If there is one genre of music which baritone Thomas Hampson is exceptionally passionate about, it is the lied. To Hampson, song and singing are "the diary of our existence" and he has invested a great amount of time, work and love to luring this…

On New Year’s Eve 2009 Havana’s legendary nightclub, Tropicana, celebrated its seventieth birthday with a colourful revue, and the evening’s special guest was the world-famous Omara Portuondo. Together with her five-man band, which ranges in style…

One reviewer of Susan Graham's Verbier Festival recital praised her 'radiant voice' and marveled at her ability to convey the subtle nuances of what seems like 'her second native language'. Her programme offers a 'tasting menu' of the French mélodie…

When Nobuyuki Tsujii, the co-winner of the Gold Medal of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition appeared on the stage for his Carnegie Hall debut, his dream had come true. The most important event in the career of any performer, for…

The programme which Martin Helmchen devised for his recital at the 2011 Verbier Festival is like a statement of probity: a carefully constructed selection of works by three composers, Bach, Liszt and Beethoven. The chosen compositions place demands…

The fiftieth anniversary of Toscanini’s death in 2007 was celebrated with gala concerts around the world, one of the most glamorous events being this benefit concert at the basilica of St Mark’s in Venice. The 11-year-old child prodigy Lorin Maazel…

A concert in honor of the 85th birthday of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The Cappella Musicale Pontificia "Sistina" is one of the oldest and most prestigious musical institutions the “Choir of the Pope”. Under the direction of Massimo Palombella…

Denis Matsuev, a virtuoso in the grandest of Russian pianistic tradition, gave this remarkable recital at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The Russian star pianist performs the complete Seasons by Tchaikovsky, one of the most popular classical works…

Roman Zaslavsky is a master of piano technique that espouses nuance without resorting to arbitrary mannerisms. He first gained recognition by taking 1st prize - the Primer Gran Premio - at the José Iturbi International Music Competition in Valencia…

For many classical music lovers, Johann Sebastian Bach’s "Mass in B minor" is a pinnacle of Western music, and today it is one of our most beloved sacred classics. The live performance of this monumental piece of music, with John Neslon, the Maîtrise…