Frédéric Chopin is one of the most influential composers in classical music history. Best known for his piano works – especially his nocturnes, mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes, and preludes – Chopin transformed the piano into a vehicle for searing lyricism and

Born in Tokyo on 18 March 1943, Nobuko Imai initially studied the violin but, after hearing Joseph de Pasquale at the Tanglewood Festival, she decided to take up the viola. Graduate studies brought her to Yale and Juilliard, and she

A set of short anonymous poems in Boston’s Musical Herald did a poetical job of setting out the history in limericks, along with unique rhyming spellings. We started in the 18th century with Gluck and then Haydn, and then looked

For centuries, many composers relied on royal patronage to make a living. Courts provided not only financial support but also a built-in audience, prestige, and much-needed stability. In France, Jean-Baptiste Lully rose from humble Italian beginnings to become one of

Christa Ludwig (1928-2021), born in Berlin on 16 March 1928, would establish herself as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Her voice had an extraordinarily beautiful timbre allied with highly refined musicianship, and she filled each of

A set of short anonymous poems in Boston’s Musical Herald did a poetical job of setting out the history in limericks, along with unique rhyming spellings. We started in the 18th century with Gluck and then Haydn, and then looked

Today, the classical music canon is extremely well-established. In fact, it can sometimes feel like it has been set in stone and passed down from a pantheon of gods. However, it’s important to remember that many of the works we

We remember Leopold Mozart today as the father of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but his life story includes many more chapters than just the ones on his son. Leopold’s story on its own is incredibly remarkable. He was born into modest