I review classical music and jazz concerts. My editor says you are not a critic, do not critique the music or the performance. While sometimes I come close to critiquing the music; I hold back. But other times, there’s an

In his 1928 work Gli uccelli (The Birds), Ottorino Respighi brings us classical European birds, using music from earlier times as his inspiration. The core of the work is a selection from 5 seventeenth- and eighteenth-century composers’ compositions for harpsichord

Whatever you may feel about music competitions, they are an established part of the music world, and for young musicians in particular an important means of benchmarking success and showcasing talent. For those who wish to play professionally, the publicity

“Master of the Notes” In 2021, we commemorate the death of Josquin des Prez (c. 1450/1455-1521) who passed away 500 years ago in what is now western Belgium. For a good many scholars and historians—despite some current revisionist tendencies—he was the

Music takes a whole new meaning when seen in writing; when taken its soul away, and when left to simple ink on paper. Out of their physical contexts, musical ideas are perceived differently. This separation of physical and spiritual allows

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the rare art museums that was founded by artists, rather than by collectors. With the Chicago Academy of Design in 1866, a group of 35 artists started a free art school with

In the 21st Century, pop stars—real, imagined or virtual—are a dime a dozen. In 250 years will we see their faces printed on chocolates, dishtowels, coffee cups and all kinds of digital media? I suspect that the great majority will

In his tours of Europe, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) found inspiration in Scotland for his Symphony No. 3 and The Hebrides Overture and in Italy for his Symphony No. 4, The Italian. His tour of Italy left him time to do