No country does winter like Russia, and no composer evokes Russia like Tchaikovsky. Today we’re looking at Tchaikovsky’s most wintry works. What makes a piece of classical music “wintry”, you might ask? Here’s a starting point: References in the title

There’s something wonderful about Christmas medleys. The songs are all familiar, and you can silently sing the words along with the orchestra or the chorus…but it’s also fun listening to how a medley gets put together and how the composer

In the UK, classical music, and opera in particular, is seen as “the most elitist” of all the arts. Myths and perceptions surrounding opera – that it is expensive, intellectual, foreign, requires dressing up in formal clothes to attend, and

Everyone approaches the winter holidays differently: some people feel excitement, while others feel dread. It can be a season of celebration, crushing loneliness, and everything in between. The great composers also experienced a wide variety of Christmas celebrations. Today, we’re

Just in time for Christmas 2025, we decided to feature an ARTE performance that transcends conventional concert formats. Babx & Adrien Mondot present Piano Piano, a multidisciplinary project that combines live music, visual art, digital projection, and performative gestures into

When most people think of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), their minds jump to the grand, earth-shaking moments of his music. The first four notes of the Fifth Symphony, the tender glow of the Moonlight Sonata, or the heroic sweep of

The French Mozart Turns 250 On 16 December 1775, in the city of Rouen, France, the composer François-Adrien Boïeldieu (1775-1834) was born. It is an anniversary of significance for admirers of classical music, as it marks 250 years since the birth of

Ask a dozen Austen-readers what makes her novels sing, and most will answer, it’s all about wit, moral clarity, and an ear for social nuance. But if you listen closer, literally, you’ll hear music threaded through her pages. From piano