These words would commonly be heard issuing from the mouth of the composer at a rehearsal for one of his pieces. And if you’ve ever heard the music of Morton Feldman, you’d probably understand why. Feldman’s music is more often

During my time at Cambridge, I was lucky enough to get many opportunities to play in both chamber music and orchestral projects. Now, on the brink of beginning a masters course devoted to orchestral playing, I’ll have a chance to

Antonín DvořákCello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104, B. 191Mstislav RostropovichMoscow Radio Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra When I was a student I would often sneak into the Toronto Symphony Orchestra concerts. My father, who was a member of the cello section,

The first time I heard Cecilia Bartoli live was at the opening concert of the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2011. Appearing on stage like a queen, she dazzled the audience not only with her exquisite singing of arias from

To orchestrate verb [ with obj. ] 1 arrange or score (music) for orchestral performance. 2 arrange or direct the elements of (a situation) to produce a desired effect Why do people write for orchestra? Because of the larger choice

My Cello and Me — We Were Made for Each Other I was smitten from the first moment. Finding an instrument is like finding your soul mate — you know it instantly. I was twenty- two- years old and had

Theme and variations for Clarinet and Piano ‘You should learn his Theme and Variations’, said my teacher. I was never a fan of variations, but Françaix’s take on the form changed my view of them quite a bit. (I also,

One of the most enjoyable musical experiences of my life has been performing Sir Michael Tippett’s extraordinary oratorio A Child of our Time with the chorus and orchestra of Clare College, Cambridge. Famous especially because of the series of five