Every year, when National Clarinet Day rolls around on November 16, clarinettists everywhere polish their keys, warm their reeds, and raise their instruments in toast to one of the most expressive voices in music. But what if we thought of

Classical music is famous for its prodigies and young geniuses. However, more than a few composers have defied this stereotype. Many composers continued to write, perform, and inspire well past the age when most people retire. Some of them even

The cello sound brings tears to the eyes of many listeners. Do you wonder why? The warm, golden sound is the closest frequency to the human voice and can emotionally engage listeners in a unique way. Perhaps you’ve heard a

Talk to a classical music lover about Baroque composers, and you’ll likely be talking about men like Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi. But how many French Baroque composers do you know? One of the leading Baroque composers of France – male

If you’re a classical music lover and you hear the name Schubert, you probably think of Franz: composer of the Trout Quintet, a number of famous symphonies, and, of course, Ave Maria. But did you know he had an older

Minimalism in painting and in music relates to two very different artistic aspects and approaches. The Tate defines minimalism in painting as “an extreme form of abstract art developed in the USA in the 1960s and typified by artworks composed

Most orchestra lovers know who Harriet Smithson was, even if they don’t know her name. She was the inspiration behind Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique: a brilliant, era-defining actress who rose from obscurity in Ireland to bewitch the sophisticated Parisian audiences

Pianist Adelina de Lara’s name has largely been forgotten today. However, there’s no reason it should be. She spent over seven decades on the concert platform, made dozens of wonderful recordings, hobnobbed with many of the greatest musicians of multiple