In a new recording by SOMM Records, British clarinettist Peter Cigleris takes on four clarinet concertos, from Hungary, Britain, the US, and Japan, to bring us a world of new works for the clarinet. One should probably beware of any

Pianist Shannon Wettstein invites audiences to discover a century of Italian piano music, connecting historic classics with cutting-edge contemporary works. “For me, it’s about taking risks. I love guiding audiences into uncharted territory,” Wettstein explains. Having premiered over 450 pieces,

In the late 19th century, Paris was truly the place to be for music. It had no fewer than ‘four of the best symphony orchestras in the world’, many private salons, and many public concert series. The Ballets Russes were

Last year, I had the pleasure of speaking with Lithuanian pianist Rasa Vitkauskaite, when she shared the personal story behind her album A Concert Piano Christmas at Boston Symphony Hall, a recording that blended artistry with memories of family and homeland.

If the directors of the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro intended to set the fox among the chickens and shake up their audience this year, they certainly succeeded. Just the mention of controversial director Calixto Bieito set tongues wagging and

Complete Chopin Nocturnes – Tom Hicks, piano It’s rare to come across a recording, or indeed a live concert, where one thinks “yes, that is how it should be played!”, but this was my reaction on listening to Tom Hicks’

One of my favourite memories of all time is of snorkelling in Fiji on a school trip in my late teens. The beaches were light and sandy, the water somehow both bright turquoise and perfectly translucent. Equipped with flippers and

British composer Debbie Wiseman is perhaps best known worldwide for her music for the hit BBC tv series Wolf Hall and its sequel The Mirror and the Light. Wiseman has enjoyed a decade of prolific composition and collaboration that has produced