The violin is one of the most recognisable instruments in the world – but it is far from the only instrument of its kind. Across cultures and centuries, musicians have developed bowed string instruments that share the violin’s basic logic:

What makes a piano worth millions? The answer, it turns out, varies wildly. The most expensive pianos in the world include instruments commissioned for billionaires, built for charity, and used to compose some of the most beloved songs ever written.

Since the passing of the twentieth century, Western classical music has continued to evolve through a wide range of movements and aesthetics, much like the world of visual arts. Impressionism, Modernism, Futurism, Expressionism, Experimentalism, Postmodernism and Minimalism all shaped the

A Confluence of Traditions When Joseph Haydn attended the monumental Handel Festival at Westminster Abbey toward the end of May 1791, he encountered something far grander than mere musical entertainment. He witnessed an entire nation unified by a collective historical

Mozart had many students over the course of his career – but some of his most gifted pupils were women. He wrote music for them, dedicated sonatas to them, and even relied on them financially during the years he was

Mozart had many students over the course of his career – but some of his most gifted pupils were women. He wrote music for them, praised their talent in letters to his father, and in at least one case declared

The 1994 film Immortal Beloved, about the mysterious woman Beethoven called his “Immortal Beloved”, is one of the more famous composer biopic movies. It begins with the death of Beethoven and follows the journey of his secretary, Anton Schindler, as

September’s classical music anniversaries span both continents and centuries – from a 12th-century abbess who preached at a time when women were forbidden to speak in church, to a 20th-century violinist who spent World War II translating for a government