Classical music is often thought of as being austere, ponderous and stern. Yet there are examples that were explicitly intended to be the exact opposite. "Carnival of the Animals" is one of those compositions. Regarded as being plain fun by Saint…

In 2018 Yannick Nézet-Séguin will end his tenure with the Rotterdam Philharmonic for which he will stay Honorary Conductor to become Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Yannick has worked with many leading European orchestras and…

Having made his conducting debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1987, Sir Simon Rattle was appointed as Claudio Abbado‘s successor in 1999. On 7 September 2002, Sir Simon gave his first concert as the orchestra‘s chief conductor. Sixteen years…

Stefon Harris passionate artistry, energetic stage presence, and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him into the forefront of the current jazz scene. Widely recognized and lauded by both his peers and jazz critics, Harris is committed to exploring…

Recalling a life of love, tyranny and triumph, Zuzana Ruzickova endured forty years of persecution in Czechoslovakia for her refusal to join the Communist Party, while becoming a legendary harpsichordist and interpreter of Bach around the world. ‘I…

Bilal came up in Germantown, a northwest neighbourhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A deep interest in jazz was fostered by his father, who took him to the city’s clubs, singing eventually became more than an interest. He attended New York’s new…

In this pilot to a new series about the European musical heritage, soul musician Joy Denalane embarks on a journey to Austria to encounter the world of folk music. For centuries, this musical genre has provided a vital space for love and romanticism,…

A New York times profile of Mark Turner titled “the best Jazz player you’ve never heard” called him “possibly Jazz’s premier player”, noting his reputation among his peers and his influential stature in the Jazz world. Born in Fairborn, Ohio, and…

Before Hitler’s arrival in 1933, Germany was the centre of the musical world. Within five years, thousands of musicians had fled the country as the Nazi regime tightened its race laws and fashioned its cultural image. "EXIT: MUSIC" explores the lives…

In the “country of melodrama”- Italy - exists a very exclusive club consisting of only 27 persons, each of whom is named after one of Verdi’s operas. The club will not accept any more members than those 27, but a little boy strives to become one of…