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

The solo violin has long been acknowledged as the perfect instrument to express emotions like love, longing, heartbreak, rapture, and romance. The Romantic era lasted from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and produced numerous works that

At just twenty-two years old, Yunchan Lim has already become one of the most talked-about pianists in the world. Since his historic victory at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, his performances have been viewed tens of millions of

Nearly forty years after his death, Jascha Heifetz remains the benchmark for brilliance in violin playing. His technical precision, unmistakable sound, and intimidating intensity still provoke debate – and fascination – among violinists and listeners alike. On YouTube, a handful

What are the best-selling classical music recordings of all time? It’s hard to say. The Billboard charts didn’t start reliably measuring the number of albums sold until the 1950s, and people’s varying definitions of what “classical music” means in an

Western classical music is often thought of as cerebral or abstract, but throughout its history, composers have repeatedly been inspired by themes of desire, sensuality, and physical longing. Because the overt depiction of sex was socially taboo during much of

Throughout the history of classical music, composers have written countless pieces of music that touch on themes of loneliness: abandonment, exile, grief, betrayal, and otherwise solitary experiences. Today, we’re looking at eight pieces of classical music that embody a feeling