The 24 semifinalists were named overnight, culled from 60 contestants. It looks like most of the Chinese entrants failed to make the cut. The survivors are: Robert Bily Rachel Breen Valère Burnon Jacopo Giovannini Arthur […]
Dear Alma After an end-of-tour party, I wound up in bed with two violinists and a flute. Not as uncommon as you might think, and not wildly exciting, as far as I can remember. In […]
Sienna It was a bustling beacon of commerce and culture, but how exactly did 14th-century Siena revolutionise painting form and style? Filmed on location, in this enthralling video, watch as curators, local experts and artists […]
Handel’s last oratorio presents, amongst the composer’s catalogue of undeniable masterpieces, a masterwork of stunning stature. Not a note is misplaced in Jephtha: long though it is (more of that later), everything is perfectly […]
The California violin and mandolin maker Gary Vessel has been hospitalised after a severe stroke and is in need of assistance. He has no health insurance. There’s a fundraiser here. The post Appeal for top […]
The award winning pianist and Moscow Conservatoire professor Yuri Slepanov died today in Moscow. He was a finalist at Leeds (1969) and the Tchaikovsky (1970) before winning a UUSR-only competition in Talinn. The post Russian […]
Christophe Rousset’s performance of Bach’s Osterortorium, BWV 249, in Aix en Provence recently led me to his disc from 2011: Frans Brüggen’s Amsterdam account with the Orchestra of the 18th Century and Cappella Amsterdam with […]
Carnegie Hall Click here to subscribe On May 5th, 1891, one of the world’s great concert halls opened to the public for the first time. Two days later, on May 7th, 1891, one of the […]
Two recent releases have me losing some respect for 2 esteemed Classical music labels – one for taking advantage of the consumer by offering a full price CD with a ridiculously short playing time; the […]
Newly uploaded: Boris Pigovat began writing his sonata for bassoon and piano in September 2023. The horrific attack of October 7 interrupted the creative process. The second movement was written months later, referencing the prayer […]
