Sometimes, when we don’t expect it, we are treated to an exceptional, uplifting, and memorable performance. While I was on a recent vacation in Europe, I was fortunate to attend a private performance given by the marvelous string quartet Quatuor

Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky was a giant of late nineteenth century Russian music. To show their appreciation for his artistry, many of his colleagues dedicated works to him, especially after his early and unexpected death in November of 1893. Today, we’re

For some listeners and critics, Henryk Szeryng’s “steely tenacity and intellectual firepower lurked just behind the gracious surfaces.” However, as pianist Arthur Rubinstein famously stated, “Szeryng’s playing reduce me to tears… Real music lovers want emotion, great moments, which Szeryng’s

On 24 May 2015, Pope Francis issued an encyclical, a letter from him addressed to a whole group, in this case, the world. Laudato si’, a shortening of a line from a canticle by Saint Francis of Assisi, ‘Laudato si’,

Castration for musical reasons was never really officially legal. In fact, it was banned under Canon Law and punishable with excommunication. The music historian Charles Burney traveled through Italy in search of places where the operation was carried out. He

2024 marks the 150th anniversary of Gustav Holst, born in Cheltenham on 21 September 1874. He devoted his life to teaching and composition, crafting nearly 300 works in a variety of genres including orchestral music, chamber music, brass and military

Ever since the establishment of music printing, publishers have attached various nicknames to compositions in order to increase sales. More often than not, composers really did not have a say. But on occasion, they are at least based on specific