Gustav Mahler(1860 – 1911) once boldly proclaimed, “My time is yet to come,” a statement that foreshadowed the extraordinary legacy he would leave behind. His work serves as a bridge between the rich Austro-Germanic musical tradition and the daring experimentation

Klaus Mäkelä is a sudden superstar in the classical music world. Born in 1996, he is the most successful twentysomething conductor in the world today…and accordingly, one of the most controversial. Everyone in the field is asking: is he at

Vladimir Ashkenazy, born in Gorky, Soviet Union, on 6 July 1937, stands as one of the most revered pianists and conductors of his era. A child prodigy, he rose to international fame through standout performances at the Chopin Competition in

Friedrich Wieck (1785-1873) is best-known as Clara Wieck Schumann’s litigious father, the man who did everything he could to keep his daughter from marrying Robert Schumann. However, he was also a well-respected piano teacher. Despite the fact that he only

Classical musicians often put music into boxes. Sonatas and symphonies are considered Serious with a capital S, whereas waltzes and dance music are often dismissed as mere light trifles. So it may come as a surprise to find out that

Wanda Landowska, born in Warsaw on 5 July 1879, stands as a pivotal figure in the twentieth-century revival of early music. Her mastery of the harpsichord transformed the instrument from a historical artefact into a vibrant instrument for modern concert

In the pantheon of modern literature, few figures loom as enigmatically as Franz Kafka. A Czech-Jewish writer born in Prague on 3 July 1883, Kafka crafted stories that resonate with a haunting, almost prophetic clarity that captured the anxieties of

Composer Dmitri Shostakovich had a tumultuous professional life, surviving discouragement and denunciation by the Soviet government over a period of decades. He also had a tumultuous personal life. He was married three times to three very different women: Nina Varzar,