News
ABRSM’s new Guitar syllabus and books are out today! The new ABRSM guitar syllabus from 2019 is out today. For the first time Guitar Exam Pieces books at Grades 1-5 will also be available. The new syllabus includes a variety of styles and includes duets for Grades 1–5.
Reviews
Home to major symphony orchestras from all over the world the Lucerne Festival is very special for this reason alone. It is the only city in Europe that boasts an array of the best symphony orchestras, conductors and soloists! I attended the second of two concerts given by the Munich
Know Your Composer
The extraordinary dynasty of dance music composers and musicians named Strauss originated in the Hungarian town of Buda. Around 1750, Grandfather Johann moved to Vienna, and his son Franz Borgias operated a small tavern in the suburb of Leopoldstadt. That pub became the birthplace of Johann Strauss I (1804-1849), and
Meet the Maestro
Alexander Lazarev is spoken of in the same breath as some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra. This month, the Russian conductor will lead the Symphony Orchestra of India in a two-evening programme at the NCPA. By Beverly Pereira Alexander Lazarev, one of Russia’
News
Featuring works of legendary composers like Schubert, Mussorgsky, Sibelius, Dvořák, Prokofiev, Schumann, Lizst, Balakirev, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky, to delight the audience 04th – 16th September, 2018 | NCPA The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai is all set to enthrall the audience with the Symphony Orchestra of India – Autumn 2018
Reviews
Legendary pianist and conductor now in his late seventies joined hands with two young string players in two concerts covering the six important piano trios of Beethoven. Violinist, his son Michael Barenboim and young Persian-Austrian cellist Kian Soltani joined the veteran pianist whose playing remain youthful, vigorous and highly communicative.
Reviews
Not many festivals in the world can pride themselves on hosting the Berlin Philharmonic on two successive nights. Needless to say there was a buzz in the air as the capacity audience anticipated the two very different programmes. As the current music director of the Bavarian State Opera, the young
Reviews
Georges Bizet’s most famous work is the opera Carmen a contemporary tale of French verismo replete with on-stage cigarette- girls, Spanish dances, bull fights and on-stage stabbing. Its popularity has far out stripped that of its ten year’s previous story set in ancient times on the island of
Reviews
A magnificent show of Tchaikovsky’s dramatic tragedy was performed for the sixth time on 25th August to an appreciative audience. The opera by Tchaikovsky has a libretto by his brother Modest based on a novel by Alexander Puchkin. The premiere took place in 1890 in St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky
Travel Diaries
October-November 2017 How on earth am I going to get the funds to go to a music competition in Wales, I mused? A fourth of my choir cannot even afford the modest choir fees that I charge. Was it too wild an idea? Dare I tell the kids? Do I
Reviews
Last night I attended the first performance of my week in Salzburg during the conclusion of the Summer Festival. It was the sixth performance of Mozart’s last opera the Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte). Billed initially by Mozart as a “German opera” it was also described as “grand opera”. Its
Reviews
I made it my business to explore the music of my contemporary George Benjamin in recent months, and was wondrously struck by the wealth and richness of his creative output, most especially in the outpouring of recent works. He is without question one of the most successful and accomplished composer