You may not recognise Marni Nixon, but you’ve surely heard her voice
Soprano Marni Nixon recently passed away at 86, following complications from breast cancer. Her name might not spark instant recognition as in the case of … Read more
CLASSICAL
Apple improves iTunes for classical music fans
We have noted before that Apple has been far from perfect in making its music offerings work for classical music fans. But a new development … Read more
A new way to learn the violin
A new method of teaching the violin is growing in popularity, and it doesn’t rely on traditional approaches or concentrate solely on classical music. The … Read more
Who are the musicians playing a Stradivarius?
Several world-class soloists play violins by Antonio Stradivari, but those instruments are not universally cherished as one might think. Christian Tetzlaff, for example, stopped playing … Read more
New Beethoven portrait covers 1 million square feet
Ludwig Van Beethoven’s portraits depict a man with an intense gaze,a strong jaw, furrowed brows and a mane of wavy hair. Those features lend themselves … Read more
HBO’s Bolshoi Babylon takes a look behind the scenes
You may remember that in January 2013, the artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater Sergei Filin suffered serious injuries after getting sulphuric acid thrown in … Read more
Have you ever seen this rare footage of Glenn Gould practicing?
Prepare to be mesmerized by this video of Glenn Gould practicing the Sinfonia part of The Partita no.2 by Johann Sebastian Bach. A lifelong admirer … Read more
Opera doesn’t just move you emotionally
Music moves you, that is a fact. And this doesn’t just happen to music lovers. Unlike other forms of art, music is able to stir … Read more
Check out Philharmonia’s interactive Stravinsky documentary
Philharmonia released an interactive documentary on Stravinsky to coincide with the ongoing Stravinsky:Myths&Rituals festival at London’s South Bank. It brilliantly illustrates the composer’s life and is well … Read more
Seven sad pieces of classical music to lift your mood
We reported on research suggesting that sad pieces of classical music frequently had the effect of improving people’s moods. So, we thought we’d help you … Read more
Hopeful signs for musicians with hearing loss in new study
Researchers have managed to regenerate hair cells used for hearing in mice, raising hopes that the procedure they used could be helpful for humans. That’s … Read more
Hear a 1,500-strong choir sing Hallelujah
Rufus Wainwright led a choir of 1,500 in singing Hallelujah, the famous Leonard Cohen hit. The performance occurred at the Luminato Festival in Toronto, which … Read more
No more Pavarotti at Trump rallies
Four members of Luciano Pavarotti’s immediate family have issued a statement calling on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump not to use Nessun Dorma. “As members … Read more
How about a concerto for Instagram?
Mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital released the first of five 15-second movements of an InstaConcerto. The piece was specifically designed for the popular social media platform. … Read more
How does Beethoven’s Ode to Joy sound on 7,548 instruments?
In July 2016, a (rather large) group of musicians came together in Germany and broke the Guinness World Record for the largest orchestra. A total … Read more