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Attunement and Experience – Classical Music Will Survive
Classical music is dying. Thus goes the lament of many headlines addressing the classical music industry. The younger generation sees no appeal in the concert hall. Classical music is an art form dwelling in the past whose patrons are slowly
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Paavo Järvi and the Art of Rehearsal (Born December 30, 1962)
Grammy Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi, born on 30 December 1962 in Tallinn, Estonia, makes orchestral music feel urgently alive. There is a distinctive clarity to his performances, yet they never sound academic or over-controlled. Järvi has a rare gift for
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From Mozart’s Birthday to Schubert’s Death Day: Daily Classical Music Anniversaries for January
January has, historically speaking, been the month of a number of important beginnings in classical music history. This is the month we celebrate the birthdays of giants like Mozart and Schubert, as well as the premieres of The Flying Dutchman,
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Four Strings and One Soul
A Love Letter to the Cello
Celebrating International Cello Day (December 29)
When you think of a musical instrument that can make your heart swoon, your toes tap, and even bring a tear to your eye, the cello is probably high on that list. It is often called the “king of instruments”
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Wallis Giunta (Born on December 29, 1985)
Sung from the Inside Out
Born on 29 December 1985 in Ottawa, Canada, Wallis Giunta has become one of the most compelling and versatile mezzo-sopranos of her generation. Her voice, described by Opera News as “delectably rich and silver-toned,” moves effortlessly across centuries. From Baroque
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Bringing American Music to the Concert Hall
The composer Louis Wayne Ballard (1931–2007) was awarded his master’s degree in music from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1962. He had private composition lessons with Milhaud, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Surinach, and Labunski and worked for the Institute of American Indian
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Maurice Ravel (Died on December 28, 1937): Gaspard de la nuit
Imagery, Temporality, and Virtuosity
Maurice Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit is widely regarded as one of the pinnacles of piano literature. It exemplifies the symbiosis between literary inspiration and musical innovation in the early twentieth century. Based on Aloysius Bertrand’s 1842 collection Gaspard de la nuit: Fantaisies
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5 Composers Who Were Also Accomplished Visual Artists
While they’re known primarily for their music, several iconic classical music composers also expressed their creativity through visual art. From Felix Mendelssohn and his Romantic era landscapes to John Cage and his chance-driven ink washes, these five composers created drawings,
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