John Williams: the maestro behind some of cinema's most iconic soundtracks
It’s likely more people around the world know some music written by John Williams than they do Bach or Beethoven. From Star Wars to Harry Potter, via Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park, his music for films has made him a bit of a superstar. Here’s everything you ought to know about the legendary composer.
Christmas carol meanings: the hidden messages behind your favourite carols
What do the words of our best-known Christmas carols actually mean? Here are some popular Christmas carol lyrics and meanings
A passionate and sometimes volatile perfectionist... What was it like to study with conductor Kurt Masur?
Kahchun Wong, the Hallé’s new principal conductor, salutes the mentoring he received from Kurt Masur
Best folk songs: 14 of the most famous roots music numbers from around the world
Our round up of some of the world's most beautiful, moving and lyrical folk songs
Maria Callas: the voice that redefined opera
Her voice may have divided audiences, but the Greek soprano Maria Callas never failed to compel with powerfully vivid performances. Michael Tanner explores the life and career of arguably the greatest opera singer ever
Johann Sebastian Bach: the Baroque innovator who changed the sound of classical music forever
Meet the king of counterpoint, Johann Sebastian Bach
Christmas choral music: 11 transcendentally beautiful works for the festive season
What are the greatest songs and choral works written for the festive period?
Franz Schmidt: the brilliant composer cancelled for pleasing the Nazis
A cataclysmic decision in his final year led to this masterful late-Romantic symphonist being cast out into the cold, explains Erik Levi
Is genius overrated? Why genius composers need ordinary 'second-rankers' in order to thrive
The ability to recognise creative genius is of fundamental value when it comes to composers sharing their music with the world, argues columnist Richard Morrison
Just why are choristers' voices so beautiful? Science has the answer
Why are choir boys and girls' singing voices so tuneful? Scientists explain just what makes choristers' voices so special and distinctive
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Ada Lovelace: the visionary who imagined computers composing music two centuries ahead of her time
The 19th-century mathematician and musician Ada Lovelace was the first to spot computers’ creative potential. David De Roure tells her intriguing story and explores her legacy
The black icon, the First Lady, and the concert that changed America
When Marian Anderson took to the stage in 1939 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, she had the full support of the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who had taken up her cause after Anderson was rejected from a concert hall because of a racist policy
Van Cliburn: the American pianist who triumphed in Russia at the Cold War's chilliest moment
American pianist Van Cliburn caused a major shock in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War, when he won the Tchaikovsky competition in 1958
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Best American composers: 16 composers who changed the course of American music
Daniel Jaffé explores the lives and works of the USA's greatest ever composers
These seven composers endured miserable love lives - but forged sublime music from them
When it comes to love, the great composers are, frankly, pretty much like the rest of us: hopeless. Here are six composers who endured terrible love lives
The great JS Bach was thrown in jail in 1717. Here's what happened
A desire to change jobs caused Bach to spend almost four weeks in prison. Here we explain more...
Charles-Valentin Alkan: the child prodigy who lived as a hermit and influenced Chopin, Liszt and Ravel
A performer who became a hermit, Charles-Valentin Alkan wrote the most demanding piano works in history, says Malcolm Hayes
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
Handel's Messiah: the best recordings of this festive choral masterpiece
We name the best recordings of of Handel’s Messiah, a choral masterpiece that should have everyone shouting Hallelujah!
Bach for beginners: 12 great recordings to unlock the Baroque master's magical music
Pianist George Lepauw introduces us to his essential Bach listening
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
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Yuletide Treats (Duo Pleyel) (Review)
In his review, Michael Church gets a warm glow from Duo Pleyel’s festive selection of four-hand piano arrangements
Schumann – Viola (Maxim Rysanov) (Review)
In her review, Jessica Duchen enjoys these expressive Schumann performances by Maxim Rysanov, Julian Bliss and Dasol Kim
Žibuoklė Martinaitytė: Aletheia etc (Review)
Composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė’s is a distinctive voice, says Christopher Dingle in his review of this potent and powerful set of new works
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
How to get the most from your Spotify subscription
Our expert Chris Haslam gives valuable advice on getting the very best from your Spotify subscription as a classical music listener
Has streaming damaged our knowledge of classical music?
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