Inside the score
The Secret Lives of Christmas Carols
Our best-loved Christmas carols weren’t born in candlelit cathedrals but in fields, taverns, and bustling streets. This musical journey reveals the rebellious roots, poetic rewrites, and unexpected inspirations…
Reading time estimated : 12min read
medici.tv picks
Cecilia Bartoli, the Castrati, and the Art of the Da Capo Aria
In 2010, the inimitable mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli undertook a feat of musical archeology, excavating and showcasing a selection of stunningly virtuosic works originally written for the castrato voice…
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Inside the score
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From Hoffmann to Tchaikovsky: What Music Keeps, Transforms, Invents
The Nutcracker has become the most innocent of Christmas rituals: snowflakes, sweets, a world where even battles end in celebration. Yet this glittering ballet lays atop…
Reading time estimated : 11min read
Listen Closer: Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique
A portrait of an artist’s self-destructive obsession and a tale of unrequited love. As we celebrate Hector Berlioz’s anniversary this week, discover how his iconic Symphonie Fantastique pioneered large-scale programmatic…
Reading time estimated : 6min read
The Premiere of Dvořák’s New World Symphony
Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony, “From the New World,” premiered to unprecedented excitement in New York, blending his Bohemian roots with a vision of American music that continues to resonate more than…
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Cracking The Nutcracker
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker has long cemented itself as a Christmastime staple. The ballet’s fantastic candy set pieces, elaborate dances, and iconic tunes are a…
Reading time estimated : 13min read
The Secret Lives of Christmas Carols
Our best-loved Christmas carols weren’t born in candlelit cathedrals but in fields, taverns, and bustling streets. This musical journey reveals the rebellious roots, poetic rewrites, and unexpected inspirations…
Reading time estimated : 12min read
Dmitri Shostakovich: Music Under Siege
Bombarded by war and suffocated by politics, Shostakovich never stopped composing. In this portrait, Jack Pepper explores how a life lived under siege forged some of the most haunting, resilient…
Reading time estimated : 11min read
Can Architecture Shape a Performance?
Today’s concert halls alter more than acoustics: they influence musicians’ mindset, audiences’ connection, and the evolving identity of classical performance.
Reading time estimated : 14min read
The Premiere of Strauss’s Salome
On December 9, 1905, Richard Strauss’s Salome exploded onto the Dresden stage, instantly redefining what opera—and the 20th century in music—could be. Scandalous, sensual, and harmonically audacious, this feverish drama…
Reading time estimated : 3min read
The Gift of Music: The Hidden Intimacy of Classical Music’s Dedications
What happens when a composer writes for one person alone? Whether born of love, friendship, or gratitude, musical gifts preserve the emotional landscapes of relationships long vanished. These works remind…
Reading time estimated : 11min read
News
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Riccardo Chailly hospitalized, Jubilant Sykes fatally stabbed, a major donation for the RAM, and more
December 15: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Frank Gehry’s classical legacy, how to make it snow in The Nutcracker, Carolin Widmann vs. Lufthansa airlines, and more
December 8: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 5min read
Riccardo Muti celebrated by the Vatican, Hayato Sumino’s new Guinness World Record, the Edmonton Opera’s canceled production, and more…
December 1: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 5min read
Forgotten Bach resurfaces, protestors at The Met’s “hypocritical” Carmen, a delightful new TikTok trend, and more
November 24: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Two Forgotten Bach Chaconnes Resurface After 300 Years
A forgotten manuscript and a rediscovered letter converged this week to unveil two youthful Bach Chaconnes in Leipzig. Their first performance in centuries, under Ton Koopman’s hands, reveals…
Reading time estimated : 3min read
The Unbreakable Line: Maya Plisetskaya at 100
In this column, James Jolly reflects on the enduring brilliance of Maya Plisetskaya — a century after her birth — and on how her art was shaped by resilience, defiance,…
Reading time estimated : 8min read
Arrests after Israel Philharmonic protest in Paris, a new ninth century discovery, Ralph Fiennes in The Choral, and more
November 10: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 5min read
Maria João Pires retires, Rosalía rocks the classical world, a world premiere is canceled, and more
November 3: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 5min read
Interviews
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“You Have to Take the Audience With You”: Joshua Weilerstein on Communion in Performance
Joshua Weilerstein speaks about inspiration, integrity, and why taking audiences seriously—especially younger ones—is essential to keeping classical music alive and meaningful today.
Reading time estimated : 5min read
First Times with Alisa Weilerstein: Her First Elgar and Beyond
A cardboard cello, a defining first Elgar, and a memorable Bach mishap — Alisa Weilerstein retraces the formative “first times” that forged her artistic identity.
Reading time estimated : 11min read
“Going on Stage Is Like Launching a Rocket into the Cosmos”: Maxim Vengerov on the Magic of Performance
From his first encounter with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto to his deep bond with his instrument, Maxim Vengerov reflects on music as a lifelong conversation — one of connection, emotion, and…
Reading time estimated : 5min read
“Follow your intuition”: A Conversation with Saehyun Kim
Winner of the prestigious Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition, South Korean pianist Saehyun Kim speaks with disarming simplicity about intuition, responsibility, and the quiet joy of sharing music. Between…
Reading time estimated : 3min read
First Times with Janai Brugger: The Wonder Never Fades
From her first encounter with opera in Chicago’s golden Lyric Opera House to her Operalia triumph and acclaimed roles worldwide, soprano Janai Brugger revisits the moments that shaped…
Reading time estimated : 12min read
Before the Spotlight: Finalists Remember Their First Chopin
Before they were finalists on one of the world’s most prestigious classical stages, they were just students grappling with their very first Chopin. We asked six competitors at the International…
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Inside the Chopin Competition with John Rink: Judging with the Heart
Few people know Chopin’s music more intimately than John Rink — pianist, professor, and editor of The Complete Chopin: A New Critical Edition. As he returns to the…
Reading time estimated : 9min read
Winter Specials
Inside the score
The Gift of Music: The Hidden Intimacy of Classical Music’s Dedications
What happens when a composer writes for one person alone? Whether born of love, friendship, or gratitude, musical gifts preserve the emotional landscapes of relationships long vanished. These works remind…
Reading time estimated : 11min read
Inside the score
The Secret Lives of Christmas Carols
Our best-loved Christmas carols weren’t born in candlelit cathedrals but in fields, taverns, and bustling streets. This musical journey reveals the rebellious roots, poetic rewrites, and unexpected inspirations…
Reading time estimated : 12min read
medici.tv picks
See all (39)
Cecilia Bartoli, the Castrati, and the Art of the Da Capo Aria
In 2010, the inimitable mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli undertook a feat of musical archeology, excavating and showcasing a selection of stunningly virtuosic works originally written for the castrato voice…
Reading time estimated : 4min read
A Mystical Meeting of Musical Worlds: Anouar Brahem & Friends in Paris
In this unforgettable Paris concert, “the oud’s conjuror” Anouar Brahem unites his 11-string magic with the brilliance of Dave Holland, Anja Lechner, and Django Bates. Blending Arab, Romani, Indian, and…
Reading time estimated : 3min read
The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for Classical Music Lovers
Looking for the perfect gift for a classical music lover? From vinyl and books to instruments and live concert experiences, this guide has all the ideas to make their holidays…
Reading time estimated : 13min read
A Creative Tribute to Roy Ayers by The Robert Glasper Experiment
The Robert Glasper Experiment honors Roy Ayers with a dazzling blend of jazz improvisation, rap, and turntablism—an irresistible journey through the roots of contemporary groove.
Reading time estimated : 3min read
“From Noise to Genius”: Discovering Penderecki Through Paths Through the Labyrinth
First encountered as “noise” in a childhood classroom, Krzysztof Penderecki’s music revealed its brilliance years later through Anna Schmidt’s documentary Paths Through the Labyrinth. A journey from anguish to admiration…
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Midori Rediscovers the Soul of Dvořák
When Midori takes on Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, magic happens. With conductor Marie Jacquot and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, she delivers a performance that’s at once fiery and delicate — plus…
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Akram Khan’s Giselle: A Darkly Beautiful, Haunting Masterpiece for Halloween
Akram Khan’s Giselle transforms the Romantic classic into a ghostly, modern fable — a chillingly beautiful ballet for the season.
Reading time estimated : 4min read
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