The French composer Félicien David died at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 29 August 1876 at the age of 66. He was well-known and respected during his lifetime. At the premiere of Le Désert at the Paris Conservatoire on 8 December 1844, Hector

The Danish tenor Aksel Schiøtz (1906–1975) is probably a name unfamiliar to most today, not least because this musician, whose career was repeatedly disrupted by misfortune, enjoyed a true “solo career” of perhaps less than ten years—possibly considerably less. In

Lady Radnor, born Helen Matilda Chaplin, was a trailblazer in the world of classical music during the late Victorian era. At a time when societal expectations restricted women’s roles in public life, she defied convention by stepping up onto the

The Czech-Moravian composer Bohuslav Martinů died on 28 August 1959 in Liestal, Switzerland. His music remains one of the great unexplored territories of twentieth-century classical music, and it is difficult to know where to start. Martinů’s music unmistakably belongs to

Franz Liszt is one of the most celebrated figures of nineteenth-century music: a composer, conductor, mentor, and pianist who redefined modern virtuosity. The longest modern Liszt biography is Professor Alan Walker’s three-volume work, which was published between 1983 and 1996.

The Italian organist and composer Marco Enrico Bossi (1861-1925) was the first internationally famous Italian concert artist. The Kingdom of Italy bestowed on him the highest ranks, and he became an honorary member of the most prestigious foreign and Italian

The countertenor is a rare voice in an adult male singer, so much so that it’s natural to wonder what one is hearing as an audience member. Although the countertenor has a natural speaking voice, his vocal range is surprisingly

Few composers have lived a life as dramatic as Sergei Rachmaninoff. Born into Russian aristocracy, he survived professional humiliation, revolution, and exile – and still managed to produce some of the most beloved music ever written. Whether you know him