This concert recording from 1961 is one of the last recordings with two outstanding musicians from Basie’s band, Joe Williams and Joe Newman, who both departed from the band in 1961 to pursue solo careers. Joe Williams, known for having a deeper and…

The trained pianist and occasional organist, Sarah Vaughan ranks among the Big Four of female jazz singers, alongside Bessie Smith , Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald . Her early formal education on the piano has influenced her vocal technique…

There was probably no other artist, who was involved creatively in so many stages of the development of Jazz music as Duke Ellington . His sonic individuality originated in his peculiar style of composing and arranging, in which he was interweaving…

Seldom has the genius of one man so influenced the musical conscience of his age. Leonard Bernstein triumphed as composer, conductor, writer and teacher. The spontaneous joy of his Broadway hits, the bold, spiritual quest of his orchestral works, his…

A music film with Daniel Barenboim Debussy wanted his piano preludes to be played and listened to privately. This film pays tribute to his wish, featuring Daniel Barenboim interpreting the first book of these delicate musical pieces. Architecture…

A spectacular ice fantasia featuring the olympic skating champions Paul and Isabelle Duchesnay and former world champion Brian Orser. Set to the music of the symphonic masterpiece by Gustav Holst, this dazzling production incorporates solo and…

Cole Porter is one of the most famous American artists of the past century. Surprisingly, this new film is the first in-depth documentary that gives a unique insight into his life and work. Porter expert Wilfried van den Brande travels in Porter’s…

Discover Larry Weinstein’s award-winning film “Shostakovich Against Stalin – The War Symphonies”. Described by Shostakovich as his “tombstones for the victims of Stalin”, Symphonies 4 to 9 represented the composer’s weapons against tyranny and remain…

In a little street in Brussels, two identical buildings stand together. In one of these buildings lives the famous concert pianist Martha Argerich. Next door we find the Tiempo – Lechner family, renowned by their lineage of piano prodigies. The…

This ballet, choreographed by James Kudelka, and set to Vivaldi’s celebrated score, describes the four seasons in a man’s life – from the exuberance of youth in “Spring” to the resignation and compassion of old age in “Winter”. Kudelka created the…