In 2025, we’re celebrating 300 years since Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) left his mark on music history. Born in Palermo, Scarlatti composed over 100 operas and 600 chamber cantatas, many featuring exquisite da capo arias renowned for their lyrical elegance and

Composer and singer Barbara Strozzi is one of the best-known women composers of the Baroque era. Born in Venice in 1619, her upbringing and natural talent combined to make her one of the most prolific women composers in a time

The authors of Interlude have frequently written about Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, with good reason. While the score presents a formidable challenge for both the virtuoso soloist and the finest conductor, its power lies not in dazzling

Clara Schumann was a giant of the Romantic Era. Not only was she a major inspiration to her husband, composer Robert Schumann, but she was also one of the greatest pianists of her generation. For the first few decades of

When Georg Solti stepped onto the podium as Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in 1969, he inherited an ensemble with a storied history but a reputation in need of revitalisation. Over the next 22 years, Solti’s leadership

Ever since winning the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, pianist Seong-Jin Cho has captivated audiences with his poetic touch, razor-sharp technique, and quiet, yet convincing, charisma. He’s especially popular on YouTube, where his performances garner millions and millions of views.

Long before Paris became the world’s music centre, it was Vienna. From Haydn through the Strauss family, there was always a place for music in Vienna. The State Opera, the Vienna Philharmonic and many other orchestras, and the opportunities for

Note: this article contains some very minor spoilers about the game.  In a funny twist of fate, life has brought me to one of the spacious vintage leather armchairs of coffeecompany Delft, a cosy work-friendly café in the Netherlands that serves ferociously strong