Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on 7 May 1840 in Votkinsk, a town almost eight hundred miles east of Moscow. Nowadays he is remembered as music’s quintessential Russian Romantic, and a forebear to giants like Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. Today

Once you get beyond banging two rocks together (percussion), one of the oldest instruments next invented was the harp. It’s a very simple concept of a frame with differing lengths of strings stretched across to create the pitches. This may

The Republic of Estonia formally declared independence on 24 February 1918. That independence lasted the better part of one day, as the country was quickly occupied by the German Empire, and following World War II, Estonia was incorporated into the

Let’s continue to explore more contemporary Chinese music. Xu Zhenmin: “A Tone Picture of Border Village” (Shanghai Orchestra; Peng Cao, cond.) The contemporary Chinese composer Xu Zhenmin uses a variety of modern compositional techniques while simultaneously imagining the unique color

When it comes to classical music, the country of Germany boasts an exceptionally rich history. German composers like Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms have been some of the most influential figures in the entire history of art. But Bach, Beethoven, and

I have always loved chamber music because it resembles a civilized conversation between different points of view. Of course, the conservation can get heated and disagreeable, but there is great respect among all members, and it’s not like any of

The oboe is the first of the double-reed instruments. Unlike the clarinet, which holds a single reed against a hard mouthpiece, the double-reed instruments bind two curved reeds together as the mouthpiece. This gives a very different sound than that

Deeply grounded in the entire spectrum of Chinese heritage—including folk, philosophical, and spiritual ideals—contemporary Chinese composers eagerly encode their experiences and convictions in music. Embracing musical diversity alongside a deep reverence for cultural traditions and a youthful exuberance for progress