“…I don’t play for the audience, I play for myself, and if I derive any satisfaction from it, then the audience, too, is content.” Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997) 20th March 2015 marks the centenary of the birth of Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter.

English Touring Opera maintains an reputation not only for high-quality productions both of core and rarely performed repertoire, but also for a wide-ranging education programme. That programme includes collaborative work with dementia sufferers (see Interlude’s previous feature on this Turtle

Young composer Ruben Naeff made a big move in 2011 when he packed his bags, left Amsterdam and settled in New York, where he became a full-time musician and moved in with his now-wife. That significant year became the inspiration

At the bottom of the string section stands the mighty Double Bass. With a body 45.5 inches (115 cm) and overall length of 74.8 inches (189 cm) the double bass both towers above and supports from below the string section

Aldo Ciccolini (15 August 1925, Naples, Italy; 1 February 2015, Asnières-sur-Seine, France) brought the world of Satie out of obscurity and showed his quirky qualities to a new generation of listeners. Ciccolini, who was born in Italy but made his

In a recital space somewhere in central London a group of people are seated in a rough semi-circle around a Fazioli 212 grand piano. Some lounge in their seats in a pretence of relaxation, others crane forward eagerly for a

It happened again! During a performance of the Staatskapelle Dresden at the 43rd Hong Kong Arts Festival, an audience member showed his appreciation by eagerly clapping his way through the final pianissimo chords of Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen. Other audience members

I am sure you have flown with a budget carrier! Attracted by highly reasonable base fares, we have gotten used to paying extra for luggage, meals, blankets, and drinks. If the wishes of a certain airline come true, we will