Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Dalia Stasevska: meet the Ukraine-born Finnish conductor leading the 2026 First 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
Yunchan Lim: the superstar pianist who, at just 18, reduced a famous conductor to tears
London Symphony Orchestra: five famous conductors
Five of the LSO's most illustrious chief conductors
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
We ranked the 21 greatest German composers of all time (and he's right up there)
Germany has produced many of the greatest composers in history. We count them down (and reveal a gateway work for each)
The art of letting go – composing for another artist
Italian composer and pianist Olivia Belli shares insights on composing for other artists... and composing for herself
Six of the best: works by Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré mastered the art of quiet emotion, creating music of luminous beauty, subtle harmonies and profound, understated humanity
Miles Davis: the flawed genius who turned the jazz world upside down
Roger Thomas marks 100 years since the birth of a jazz legend by looking back at the style and personality that shaped his unique career
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
'All-conquering': inside Bach's mighty B minor Mass – and its greatest recording
The sheer variety and craftsmanship of JS Bach’s final choral masterpiece, Mass in B minor, enthral Paul Riley as he chooses the finest recordings
Outliers: these 21 albums sound like nothing else their bands ever made
Some albums defy expectations. From Beatles to Neil Young, these outliers reveal bands daring to experiment... and sometimes bewildering their fans
Essential Christmas albums: 10 timeless recordings to get you in the Christmas spirit
What is the perfect music to get oneself into the festive spirit? We ask ten of our writers to name the albums they couldn’t imagine Yuletide without
These are the 31 greatest classical albums to start your collection
Our round-up of the best must-have performances of classical music. Update your collection with the great symphonies, choral works, operas, chamber and instrumental works
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Schubert • Schumann (Arcadi Volodos, piano)
Arcadi Volodos plays with emotional transparency, notes Michael Church
Review: Pärt - Symphonies (Iceland Symphony Orchestra/Eva Ollikainen)
The Iceland Symphony Orchestra is wonderful in
Arvo Pärt symphonies, writes Michael Church
Review: German Opera Scenes and Arias (Malin Byström, soprano et al)
Malin Byström gives searingly dramatic
performances, writes Christopher Cook
Rock music
Explore rock music
10 forgotten rock genres you just don't hear about anymore
Rock evolves relentlessly, leaving behind once-vital sounds. Here are 10 forgotten rock genres that shaped music history... but have quietly vanished from today’s airwaves
'What were we thinking?': 25 rock legends – and the tracks they'd rather forget
Even rock's legends can't do it every time. From Led Zep to The Byrds, these 25 rock icons all have tracks they’d rather erase from the back catalogue
This singer was as good as McCartney. Then he started drinking with Lennon
A golden voice, Beatles-blessed fame, wild excess, tragic decline: the brilliant, baffling rise and fall of Harry Nilsson
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
The serious flaw in Spotify’s plan to distinguish humans from AI
Spotify’s new method of distinguishing AI-generated music from that made by real people is laudable… but sadly flawed, says Tom Service
Why old-school wired headphones STILL sound the best
All-in-one record players: the easy and affordable way to get into vinyl
Chris Haslam provides advice on the latest hi-fi equipment purchases
