We often forget how great composers were also great improvisers. In fact, when the rules of Western classical music started being defined better, there was not much difference in the creative approach the musicians would have. They were both composers

Imagine for a moment that you are experiencing every instrumentalist’s worst nightmare. You have poured hundreds of hours of meticulous practice and study into knowing the score for a piece of music inside out, and into questions of interpretation, technique,

Ludwig van Beethoven was, famously, a freelance musician. He didn’t work as a Kapellmeister in a court or an organist in a church. Then, as now, it wasn’t easy to cobble together a living as a working freelance musician. Over

The 19th century and the increasing wealth in the middle class brought refinements to the front parlour of the home, most notably, the large black monster known as the piano. Children were pressed into years of piano study so that

Performed as part of the “La Folle Journée de Nantes Festival” in 2025, “Gershwin in New York” brought together the renowned Polish orchestra “Sinfonia Varsovia” and the multifaceted French jazz pianist and composer Paul Lay. Arte TV recorded and broadcast

Lang Lang is one of the most famous pianists in classical music. Today we’re looking at his seven most popular performances of classical music on Youtube (for today, we’re leaving aside his crossover performances with non-classical artists). We’re also looking

Opera performances are chock-full of deaths: all fictional, of course. But have you ever wondered what might happen if a singer actually died onstage? Today, we’re looking at the lives, careers, and untimely deaths of five opera singers who died

Tap dancing, with its infectious rhythms and flashy footwork, has a history packed with quirky characters, unexpected origins, and moments that will make you laugh out loud. It’s only fitting that on 25 May, the world is celebrating “National Tap