When I was a child, my parents – themselves both wonderful musicians – could not initially decide which instrument I should play. Funnily enough my father, who was a solo violinist, wanted me to become a pianist, while my mother– a pianist – tended towards the violin. I enjoyed playing both, until my mother finally […]

I have loved writing for as long as I can remember. During my schooldays in Moscow, however, I didn’t get much encouragement from my teacher.

Antonio Stradivari, alongside Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, is the most important violin maker of all time. He was born in Cremona, Italy in 1644, and lived to the age of 93.

It was clear from the outset that my crime novel would be set in the music world. I grew up with music and have been in the business for years, so I know plenty about how things in the music world work – what is conceivable and realistic.

Our thrilling season finale, The Four Seasons of Vivaldi and Piazzolla, featuring violinist Natasha Korsakova with Maestro David Michael Wolff and the stellar strings of Orchestra 2100, is just around the corner. www.orchestra2100.org