As a mythological character, Hercules is one who has always captured our attention. Famed for his strength and for his adventures around the known world, he’s caught the attention of writers and musicians for centuries. The stories and feats of
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The Performing Teacher June 20th, 2017 I meet many piano teachers, at courses, workshops and masterclasses. It is always good to meet other piano teachers, to exchange ideas, and to enjoy a collective grumble about the exigencies of the job. Many of the teachers whom I -
Meet the Artist…… Kajeng Wong, pianist June 19th, 2017 “I design my programmes according to what I want to say as a person” Ahead of the Hong Kong Music Series in London this July, Frances Wilson interviews maverick pianist and director of Music Lab, Kajeng Wong. -
Hong Kong Music Series In London June 18th, 2017 In 2017, Hong Kong is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region. To commemorate the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China, the HK Government is pulling -
Beethoven in China: The Dark Years June 18th, 2017 The unprecedented suffering inflicted by the relentless and ruthless personality cult of Chairman Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution had a devastating effect on society and on music. Within China’s cultural and intellectual fabric Beethoven had become synonymous with everything -
Operatic Disasters III June 17th, 2017 When the Teatro Real reopened on 11 October 1997, it quickly became an internationally acclaimed opera house and an important cultural institution in Spain. A leading venue in the field of music and performing arts, its artistic projects, ranging from -
Scenes from Childhood: Gubaidulina’s Musical Toys June 15th, 2017 Musical Toys is a set of 14 short pieces by the Tatar composer Sofia Gubaidulina, which she herself described as ‘pictorial miniatures’ that she would have liked to play as a child. Though this set is subtitled ‘A Collection of -
Three Symphonies by a Modern American Master: Adolphus Hailstork June 14th, 2017 We often think of the symphonic form as being the province of the 19th century. Yet, the contributions by modern symphonists have permitted the orchestral form to develop and resonate with the new era. Adolphus Hailstork is professor of music -
Writing the Piano June 13th, 2017 People have been writing about the piano for almost as long as the instrument has existed, from early treatises on technique to manuals of exercises, student guides, pianist autobiographies, pianists writing about other pianists or the great works of piano