Blogs

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Don’t be Afraid of Self-Promotion
In addition to writing about classical music for this site and my blog, The Cross-Eyed Pianist, I am a publicist/PR working with a number of musicians and music organisations. I have no formal training for this role, but I spend
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Tchaikovsky’s Illegitimate Heir: Georgy Tchaikovsky, Part 2
In this entry, we’re sharing more of the history behind Tchaikovsky’s heir. To sum up the story so far, in late 1883, Tchaikovsky’s young niece Tatyana came to the composer for help when she became pregnant out of wedlock. Tchaikovsky
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Tchaikovsky’s Illegitimate Heir: Georgy Tchaikovsky, Part 1
Pyotr Tchaikovsky never had children. He was a gay man, and his only marriage fell apart within weeks. His wife would go on to have children with other men that legally he could have claimed as his own, but he
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Seven Must-See Víkingur Ólafsson Performances: His Most Popular YouTube Videos
Víkingur Ólafsson has become one of the most identifiable classical pianists of his generation. His artistic personality is restrained, studious, rather austere, and extremely Icelandic. Today, we’re looking at his seven most-viewed performances on YouTube, which feature repertoire from Bach
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Eight Classical Musicians Who Died in Plane Crashes
The rise of air travel over the past century has proven transformative for touring artists, completely rewriting what an international career as a singer, pianist, violinist, or conductor looks like. But that same technology has also led to some of
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What Is Music For?
“All these years, I’ve been trying to convince people that music is not there to please them; it’s there to disturb them.” Pierre Boulez, composer and conductor A powerful quote, capturing Pierre Boulez’s radical philosophy towards art and sound. He
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Playlist: Seven Pianist-Composers of Yesterday and Today
Since its invention in the eighteenth century, the piano has stood as both an expressive outlet and a tool of innovation, and its versatility has allowed countless composers to explore new emotional depths, technical possibilities and stylistic revolutions. Among the
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Dvořák in America: Five Masterpieces Inspired by the New World
In September 1892, Antonín Dvořák arrived in America with his wife and two of his children, ready to start a new life in the New World. His American sojourn only lasted for three years, but those three years produced some
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