There can be no doubt that Jessye Norman (1945-2019) had one of the world’s most beautiful and powerful voices. Described as a “grand mansion of sound…that opens onto unexpected vistas,” Norman was a phenomenon that possessed a glorious rich middle

When I was a young and aspiring piano student I once asked my teacher if she would teach me a Mozart sonata. “No,” she said brusquely, “Mozart is too easy.” Even then, this struck me as somewhat odd, because when

The statement in the title of this article was made by Felix Mendelssohn. In his short life of just 38 years, Mendelssohn left his mark on the art world with compositions that are still highly popular today. His music was

“The sonatas of Mozart are unique; they are too easy for children, and too difficult for artists.” ― Artur Schnabel Artur Schnabel Plays Mozart’s Piano sonata K.333 On the page the piano music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart looks simple (but

This article has been written in reaction to hearing “I don’t like this [enter instrument, genre, artist etc.]” too often. As a composer, diversity in music is equal to the painter’s, who constantly seeks for new colours, or the chef’s

Last year, I was invited to perform during a special week of commemoration and celebration upon the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein, and the 70th anniversary of his appearance at the Displaced Persons camp in Landsberg, Germany. It’s a picturesque,

Jean Rondeau records ‘Vertigo’ for harpsichord Asking whether the harpsichord is the greatest instrument ever, is like asking can fish swim? Now that I’ve answered my own question, here are 10 reasons why the harpsichord is the greatest instrument ever.

“I’ve always listened to my own voice. I was discontented with the kind of music that everyone said I should write – all clever and dissonant, intellectualised. I wanted to write music that was deeply felt, music that would move