Pianist not impressed with international music competitions
London-based Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov has taken to his blog with a rant about the problems with music competitions. Although he’s not involved with them … Read more
CLASSICAL
Minnesota Orchestra plays to biggest ever audience
The Minnesota Orchestra played in front of its largest audience ever Sunday when a crowd of 65,000 watched during halftime of the Minnesota Vikings home … Read more
Check out what some great compositions look like in pictures
Designer Nicholas Rougeux draws inspiration for his artistic creations from many sources, including Shakespeare’s sonnets, freeway interchanges and notes from musical scores. Rougeux acknowledges that … Read more
Find out what Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler have to do with the Star Trek theme
Do you know the origins of the Star Trek theme? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTaSjS1pwhQ Those of you who thought it was created by Alexander Courage in time for … Read more
Google commemorates Peruvian soprano Yma Sumac
This week, Google dedicated one of its Doodles to Peruvian soprano Yma Sumac, who would have been 94 on 13 September. Sumac, who was born … Read more
Listen to the oldest recording of an opera singer
When sound recording began in the latter part of the 19th century, it did not take long before musical performances were captured. The earliest recording … Read more
Sketch of famous Beethoven piano concerto could fetch £200,000 at auction
A sketch by Ludwig van Beethoven containing the early stages of his work on his famous Piano Concerto No. 5 will be exhibited in London … Read more
Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra selling out shows in Germany
The 65 members of the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra were all forced to flee to Europe because of the civil war in their country which … Read more
Adaptation of Schumann’s Romances for Oboe and Piano shows banjos Can hold sustained notes
Schumann’s Romances for Oboe and Piano are known for their simplicity but require a great mastery of breath control, as they present several longer, sustained … Read more
First ever International Youth Choir Festival planned
Eight youth choirs from around the world will gather in London next April for the inaugural International Youth Choir Festival. The participating choirs will hold … Read more
Bach archive to digitise 700 manuscripts
The Bach Archive in Leipzig is working on digitising 700 manuscripts in its collection, including scores and documents belonging to the great baroque composer. The … Read more
Yet another airline violin horror story
Reports of musicians facing problems when travelling with their instruments continue to come thick and fast. This time, a Spanish violinist was compelled to keep … Read more
Fort Worth Symphony musicians on strike
Musicians at the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra began a strike Thursday, saying that management’s insistence on cuts was putting the orchestra at risk. Musicians voted … Read more
Opera loses two stars to cancer
Opera music has been shaken over the past three weeks by the death of two outstanding singers due to cancer: soprano Daniela Dessì and tenor … Read more
Charges dropped against opera singer arrested for noise violation
In Sep 2016, Opera singer Krista Clouse was arrested in Alexandria, Virginia, for singing on the street with a speaker system. The authorities have now … Read more