The exceptional French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard is frequently described as a brilliant musician and an extraordinary visionary. And while he is a celebrated interpreter of the standard repertoire, he is also a key figure in contemporary music. Aimard entered the

For today’s brain teaser, let’s turn to Antonín Dvořák. What opera of his features a happy ending but is entirely missing the traditional love interest? The answer is The Devil and Kate, a comic opera to a libretto by Adolf

When Hollywood is looking for star power in terms of piano playing, they call Jean-Yves Thibaudet. His renowned poetic interpretation and technical brilliance, paired with personal charm and cinematic flair, have made him one of the premier pianists for the

The Taiwanese-American violinist Paul Huang, born on 6 September 1990 in Tainan, Taiwan, began as a young prodigy and rapidly rose to global prominence. Known for his captivating artistry and effortless virtuosity, Huang first gained international recognition by stepping in

This might come as a bit of a surprise. Still, during much of the nineteenth century, particularly between the 1830s and Wagner’s death in 1883, Giacomo Meyerbeer was considered the leading opera composer in central and northern Europe, including England,

With the advent of new recording techniques, an ancient dream came true for Edvard Grieg. When he visited Paris in 1903, he also made several recordings at the Paris branch of the Gramophone and Typewriter Company. We have little idea

The virtuoso French cellist Gautier Capuçon, born on 3 September 1981 in Chambéry, France, has captivated audiences worldwide with his electrifying and engaging performances. A graduate of the Paris Conservatoire with first prizes in cello and chamber music, Capuçon has

The exceptional conductor, composer and author Leonard Slatkin was born into a Russian-Jewish family on 1 September 1944. His grand-uncle was a cellist, and when he came to America, he founded the Russian Symphony Orchestra in the early 1900s. His