Artists
Virtuosos: eight incredible musicians from classical music's past and present
The BBC Music Magazine team chooses the virtuosos from history they would love to have seen perform
Musical rule breakers: 15 artists who redefined the possible
From Callas to Cage, meet 15 fearless musicians who broke every rule in the book - and reshaped the sound of music for evermore
Which classical musicians should be the stars of Hollywood blockbusters?
Hollywood has taken an unexpected interest in classical music of late, says Tom Service – so here are some suggestions for their next blockbusting successes
Patricia Routledge: Hyacinth Bucket with the voice of an angel
Though known chiefly for her brilliant portrayal of a social climber on TV’s Keeping Up Appearances, Patricia Routledge was once also a successful mezzo, as the actress recalls with Michael White
From jazz piano in cocktail bars to starring in Wicked: Jeff Goldblum's musical memories
How to supercharge your memory - four musical experts share their top tips
When performing by heart, how do musicians remember all those notes? Four top artists explain their recommended methods
'Miraculous'. 'Evil'. People had a *lot* to say about this legendary conductor
Many revered him, others were perplexed by or even envious of his success. Here's the controversy of Herbert von Karajan in ten quotes
Death at the keyboard: a pianist's final, fatal performance at Carnegie Hall
'It's simply untrue to say that women lack the stamina to play brass instruments' – trumpeter Imogen Whitehead
Britten Sinfonia principal trumpet player Imogen Whitehead on why we should challenge anti-female stereotypes in brass playing
‘My fingers were slipping all over the keys’: clarinettist Julian Bliss on his nightmare concert in the rain
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
Rostropovich: the virtuoso who redefined the cello forever
Rostropovich was the most influential cellist of any era, a force of nature who inspired many of the 20th century’s greatest works. His former pupil Elizabeth Wilson recalls his extraordinary talent, eventful life and magnetic personality
Titanic musicians: the tragic and noble tale of the performers who went down playing
On the night of 15 April 1912, one of the most heroic performances in history was witnessed, as the musicians of the Titanic carried on playing despite their inevitable fate. Andrew Green tells their story
Nazi exile, mental illness: the complex legacy of one of the 20th century's greatest conductors
For many, conductor Otto Klemperer will be remembered as the steady and reliable champion of classic repertoire, but in his youth the German was a dashing advocate of the new, writes Andrew Green
Wendy Carlos: the fearless trailblazer behind Kubrick’s most haunting soundscapes
Discover the bold, brilliant world of Wendy Carlos—electronic music pioneer, innovator, and trailblazing figure in sound and identity.
Nina Simone: how racism stopped her classical piano career in its tracks
Classical music was jazz legend Nina Simone’s first love, but she faced racism in her bid to become a leading African-American pianist, writes Roger Thomas
One night in Belfast catapulted a young Luciano Pavarotti to stardom. Here's the story
When Luciano Pavarotti got a call to perform Puccini in Belfast, he couldn't have known how career-defining his performance would be...
Meet Felix Klieser, the inspirational musician born with no arms
Horn player Felix Klieser was born without arms. His journey to the top of his profession is nothing short of inspirational
Joseph Emidy: Britain's first black composer, who travelled from kidnap and slavery to violin superstardom
Gayle Wood tells the remarkable story of the African-born violinist and composer Joseph Emidy, whose musical talent led to kidnap, life at sea and, finally, acclaim
Ranked: the 15 greatest jazz singers of all time
Who are the greatest jazz singers of all time? We name some of the best here (in alphabetical order)
These 9 films of classical music icons as children are truly inspiring
Discover the remarkable origins of some of classical music's greatest artists through these fascinating video clips of their childhood performances
These are the 21 most awesome cellists of all time
From Pablo Casals to Jacqueline du Pré, we celebrate some of the greatest cellists of the past 300 years
Florence Foster Jenkins: how the 'world's worst singer' sold out the Carnegie Hall
In 2016 Meryl Streep brought the very dubious talents of history’s most wayward soprano to the cinema. But who, asks Nick Forton, was the real Florence Foster Jenkins?
Thomas Beecham: master of the waspish one-liner. But an often visionary conductor, too
He might be best remembered now for his frequently withering wit and the head start his family background gave him. But Thomas Beecham was also a conductor of rare insight and musicality