After years of attending concerts, we wonder if it’s time for a rethink. We were recently at a couple of concerts that just needed a new idea. They were doing the standard setup of opening with a Light Piece (under

One of the defining features of the BBC Proms—long celebrated for its accessibility—has been its relaxed approach to dress. In the 21st century, however, this hardly feels distinctive anymore. In concert halls and opera houses alike, formal dress codes have

In recent years, one of the most encouraging shifts in the classical music world has been a growing willingness to acknowledge its historical blind spots — and to actively work towards a more inclusive and diverse future. The statistics, however,

This quote is from an episode of Masterchef: The Professionals, a TV series to which I am addicted. It’s from a professional chef, a finalist in one season of the competition, and it struck a chord with me the moment

There is no genre of music which puts so much emphasis on the past as much as Western classical music. In fact, there are very few artistic mediums which focus so much on the past than music. Perhaps painting. In

After 2 weeks into the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Belgium, one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions in classical music, another exciting competition – the Van Cliburn Piano Competition – began in full swing across the pond in

The Queen Elisabeth Competition was founded in the year 1937 in Brussels, initially a competition for violinists. In 1938, pianists were included, followed by singers in 1988, and cellists in 2017. Since then, these instrumentalists would take turns competing in

To me, a good concert experience = a good performance + organiser + audience + community. A good concert experience is the product of several key components: performance, organiser, audience, and community. Each element plays a pivotal role in shaping