Charlotte Smith
Recent articles by Charlotte Smith
Itzhak Perlman: legendary virtuoso violinist and the sound behind Schindler's List
As we celebrate violinist Itzhak Perlman’s 80th birthday, the virtuoso speaks to Charlotte Smith about teaching, conducting, his famous sound – and keeping inspired over a career of more than 60 years
Ranked: the 11 best cello concertos of all time
Here is our selection of the greatest pieces ever written for cello and orchestra. Do you agree?
Move over Portland… why its smaller neighbour, Vancouver, Washington, is stealing the musical limelight
Charlotte Smith is entranced by the community spirit and friendly charm of an expanding American city beginning to make its mark
Malice, murder, mystery: Amadeus - the greatest musical story ever told on film
‘Everything you’ve heard is true,’ proclaimed the posters for Miloš Forman’s Amadeus – a cinematic tale of genius and envy, based on Peter Shaffer’s acclaimed stage play about Mozart and Salieri’s bitter rivalry. Forty years on, Charlotte Smith looks back at a very special production
Watch as this beautiful cat charms audiences at Beethoven concert
The feline appeared on stage with perfect timing during Festival Strings Lucerne's performance of the 'Pastoral' Symphony
Jaws at 50: how John Williams' groundbreaking soundtrack saved Spielberg's cinematic masterpiece from disaster
As Steven Spielberg’s Jaws celebrates its 50th birthday, Charlotte Smith explores the vital role played by John Williams’s famously unsettling soundtrack
‘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
Curtis Institute: inside the American school bringing on tomorrow's greatest musicians
As the Curtis Institute marks its centenary, Charlotte Smith visits the elite Philadelphian music school to discover the secrets of its success
The Righteous: the provocative US opera exploring AIDS, religion and infidelity
As their second opera takes to the stage, composer Gregory Spears and librettist Tracy K Smith talk to Charlotte Smith about their special partnership
The viola gets a bad press. Not fair, as these 12 gorgeous works prove
We reflect on some of our favourite pieces for this most beautiful – though historically unfairly dismissed – stringed instrument
Bassoon: all you need to know about the orchestra's biggest wind instrument
Like its cousin the oboe, the bassoon has a double reed which gives it a particularly distinctive sound
Music modes: the building blocks of mood and atmosphere in music
Modes are a series of seven musical scales, each with their own unique qualities and sound
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante: lively, sorrowful, utterly beautiful. A guide to this extraordinary work and its best recordings
A guide to Mozart's lively, sorrowful and beautiful work for violin, viola and orchestra, and some of the best recorded versions available
From 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
Should opera always tackle big themes?
We might think of opera as depicting epic themes and important lives, but sometimes the personal can be epic, says composer Gregory Spears
Verdi the climate activist: how the Italian composer’s ‘Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves’ is fighting climate change
Verdi’s famous chorus finds a modern mission at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland
Lobster rolls and string quartets: classical music’s most luxurious home
Despite its reputation for outlandish wealth, Newport in Rhode Island is today home to bold classical music premieres and community concerts
Amelia Earhart: how the feminist icon's tragic story inspired a thrilling new work
Composer Michael Daugherty and violinist Anne Akiko Meyers tell Charlotte Smith about Blue Electra, a new work inspired by the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart
Anne-Sophie Mutter: all you need to know about the legendary German violinist
Meet Anne-Sophie Mutter, the brilliant German violinist, who has inspired composers, conductors and fellow performers
Timothy Ridout: a guide to the brilliant British viola player you'll see at the 2024 BBC Proms
Here's an introduction to the brilliant British viola player Timothy Ridout, who puts in an appearance at the 2024 BBC Proms with a performance of Mozart's luminous Sinfonia Concertante alongside violinist Clara-Jumi Kang.
Composer James MacMillan receives Ivors Academy Fellowship
MacMillan joins a list of 25 Fellows, including John Rutter, John Adams, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Judith Weir CBE and Sting
What is a leitmotif?
Most associated with the operas of Wagner, a leitmotif is a brief musical device signifying a character, location or idea, as Charlotte Smith explains
What are string instruments? Meet the members of the string family
As their name suggests, stringed instruments use vibrated strings to produce sound – but how are these instruments played and what are the different types?
The cello: a comprehensive guide
The larger cousin of the violin and viola, but smaller than the double bass, the cello is a popular bowed stringed instrument, capable of great range and expression