Shortly before his 55th birthday, Léo Delibes collapsed and died at his home in Paris. He was buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris, and his legacy was secured with the ballet Coppélia and his operatic masterpiece Lakmé. The

For pianist Fazıl Say, music is a path to social change, in his native Turkey and beyond. In a speech for the 38th Congress of the International Federation of Human Rights in Istanbul in 2013, he said, “I strongly believe

Lady Luck smiled on Juan Diego Flórez in 1996. Cast in a small role in Rossini’s Ricciardo e Zoraide at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, the tenor engaged to sing the leading role of “Corradino” in Matilde di Shabran

Born on 7 January 1978 in Soest in the Netherlands, Janine Jansen is described as “a charismatic violinist of tremendous versatility and breathtaking virtuosity.” She has also been called the “Queen of the download,” with downloads of her recordings going

The Russian Composer’s Family History When Alexander Scriabin was asked about his origins, he proudly proclaimed, “I come from a noble and military family.” His family ancestry can be traced back to the thirteenth century when Russia was under Tatar

Alfred Brendel’s Family Background The legendary Alfred Brendel was born in Wizemberk, Czechoslovakia, on 5 January 1931. He considers himself a typical Austrian mix, with German as well as Austrian forebears, and a grandmother called Aloisia Guerra who came from

Pianist Pascal Amoyel has produced a number of award-winning recordings of the piano music of Liszt, Chopin, and Scriabin, and also received commendations for his duo performances with cellist Emmanuelle Bertrand. He has composed a number of smaller-scale compositions, but

It was almost a miracle that Pablo Casals survived his childhood. He was born on 29 December 1876 in Vendrell, a town near Barcelona, with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Fortunately, “the village midwife was skilled enough to