The lives of professional classical string players: A selective annotated bibliography

Classical performer biographies afford the reader the unique privilege of learning about the personal histories, daily lives, and rituals of those who regularly enthrall audiences when they take the stage. Often there are offstage dramas, family, social, environmental, or even political challenges that musicians must overcome to achieve their professional goals. While the printed format of published biographies may still be considered the norm, biographical sketches of classical musicians are now available on personalized web sites, blogs and online interviews. The area of biography of classical string performers is particularly extensive and worthy of review. This selective annotated bibliography explores the depth and variety of offerings in the area of classical string performer biographies.