BBC Music Magazine Awards 2024: winners announced
From Chamber to Concerto via Personality of the Year, here are all the winners of the 2024 BBC Music Magazine Awards
May 2024
Music can trigger cherished memories - and even help treat dementia. Here's how
Hardest classical music to memorise: musicians choose the pieces they struggle to commit to memory
Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor: a guide to a great chamber work and its best recordings
Jo Talbot celebrates the ‘Mozart of the 19th century’ as she searches out the finest recordings of this masterful work for piano, violin and cello
Where can I buy the best clarinet reeds?
Our guide to clarinet reeds: what they do, how they are made and where to get the best ones
Klaus Mäkelä named Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director
The Finnish conductor will begin as the orchestra’s music director designate with immediate effect before beginning a five-year contract as music director in September 2027
What is the history of the cello?
Our historical guide to the cello: its invention, evolution and famous cello makers
BBC Music Magazine's Rising Stars 2024: The rising stars of classical music
The rising star classical musicians at the start of their career whose work and performances we're championing
DAB vs DAB+: What's the difference between DAB and DAB+?
In the next decade, we will see changes in the radio industry, with many stations moving across from DAB to DAB+. But what actually is the difference between the two – and what do radio listeners need to know in the battle of DAB vs DAB+?
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
How a concert hall's whites-only policy caused soprano Marian Anderson to find an ally in Eleanor Roosevelt
When Marian Anderson took to the stage in 1939 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, she had the full support of the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who had taken up her cause after Anderson was rejected from a concert hall because of a racist policy
Sitar player Jasdeep Singh Degun on creating crossovers between Indian and Western classical music
Rebecca Franks meets RPS Award winner Jasdeep Singh Degun, who is shining a light on Indian Classical music
Mozart to Megadeth: How classical violinist Rachel Barton Pine is converting heavy metal fans to classical music
American violinist Rachel Barton Pine takes inspiration from Scottish folk to thrash metal – and, as she tells Charlotte Smith, she’s now making new musical discoveries through parenthood
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
How did Beethoven cope with going deaf?
The great composer was able to deal with his deafness thanks to a unique hearing machine he had fitted to his piano
The greatest opera composers of all time
Here are the best opera composers of all time, from the 16th century to the modern day
Karl Jenkins on the commercial that made him a global hit, being underestimated by the music industry and why he has no plans to retire
Welsh composer Karl Jenkins speaks to Amanda Holloway about creating an emotional connection with his many millions of fans across the globe
Beethoven's funeral: how the composer's final farewell attracted more attendees than Michael Jackson's
The story of thousands gathering in Vienna for Beethoven’s final farewell
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
Ryuichi Sakamoto: the best recordings
We rank the essential albums of Ryuichi Sakamoto, the pioneering film composer, electronic artist and solo performer
Six of the best landmark jazz recordings
Jazz has undergone many changes of style over the last century, not least with the arrival of rock music. Neil McKim picks out some pivotal concerts
Five of the best albums by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck's rhythmic and tonal free-wheeling helped him become the epitome of 1950s and ’60s cool. We name his best recordings on disc
The best jazz albums released in 2021 so far
A list of the greatest jazz albums released in 2021, as chosen by BBC Music Magazine critics Garry Booth, Barry Witherden and Roger Thomas
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
The best office audio equipment: How to upgrade your office audio experience
Improve the quality of your laptop audio and introduce these top-of-the-range pieces of office audio equipment to your working-from-home set-up
Best portable speakers for enjoying your music indoors and outdoors
Our audio expert Chris Haslam chooses the best portable speakers for enjoying your music inside the home and in the great outdoors
Best TV speakers reviewed 2024: revolutionise your TV sound with these speaker systems
Whether you're after a wireless option, a soundbar or something more design-led, we've brought together some of the best TV speakers for all audiophiles available to buy now