CENTRAL ENGLAND: Mike Wheeler's concert reviews from Nottingham and Derbyshire feature high profile artists on the UK circuit - often quite early on their tours.
VIDEO PODCAST: Find out about composers from unusual places, including Gerard Schurmann, Giya Kancheli, Nazib Zhiganov and Nodar Gabunia, about singing in cars, and meet Jim Hutton from the RLPO and some of our regular contributors.
SPONSORED: The Many Hats of Allan Rae - A Birthday Greeting, by Endre Anaru.
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Classical music news - Classical:Next 2025 - A large international conference for classical music professionals takes place in Berlin in May 2025
Ensemble. Inherent Challenges - Jeffrey Neil has some issues with San Francisco Opera's production of Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'
Classical music news. Finland and the Finnish - International Opera Awards, Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Timo Mustakallio and Mirjam Helin Singing Competitions
Ensemble. An Exciting New Performance Space - Ron Bierman visits the newly restored Jacobs Music Center in San Diego
Ensemble. Clearly Going Places - Mike Wheeler listens to the Kleio Quartet's Buxton Festival recital
Ensemble. Bright and Dark - Mike Wheeler listens to music by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák from Sunwook Kim, Alexandre Bloch and the Philharmonia Orchestra
Profile. To Vladivostok With Thanks - Memories of the Russian pianist and teacher Vadim Suchanov (1949-2024) from Béla Hartmann
Classical music news. Gurwitz Winners - Yungyung Guo, Tatiana Dorokhova and Young Sun Choi win medals at the 2024 Gurwitz International Piano Competition
Inspiring Joy - Jeffrey Neil talks to American composer Jenny Wei about the use of new technologies
Classical music news. November 2023 Newsletter - Our November 2023 PDF newsletter, 'Beautiful, Powerful Music', has just been published
Classical music news - Quebec Appointment for Strategic Reflection - Composer Simon Bertrand is appointed as interim artistic director of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec
Classical music news - Ben Glassberg - British conductor Ben Glassberg will become Music Director of Volksoper Wien in January 2024
Classical music news - Emotional Highs - Forthcoming performances in the USA and UK
CD Spotlight. Layers of Visibility - John Dante Prevedini considers an important release of music by female Korean composers. '... a prime example of grassroots leadership in the vital cause of making the field of music composition more open to the full spectrum of composers.'
Ensemble. Ear-catching Moments - Mike Wheeler listens to Bomsori Kim, Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Ensemble. Do You like Chung? - Myung-whun Chung conducts Brahms symphonies, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Classical music news. Winners, Projects, Cancellations - Items in the news
Classical music news. Music Competitions - Here are details of various music competitions taking place during the coming months
Ensemble. Wonderfully Gutsy - Mike Wheeler listens to Franz Schmidt, Rachmaninov and Dvořák in Nottingham
Spontaneous Creativity - Some distinguishing features of Korea's traditional music, by Simon Farrugia
Profile. Landmark Collaborations - A personal reminiscence of British conductor Lawrence Leonard, by Keith Bramich
Ensemble. The Orchestra is the Winner - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews 'La bohème' in Rome
Classical music news. Obituary - Simon Bainbridge (1952-2021)
The Therapeutic Power of Music - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about Christmas in music for children in Italy
Ensemble. An Opera Staging Inside-out - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Lynne Marsh's film 'Tragedy', which provides an altered experience of Opera North's production of Verdi's 'La traviata'
Classical music news - Gabrielle Després - Nineteen-year-old Canadian-born violinist Gabrielle Després wins the thirty-fifth Irving M Klein String Competition
CD Spotlight. Enjoyable Stuff - Liszt, Schubert and Brahms piano works, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Christopher Park's near flawless interpretations have a broad structural vision, and his exquisite and intimate phrasing, while not over-romanticised, makes these works sound even more impressive. The Liszt/Schubert piece is particularly stirring, even more so through the sympathetic support of Eschenbach and his players.'
Classical music news - Klein String Competition - One of America's top string competitions goes digital
A Double Career - Giuseppe Pennisi describes his life as an economist in the world of music
CD Spotlight. A Good Anthology - The story of Dido, Queen of Carthage, as seen by eight Baroque composers, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... this is a book and two CDs to enjoy and to make an elegant gift.'
Ensemble. Gruesome and Engrossing - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Franco Alfano's rarely performed opera 'Risurrezione' in Florence
Ensemble. An Autumn Trilogy - 'Norma', 'Aida' and 'Carmen' in Ravenna, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Packed With Good Things - Roderic Dunnett reports from the 2019 Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester
Ensemble. A Double Bridge - Giuseppe Pennisi attends 'Sarang è Amore' at the Korean Cultural Institute in Rome
Ensemble. A Different 'Aida' - Denis Krief's new production in Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. San Francisco's Starry Rusalka - James Sohre sends the last of three reports from San Francisco Opera
CD Spotlight. Nebulous - The Ahn Trio, heard by the late Howard Smith. '... this shallow programme lacks any lucid direction or musical focus.'
Refreshingly Wide-ranging - A recital by Korean pianist Jenna Sung, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Umpteen Contemporaries - Yoon-Hee Kim plays Khachaturian and Tchaikovsky, heard by Howard Smith. '... she appears to lack the aural muscle of others ...'
CD Spotlight. Heartfelt Buoyancy - Tchaikovsky, known and unknown, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... a wondrous sense of joy ...'
CD Spotlight. Immediate Appeal - Music for cello, piano and Korean drums, heard by Howard Smith. 'Greenberg's sonata ... deserves a recognized place in the cello and piano repertory.'
Pianistic Colour - Jong-Gyung Park at Derby Chamber Music impresses Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Daring and Mastery - Pianist Young-Ah Tak, heard by Bill Newman. '... this CD is worth its weight in gold.'
Calmness and Frenzy - H J Lim plays at Wigmore Hall, and Bill Newman passes judgement
Ensemble. Superb from the word 'go' - Donizetti's last Tudor Queen returns to Rome, and Carmela Remigio enchants Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. Eclectically Balanced - An organ recital by SooHwang Choi, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... expressive beauty.'
Record Box. Utmost Subtlety - Seung-Un Ha plays Bach's Goldberg Variations, reviewed by Robert Anderson
An Extraordinary Showcase - Malcolm Troup was at the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe's annual Summer Festival in London
Ensemble. Wondrous Colours - Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung play Schubert, Ravel and Stravinsky, reviewed by Bill Newman
Ensemble. Outstanding Performances - Susan Milan at London's Wigmore Hall, reviewed by Bill Newman
In the wings - Tess Crebbin investigates hot new talent in the singing world
A perceptive pianist - Bill Newman listens to Yoo Na Noh
Berlin Festival Diary - Five weeks condensed into three, with Bill Newman (continued from last week)