This might come as a bit of a surprise. Still, during much of the nineteenth century, particularly between the 1830s and Wagner’s death in 1883, Giacomo Meyerbeer was considered the leading opera composer in central and northern Europe, including England,

Father/son duos loom large in the history of classical music: Johann Sebastian Bach and his multiple composer sons – Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti – Leopold and Wolfgang Mozart – Johann Strauss I and Johann Strauss II. But were there ever

The violin is one of the most recognisable instruments in the world – but it is far from the only instrument of its kind. Across cultures and centuries, musicians have developed bowed string instruments that share the violin’s basic logic:

With the advent of new recording techniques, an ancient dream came true for Edvard Grieg. When he visited Paris in 1903, he also made several recordings at the Paris branch of the Gramophone and Typewriter Company. We have little idea

What makes a piano worth millions? The answer, it turns out, varies wildly. The most expensive pianos in the world include instruments commissioned for billionaires, built for charity, and used to compose some of the most beloved songs ever written.

Since the passing of the twentieth century, Western classical music has continued to evolve through a wide range of movements and aesthetics, much like the world of visual arts. Impressionism, Modernism, Futurism, Expressionism, Experimentalism, Postmodernism and Minimalism all shaped the

A Confluence of Traditions When Joseph Haydn attended the monumental Handel Festival at Westminster Abbey toward the end of May 1791, he encountered something far grander than mere musical entertainment. He witnessed an entire nation unified by a collective historical

The virtuoso French cellist Gautier Capuçon, born on 3 September 1981 in Chambéry, France, has captivated audiences worldwide with his electrifying and engaging performances. A graduate of the Paris Conservatoire with first prizes in cello and chamber music, Capuçon has