News & Reviews

When Johann Sebastian Bach began writing chorale preludes for the church year, he envisaged 164 preludes. He actually composed 46 of them. The Royal College of Organists engaged several renowned composers to complete Herr Bach's project. So, at last Orgelbuchlein or the Little Organ Book will be complete. Portrait of J.S. Bach by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Public Domain on Wikimedia Commons

As the Principal Associate Conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Music Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Alexander Shelley is an award-winning conductor, earning the ECHO prize for his recording of Peter and the Wolf. Active across the globe, Shelley has inspired both professional musicians and upcoming generations, and has led thousands of people to recognize the everlasting beauty of classical music. In our interview

Mary Carole McCauley, writing in The Baltimore Sun, reports on Marin Alsop's successor as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Laura Thiesbrummel

Westminster Abbey has announced the appointment of Andrew Nethsingha to succeed James O'Donnell as Organist and Master of the Choristers in January 2023. Photo courtesy of St. John's College, Cambridge

Established in 1985, the Dushkin Award is given by the Music Institute of Chicago. Photo: Peter Miller

18-year-old South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim has won the 2022 Cliburn International Piano Competition.

In an interview with the Violin Channel, Naxos founder Klaus Heymann recounts how his recording label got started. He also offers some sage advice for young musicians contemplating a career in classical music.Photo by Alchetron

Martin Cullingford of Britain's Gramophone interviews cellist Yo-Yo Ma about this signal honor. Photo of Yo-yo Ma by Jason Bell

Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe was our guest on the June 2019 edition of My Life In Music. Winner of the 1994 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Ms. Blythe enjoys an active career on the opera stage as well as in the classroom. Stephanie chatted with Bob Chapman about her career and what got her started as a professional musician. Photo courtesy of Stephanieblythemezzo.com

Music for Independence Day, Bastille Day, and Women's Equality Day, as well as our popular Cinema Classics Weekend, are on tap for you this summer. Photo: "Summer Perennials" by Ian Kennedy

Maestro William Henry Curry is the Music Director and Conductor of the Durham Symphony. For twenty years he was Resident Conductor and Summerfest Artistic Director of the North Carolina Symphony. In this conversation, Maestro Curry chats with Rob Kennedy about his early years, musical training, and mentors who shaped his career. Photo: Courtesy of Maestro Curry

A signal honor for an indomitable musician! Photo: Meredith Truax

Writing in the BBC's Classical Music, Hannah Nepilova reports on Alexander Toradze's near-miss with death.

Jeremy Reynolds writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on conductor John Mauceri's new book, The War on Music: Reclaiming the Twentieth Century.  Photo: AdobeStock