This legendary quartet has been the authority on Russian string quartet repertoire for more than 60 years. Founded in 1945 and renamed in 1955 after Russian chamber music composer Alexander Borodin, the quartet was so sought after, already in their…

Alfred Brendel is arguably the most outstanding modern exponent of Schubert's piano music currently before the public. He is capable of bringing not only the verve of this music but also its poetic intensity and intellectual depth to life with a…

The Belcea Quartet is one of the world’s leading chamber music ensembles, having won many international accolades. Now, with the string quartets, the musicians have rediscovered a gem of twentieth century chamber music. “Here is a composer moving…

Those lucky enough to have seen Mariss Jansons in concert could immediately perceive his unconditional dedication to music: The light in his eyes, his sweeping yet precise gestures, his tense, half-open mouth and his raised eyebrows. He conducted…

Christoph Prégardien is one of the most established singers of our time and has especially excelled in his interpretations of German Romantic Lieder. He has won Orphée d'Or of Académie du Disque Lyrique - Prix Georg Solti, Preis der Deutschen…

“Here the crème de la crème of orchestral musicians are to be found sitting alongside one another and performing at such an unprecedentedly high level that it is a joy to listen to them. There is a constant give and take in terms of their breathing…

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…

“For me, it’s the utmost to play and work on the music of Bach!” Violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann is one of the greatest artists of his generation. Accompanied by Enrico Pace, his pianist counterpart since 1998, he plays the unrivalled violin sonatas…

Gidon Kremer is not only one of the leading violinists in the world, but also – thanks to his unquenchable curiosity and search for new impulses – one of the most fascinating musical personalities of our time. His repertoire ranges from Bach to the…

Franz Liszt described the art of conducting as less than a task to be in evidence but rather a feat in disappearing behind the function itself. Conductors are pilots, not servants. Looking back at the past two centuries, we have been blessed with the…