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

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

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

“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

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

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

My earliest memories of music are probably my parents listening to BBC Radio 3 and playing LPs of their favourite pieces and performers. When I was older, probably around 8 or 9, they took me to concerts and it was

Classical music lovers don’t always like acknowledging it, but every idolised canonical composer has been deeply inspired by the people who surrounded him. And in many cases, one of the most inspirational people in any artist’s life is their spouse.