Blogs

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Francisco González Gamarra: Peru’s Painter of History and Composer of the Andes
When you enter a gallery adorned with Francisco González Gamarra’s monumental canvases, time seems to stand still. Paintings such as “The Foundation of Lima” or “The Spanish Foundation of Cusco” do not merely depict history; they revive it by evoking
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Dancing with Pablo de Sarasate
Gypsy Airs and Stolen Kisses
Imagine a dapper Spaniard with a meticulously trimmed moustache, a Stradivarius violin tucked under his chin, and a flair for making audiences swoon with every flick of his bow. That’s Pablo de Sarasate, the 19th-century violinist and composer whose music
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Seasonal Thoughts: The End of Summer
As summer winds down and the weather gets reasonable, what kind of music would you use to signal the end of the long days of play (or work) and the new days with that crisp of a light chill? At
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Meet the Man Who Blogged Every Single 2025 Prom Concert
The 2025 season of BBC Proms, “the world’s greatest classical music festival”, has finished for another year, but the memories live on, in reviews, social media posts, on the BBC’s Listen Again service – and in Andy Lewis’ Marathon Proms
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The Most Incredible Memoirs of the Great Composers, Part 1
Sometimes musical compositions aren’t the only creative works that composers leave behind. Some wrote memoirs (or works such as letters or diaries that can be collected and read as memoirs). These pieces of writing often provide fascinating insights into composers’
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Hidden Lovers: Reflections on Rehearsing a Chamber Opera
Over the past few weeks, rehearsals have been well underway for the chamber opera Hidden Lovers, composed by Janet Oates. Opening the Tête-à-Tête opera festival at the Cockpit Theatre in London, the opera’s musical forces consist of a string trio,
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Franz Mozart’s Mistress and Three Generations of Incredible Women Musicians
Franz Xaver Mozart, the son of the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, had a long-term love affair with a wealthy married woman named Josephine von Baroni-Cavalcabò. Josephine was a talented musician, and Franz taught her daughter Julie. Julie went on
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National First Love Day (September 18)
A Sweet Sip of Nostalgia and Romance
It’s 18 September, and we all know what that means! Yes, it’s National First Love Day, a day dedicated to that fizzy, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling of your very first crush. It’s a day to toast those heart-pounding moments that tasted like
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