Violinist, Composer and Orthopedic Surgeon When the Swedish composer and violinist Franz Berwald (1796-1868) died 150 years ago in Stockholm, hardly anybody noticed. At times he had made a living as an orthopedic surgeon and later as a manager of

‘A Perfect Balance’ The Czech ensemble Collegium 1704 is one of the most renowned baroque ensembles around today. Along with its choral partner, Collegium Vocale 1704, the ensemble sprang up in 2005 in a quest to revive the music of

“Five Lines, Four Spaces” As a composer and teacher George Rochberg (1918-2005) strongly believed that “music should express the passions of the human heart.” A robust proponent of serial techniques in the mid-1960s, Rochberg eventually sought new expressions by returning

Berlin to Stuttgart I speak to young German conductor Thomas Guggeis on the eve of his first day as First Kappellmeister at Staatsoper Stuttgart. He is in Berlin for some concerts before moving to Stuttgart, having recently finished studying in

“Before Mozart, all musical ambition turns to despair” Charles Gounod was born 200 years ago, on 17 June 1818 in Paris. Today we primarily remember him as the composer of the opera Faust and an Ave Maria descant to the

‘Something Beyond Understanding’ I begin my interview with Adrien La Marca with a discussion not about music, but of food. Ahead of his performance of the Walton Viola Concerto in Hong Kong on 2 June, we talk about where to

“The Divine Arcadelt” Jacques Arcadelt (1507-1568) was one of the most famous of the early composers of madrigals. The Venetian printer Antonio Gardano issued his Primo libro in 1538, but no copy of this edition is known to survive. Apparently,

Currently based in New York, Korean violinist Bomsori Kim plays with Pallavi Mahidhara in Hong Kong this month, with a programme of Ysaÿe, Sibelius, Debussy and Kreisler.