Celebrations for the 2020 New Year are already shifting into high gear, and a good many of us will be generously partaking in various delicious alcoholic refreshments. Around this time of year it is rather all too easy to get

My first concert experience in 2019 began in Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang province. There, at the crescent-shaped Hangzhou Grand Theatre by the Qiantang River, I celebrated the New Year’s Eve bells on December 31st, while attending the theatre’s

Composing and solving musical riddles and puzzles has long been a popular brainy workout for composers and audiences alike. Amongst numerous others, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed some of the most

It always frustrates me to hear people say that they don’t go to concerts because they don’t know enough about classical music. I think my friend Olli Mustonen had the answer to that: “It’s like saying that you won’t walk

Perhaps you too have seen several articles of late about “Saving the Symphony Orchestra”. The demise of classical music has been a viewpoint touted for decades, but it seems to be a worthy conversation today. Audiences are dwindling, music education

That wonderful week between the festivities of Christmas and New Year is used by several countries in different ways. For many of us, it’s a quiet time to play with our new presents, visit old friends, get up-to-date on everything

What is emotional music? But maybe first, I should ask, what is an emotion? And, are all emotions universal? Are your experiences of grief, remorse, shame and heartbreak the same as mine? I’d guess no; I don’t see how they