A Happy New Year to you all As it’s the beginning of the year, I want to highlight something special, and with the war still raging in Ukraine, this wonderful, heart-warming project offers a positive start to 2023. The internationally acclaimed concert pianist Margaret Fingerhut is known for her innovative recital programmes where she explores…
Tag: Performers and Composers
Martha Argerich: The Rehearsal
If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that I like posting master classes. A few days ago, I stumbled across this most interesting rehearsal. It features Argentinian concert pianist Martha Argerich with conductor Charles Dutoit. Recorded in 2009, Argerich, who needs no introduction such is her world-wide appeal, rehearses the Piano Concerto in G…
David Bowie meets Minimalism
The recent tragic death of David Bowie (1947 – 2016) has further highlighted the legendary genius of his music and his persona. To mark his death, I’m featuring the following interview with American Minimalist composer Philip Glass, with whom he collaborated. Symphony No. 1 “Low”, also known as the “Low” Symphony is a work by…
Sir John Tavener 1944 – 2013
Sir John Tavener’s died earlier this week. He had, for many years, been a shining light in British music and his works are breathtakingly beautiful. His unique sound, for me, optimised what music is really all about; serenity, spirituality, sincerity and emotion. The choral works, for which he was synonymous, are sacrosanct, sensitive and highly expressive. Classical music, particularly piano music,…
Ivan Ilić’s Interview with Morton Feldman scholar, Chris Villars
I recently interviewed Serbian American pianist, Ivan Ilić. Ivan has published this interesting interview with Chris Villars, a scholar who runs a website devoted to the American composer, Morton Feldman. Interview with Morton Feldman scholar, Chris Villars. Chris Villars was born in Cambridge in 1949. He has lived most of his life in London, until…
Happy Birthday George!
George Gershwin would have been 114 years old today. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1898, George’s music has become synonymous with America. He began his career as a ‘song plugger’ before starting to compose Broadway theatre shows with his brother Ira, who was his lyricist. George was one of the few composers to successfully…
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen carries the Olympic flame
The Finnish conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen was recently given the honour of carrying the torch at the Olympic Games in central London. The Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of London’s Philharmonic Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, was torchbearer number 40 in the 2012 Torch Relay. Salonen was given the…
British female pianists and teachers: Arabella Goddard
Last week I started a ‘themed’ blog post highlighting British female pianists and teachers over the past 200 years. Women have always been less prominent in the profession than their male counterparts, so it’s wonderful to be able to write about them. Last week’s post focused on Lucy Anderson, who was the first important female…