I admit it – I watched Rugby World Cup final. After their coruscating performance in the semi-finals against the All Blacks, hopes were high for England, but these were dashed by a South African squad who were, on the day,

One of my adult students, who happens to be a heart surgeon, came to a lesson last week with an idea. For his upcoming birthday, during the gathering at his home, he’s thinking he’d like to perform three or four

I have battled with the idea of what music is saying for most of my life. While I still have not drawn a final conclusion, I think I’m getting closer. As much as I and others (like Plato) say that

He looks like he should still be at school, yet he plays with the commanding presence, exceptional technical facility and deep commitment a professional artist thrice his years would envy. He’s floppy haired, slightly built, yet he can bring power

Music, like many other trades, tends to run in families. Likely a combination of genetics and environment, the shared activity of music making may even pass down through multiple generations. And as we well know, not all members of a

“Bach’s Goldberg Variations caused me misery – but I still can’t get enough”– Jeremy Denk, pianist Our relationship with our repertoire is personal and often long-standing. Connections with certain pieces and composers may be forged in our early days of

What’s the Difference? Here’s My Approach Last month I gave a masterclass at George Mason University School of Music in Fairfax, Virginia, the largest 4-year public university in Virginia. I heard four young cellists, and later addressed the full University

When it comes to unconventional classical music, there are several composers that can be singled out. Some who would fit the bill are Philip Glass, Erik Satie, Stravinsky, Schoenberg and my favourite unorthodox composer, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. Born in