As far as living legends of music go, for me, Steve Reich is pretty up there. A pioneer of minimalism, this New Yorker’s hypnotically enthralling music has been captivating people since his early days in the 1960s, and he shows

Composers know only too well the difficulty of maintaining the highest quality of craftsmanship and expression across genres. Beethoven wrote some real clunkers, as did Schumann and Rachmaninoff. Because Brahms very carefully controlled his output—we know that he mercilessly burned

Do you ever think you might be practicing in your sleep? Yesterday I went to practice Debussy‘s prelude La cathédrale engloutie, which I’m preparing for a performance later in the year. The second section, when the waves start to roll

2020 is a momentous year for all lovers of music as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. And to get us in the mood for this significant occasion, Interlude spoke with Malte Boecker, director of the Beethoven-Haus in

Ernest Chausson (1865-1899) studied under César Franck and Jules Massenet at the Paris Conservatoire. Sole living child of an affluent building contractor who had made his fortune in the redevelopment of Paris in the 1850s under Baron Haussmann, Chausson dabbled

Before you run screaming into the night, stop. New classical music has changed, it’s now listenable, and not just squawky. Cynics will be in a rage if I tell them that old classical music is just a bunch of stuff

She’s stood in for Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia, and performs with some of the greatest orchestras and conductors, who praise her playfulness and unpretentiousness, coupled with artistic maturity, commitment, excellent preparation and professionalism. Ravel: Piano

His music is everywhere – but you’ve never thought of the composer when you’ve heard it. He’s persuaded you to buy peas or beer or go to Legoland or Harvey Nicks. Highly successful commercial composer Stuart Hancock has written the