strad - Always by my side: Uxía reveals what’s in her case

My essential is my Ferrari-red bow case; it goes with me everywhere! I also have an Accord flight case for the bass and a soft case for around town. I always travel with three little embroidered bags: one for my passport and airport stuff, one for medicine and one with my rosin, Henle pencils, nail clippers, and Hansaplast Plaster Spray in case I hurt my fingers with pizzicato.

I use Pirastro’s Flat-Chromesteel and Passione strings, depending on the programme I’m playing. I like the challenge of steel strings: they are really unforgiving for left-hand technique, and it makes you so much better. You will hear the smallest error if you are not completely exact, so sometimes I like to practise with the Chromesteel then switch to Passione for the last week before the concert. You notice you are really polished both technically and musically, because you’ve been making a bigger effort with the other strings.

I used to prefer a sort of powdery sound, but over the years I’ve come to like more grip, and now Pops Bass Rosin is the only one I use. It’s like glue! Over the years you change your style of playing, your strings and your bows, so you change your rosin too.

A dear friend says I’m a globetrotter now, always switching from one energy to another, so she gave me stones that I keep in my bow case. One is to keep you grounded and connected with the earth; another is to keep away negative energies. I think that’s an important thing to keep close to your soul.

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