On This Day

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On This Day
22 November: Kent Nagano Was Born
American conductor and opera administrator Kent Nagano is renowned for interpretations of clarity, elegance, and intelligence. He excels at complex late nineteenth- and twentieth-century scores, and he is considered a Messiaen and Mahler specialist. Nagano is passionate about introducing concert
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Frank Martin (1890-1974)
A Spiritual Tribute
On 21 November 2024, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Frank Martin, one of the foremost composers of the 20th century. Born in Switzerland, Martin had access to both French and German musical traditions, and he eventually
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On This Day
20 November: Anton Rubinstein Died
Anton Rubinstein, Russian pianist, composer, conductor and teacher, was one of the greatest pianists of the 19th century. His playing was compared with Liszt’s, and he combined a prodigious technique with musicianship, scholarship, and a richly poetic temperament. Anton Rubinstein
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On This Day
18 November: Elim Chan Was Born
In 2014, Elim Chan won the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition as the first female conductor to win the competition in its history. “When I won that competition,” she explained, “history wasn’t something that came into my mind straight away…
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On This Day
15 November: Christoph Willibald Gluck Died
“I endeavoured to reduce music to its proper function,” wrote Christoph Willibald Gluck, “that of seconding poetry by enforcing the expression of the sentiment, and the interest of the situations, without interrupting the action or weakening it by superfluous ornament.”
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On This Day
14 November: Johann Nepomuk Hummel Was Born
During his time, Johann Nepomuk Hummel was considered to be one of Europe’s greatest composers and greatest pianists. He was Mozart’s most famous student, a protégé of Joseph Haydn, and Beethoven’s friend and chief competitor. With his forward-looking compositions, he
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On This Day
11 November: Leslie Parnas Was Born
One of the foremost cellists of his generation, Leslie Parnas, enjoyed a distinguished career as a performer and a pedagogue. Known for his technical prowess and gorgeous depth of tone, Parnas exhibited profound musicality and “an aggressive approach to phrasing.”
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On This Day
9 November: Bryn Terfel Was Born
Widely considered “a force of nature,” Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel has a rich, warm, vibrant voice that is capable of expressive pianissimos as well as roaring fortissimos. Highly analytical in his interpretations as well as in his vocal technique, “Terfel
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