‘Music is Called a Universal Language for a Reason’ The ‘brilliant’ (Sunday Times, UK) and ‘truly exhilarating’ (WholeNote, Canada) Cheng2 Duo, comprised of siblings Bryan and Silvie Cheng, have been making a name for themselves as a fearless and uncompromising

A Unique Musical Journey I should probably begin this Artist of the Month article with a little disclaimer: this month’s offering is something slightly different, as, erm, I’m in the group being featured. Nevertheless, I will aim to keep my

Directed by Nicolas Simon, La Symphonie de Poche (‘Pocket Symphony’) is a unique collective of musicians dedicated to presenting new arrangements of familiar works, often in unfamiliar settings. The lineup, including harp, marimba, clarinet and baritone saxhorn (a cousin of

A musical journey across the ages awaits listeners at Li Biao’s concert in Hong Kong on 15 March. Performing arrangements on only percussion instruments, Li Biao and his ensemble will span almost 300 years of music in just one evening.

‘A Perfect Balance’ The Czech ensemble Collegium 1704 is one of the most renowned baroque ensembles around today. Along with its choral partner, Collegium Vocale 1704, the ensemble sprang up in 2005 in a quest to revive the music of

The energy with which Balkan folk music is infused is infectious, driving, compelling. Couple this with the fireworks of a world-class saxophone quartet, accordionist, and drummer, and you have the recipe for a band bubbling and brimming with an inimitable

The Light From Heaven ‘Tis the season for new choral music recordings for Christmas, and, newly arrived is Lux de caelo, The Light From Heaven, from the Choir of Clare College Cambridge, directed by Graham Ross.

Baroque music arguably suffers the most when it comes to its perceived stuffiness. In the world of historical performance practice, many retreat into the dark corners of the library, poring over dusty treatises to debate the authority of the way