In his memoir An Enduring Grace, the French organist and composer of Lebanese birth, Naji Subhy Paul Irénée Hakim, recounts his extraordinary musical, spiritual, and deeply human journey. As a composer, organist, pedagogue, and engineer, he takes us from his

‘Responding to what is changing around me is what I like the most’ You’d be forgiven for thinking that the great-grand-niece of Francis Poulenc, one of France’s greatest 20th-century composers, was destined to have a life in the arts. However,

‘We have to constantly stay curious’ Contrast and exploration define the work of French cellist Juliette Herlin. Hailing from Paris and now based in Texas, a thriving teaching practice alongside a demanding calendar of performance engagements, diving wholeheartedly into music

The French Mozart Turns 250 On 16 December 1775, in the city of Rouen, France, the composer François-Adrien Boïeldieu (1775-1834) was born. It is an anniversary of significance for admirers of classical music, as it marks 250 years since the birth of

Celebrating a Musical Maverick On 1 July 1925, at the age of 59, Erik Alfred Leslie Satie died in a small apartment in Arcueil, Paris. One hundred years later, at the centenary of his death, his singular creative spirit resonates

‘Poetry and Imagination’ French pianist Vanessa Wagner has made a name for herself as ‘the most delightfully singular pianist of her generation’ (Le Monde), combining a mastery of familiar repertoire with a curiosity spanning a huge range of genres and

Georges Bizet at 150 Honouring the Legacy of a Musical Genius On 3 June 2025, we mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Georges Bizet (1838–1875), a composer whose brief but brilliant career left an indelible mark on the

Ravel at 150: A Legacy of Innovation 150 years ago, on 7 March 1875, the small village of Ciboure in the Basque region of France saw the birth of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Son of a Swiss engineer and a Basque