On This Day

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Nicola Benedetti (Born on July 20, 1987)
Reimagining the Musical Café
Released in 2025, Nicola Benedetti‘s Violin Café is one of her most personal and unusual projects to date. In a shift away from the large-scale concerto repertoire that has dominated much of her discography, Benedetti curated a programme that abandons
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Lea Desandre (Born on July 17, 1993)
From Ballet to Baroque
Commended by the French government in 2020 for her significant contributions to the arts, the Franco-Italian mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre has established herself as a leading voice in early-music performance. Desandre started her career as a ballet dancer, and to celebrate
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On This Day July 16, 1948: Pinchas Zukerman Was Born
When you put the three leading violinists in close proximity, you can expect fireworks! Isaac Stern (1920–2001) was the leader. Itzhak Perlman (b. 1945) was born in Tel Aviv and came to New York at age 13 to study at
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Carl Czerny (Died on July 15, 1857) Beyond the Exercises
The Piano Concertos
Carl Czerny was an incredibly industrious musician, teaching Franz Liszt and Theodor Leschetizky and thereby training the two most important piano teachers of the 19th century. He gave as many as ten or twelve lessons a day, yet he still
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On this Day July 14, 1862: Gustav Klimt was born
Austrian painter Gustav Klimt (14 July 1862–6 February 1918) was an important figure in the development of the Art Nouveau style in Europe. His fascination was the female figure, and many of his works were considered obscene for their eroticism.
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Carlo Bergonzi (Born on July 13, 1924)
The Voice that Defined Verdi
The legendary Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi (1924-2014) is widely considered one of the finest interpreters of Giuseppe Verdi‘s tenor roles in the twentieth century. His elegant vocal technique combined nobility with great expressive warmth. To celebrate his birthday on 13
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On This Day July 12, 1942: Richard Stoltzman was Born
American clarinettist Richard Stoltzman was born on 12 July 1942. He has brought the clarinet firmly into the modern age. The clarinet first came to people’s attention through the Classical-era compositions of Mozart, Reicha, and others. It made its way
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Henryk Wieniawski (Born on July 10, 1835)
“Le petit Polonais”
Born in Lublin on 10 July 1835, the Polish violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski was, according to Anton Rubinstein, the greatest violinist of his time. He lived and worked during a period in history when many composers were searching for
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