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On 9 August, the Norwegian jazz bassist Bjørn Kjellemyr died at the age of 74. He was born in Bamble, Telemark, in 1950 and studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, where he later taught as associate professor in the department of jazz and improvised music.
Between 1978 and 1980 Kjellemyr performed as part of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Søbstad/Arnesen Quartet and the Dag Arnesen Trio and Sextet. He was a longtime collaborator with guitarist Terje Rypdal – notably as part of Terje Rypdal & The Chasers – and performed with Norwegian artists including Karoline Krüger, Kari Bremnes, Anne Grete Preus, and Jan Eggum.
Kjellemyr contributed to many recordings, especially for the ECM label, and collaborated with internationally renowned jazz musicians such as Chet Baker, Joe Henderson, Pat Metheny, Art Farmer, Bob Berg and Mike Stern.
The Norwegian Jazz Musicians Association awarded Kjellemyr the title of Jazz Musician of the Year in 1990 and the Buddy Award in 1994.
In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.
In the second volume of The Strad’s Masterclass series, soloists including James Ehnes, Jennifer Koh, Philippe Graffin, Daniel Hope and Arabella Steinbacher give their thoughts on some of the greatest works in the string repertoire. Each has annotated the sheet music with their own bowings, fingerings and comments.
The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025. This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures, including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana, Gagliano, Pressenda and David Tecchler.