I first discovered this wonderful set of variations through a concert pianist friend, who performed them in a salon concert some years ago. As a lifetime lover of Schubert’s music, I was struck by how “Schubertian” this music is, especially

Composer Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006) has been called “the lady with the hammer” and is known for her connection to Dmitri Shostakovich. But she was so much more than this. She was also fiercely independent, staggeringly talented, and completely unafraid. She

If you’re looking for musicians who engage in real music-making, here’s a pianist you should keep an eye on. Currently residing in Brussels, Bulgarian pianist Plamena Mangova began her training at the Sofia State Music Academy. She later worked with

In 1962, pianist Harriet Cohen told a story about composer Jean Sibelius on the radio. Harriet Cohen interview from 1962 “I saw him a lot in Helsinki. I got awfully friendly with him. I used to tease him a lot,

This, for me, is Schubert’s most genial piano sonata and one of his most popular. Like much of Schubert’s work, it reflects the Romantic spirit of the early 19th century, characterized by its lyrical beauty, harmonic daring, and emotional qualities,

Simon Barere was one of the great pianists of his generation. However, it is possible he is most famous for his sudden death, which occurred in the middle of a concert at Carnegie Hall in 1951. Today, we’re looking at

1685 was a particularly stellar year for classical music, as it saw the births of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Frideric Handel, and Domenico Scarlatti. However, there is at least one more composer born in 1685 who played a highly significant

Sometimes, it’s tempting to think of Ludwig van Beethoven as someone who just emerged from a god’s forehead, a la Athena. But in reality, Beethoven came from a very human family, just like everyone else – and a deeply dysfunctional