America is a land of immigrants and this is just as true of its classical music as its cities. Clarinetist and composer Derek Bermel opens his mind to the musical influences in the world around him and his ears to

Joseph Haydn paid two extended visits to the city of London, in 1791-2 and again in 1794-5. As one of Europe’s most famous composers and musicians he enjoyed an exceedingly warm reception. The music historian and critic Charles Burney recalls

One of the greatest stories of ancient times is the tale of how the Buddhist scriptures came to China. Immortalized in Journey to the West, in a 16th-century text attributed to Wu Cheng’en, the mighty foursome of The Monkey King

In the universe of global consumerism, branding is everything. Establishing a brand strategy and logo lets potential customers know what your company is all about, and what people perceive it to be. Whether it is Apple, Google, Amazon or Coca-Cola,

Viruses have apparently plagued the Earth for several billion years. According to some virologists “Viruses are as old as life itself, if not older.” For some reason, however, COVID-19 seems to be the most dangerous virus to date. This has

One of the wonderful signs of spring are the flowers that appear everywhere, sometimes under our feet, forgotten through the long cold winter. Frederick Delius (1862-1934) took four 16th and 17th century texts and created his small collection of Four

Who is this rascal Till Owl Mirror? First appearing in a German book published in 1515, he comes straight out of folklore and tales of the practical jokester. In the 1515 book, Till was born near Brunswick around 1300. His

Orpheus was not only a legendary hero of Greek mythology; he was also the first superstar musician. But more than that, he was the Mozart, Shakespeare, Pavarotti, and Lady Gaga all rolled into one. His singing and playing moved even