Charlotte Smith
Recent articles by Charlotte Smith
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 who returns to the Proms this summer
Meet Anne-Sophie Mutter, the brilliant German violinist, who has inspired composers, conductors and fellow performers
Watch: Cat duets with Beethoven at the Istanbul Music Festival
The feline appeared on stage with perfect timing during Festival Strings Lucerne's performance of the 'Pastoral' Symphony
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.
Amadeus - the greatest classical music film ever made?
‘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
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
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
The ten best cello concertos of all time
Here is our selection of the greatest pieces ever written for cello and orchestra. Do you agree?
The bassoon: a guide to the orchestra's largest wind instrument
Like its cousin the oboe, the bassoon has a double reed which gives it a particularly distinctive sound
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
Rosin: what it is, the different types and why string instruments need it
Used by violinists, violists, cellists and double bassists, rosin helps to create friction between the bow hair and strings
Does tone deafness actually exist? What being tone deaf really means and why it can't be cured
Often the term ‘tone deaf’ is used to describe a person with little musical talent – but those with genuine tone deafness are unable to distinguish differences in pitch, as Charlotte Smith explains
Woodwind instruments: a guide to the orchestra's woodwind family
Woodwind instruments produce sound by directing a stream of air through a hollow tube – but how are these instruments played and what are the different types?
Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante: a guide to this beautiful 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
New documentary about Fanny Mendelssohn to be released in cinemas
Dartmouth Films will release Sheila Hayman’s feature film Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn on 27 October throughout the UK
Choral composer John Rutter receives Ivors Academy Fellowship
Rutter joins a list of 24 Fellows, including John Adams, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Judith Weir CBE and Sting
Royal College of Music launches free training programme for young bassoonists
The inaugural programme for students aged 11 to 18 will take place on select Sundays from November 2023 to April 2024
André Rieu Christmas concerts in Maastricht: all you need to know
Where can you see the Dutch violinist, dubbed the ‘King of Waltz’, and his Johann Strauss Orchestra during this year’s festive season?
Soprano Kathryn Lewek: How I made my name as Mozart’s Queen of the Night
The coloratura soprano describes her journey to become the most world’s most prolific Queen of the Night from Mozart’s Magic Flute
1953 Coronation choristers celebrate 70th anniversary
25 former boy choristers from the 1953 Coronation met at St John's Smith Square, London in July to celebrate the occasion’s 70th anniversary