Sergei Rachmaninoff is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers for the piano. Cornerstones of the repertoire for many pianists, his music is beloved by performers and audiences the world over. His piano music is known – and feared

The art of the coloratura soprano came into its own in the 18th century with lyric coloratura soprano role in works by Mozart (Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Cimarosa (Caroline in Il matrimonio secreto), and Handel (Alcina). This

When the Titanic struck an iceberg on the night of 14 April 1912, sinking at 2:20 AM the following day, eight unlikely heroes emerged: the members of the ship’s band. They played for passengers, keeping them calm and preventing panic.

Winning the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1978 propelled Mikhail Pletnev to international stardom. His performances aroused ardent enthusiasm from the public and he was quickly dubbed “A Devil from Moscow.” A reviewer writes, “He uses such colors that have

2023 happens to be the centenary of the publication of Erik Satie’s Sports et divertissements, a suite of 21 humoristic piano pieces depicting various sports and leisure activities. The music is accompanied by amusing text and corresponding illustrations and is

Olga Rudge is most often remembered today for being poet Ezra Pound’s mistress. But she also was important in the classical music world: she helped to spark the twentieth-century revival of Vivaldi! Here are thirteen fascinating facts about the life

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) was suffering from the advanced effects of tuberculosis when he received a letter from the impresario Charles Kemble in London on 18 August 1824. The letter issued an invitation to come to London and compose

I came across this phrase on Twitter, to describe doing short bursts of practicing, rather than long stretches. This may seem counter-intuitive: surely we should be practicing for long stretches of time to see noticeable progress? It’s a myth, which