Latest stories
-
In Spain (and elsewhere) with the RLPO
31st Oct 2025by David Smith
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic present two contrasting albums - Spain viewed through rose-tinted French glasses, and some rarely-heard masterpieces of pastoral English Romanticism.
-
New Release Round-Up - 17th October 2025
17th Oct 2025by David Smith
Bliss ballet music from the BBC Philharmonic with Michael Seal, a wide-ranging debut recital from countertenor Hugh Cutting with Audrey Hyland, Schubert piano sonatas from Martin Helmchen, and Debussy and Szymanowski from the Belcea Quartet.
-
Bracing Brahms from Pygmalion and Raphaël Pichon
10th Oct 2025by David Smith
A fresh new recording of Brahms's quasi-sacred masterwork combines hints of past approaches - both the luxuriant and the austere - for an overall impression that's clear and light but deep and profound when it counts.
-
Sir John Rutter at 80
24th Sep 2025by David Smith
Composer Sir John Rutter reflects on eight decades of music-making - from studying and conducting at Clare College Cambridge to the turn to full-time composition, and the various influences that have helped to shape his musical style.
-
Will Dawes on Divine Light and the Indian choral tradition
22nd Sep 2025by David Smith
The conductor of the unique choir of Oxford University's Somerville College talks about their new album of works from, and drawing on, some of the musical worlds of the Indian subcontinent.
-
John Butt on Bach's elusive St Mark Passion (and theatrical Handel)
4th Sep 2025by David Smith
The conductor of the Dunedin Consort talks about his upcoming performance of an innovative hybrid reconstruction of Bach's fragmentary third Passion setting, and his recent recording of dramatic Handel cantatas featuring soprano Nardus Williams.
-
Benjamin Nicholas on (more!) Orchestrated Anthems
27th Aug 2025by David Smith
Merton College Choir's Director introduces his second volume of favourite anthems and church music, reimagined once again in glorious orchestral Technicolor, with the choir and the Britten Sinfonia.
-
Four Spirits from Abel Selaocoe
15th Aug 2025by David Smith
The cello-centred multi-instrumentalist presents his genre-defying new concertante work, drawing on South African and Western classical musical lineages and with co-starring roles for percussion and voice.
-
Nigel Short on A Prayer for Deliverance
13th Aug 2025by David Smith
Tenebrae's conductor talks about the choir's most recent album, pairing an astonishing, virtuosic and powerful new work from rising US composer Joel Thompson with Howells's well-loved Requiem.
-
Martin Baker on Corpus Christi from Buckfast Abbey
11th Aug 2025by David Smith
The organist and composer talks about his newly-commissioned Mass for Buckfast Abbey, and some of the age-old strands of liturgical music that partly inspired it.
-
Elizabeth Sombart on Mozart and philanthropy
6th Aug 2025by David Smith
The pianist and humanitarian activist talks about her new album of Mozart concertos and her work with the Fondation Résonnance over the years.
-
Steve Reich, Big and Small
25th Jul 2025by David Smith
An EP of two new works by Steve Reich, a new live recording of Reich and Hisaishi, and a huge, delicious box-set of Reich on Nonesuch.
-
Early Music Round-Up - Summer 2025
23rd Jul 2025by David Smith
Groundbreaking Corelli from the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, a musical soundtrack to Henry VIII's travels around England from Ensemble Pro Victoria, the final glorious flowering of English Catholic polyphony from New College Oxford, Gabrieli-inspired Zieleński from the Wrocław Baroque Ensemble, and more.
-
Mark Williams on Be Still My Soul
21st Jul 2025by David Smith
Magdalen College's Informator Choristarum (Director of Music) talks about his new album of favourite hymns with the choir, the role they play in the choir's daily life, and the trick to writing a really good descant.
-
New Release Round-Up - 18th July 2025
18th Jul 2025by David Smith
Messiaen from Yuja Wang and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Mozart from Chloe Chua and the Singapore Symphony, solo Bach from Céline Frisch, and historical recordings of Poulenc playing his own music and that of Satie.
-
Apollo's Cabinet on the remarkable career of Kitty Clive
14th Jul 2025by David Smith
Teresa Wrann talks about the group's new album, charting the highs and lows of a truly remarkable performer who held sway over London's theatre scene and served as a muse to Handel.
-
Jonathan Sells on Gesualdo, Bruckner and unexpected Wagner
10th Jul 2025by David Smith
The newly-appointed Choir Director of the Monteverdi Choir talks about his new album with the Choir, juxtaposing motets by Bruckner and Gesualdo and seeing both through a Wagnerian lens.
-
François Leleux on Future Horizons
8th Jul 2025by David Smith
The oboist talks about his new album of newly-written works for oboe and orchestra, with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and Andrés Orozco-Estrada.
-
Biber's 1681 sonatas from Rachel Podger and Bojan Čičić
4th Jul 2025by David Smith
Two sparkling performances of the Bohemian violinist-composer's most demanding and virtuosic sonatas, the 1681 Sonatae Violino Solo, come along at once!
-
Beverley McGeown on OpenArts NI
3rd Jul 2025by David Smith
The conductor of Belfast-based Open Arts Community Choir (winner of the Inspiration award at this year's RPS Awards) talks about her work with disabled and non-disabled musicians.