“Playing lifts you out of yourself into a delirious place.”– Jacqueline du Pré (1945-1987) Arguably one of the best cellists in the 20th century, the brief career and short life of Jacqueline du Pré (1945-1987) are a tragic story: A

Menopause is the hardest teacher I’ve met. Harder than fame– Tori Amos, singer-songwriter York Bowen: Evening Calm (Joop Celis, piano) No one likes to be reminded of increasing age and for women the menopause is perhaps the most obvious indication.

Many of us have unique and sometimes daunting audition stories. I was fortunate enough to win the position of associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra but not without an ordeal. In 1979, I held the same position with the

In simple terms, dynamics are directions which indicate how quietly or loudly a piece of music should be played. Dynamics are an important way of conveying mood and enhancing the dramatic narrative of the music. Directions, indicate in the score,

“Farewell, Farewell… touch her soft lips and part…” William Walton: Henry V (adapted by Christopher Palmer) – IV. Interlude: Touch her Soft Lips and Part (Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chorus; Westminster Cathedral Choir; Christopher Plummer, reader; Academy

2021 marks 100 years since the birth of Astor Piazzolla, and the inaugural year of the Piazzolla Music Competition. The competition aims to celebrate the legacy of the composer synonymous with the reinvention of the tango, and the winner will

Part Two of this article series was originally going to explore the mindset of musicians with regards to financial support during the Covid-19 pandemic – a call to action for artists to choose innovation and creative thinking over consistent begging

Consonance and dissonance are two concepts that are taught both inside and outside of music education. In my opinion, more often than not, wrongly. Aside from a purely physical level of definition, the perception of consonance and dissonance is entirely