He was called “the child with golden hands,” and Nelson José Pinto Freire grew up to become one of the greatest pianists of his generation. His brilliance of technique was matched by interpretive depth and “the cleanness of his musical

As we commemorate the passing of Frédéric Chopin on 17 October 1849, we are once again reminded that he was one of the greatest pianists the world has ever known. But what is more, Chopin also left the finest body

He was affectionately known as “Dima” to his family and closest friends, and he commanded the operatic stage with his smouldering good looks and one of the most distinctive voices of his time. Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s voice is intoxicated with luxury,

Born on 15 October 1932 in Tartu, Jaan Rääts was one of the reformers of Estonian music. Rääts was part of a new generation of composers that brought Estonian music into the modern mainstream. Embracing the styles, philosophies and techniques

French cellist Anne Gastinel early on established a reputation as one of the finest cellists of her generation. Winning several major international competitions, including Scheveningen, Prague, and Rostropovich, she represented France in the Eurovision Competition in Vienna. Her recordings have

Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow) became the third full operatic collaboration between Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Premiered on 10 October 1919 at the Vienna State Opera, the work is a complex mixture of operatic

Among today’s finest viola virtuosos, Tabea Zimmermann is lauded for her superb technique and an ample and supple tone. An artist of rare profundity, she was a prize winner at several international competitions, and she made her US début in

Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit is renowned for polished and idiomatic interpretations of an eclectic array of musical styles. He has energetically travelled the globe in search of excellence and demonstrated a great affinity to French and Russian music, specifically in