Artists
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
Giuditta Pasta: the legendary Italian soprano who blazed a trail a century before Maria Callas
A century before Maria Callas caught the world’s attention, there was another singer wielding immense power both on and off stage, Giuditta Pasta. George Hall tells the story of the Italian soprano
'My uncle tormented me too much': what drove Beethoven's nephew to attempt suicide?
In 1826 Beethoven’s tormented nephew pulled the trigger on himself
Pavarotti: a guide to the life and times of the world's most famous opera singer
Luciano Pavarotti was one of classical music's biggest stars. We remember the tenor who famously ‘couldn’t act for toffee’, but brought opera to an audience of millions
Glenn Gould: remembering an idiosyncratic icon of the piano
Glenn Gould was one of the most celebrated and talked-about pianists of the 20th century, thanks to his groundbreaking interpretations of JS Bach and idiosyncratic personality. Humphrey Burton, who knew him, remembers an extraordinary artist
Santtu-Matias Rouvali: the Finnish conductor on the best and worst performances of his career so far
Ethan Loch: the blind pianist with an astonishing synaesthetic sense of hearing
Born without sight, pianist Ethan Loch has developed a finely tuned – and synaesthetic – sense of hearing, as he reveals to Claire Jackson
Henry VIII: a brutal and tyrannical king, but did he write any good music?
When he wasn't beheading people or vandalising monasteries, Henry VIII was remarkably skilled as a composer and performer, as David Skinner explains
Ella Fitzgerald: the jazz icon whose warm tone and joyous stage presence captivated audiences worldwide
Geoffrey Smith looks back at the life of an indisputable jazz legend
Paul Robeson: the strange tale of how a charismatic black American singer fell under the spell of Stalinism
How his passion for Soviet politics led Paul Robeson to be relegated from national hero to media pariah
Jacqueline du Pré: the cellist whose talent was as extraordinary as her tale was tragic
Jacqueline du Pré was a brilliant but complex genius whose shyness and vulnerability, particularly in the light of her illness, often left her misunderstood, says Helen Wallace
What's it like to study with a living legend? Cellist János Starker was 'like a doctor with X-ray eyes'
Ildikó Szabó remembers her cello lessons with the great János Starker
Oscar Levant: film star, and greatest Gershwin pianist of his generation
Oscar Levant built his reputation as an actor and radio host, but this talented pianist was also a key interpreter of Gershwin’s music
Florence Foster Jenkins: was she really the 'Diva of Din'?
In 2016 Meryl Streep brought the very dubious talents of history’s most wayward soprano to the cinema. But who, asks Nick Forton, was the real Florence Foster Jenkins?
5 musical geniuses who could sight-read any piece - even the most fiendishly difficult ones!
The violinists and pianists throughout history who have had the best memories and sight-reading techniques
Never marry a classical musician... here's 10 reasons why
Free concert tickets and a home filled with the joys of music might seem tempting now, but you could live to regret it...!
Greatest conductors of all time: 30 of the finest baton-wielders in classical music history
Who are the maestros who inspire the maestros themselves? We invited 100 of today's leading conductors to cast their vote for the greatest conductors ever
'A beautiful beating heart, even when it was filthy': author Lemony Snicket on his musical inspirations
The author of A Series of Unfortunate Events shares the music that has shaped his life and career
Curtis Institute of Music: the American music school that creates the world's top performers
As the Curtis Institute marks its centenary, Charlotte Smith visits the elite Philadelphian music school to discover the secrets of its success
Joseph Emidy: Britain's first black composer, who travelled from kidnap and slavery to violin superstardom
Gayle Wood tells the remarkable story of the African-born violinist and composer Joseph Emidy, whose musical talent led to kidnap, life at sea and, finally, acclaim
JoAnn Falletta: the trailblazing American conductor who shattered the glass ceiling
As the US conductor marks 25 years as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, she speaks to Clive Paget about being a female trailblazer and the mentors who supported her
'Don't let your inner monologue get in the way': Why nervousness and stage fright are all in the mind
British/Iranian pianist Arsha Kaviani says that when musicians becomes nervous, they're making the performance too much about themselves
'I was in a cold sweat for 28 minutes' – trumpeter Alison Balsom on her best and worst concert performances
Leading British trumpeter Alison Balsom remembers the best and worst performances of her career - including having to play in a different key!