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

The musical journey of Itzhak Perlman, born in Tel Aviv on 31 August 1945, from young prodigy to one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, is a testament to his unyielding spirit and extraordinary talent. Stricken with polio at the

The French composer Félicien David died at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 29 August 1876 at the age of 66. He was well-known and respected during his lifetime. At the premiere of Le Désert at the Paris Conservatoire on 8 December 1844, Hector

The Czech-Moravian composer Bohuslav Martinů died on 28 August 1959 in Liestal, Switzerland. His music remains one of the great unexplored territories of twentieth-century classical music, and it is difficult to know where to start. Martinů’s music unmistakably belongs to