Johann Sebastian Bach is known as a composer of precise intellectual rigour. But beneath the carefully calibrated precision of his music lies a deep current of messy sorrow. Again and again over the course of his career, Bach returned to

If you had exactly one hour to understand why composer Frédéric Chopin matters – not just why he’s beloved, but why he’s historically transformative, and considered one of the greatest composers of all time – this is the hour. These

The concerto occupies a unique place in classical music: it showcases an individual soloist, but also relies on the support of a large ensemble. Some concertos thrill on first hearing but their lustre fades fast, while others continue to reveal

Now in its fourth edition, “La Maestra,” the International Competition for Women Conductors continues to pursue three central objectives: to champion the professional ambitions of women conductors, to unite the international musical community behind a strong commitment to gender equality

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Specific cities have inspired a huge amount of classical music over the years. Today, we’re looking at a selection of classical works explicitly connected to major cities, examining how each composer responded to each place. Some pieces reflect civic pride

We all know Bess’ song from Porgy and Bess: ‘Summertime, and the Livin’ is Easy’. We decided to do a survey of what other composers thought about summer and were surprised at the very different moods and modes composers used