BACKThe Telegraph
The opera novice: Richard Strauss’ Salome – a Biblical family romance
Strauss’ opera Salome is a psychosexual drama full of excruciatingly beautiful music.
The Independent
Simon Bolivar Orchestra: Kids aloud
As the orchestra returns to Britain, Matthew Bell sees how music continues to change lives in Caracas… and in south London too.
The Guardian
Pianist Valentina Lisitsa: believe the hype
I suspected Lisitsa – about to debut at Royal Albert Hall – was a case of promotion over profundity. Then I joined her online audience and was wowed by her self-assured virtuosity.
BBC Music Magazine
Haiti launches a music initiative modelled on Venezuela’s El Sistema
Haiti’s government has launched a new project to provide music education for all ages and to encourage the formation of youth orchestras across the country.
Financial Times
Conductors used to be famously autocratic, inaccessible – and old. Not anymore.
LA Times
Simone Dinnerstein – classical music’s ‘wandering bard’
The pianist isn’t following rules; she’s simply telling a story that begins with Bach.
Jessica Duchen
It’s a bumper year for classical music and opera in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for the Diamond Jubilee.
“The unforgivable sins of big business” – Joseph Szigeti’s opinion of the fact that the record catalogue contained only four recordings of Bartok playing the piano.
Gramophone
Classical music is honoured in the Birthday Honours
A knighthood for opera director David McVicar.
The Times
Gianandrea Noseda triumphs in Britten
He loves the orchestra. The orchestra loves him. So could the Italian maestro take over permanently at the LSO?
The ultimately difficult Troy story returns
War, suicide and pantomime – the Royal Opera House is braving Berlioz’s Trojan masterpiece.
New York-born conductor Carl Davis, 75, took his first music lessons aged 7 and moved to London at 18.
