Seven Most Interesting Facts About Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
There are classical composers who represent the 20th century American sound more acutely and specifically than Samuel Barber does, but no other who has come … Read more
CLASSICAL
How to become a great composer in 10 steps
If you’ve been slaving over your sheet music, listening to non-stop Mozart for some inspiration, or spending hours on end at the piano trying to … Read more
Yet Another US Orchestra Faces Financial Difficulties
The American Symphony Orchestra, founded over fifty years ago in 1962, has become the latest musical organisation in the United States to confront financial problems. … Read more
With ‘I want you Bach’, The Piano Guys mingle Bach with Jackson 5
The Piano Guys did it again. After combining Ants Marching with Ode to Joy and Let it Go with Vivaldi’s Winter, they now present “I Want … Read more
Beethoven’s 5th Performed as Salsa
Norwegian musician Sverre Indris Joner leads a group of musicians to combine Beethoven’s Fifth with Salsa music, the result being a very spicy arrangement of … Read more
Six Must-Haves of Newly Released Albums
• Héroïque: French Opera Arias – Bryan Hymel and the Prague Philharmonia, Cond. Emmanuel Villaume The popularity and artistic success of American tenor Bryan Hymel … Read more
Music by the Moonlight: the Greatest Moon-Inspired Classical Masterpieces
The earliest depiction of the Moon is a 5000-year-old rock carving at Knowth, Ireland, and it would be wrong not to mention Vincent van Gogh’s … Read more
Watch Malvyn Lai, 9, perform Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu
The piano prodigy hails from San Diego and is nine years old. Malvyn Lai, whose family comes from Taiwan, spends two hours a day practicing, … Read more
Contribution of Women Musicians to Symphony Orchestras
It has only been since the 20th century that women musicians have gained acceptance into the traditionally male symphony orchestras. This hesitancy had a lot … Read more
Is Classical Music Finally Giving Women the Recognition They Deserve?
The lead up to International Women’s Day has triggered a lot of discussion about the issue of female composers and performers in classical music. Do … Read more
Six Most Interesting Facts About Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Even though Ravel’s music was innovative, he did not follow the trend towards atonality Schoenberg pioneered. But, rather, applied the aesthetic of the New French … Read more
A Girl on the Podium: How Female Conductors are Breaking New Ground
These are words you do not expect to hear from a young, professional conductor in 2013. Yet, the minted maestro of the Oslo Philharmonic, Vasily … Read more
Conductor Surprisingly Transforms 15 Little Children Into Concert Pianists in Just 5 Weeks
Is it possible to get 15 little kids who have never played piano before, to play a classical recital together on stage in just five … Read more
Could Sheet Music Soon Be A Thing Of The Past?
On Friday, 6 March 2015, New York’s last shop dedicated solely to selling sheet music is to close its doors for the last time. Frank … Read more