by ..."

TwoSet Violinist, Eddy Chen:

"Probably every female composer that had to compose under their male partner's names"

TwoSet Violinist, Brett Yang:

“Hmm…?"

VC Artist Violinist Angelo Xiang Yu:

“Joseph Haydn ... the Op.20 String Quartets are sublime”

Russian-American Violin Soloist Philippe Quint:

"William Schuman"

English Violinist Tasmin Little:

“Delius, of course ... "

London Symphony Orchestra First Violinist “Queen of Bling” Maxine Kwok-Adams:

"Moszkowski ... a few years ago a friend and I chose to perform his Suite for two violins and piano ... the piece is pretty much unknown but really should be part of the core chamber music repertoire ...”

VC Young Artist Francisco Fullana:

"I lately have been obsessed with the music of Erwin Schulhoff ... his music unfortunately doesn't get played often enough"

VC Young Artist Simone Porter:

"Most underrated composer ... Erwin Schulhoff ... whose incredibly varied artistic output is so evocative and gripping"