Instrumental

Most collectors obsess over the labels and provenance of legendary violins, but what if the true value lies beneath the surface? Benjamin Hebbett, master violin restorer and historian, unveils the hidden science, artistry, and ethics behind the world’s most iconic instruments—from Stradivari to Guarneri. In this eye-opening episode, you'll discover how forensic science is revolutionizing violin restoration, allowing makers and restorers to uncover secrets lost for centuries without damaging priceless craftsmanship. Benjamin shares groundbreaking techniques like infrared scans, CT analyses, and dendrochronology, revealing the delicate balance between preservation and authenticity. He explains how modern technology is not just about preservation but about understanding what makes these instruments alive—and why the stories they tell matter more than the labels they bear. We break down the subtle clues that separate genuine from fake, the ethical dilemmas of playing or displaying ancient works, and how the…

What if one of the simplest stringed instruments could revolutionize modern music? Sam Edelston, a master dulcimer player, reveals how this humble instrument is breaking stereotypes—and how you can harness its potential for surprise, innovation, and pure musical joy.Sam’s journey from high school folk festivals to performing at Carnegie Hall showcases an electric evolution: he’s taken the traditional mountain dulcimer into genres from jazz and classical to rock. Learn how this accessible instrument, often dismissed as basic, holds the key to musical experimentation, genre-crossing creativity, and vibrant storytelling. Sam shares raw stories of fusing pop hits like Whole Lotta Love and Lucy in the Sky with the dulcimer’s gentle resonance, turning it into a powerful tool for performance art and genre mashups.In this episode, you'll discover: How the dulcimer’s simple design belies a broad sonic palette that can mimic anything from classical melodies to classic rock riffs The surprising ways modern musicians…

Discover how relentless creativity and authentic self-expression transform the world of musical instruments. In this inspiring conversation, renowned harp innovator Deborah Henson-Conant shares her extraordinary journey from playful curiosity to pioneering electric harp design that breaks all conventions. Tune in to learn why the harp is more than an instrument — it’s a vehicle for vulnerability, storytelling, and limitless innovation. Deborah reveals her unconventional path to mastery—learning music through improvisation, experimenting with flamenco, jazz, and classical tunes before formal training even began. She discusses how her deep desire to push boundaries led to creating a harp loud enough to stand alongside an orchestra and exploring new physical relationships with her instrument. You'll discover her inventive techniques like modal improvisation, electrifying her harp with custom pickups, and reimagining the performer’s stage presence to embody vulnerability and storytelling. This episode breaks…

In this episode, I’m joined by Professor Gabriele Rossi Rognoni, curator of the Royal College of Music Museum, London, for a wide-ranging conversation. Drawing on his experience developing and re-imagining musical instrument museums across Europe, Professor Rossi Rognoni reflects on how collections can tell richer stories about sound, craft, and cultural exchange. We explore the evolving role of instrument museums in the twenty-first century. It’s a thoughtful discussion on how objects, music, and audiences meet—and how museums can bring instruments meaningfully to life.

Harps - and by extension their making - are among the oldest families of musical instruments known to humankind. Most of us recognise the sound of the modern harp, often associated with serenity and calm, but this is only one facet of a far richer and more complex instrument. Far fewer people know how the harps we hear today came to be. In this episode of Instrumental, I speak with John Hoare, founding partner and director of Pilgrim Harps, the UK’s foremost maker of folk and concert harps, as he reflects on his retirement after nearly sixty years in the craft. John is a true font of knowledge and one of the most experienced harp makers of his generation. We discuss how he first came to make harps, his life in the workshop - rich with wonderful anecdotes - and the future of Pilgrim Harps under his successors, Penny Johnson and Tom Greaves, as John steps back into a well-earned retirement.