The idea of using jazz idioms in an otherwise “serious” composition was a recurrent element in European music between the two World Wars. Composers of all nationalities sought to break down the distinction between high and popular art, and the

If there is one perfect word to sum up the audible culmination of China in 2021, homogeneity must be somewhere close to the top. The whole country indulged in a year-long celebration of the centennial of the Chinese Communist Party

For a year when so many of us limited our social activities to things that were local, the only real travel news that made an international hit was Billionaires in Space! Why use your fortune for good when you can

How will we end this year? With an Omicron bang or a COVID whimper? A year ago, we expected that by mid-summer, all would be back to normal and life could resume. Now, however, we’re not so sure what normal

Orchestral musicians are an odd bunch. It’s ok, I can say that – I speak as one of the oddest. Within any orchestra different personalities emerge, each with their own quirks and habits. Take this as a guide through the

At its roots, the Taubman Approach is based on the premise that there is a way to play the piano that is tension-free. However, in the past thirty years, I’ve discovered these life-changing techniques can benefit not only pianists and

In the early morning hours of 28 December 1937, Maurice Ravel lapsed into a coma and died aged 62. The composer had entered a clinic on rue Boileau in Paris for neurological tests. In the event, exploratory brain surgery—apparently without

It’s shaping up to be another depressing New Year’s Eve in 2021. Just when a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon, a new mutation has reared its ugly head, and we seem to be back to where it all