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AugustinHadelichAMA739 karma

It has happened a few times to me. In a recital or chamber music performance, I would just go backstage and put on a new string and come back. (I usually keep a set of old strings in my case that I can use for this, so they won't go out of tune much -- they just need to last for that one performance)
With orchestra, it's not great to let the whole orchestra and large audience wait, so it's traditional to take the concertmaster's violin (who takes the violin from the person next to him/her).
In 2011 I was performing outdoors with the New York Philharmonic in Vail, Colorado when I broke an E string, and finished on the violin of Sheryl Staples, who plays on a Guarneri Del Gesù. It was really wonderful to play on. Of course, it can happen that it's a pretty strange violin and it could be quite uncomfortable. After about 5 minutes, somebody in the orchestra will have put a new E string on my violin, so I can take it back. (that too can feel slightly weird, because it might be a different brand of E string - but at least the rest of the violin will feel familiar)

AugustinHadelichAMA402 karma

I always bring it with me on the plane, and put it in the overhead. I check the type of plane when I book a flight, you can tell how big it's going to be. If it's "mainline" (A319-A320-A321,B737 and bigger) then there will always be enough space as long as you board early enough. With regional jets, you really need to board early to make sure there is space on the aircraft, which sometimes you can buy as an add-on. (frequent flyer status also helps with early boarding)
In the US airlines are required by law to let you board with a violin or viola as long as there is space in the overhead (it's an FAA rule that went into effect about 5 years ago). In other countries, each airline has their own policy (RyanAir might make you buy an extra seat for it)

Cellists usually buy a separate ticket for their cello, which is expensive and complicated to do.

AugustinHadelichAMA389 karma

When I was growing up, my ideal of sound was always vocal, so I liked violinists whose tones were "singing", and spent a lot of time working on my vibrato and right hand sound production to make the tone develop like a voice. This is a process that never stops - I keep trying to understand the violin better, and the progress is very slow and gradual, but adds up over time, so many aspects of my technique are now different than they were 10 years ago.
Musicianship is a separate story - I think the musicians I played with and listened to were the biggest influence, and in recent years, conductors have also taught me a lot, since they approach scores more analytically and in a different way (without being distracted by thinking about playing an instrument)

AugustinHadelichAMA284 karma

1 - I think Symphony Hall here in Boston is totally fabulous. I love seeing the statues that are watching over us as we play.
Of the old halls in the US, I love Orchestra Hall in Detroit particularly. There are also a lot of great new halls- the Kauffman Center in Kansas City is one of the best! I love Disney Hall as well.

2 - I once played a concert for animals at a veterinary college. I also once played a recital at an altitude of over 11,000 feet in a ski lodge near St. Moritz - afterwards, the whole audience skied down the mountain.

3 - I think 1 is a bit early to start playing, but at an early age, I was always hearing music in the house, because my brothers were playing. I think this was really important for me, since it made actually playing the violin much easier when I was five, since I could recognize the notes. Once I got more into the violin (it took a while, maybe 1-2 years), and got into the habit of playing one or two hours a day, It was fairly easy to keep up. (I went to a school in Italy though that finished before 1 PM so there was always plenty of time during the day)
I played a lot of video games as an adult and even today so they're not mutually exclusive :-)

AugustinHadelichAMA222 karma

An die Musik by Schubert