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How Maria Anna Strauss Became the Mother of the Viennese Waltz
What would you say if I told you that the entire musical history of Vienna would be extremely different, if not for the little-known, strong-willed daughter of an Austrian pub owner? Today we’re looking at the life and times of
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A Life in Sound: Remembering Luiz de Moura Castro
On April 5, 2025, the world lost a towering figure in the realm of classical music. Luiz de Moura Castro, the celebrated Brazilian pianist, educator, and recording artist, passed away at the age of 84 after a prolonged struggle with
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Truls Mørk (Born April 25, 1961)
A Cello Revolution
Fascinated by the resonant timbre of the cello, Truls Mørk studied with Heinrich Schiff, William Pleeth, and Natalia Shakhovskaya, a disciple of Mstislav Rostropovich. His international breakthrough came in 1982 when he became the first Scandinavian finalist at the Tchaikovsky
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Sister Princess Composers: Wilhelmine and Anna Amalia of Prussia
Women composers in the eighteenth century faced a number of obstacles to becoming composers. At the time, music-making was widely viewed as an ornamental accomplishment for women: an ability to make them more attractive on the marriage market…not a calling
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Creativity Has No Limits
A musical life is both short and long. During a lifetime, a composer must make musical and creative progress. Repeating the same material over and over does not lead to a fulfilled artist. It is the new which excites the
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Sergei Prokofiev (Born April 23, 1891)
5 Magnificent Orchestral Suites
Sergei Prokofiev, born on 23 April 1891 in Sontsovka, Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire), emerged as a towering figure in 20th-century music. His compositional voice, trained under Rimsky-Korsakov, emerged as a distinctive synthesis of modernist innovation and classical
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Édouard Lalo’s Violin Concertos
Flamenco Flair meets French Finesse
Édouard Lalo (1823- 1892), a Frenchman with Spanish ancestry, is primarily celebrated for his Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21. It is a radiant masterpiece that fuses French finesse with the intoxicating rhythms of the habanera and the seguidilla. It was brought
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Tuneful Takedowns
Dissonance Aimed at Debussy
Warning: Opinions Ahead, Proceed with Care! Music is often hailed as a universal language, capable of transcending borders and expressing emotions that words alone often fail to capture. However, within its vast repertoire lies a sharper edge: the tradition of
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