As we discovered in our last blog 10 Fun and Exciting Clarinet Duos, the clarinet was a real latecomer to the family of musical instruments. It slowly appeared in European court ensembles around the middle of the 18th century but

Pianist and composer Clara Schumann was one of the most influential musicians of her generation. One of the ways we can measure that influence is by looking at the many works that were dedicated to her by her colleagues. Going

Beethoven is famous for writing big, loud, boundary-breaking music, from the string-breaking fury of his late piano sonatas to the glorious dramatics of his ninth symphony for chorus and orchestra. But the heart and soul of Beethoven’s art are found

Let’s continue our exploration of early compositions by famous composers. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) is widely regarded as the child composer par excellence. It was probably because of Mozart that the image of the child composer first

The clarinet is one of my favourite instruments, and it is very hard to argue against the Mozart Clarinet Concerto or the Brahms Clarinet Quintet. The instrument was a relatively new addition to the woodwind family and was invented by

In historical studies of music, compositions by children have generally not been held in high regard. The one exception, of course, is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “commonly regarded as the child composer par excellence.” While the focus has so far been

Did you know that the smallest member of the lute family is known as the mandolin? The mandolin is a plucked string instrument with a neck and round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening

Symphonic composers are convinced that what they have to say is important. They have to be. Not only are these composers spending months or years preparing a score during the composition process, they’re also asking a room of a hundred