The Leeds International Piano Competition is frequently described as “one of the world’s foremost music competitions.” It first launched in 1963 with the aim to discover the finest young pianists, and to prepare them for the challenging and ever-changing professional

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) celebrated his seventieth birthday in the Alrae Hotel in New York City on 5 March 1957. The New York Times published a glowing editorial in his honor on 4 March. “Heitor-Villa-Lobos, Brazil’s most famous composer and one

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787), working at the Habsburg court in Vienna and at the Parisian stage, completely reformed operatic traditions. At a time when virtuoso singers dominated the operatic stage, Gluck set out to return opera to its origins by

For a good many commentators, Grigory Sokolov is the “greatest living pianist.” And while such statements can be endlessly debated, Sokolov has certainly reached cult status among pianists and audiences. His colleague Daniil Trifonov exclaims, “Sokolov is a musical figure

Pianist Artur Schnabel (1882-1951) is primarily associated with his glorious performances of the late Beethoven sonatas. As a scholar writes, “Here he often achieved a visionary quality in which the piano itself was almost forgotten; and although he allowed himself

The Italian epic poem “Orlando furioso” (The Frenzy of Orlando) is considered one of the most influential works in European literature. Penned by Ludovico Ariosto and published in its completed form in 1532, the story takes place against the backdrop

Winning the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 1978 propelled Mikhail Pletnev to international stardom. His performances aroused ardent enthusiasm from the public and he was quickly dubbed “A Devil from Moscow.” A reviewer writes, “He uses such colors that have

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) was suffering from the advanced effects of tuberculosis when he received a letter from the impresario Charles Kemble in London on 18 August 1824. The letter issued an invitation to come to London and compose