In my youth, I spent countless Saturday and Sunday afternoons playing for weddings until I was finally able to buy my own wheels. Since playing for weddings does not really pay all that well, I had to settle for two

The musician’s life is akin to the sportsperson’s: the many hours of specialist training, the constant need to hone and improve one’s techniques and skill base, to keep fit and build stamina to cope with the Herculean learning and upkeep

Minuet and Trio; Scherzo and Trio; Trio Sonata. These are all examples of times when a ‘Trio’ doesn’t mean ‘Three.’ It might have originally meant three, but now it means something else. In the court dances of the Classical period,

Polish-Brazilian pianist Felicja Blumental was one of the few women who attained a solo career as a pianist in the early 20th century. Born in Poland in 1908, she was a brilliant artist whose probing interpretations exhibited Brazilian flair in

A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus after his defeat of

Music lovers adore their favorite divas. One high C and we are smitten. It is no surprise that sopranos have their share of musical sweethearts. Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, was charmed

What could be more romantic—a Valentine’s Day feature of our favorite classical musicians who popped the question and who make great music together both on and off stage? One of the most spectacularly talented couples was cellist Jacqueline Du Pré

The Roman de Fauvel is an early 14th-century satirical poem preserved in a beautifully decorated manuscript. Attributed to Gervais de Bus, a clerk at the French royal chancery, the narrative is divided into two books. It details the rise of