‘I am the ultimate outsider,’ conductor Riccardo Muti told Norman Lebrecht in a BBC interview. After hearing their conversation, I had an image of Muti, wearing shiny armor, riding on a horse, and conquering the world with the sword of

Doing telephone interview is nerve-racking because the communication between you and the interviewee relies on one thing- the voice. It is even more nerve-racking when the voice is from one of the greatest conductors in the world, Maestro Zubin Mehta.

The 4 Seasons: Violin Concerto in F minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297, “L’inverno” (Winter) Although food and music interface in an infinite variety of delicious possibilities, the most commonly experienced fusion occurs at private dinner parties or public

Hailed as ‘the Italian Mozart’, Rossini was not only famous for his operas, but also for his passion for food. A French steak dish, Tournedos Rossini, was specially created for him by chef Marie- Antonie Carême. A tournedos of beef,

Caius College Choir is one of Britain’s leading collegiate choirs. The College was founded in 1348 but the musical tradition stems from the late nineteenth century when the well-known composer of church music Charles Wood became Organist. The choir in

Born in China, soprano He Hui won the 2nd prize at the International Competition ‘Placido Domingo Operalia’. After the competition, she was immediately invited by Placido Domingo to perform with him in Shanghai in 2001. Nowadays, she is regarded as

Once a French concession, Shanghai, with its rich culture and roadside platanes, is regarded as the ‘Paris’ in China. Pianist Xu Zhong, who grew up in Shanghai and furthered his study with Dominique Merlet in Paris, is perhaps one of

When I first began collaborating with Harmonia Mundi, a wonderful classical music label headquartered in the south of France, they sent me a batch of CDs, among which were several by the prominent young French pianist Alexandre Tharaud. I had