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Ten Excerpts from Robert Schumann’s Love Letters to Clara
The love story between Robert and Clara Schumann is often regarded as one of the most romantic in classical music history. Happily for historians, many of their love letters survive. They document their inner thoughts and emotions, as well as
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  • Amateurs take to the stage Amateurs take to the stage
    The South London Concert Series is a unique concert concept, created and curated by myself and harpsichordist and fellow piano teacher Lorraine Liyanage. Launched in November 2013, the series offers talented amateur pianists the opportunity to perform alongside young and
  • John Cage and his Magic Mushrooms John Cage and his Magic Mushrooms
    John Cage, the legendary composer of experimental sounds and silences was utterly fascinated by mushrooms. Apparently, Cage’s fungi obsession originated during the Depression. “In California, I had no money. I was living in Carmel and around my shack grew mushrooms,
  • In touch with Florian Uhlig In touch with Florian Uhlig
    Born in Düsseldorf to a musical family, pianist Florian Uhlig is yet in every way resembling an English gentleman. Although he was impressed by pianist Pascal Devoyon’s beauty of tone that led him to Paris to play for him, it
  • The Great Women Artists Who Shaped Music II – Dorothy DeLay The Great Women Artists Who Shaped Music II – Dorothy DeLay
    Other than playing the violin fantastically, what do Itzhak Perlman, Midori, Anne Akiko Meyers, Sarah Chang, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Nigel Kennedy, Gil Shaham, Shlomo Mintz Philippe Quint and Cho-Liang Lin have in common? Their teacher! Dorothy DeLay.
  • Fireworks à la Chopin Fireworks à la Chopin
    You know the drill. As soon as the piano recital proper has finished, audience members—spontaneously or paid to do so—will furiously applaud in order to entice the artist to play additional pieces. Encores originated spontaneously but over time became so
  • More Muzzles for Classical Music! More Muzzles for Classical Music!
    The connection between classical music and political activism of one sort or another is hardly new. When Beethoven disapproved of Napoleon’s shenanigans, he promptly changed the dedication of his Eroica symphony to “the memory of a great hero.” Verdi’s chorus