Once you get away from the maudlin 19th-century songs such as Auld Lang Syne, that sing farewell to the old year, there’s a world of other traditions for the new year. Many involve street or home parties, fireworks, special foods,

For Maestro Xu Zhong, 2022 has been an incredibly busy and fruitful year. With the Covid-19 pandemic still paralyzing much of the world, Xu has launched a number of initiatives to assure that music and the arts have not been

The Cello Concerto of Antonín Dvořák Op. 104 is considered by most cellists as the ultimate masterpiece that displays the depth, emotion, versatility, and range of our beloved instrument. Composed for the cellist Hanuš Wihan during Dvořák’s term as Director

What is your best way of getting in the mood for Christmas? One of my all-time favorite activities is to watch hours upon hours of Christmas movies. I understand that traditions and tastes are different from person to person, and

Sonya Yoncheva, born on 25 December 1981 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, had a very strong mother. In Asia we would call her a “tiger mom,” in Bulgaria she is known as a “lion mother.” Yoncheva recalls, “When I was born, she

Starting with a bow to the great master, Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) opened his 1858 Oratorio de Noël (Christmas Oratorio) with an organ prelude ‘in the style of J.S. Bach’. Written in 1858, the work was recognized in its time for

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 524 “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” In the wonderful and whacky world of musical nicknames, there is nothing more famous than “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This “Little Night Music”

Edita Gruberova, the eternal high priestess of “bel canto” is simply a legend. Sporting perfect intonation, ornamentation, and clarity in tone and diction, her vocal agility, dramatic power, and endurance are unsurpassed. And we may add an engaging stage personality