Why making music together in the home is a wonderful way to unite families
'Twice in my career, I missed my cue to appear on stage': tenor Jonas Kaufmann on his best and worst performances
Gods, kings and valkyries: 7 epic Wagner opera characters you should know
British soprano Susan Bullock selects the juiciest Wagner roles for singers to get their teeth into
Are robotic conductors the future of music – and can they ever be as good as humans?
Just like fads for Tamagotchi and Furbys, robotic conductors are currently flavour of the month – but they’re not a patch on the real thing, says Tom Service
18 weird and wonderful Christmas album covers: our pick of the best
Christmas over the years has inspired a glorious array of quirky covers from record company designers. We present our favourites…
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
Leroy Anderson: master of American light music and composer of Christmas classic 'Sleigh Ride'
Geoff Brown hears sleigh bells jingling and typewriters pinging as he celebrates the unique talents of America’s master of light music
Amahl and the Night Visitors: an iconic US Christmas TV tradition
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols: how the beloved Christmas service began in a lowly Cornish barn
Although the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is today synonymous with King’s College Cambridge, the format originated in Cornwall, as Andrew Green explains
In the Bleak Midwinter - the world's favourite Christmas carol
Ashutosh Khandekar heads back to a particularly bleak midwinter in the early 20th century, as he traces the chilly history of one of today’s most beloved carols
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Best cellists: the 21 greatest cello players of all time, from Boccherini to Capuçon via Casals and du Pré
From Pablo Casals to Jacqueline du Pré, we celebrate some of the greatest cellists of the past 300 years
11 of the best contraltos of all time
Are these the best contraltos of all time? We pay our respects to the women from the lower reaches
Violinist Vilde Frang on squaring up to epic works and coping with imposter syndrome
The Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang is always drawn to a challenge – and, as she tells Ariane Todes, making difficult choices has helped her to grow as a musician
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
'I detest him'... 'The most sublime music ever'... 11 of the best quotes about Beethoven
Famous quotes about the great composer from other great minds and creatives
Stephen Sondheim: one of our greatest composers, in any genre
Stephen Sondheim transformed musical theatre through his groundbreaking works – yet he never appreciated his true impact, writes James Inverne
‘What a giftless bastard!': 15 juiciest composer insults
Sparks fly and verbal venom is spat, as John Evans explores the great names who simply loved to take potshots at each other
Karl Jenkins: from prog rock to the world's most performed classical composer
Welsh composer Karl Jenkins speaks to Amanda Holloway about creating an emotional connection with his many millions of fans across the globe
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
Gaspard de la nuit: inside Ravel’s famously haunting piano cycle
Rebecca Franks explores the twilight world of Ravel’s haunting and nightmarish cycle, Gaspard de la nuit, and finds the best recording of this virtuosic work
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante: lively, sorrowful, utterly beautiful. A guide to this extraordinary work and its best recordings
A guide to Mozart's lively, sorrowful and beautiful work for violin, viola and orchestra, and some of the best recorded versions available
Best Beethoven recordings of all time: 20 great moments in Beethoven recording history
We name the best albums and recordings every Beethoven lover needs to add to their collection
These are the 50 greatest recordings of all time. How many are in your collection?
Our round-up of the best must-have performances of classical music. Update your collection with the great symphonies, choral works, operas, chamber and instrumental works
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Folk & Ba-Rock Cello (Giovanni Sollima)
In her review, Jo Talbot is wowed by Giovanni Sollima’s technique and virtuosity in this ear-opening showcase of the cello’s thrilling sonic possibilities
Souvenirs (Johan Dalene and Peter Friis Johansson)
In his review, Michael Jameson gives a big thumbs up to this dazzling recital from the exceptional young Scandinavian violinist Johan Dalene
Pierrot Portraits
Claire Booth and Ensemble 360 deliver a triumphant gallery of ‘Pierrot Portraits’, says Paul Riley in his review
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Audio gift guide 2024: perfect gifts for audio lovers this Christmas, at every price point
From cute bedside radios to tantalising turntables, Chris Haslam suggests a wide range of perfect gifts for audio lovers this Christmas
Why hasn't the vinyl revival touched the classical music market?
Vinyl has made a huge comeback in popular music. Cellist Leonard Elschenbroich reveals why classical musicians should get on board
Sports headphones: the best headphones for listening while running, cycling or in the gym
Enjoy listening to music on the go? Our audio expert Chris Haslam tests the very best products for healthy listening