When the conductor walks on stage everyone has to be tuned and poised for the downbeat. It can come unpredictably fast. You never know if the Maestro will milk the applause for all it’s worth as they step onto the

To fully experience the artistry of Italian soprano Mirella Freni, who died in February at age 84, one must only listen to her rendition of Mimi on Herbert von Karajan’s seminal recording of La Bohème from 1972. Freni’s voice is

Nello Santi, who died on 6 February 2020 in Switzerland, was neither a superstar conductor nor a household name beyond opera lovers. But he was possibly the most consistent, widely cast, and most resolutely traditional opera conductors of his generation.

The adult ‘returner’ pianist I’m a returner pianist – and maybe, if you’re reading this article, you are too and therefore what follows will resonate with you. Or perhaps you are thinking of taking up the piano again after a

Without experience in front of an orchestra, without opportunities to learn the craft, women conductors have had little hope of being hired until very recently. Today conservatories, colleges, and festivals include conducting curriculums, and more women are being accepted into

The musical world is deeply saddened by the loss of Peter Serkin (1947-2020), who died after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 72. Described as “a brilliant, resourceful instrumentalist, a sensitive, original interpreter and a performer

Conductor Simone Young, the soon to be first female music director of the Sydney Symphony, and currently the orchestra’s Chief Conductor designate, has been in the news recently. On March 1st, she will lead London’s best Australian musicians to raise

Barry Tuckwell (1931-2020), widely acclaimed as the preeminent horn player of his generation, has died on 16 January 2020 at a hospital in Melbourne. I still remember seeing and hearing him perform at a concert in Amsterdam, and like the