Light the candles, cut the cake, and sing a lusty Happy Birthday (but in triple time, of course). André Rieu, aka ‘The Waltz King’, is celebrating not just his birthday but…

Artistic types are famous for their big personalities and the beef and rivalries that result. Over the centuries, classical composers have had more than their fair share of tiffs. Today…

In his short, 39-year lifetime, Frédéric Chopin wrote two concertos, four ballades, 24 etudes, 57 mazurkas and many other pieces of music, including sonatas, waltzes, nocturnes, études and scherzos.  Writer…

Mozart and Beethoven are amongst the most celebrated composers in the Classical world of music. Not only their phenomenal outpouring of works but their personal lives continue to this day…

For the purposes of this article, I will confine my selection of violin works to the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods of music. Once you stray into the pieces of the 20th or even 21st century, there…

As a beginner on almost every instrument, the range of possible pieces can be limited which is not encouraging if you want to make progress. Fortunately, in the case of…

Differences between Baroque and Classical music One of the outstanding differences between these key periods of Western Classical Music is the change in creative thinking. Baroque music as we can clearly hear…

What does it mean to live a meaningful, productive life? If Albert Einstein passed away in 1905 after publishing his earliest work on relativity, he would have been only 26…

For over 300 years, the piano has stood as an emblem of artistic culture, captivating audiences with its majestic sound and elegant design. However, despite its enduring popularity, the grand…

Sometimes, talent shines through at a very early age. Akim Camara is one such example. Watch as the then 5-year-old plays Felix Mendelssohn’s “Dance of the Fairies” with André Rieu…