Blogs

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Henrietta Treffz: The Superstar Singer Wife of the Waltz King
Johann Strauss II, known as the Waltz King, is one of the most famous composers of all time. His wife, Henrietta (Jetty) Treffz, was an integral inspiration behind her husband’s music, including the famous Blue Danube waltz. There isn’t much
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International Country Music Day (September 17)
Heartstrings and High Strings
Saddle up, folks, because every September 17, the world tips its cowboy hat to International Country Music Day! It’s a day to crank up the twang, strum a guitar, and celebrate the heart and soul of country music. Now, some
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Elfrida Andrée: The Rebellious First Female Conductor in Sweden
Elfrida Andrée is one of the most remarkable women composers of the nineteenth century. She campaigned to become the first professional woman organist in Sweden, paving the way for countless women after her. But she didn’t stop there: she also
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Secrets About Brahms As Revealed by Eugenie Schumann
Born in December 1851, Eugenie Schumann was the seventh of Robert and Clara Schumann’s eight children. In 1920, she wrote a memoir about her life and family. It offers priceless insight into the genius of her mother and their entire
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Seven Must-See Evgeny Kissin Performances: His Most Popular YouTube Videos
Evgeny Kissin has been a piano superstar ever since he burst onto the scene as a curly-haired child prodigy in the early 1980s. Starting in the early days of YouTube in the mid-2000s, fans began uploading videos of his performances
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Wilhelmine Clauss-Szarvady: The Great Forgotten Pianist Who Everyone Loved
Wilhelmine Clauss, later Wilhelmine Clauss-Szarvady, is one of the most successful pianists you’ve never heard of. Although almost entirely forgotten today, she would become one of the greatest pianists of the Romantic Era, beloved by Berlioz, Liszt, the Schumanns, and
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Behind the Scenes: Musicians’ Inspirations
What do you do off stage that provides inspiration on stage? This is one of the questions in my Meet the Artist interview, and it often elicits some interesting, and occasionally surprising responses. It also offers insights into “what musicians
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Robert Schumann and His Beloved Music Journal, Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
Nowadays, we remember Robert Schumann as a composer. However, during his lifetime, he was also widely known as a music critic and founder of the periodical Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal for Music). Today, we’re looking at Schumann’s work
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