The solo violin has long been acknowledged as the perfect instrument to express emotions like love, longing, heartbreak, rapture, and romance. The Romantic era lasted from the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century and produced numerous works that
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Audition Preparation March 24th, 2021 Ah, auditions. One of my favourite performance experiences where nothing ever goes wrong and I feel totally calm and relaxed and always play exactly how I do in real life with no silly mistakes at all… If only, right? Apart -
Xu Zhong and the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra: “A Giant’s Dream”
28 March 2021: Shanghai Grand Theatre March 23rd, 2021Once upon a time, Shanghai was a small fishing village on the Yangzi River delta. By the mid-19th century, however, the village turned into a city administered concurrently by the British, Americans and French. Each colonial presence brought its particular -
Should You Sit the Piano Grade Examinations as an Adult Learner? March 23rd, 2021 As a piano lover interested in getting started or as a piano learner, you have probably heard about the grade examinations offered by ABRSM or Trinity College. Praised by some and criticised by others, they are undoubtedly a well-known topic -
The Habit of Creation March 22nd, 2021 It is often said that musicians — particularly performers — and athletes behave similarly. As a matter of fact, it is quite true. Aside from the physical, training and practice aspect of their activity, both are bound to dedication, discipline, -
Music That Brings up Sad Memories March 22nd, 2021 Music can guide our emotions and sometimes we really want to wallow in sadness. Evoking sad memories can be a cathartic experience that leaves us feeling better at the end. We surveyed our writers to find out their music for -
James Joyce (1882-1941)
“Mistakes Are the Portals of Discovery” March 21st, 202180 years ago, on 13 January 1941, the Irish author, novelist and poet James Joyce died in Zürich, Switzerland. One of the most influential and innovative writers of the 20th century, “his innovative language, use of dialogue, characteristic modernist forms, -
“There Are Many Works I Love That Do Not Love Me Back!” March 21st, 2021 This quote from an interview I did with pianist Antoine Préat perfectly expresses my relationship with many composers and their music. When I returned to playing the piano seriously in my later 30s, after a break of some 20 years, -
Composers of the Zodiac
Tropic of Aries March 20th, 2021Aries is one of the oldest constellations of the zodiac. It has been described by a number of ancient cultures, including astronomers in Babylonian, Egypt, Persia, and China. In Greek mythology, it is associated with the golden ram and particularly