Berlin to Stuttgart I speak to young German conductor Thomas Guggeis on the eve of his first day as First Kappellmeister at Staatsoper Stuttgart. He is in Berlin for some concerts before moving to Stuttgart, having recently finished studying in

Be stronger and more certain London-based baritone Benjamin Appl will perform in Hong Kong later this month; he talks to me about his journey from bank apprentice to world-renowned singer.

Don’t Be Afraid! Sebastian Manz achieved fame as the first person to win the top prize in the ARD clarinet competition in 40 years. Nowadays, in addition to his bustling solo career, he holds the position of principal clarinet with

“Contesting the rubbish of effeminate song” It might be difficult to believe, but at one time the art of counterpoint was considered “the child of ancient aberration.” Bach’s Art of Fugue was seen as hopelessly out of date, with the

A self-taught musical genius! It seems hard to believe, but during the first quarter of the 18th century, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) was considered the greatest living composer besides George Friedrich Handel! While he was historically eclipsed by J. S.

‘It is a huge privilege and luxury to be able to have this life’ January’s Artist of the Month is Alina Pogostkina, a Russian-born German violinist storming the international stage. 2016 saw her playing with groups including the Philharmonia, Brno

No instant results – and ‘no shortcuts’ Iskandar Widjaja’s most recent visit to Hong Kong saw him performing Tchaikovsky in a shopping mall to a total of half a million people. This time, it’s a decidedly more intimate – yet

On taking risks and the piano’s limits Performing the ‘Mount Everest of piano pieces’ (Brahms’ mighty Second Piano Concerto) in Hong Kong this October, Joseph Moog talks with me about lesser-known composers, and how far the piano repertoire can be