In the afternoon of 27 May 1840, the greatest violinist the world had ever known died at the age of 57. Niccolò Paganini had revolutionised violin technique and essentially invented the concept of the virtuoso performer. His legendary 24 Caprices,

You have likely never heard her name, but Marion Bauer was one of the most influential musical personalities in American history. Not only was she a pioneering composer in an era when professional women composers were often looked down on,

Engagements are often long, carefully negotiated preludes to marriage. For many composers, however, they were anything but. Short engagements – lasting four months or less – have happened in classical music history for all kinds of reasons: desire, scandal, social

Samuil Feinberg was born in the Ukrainian city of Odesa on 26 May 1890. With its unique blend of Russian, Yiddish, and Ukrainian cultures, the city gave birth to a substantial number of exceptional pianists ranging from Benno Moiseiwitsch to

The second of Frances Wilson’s essays celebrating Wigmore Hall. Wigmore Hall today Nestling unobtrusively just a stone’s throw from the bustle of Oxford Street, within a row of tall Edwardian façades, Wigmore Hall enjoys a position of pre-eminence not only

Wedding music is not created equal. Some pieces are designed for the pomp and circumstance of public ceremony, meant to impress congregations, courts, or even entire nations. Meanwhile, other pieces are quieter and more personal, written to honour a relationship

In this series of three essays, Frances Wilson offers a personal celebration of the Wigmore Hall, from its beginnings to the present day Early days The first concert at the new Bechstein (now Wigmore) Hall took place on 31st May

Alongside composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and collector Cecil Sharp, Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a key figure in the early 20th-century English folk song revival. This movement was part of a process in which the English identity became located in an