Review: Bach: Goldberg Variations (Yunchan Lim)
Grace Williams: the Welsh composer with steel in her soul
For long neglected outside her own nation, the Welsh composer is starting to enjoy her time in the sun again, explains Geraint Lewis
Jacob Collier, Louise Alder and John Wilson among 2026 RPS Awards winners
Celebrate the future of music with the Festival Academy Budapest
FAB celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2025 with honoured guests and young talent
Five of the best musical settings of Shakespeare
In celebration of the release of his own 'Shakespeare Songs', composer-conductor Nimrod Borenstein lists his five favourite musical settings of The Bard
Review: Mahler: Symphony No. 7 (NSO/Noseda)
Michael Jameson is wowed by Noseda’s interpretation of Mahler's madcap Seventh Symphony
Steve Reich: the pioneering minimalist composer who brought tonality back to music
As he approaches 90, the US composer Steve Reich tells Tom Service about his pride in playing an important part in bringing tonality and pulse back to music
'Great'? These five composers are simply overrated
We invite five of our writers to reveal those whose feted talents leave them seriously underwhelmed
The delusion of the Urtext: why we shouldn't worship the classical music score like a relic
Composer and guitarist Stephen Goss argues that musical scores are there to be interpreted and adapted rather than followed slavishly
Minimalism was much more than a return to basics... it was a revolution
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Agatha Christie: crime novelist and wannabe opera singer
Did legendary crime novelist Agatha Christie once harbour ambitions to become an opera singer? Andrew Green follows the clues…
Daniel Barenboim reveals the composer who's been his lifelong fascination
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim talks about his deep relationship with Beethoven's music
Meet Thomas Søndergård: Danish conductor and percussionist
Thomas Søndergård talks about his early years as a percussionist before becoming a full-time conductor – including as music director of the Minnesota Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
1907: the year Gustav Mahler lost everything... but found America
The composer Gustav Mahler suffered a series of personal and professional disasters in 1907. A move Stateside, however, resulted in a rapid upturn in his fortunes
Shostakovich: a composer's frightening double life in Stalin's Russia
Dmitri Shostakovich: the Soviet voice of the oppressed, and a composer of huge integrity
These 12 composers all left us incredible works. Yet they all died before 40
Many composers have died very young and often, we assume, at the height of their creative powers. Jeremy Pound explores the lives of 12 composers who died before reaching their 40th birthday.
'I'm no English pastoralist' – meet British composer Colin Matthews
As he approaches his 80th birthday, composer Colin Matthews speaks to Michael White about his 50-year contribution to British musical life
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
Outliers: these 21 albums sound like nothing else their bands ever made
Some albums defy expectations. From Beatles to Neil Young, these outliers reveal bands daring to experiment... and sometimes bewildering their fans
Essential Christmas albums: 10 timeless recordings to get you in the Christmas spirit
What is the perfect music to get oneself into the festive spirit? We ask ten of our writers to name the albums they couldn’t imagine Yuletide without
Prog rock 1975: ranking the 17 greatest prog albums turning 50 this year
1975 was a landmark year for progressive rock, delivering groundbreaking albums that pushed musical boundaries and redefined the genre’s scope. Here are the 15 best
Genesis: all 15 albums ranked from worst to best (the top 5 were SO tough)
We rank every Genesis studio album, from their early prog masterpieces to the stadium filling pop-rock of the 1980s
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Haydn 2032, Vol. 18: Il maestro di scuola
Misha Donat praises Giovanni Antonini’s lively and detailed accounts of Haydn and Lessel
Review: Nicolaus Richter de Vroe: Shibuya Movements, etc
Steph Power is wowed by Nicolaus Richter de Vroe’s orchestral experimentalism
Review: Little Wanderer (works by Britten, Imogen Holst et al)
Christopher Cook enjoys the debut album from well-matched musical partners
Rock music
Explore rock music
St Patrick's Day! The 21 greatest Irish bands, ranked from worst to best
From the raw energy of punk to stadium-filling anthems, these 21 artists define the defiant, melodic soul of Irish music
These 13 legendary bands changed so radically, they were unrecognisable by the end
From psych-folk beginnings to stadium-pop polish, these 13 legends underwent radical sonic and structural evolutions that left their origins unrecognizable
We ranked all 21 Bruce Springsteen albums – from worst to best
From forgotten detours to timeless anthems, we rank Bruce Springsteen’s albums – the missteps, the masterpieces, and everything in between
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
The '80s are back! The best portable cassette and CD players on the market today
Our Audio expert Chris Haslam gives his personal recommendation for buying a modern portable cassette or CD player
CDs are back! And these modern all-in-one CD players are the best way to listen to them
CDs are back! And these modern all-in-one CD players are the best way to listen to them, writes Chris Haslam
