Richard Morrison
Chief Music Critic, The Times
Richard Morrison is the chief music critic and culture writer for The Times. He is also a columnist for BBC Music Magazine, for which he was awarded Columnist of the Year at the 2012 PPA Awards. In 2004, he released a biography of the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra: The LSO: A Century of Triumph and Turbulence, to celebrate its centenary. The book was published by Faber & Faber. Morrison is a former orchestral trombonist and organist.
Recent articles by Richard Morrison
Shock impact and religious zeal: how historically informed performance revolutionised classical music
Thomas Hardy's capture a lost musical landscape
Elegy for a vanished world: the timeless mystery of Elgar's Cello Concerto
Written in the shadow of war and decline, Elgar’s Cello Concerto is a haunting farewell to an England that had vanished forever
Sometimes even great composers write terrible music
Genius doesn’t guarantee you will create a winner every time, writes Richard Morrison
Culture war! When a 1960s critic dared to compare The Beatles to Mahler
The extraordinary power of music to unlock buried memories in dementia patients
A tale of musical heroism: how my father’s accordion playing led the World War II tanks into battle
From frontline accordion playing to an important operatic premiere: Richard Morrison shares his father's musical memories of World War II
It takes work to engage with classical music... But the rewards are huge
Did Mendelssohn peak at the age of just 16 with his magnificent Octet?
We celebrate musical theatre lyricists, so why don't we credit great opera librettists?
The great divas were goddesses, and we forgave them everything
Once the ultimate accolade, the term ‘diva’ today has far more negative connotations. Richard Morrison traces the troubled evolution of the 'diva'
If you could time-travel to any year in musical history, which would it be?
Why making music together in the home is a wonderful way to unite families
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
Has streaming damaged our knowledge of classical music?
Why the curse of bullying in music needs to stop
There is nothing civilised about bullying, says Richard Morrison
'Two hours of leaden dross': the biggest stage musical flops of all time
At best they're joyous, but when musicals fail, they fail spectacularly, writes Richard Morrison
'Stamina, determination and luck': why deciding on a career in music is both a risk and a reward
Following your dream of becoming a musician is a risk... but the rewards are great too, says Richard Morrison
Can we empathise at any age with music about mortality?
Perhaps it’s only when you pass into old age, or through some life-threatening illness, that pieces about mortality disclose their full depth
Dalia Stasevska: meet the Ukraine-born Finnish conductor who’s led both First and Last Night of the Proms
An introduction to Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska, the current principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Why does some classical music make you cry?
Just how accurately can we predict the impact of music on our emotions? Richard Morrison takes a look at the evidence
Music and AI: how AI will shape the future of music
The AI revolution is here, but how will it affect the musical world? We look into the future of music and AI – and how the two will be irrevocably linked
Why musicians shouldn't be afraid to take on political causes
The film Maestro reminded us that Bernstein was a tremendously political figure, championing causes boldly and bravely. Where are the fearless conductors and soloists of today, speaking out about political and social wrongs that need addressing?
Richard Morrison: 'In this financial crisis, we must all do our part to support the arts'
Our regular columnist argues that support for the arts is now more crucial than ever