Composer Johannes Brahms was famous for being a prickly, sarcastic bachelor. However, despite his gruff exterior, he did harbour tender feelings for a number of women throughout his life. Many of the women he fell for were musically talented. Mezzo-soprano

On 17 September 2025, conductor Riccardo Minasi, flautist Emmanuel Pahud and the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra joined forces for a concert dedicated to Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn, with a Debussy encore. At the heart of the program is Mozart’s Flute

In 1906, just thirteen years after Tchaikovsky’s sudden, shocking death, British musicologist Rosa Newmarch wrote the first full-length biography of the Russian composer. In it, she includes a number of evocative details about his childhood. Today, we’re looking at some

I hate to say it, but classical music still suffers from an image problem; an image crisis, in fact. Despite the best efforts of performers, promoters, venues and music lovers, the art form is perceived by many as elitist and

When one thinks of classical orchestral conducting, a specific image often surfaces. We tend to see a tall, authoritative male figure wielding a baton, commanding an ensemble of dozens in a symphonic ritual. Into this traditionally male-dominated picture, Elim Chan

Composers have been writing violin concertos since the beginning of the eighteenth century. Over the next three centuries, composers created thousands of violin concertos. Most have since fallen into obscurity…but a handful have demonstrated their enduring appeal to both musicians

Rising in stately spirals, J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 opens in the strings and flute before the keyboard enters. One of the most noble of the Six Brandenburgs, it uses the basic chamber music ensemble of flute, violin, and

In 2025, we mark the centenary of the birth of Sir Charles Mackerras, a conductor who seamlessly combined erudition with vitality, and tradition with innovation. Born on 17 November 1925, Mackerras became one of the most dynamic, scholarly, and open-minded