Russian pianist Youri Egorov (1954–1988) was one of the most brilliant and tragic figures in twentieth-century classical music. As a young man, he won prizes at major competitions before shocking the music world with his disappearance and eventual defection. He

Many classical music lovers are at least vaguely familiar with the name Lili Boulanger. In 1913, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome prize offered by the Paris Conservatoire. Boulanger shattered that particular glass ceiling.

From the Renaissance to the Romantic Era, royal patronage was vital in shaping the course of classical music history. Many of the great composers owed their success to their relationships with kings, queens, and courts, whether it was Domenico Scarlatti

A set of short anonymous poems in Boston’s Musical Herald did a poetical job of setting out the history in limericks, along with unique rhyming spellings. We’ll start with Gluck: An ancient musician named GluckThe manner Italian forsuckHe fought with

A surprising number of great composers owe their reputations to a particular performer who first championed their music. These partnerships – whether rooted in romance, platonic friendship, sheer admiration, or some mix of all three – helped to shape the

Polish composer Paul Caro (1859–1914) came from a background in the metals industry: his grandfather had started an iron and wool trading company, his father was the founder of the Hermina ironworks, he and his two brothers worked in the

Before Ludwig van Beethoven became one of the greatest composers in history, he was a child prodigy pianist from Bonn, Germany. Born into a musical family, his father helped train him as a musician…but also subjected him to horrific abuse.

Few composers in history have left behind a legacy as massive and scandal-ridden as Richard Wagner. Today, he is remembered for revolutionising opera with works like Tristan und Isolde, Parsifal, and the Ring Cycle. But offstage, Wagner’s life was a