On the morning of 5 December 1791, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna at the age of 35. He had only been ill for two weeks. His widow Constanze was 29 years old. She had been at his bedside

For centuries, people have loved living with cats. The great composers have been no exception. Today, to celebrate International Cat Day (August 8th), we’re looking at fifteen great composers who lived and worked with cats…and how those cats may have

Gustav Mahler was one of the most towering figures in classical music history – but the daughter who outlived him by nearly eight decades carved out a remarkable life entirely on her own terms. Anna Mahler, nicknamed Gucki as a

As the popularity of classical music declined and that of film music grew, it became increasingly common for listeners to encounter classical music for the first time through film scores and soundtracks. Whether specially composed for the screen or borrowed

If composing were a video game, writing a symphony is the final boss: the hardest challenge to meet, requiring the composer to use everything they’ve learned about their craft. Historically, symphonies have been the form composers feared above all others

Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 – better known as the Kreutzer Sonata – is one of the most famous pieces of chamber music ever written. The history of its reception is long and storied. It

In 1972, Jascha Heifetz – widely regarded as the greatest violinist of the 20th century – retired from the concert stage following a shoulder surgery that was only partially successful. He was 71 years old. His career had been one

Classical music anniversaries in August span four centuries of the art form – from the birth of Baroque composer Barbara Strozzi in 1619 to the death of Sviatoslav Richter in 1997. The month includes the anniversaries of the births of