Latest stories
-
New Release Round-Up - 18th July 2025
18th Jul 2025by Maddy Allison
From intimate vocals, to cross-cultural instrumentation and creative reimaginings, this week's new releases cover a whole range of styles and sounds.
-
Gerald Finley on the First Night of the Proms
17th Jul 2025by Katherine Cooper
In advance of singing Vaughan Williams in tomorrow night's opening concert, the Canadian bass-baritone reflects on his 45-year relationship with the Proms - which began with a 'baptism of fire' just hours after he arrived in London to begin his studies at the Royal College of Music in 1979...
-
Piano Music Round-Up - Spring 2025
16th Jul 2025by Matthew Ash
Matthew shares some of his highlights from the wealth of piano recordings released over the past three months, covering an intriguing range of repertoire, and including a box set dedicated to a great Italian pianist he hasn't previously been aware of.
-
Susan Narucki on György Kurtág
15th Jul 2025by Ben Hogwood
In the wake of her acclaimed recording of the mercurial Kafka Fragments with violinist Curtis Macomber (released on Avie at the end of last month), the American soprano discusses her forty-year musical relationship with the Hungarian composer.
-
Sontronics Solo: The British-built dynamic mic making a serious case for itself
15th Jul 2025by Jonny Brading
In a crowded market filled with long-established favourites, it's not easy for a new dynamic microphone to stand out. Yet the Sontronics Solo, designed and manufactured in the UK, does exactly that—quietly but confidently.
-
Gramophone Editor's Choices - August 2025
14th Jul 2025by Chris O'Reilly
Chris introduces next month's selection, headed by Vilém Vlček and Denis Linnik's 'urgent and profound' set of Martinů's complete works for cello and piano on Supraphon.
-
New Music Book Publications - July 2025
14th Jul 2025by James Longstaffe
Biographies of French composer Maurice Ravel and Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad, a cultural history of the baritone voice through the centuries, an analysis of musical forgeries, the story of pianist Stephen de Bastion as told by his granddaughter Roxanne, an examination of ruralness and national identity in Czech opera, a collection of interviews with composers of movie music, and a picture-book biography of cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
-
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.
-
Author Focus: Paul Harris - Improve Your Sight-Reading
14th Jul 2025by Ellena Spirrett
In part six of our 'Author Focus' series, Paul answers the questions: why is it important to know how to sight-read, and what is the best way to use his sight-reading publications?
-
Blackstar ID:X 50 & 100
12th Jul 2025by Dave Lockie
The IDX:50 and IDX:100 amplifiers are Blackstar’s latest high-power digital combos, building on the acclaimed original ID Series amplifiers and designed to deliver exceptional sound and versatility in a compact format and go directly up against the current industry leader in the hottest sector of the market, the Boss Katana.
-
Theon Cross - Affirmations: Live At The Blue Note New York
11th Jul 2025by Maddy Allison
The UK tuba player presents his latest album capturing performances from his debut at the Blue Note New York.
-
Orchestral Works by Grażyna Bacewicz
11th Jul 2025by James Longstaffe
Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra continue their survey of the orchestral works by the Polish composer, including Symphony No. 2, the Concerto for Large Symphony Orchestra, and the Piano Concerto with soloist Peter Donohoe.
-
New Release Round-Up - 11th July 2025
11th Jul 2025by Katherine Cooper
Shostakovich from Cuarteto Casals, Steve Reich's Jacob's Ladder and Traveler's Prayer, this year's summer concert from the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, and choral works by the Mendelssohn siblings from the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin.
-
New Release Round-Up - 11th July 2025
11th Jul 2025by Maddy Allison
Spiritual jazz meets electronica in Openness Trio, a father and son duo deliver their take on Argentinian music and jazz in El Viejo Caminante and Edition Records presents saxophonist Olga Amelchenko’s latest release Howling Silence.
-
Composer Spotlight: Philip Sparke
11th Jul 2025by Ellena Spirrett
Philip Sparke talks about his career as a composer, his influences and inspirations, and his greatest achievements to date.
-
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.
-
Vinyl Round Up - January to June 2025
10th Jul 2025by Maddy Allison
A collection of some of the best vinyl release during the first half of 2025!
-
Tchaikovsky from Yunchan Lim and other forthcoming highlights
9th Jul 2025by Katherine Cooper
The young South Korean pianist tackles Tchaikovsky's The Seasons, with other stand-out releases for late summer including Purcell's Dido & Aeneas with Joyce DiDonato and Michael Spyres, Jonas Kaufmann's Doppelgänger, and Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady from John Wilson and Sinfonia of London.
-
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.
-
New Sheet Music Titles - 8th July 2025
8th Jul 2025by Ellena Spirrett
Piano works by Latin American composers, Willis Music's 'Junior Performer' series, Bärenreiter's edition of Rameau's 'Les Fêtes de Ramire', vocal selections from Disney's 'Snow White', '101 Top Hits' for solo instrumentalists, and Ralph Vaughan Williams' 'The Wasps Suite'.