Erich Wolfgang Korngold, possibly the most phenomenal musical prodigy of all time, fled Europe in the 1930s to become one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. As the film historian Tony Thomas writes, “Korngold not only

Jean-Baptiste Lully was an Italian-born French court and operatic composer who is credited with the invention of the “French Overture” in the 1650s. In addition, his music produced a radical revolution in the style of dances at the court, replacing

Violinist Viktoria Mullova won first prize at the prestigious Sibelius Competition in Helsinki in 1980 and two years later captured the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1982. Winning at the Tchaikovsky brought her international fame, but

The music of Alfred Schnittke is marked by an intense expressiveness, an unpredictable flow of ideas, an innate sense of drama, and a natural lyricism. While traditional genres retained their relevance, Schnittke gave new life to old forms by squeezing

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

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

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

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…