‘Winning an orchestral role is like winning an Olympic medal': Canada's elite training scheme for orchestral musicians
Canada’s National Arts Centre is serious about education – and its flagship Orchestra is training the next crop of top musicians, writes Charlotte Smith
Prog rock '69: 15 incredible albums from prog's Year Zero
1969 was prog rock’s explosive dawn. From King Crimson to Zappa, discover 15 groundbreaking albums that redefined rock with ambition, complexity, and sonic adventure
The seven life-changing benefits of music (number 5 might surprise you)
We know that music has a positive effect on the brain, but music’s impact on the body can also be helpful, improving heart health, stress levels and pain management
Five things to know before buying an acoustic guitar
Let us help find the best acoustic guitar for you
Johannes Brahms: the traditionalist who changed classical music forever
Meet Johannes Brahms, the Janus-like face of Romanticism
Here are the best luxury headphones on the market right now
Our audio expert Chris Haslam tests options for luxurious listening in private
We've ranked the 21 greatest violinists of all time
Who are the finest violinists ever to have been recorded on disc? We ask 100 of today’s leading players to name their inspirations…
LA Opera announces Domingo Hindoyan as its new music director
The Venezuelan conductor will succeed LA Opera's current music director, James Conlon
Pink Floyd: all 15 albums ranked, from worst to best
From psychedelic beginnings to stadium-filling epics, we rank all 15 Pink Floyd studio albums—icons, oddities, and everything in between
Jacqueline du Pré: one of music's most dazzling talents, lost to us far too soon
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
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
'I lost my voice live on stage' – countertenor Iestyn Davies on his best and worst concert performances
Leading British countertenor Iestyn Davies remembers the best and worst performances of his career... including losing his voice live on stage!
Maria Callas: genius, glory, and the loneliness of a legend
Her voice may have divided audiences, but the Greek soprano Maria Callas never failed to compel with powerfully vivid performances. Michael Tanner explores the life and career of arguably the greatest opera singer ever
Ranked: Paul McCartney's classical works - number 1 is essential (but you can skip number 5)
From heartfelt oratorios to abstract symphonies, we rank Paul McCartney’s five classical works—from the sublime to the forgettable
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Schubert: probably music's greatest prodigy (sorry, Mozart)
Was Franz Schubert a prodigy without equal? Stephen Johnson makes a compelling case for the Austrian composer's place at the top of the prodigies league
Wagner the revolutionary: why the famous composer was forced to flee arrest in 1849
How a humble coat button saved the life of one our greatest composers
How a fight between Mattheson and Handel could have caused the demise of one of classical music’s greatest composers – had it not been for a metal coat button
Charlie Chaplin was an incredible actor… he was also the most important film composer of the 20th century
Charlie Chaplin was the most significant cinematic composer of the 20th century, says Tom Service, and his music is now more relevant than ever before
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
Best Mozart piano concerto: his 11 greatest masterpieces, ranked
Join us as we rank Mozart’s 11 greatest piano concertos—from stormy minor masterpieces to sunlit Classical gems that enchant audiences
Vivaldi Four Seasons: in search of the best recording (and the strangest)
These four revolutionary violin concertos remain Vivaldi's most-loved works. Lucy Chaudhuri rounds up the best recordings of The Four Seasons to date, and adds in three wild cards for good measure
When music gets weird: 14 gloriously strange concept albums you must hear
From musical Inuits to four-disc madness, these daring albums stretch imagination with surreal narratives, bizarre sounds, and sheer unforgettable weirdness
Prog rock '75: the 15 best progressive rock albums turning 50 this year
1975 was a landmark year for progressive rock, delivering groundbreaking albums that pushed musical boundaries and redefined the genre’s scope. Here are the 15 best
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Complete Works for Solo Piano (Bavouzet)
In her review, Rebecca Franks enjoys Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s characterful new take on the complete solo piano works of Ravel
Review: Brahms – Piano Quartets Nos 2 & 3
Krystian Zimerman and friends deliver a superb performance of radiant and whimsical Brahms Piano Quartets, says Jan Smaczny in his review
Review: Ravel – Complete Songs
In his review, Paul Riley thinks this foray into Ravel’s vocal works by pianist Malcolm Martineau and friends is a box of delights
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Affordable noise-cancelling headphones: the best on the market in 2025
Our expert Chris Haslam gives advice on buying the latest hi-fi equipment. This month... affordable noise-cancelling headphones