The history of musical instruments is full of ingenious ideas that for one reason or another did not enter the commercial mainstream. Take for example the pedal piano, a keyboard instrument featuring an additional pedalboard played with the feet. The

Perhaps the most exclusive of all our institutions interviewed so far, the Kronberg Academy is based in Germany, in the small town of Kronberg in Taunus. The size of the town reflects the size of the student body, devoted solely

As I stand waiting for the doors to open to the auditorium at Wigmore Hall, I take a moment to glance around the entrance. One of the first things I see, among images of Gerald Finley and Julian Bliss, and

When we are faced with important decisions in life it feels scary to take a leap and embrace change. When I was in my twenties, I didn’t anticipate that dreaming big and having lofty goals would result in my career

In four years’ time, the Intimacy of Creativity has grown from a university arts project to a widely sought after chance by emerging young composers to come to Hong Kong and get creative with renowned pianist, composer and founder of

In the musical world, Moritz von Schwindt is primarily remembered for his famous drawing entitled “Schubertiade.” The term “Schubertiade” was actually coined by friends of Franz Schubert, and described private and informal musical gathering in the composer’s apartment. In addition

Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony is seen as one of the peaks of his orchestral writing (oh dear, I’m on the puns already…). Lasting almost an hour, written for a huge orchestra, it follows the dramatic story of a journey up

When I was doing some research on piano makers, I came across a rather interesting statistic. In the first half of the 20th century, 300 piano makers plied their trade in Europe. By December 2013, only 9 makers remain. Like