Trying to compare the net worths of classical composers across the centuries is tough. Currencies have changed; governments have fallen; and financial systems of the 1720s aren’t particularly comparable to those of the 2020s. And yet despite all that, it’s

Claude Debussy, the French composer whose evocative and innovative works reshaped the landscape of Western classical music, remains a towering figure in the canon of impressionist music. His compositions, characterised by fluid harmonies, delicate textures, and a painterly approach to

For many people, the names of Bach, Mozart, and Wagner evoke feelings of gratitude and awe for their musical works. But for the children of these composers, their names – and the growing legacies that became associated with them –

Faster than a waltz and designed to get the dancers really moving, the Galop moved in the 1820s from country dances to sophisticated Paris society. It was the predecessor to the next fast item to hit the dancefloor, the polka.

Some people know the outlines of the famous story of Tchaikovsky’s eccentric benefactress, Nadezhda von Meck: how she supported his composing career for years, how they made a pact never to meet in person, and how she suddenly and unexpectedly

Music and meditation, for composers… Cage has many times drawn parallels between spirituality and music, and his approach to music was very akin to a meditative practice. He would often perceive his music as meditations to measure the passing of

When pianist Louise Japha was in her late teens, a precocious eleven-year-old boy played a piano sonata for her. She was impressed by the child’s talent, and the two went on to become friends. That little boy was none other

Composer and singer Barbara Strozzi is one of the best-known women composers of the Baroque era. Born in Venice in 1619, her upbringing and natural talent combined to make her one of the most prolific women composers in a time