Ken Smith is the Asian cultural critic for the Financial Times. He also covers opera in China for Opera magazine in London and opera in the West for OPERA magazine in Shanghai. A frequent arts commentator or RTHK Radio 4,

In our earlier series on C major and minor, G major and minor, and D major and minor, and A major and minor, E major and minor, B major and minor, F sharp major and minor, C sharp major and

Practical Tips for Amateur Pianist Alan Rusbridger’s book ‘Play It Again’ (published in 2013) shone a delightful and inspirational light on the world of amateur pianism, but people have been playing music at home and with friends for almost as

Everybody today seems to have an opinion, and, with the benefit of the web, many of more of us can know their opinions as well. Yet, what we value is not necessarily any opinion, but an informed opinion. Interlude will

In our earlier series on C major and minor, G major and minor, and D major and minor, and A major and minor, E major and minor, B major and minor, F sharp major and minor, and C sharp major

Bartok may have declared that competitions were “for horses”, but this year’s prestigious BBC Young Musician competition, which has just reached its thrilling conclusion with the prize being awarded to cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, proved above all that music brings joy

In our earlier series on C major and minor, G major and minor, and D major and minor, and A major and minor, E major and minor, B major and minor, F sharp major and minor, and C sharp major

In our earlier series on C major and minor, G major and minor, and D major and minor, and A major and minor, E major and minor, B major and minor, and F sharp major and minor, we listed Ernst