News
Has a long-lost Stradivarius been found?, Sofiane Pamart on shaking up classical music, and more
May 4: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Inside the score
Serge Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes: The Groundbreaking World of Modern Ballet
Impresario Serge Diaghilev brought together some of the 20th century’s greatest artists. Celebrate International Dance Day with the composers, choreographers, and designers who brought the world of the…
Reading time estimated : 12min read
Inside the score
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Serge Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes: The Groundbreaking World of Modern Ballet
Impresario Serge Diaghilev brought together some of the 20th century’s greatest artists. Celebrate International Dance Day with the composers, choreographers, and designers who brought the world of the…
Reading time estimated : 12min read
The Sound of Silence in Classical Music: 5 Powerful Compositions That Use Pause and Stillness
From Arvo Pärt to Debussy, these five classical works show how silence in music can create suspense, grief, wonder, humor, and reflection.
Reading time estimated : 7min read
Raising Emotionally Resilient Children in the Digital Age: Why Music Matters More Than Ever
In a world shaped by screens, speed, and constant stimulation, music offers children something increasingly rare: emotional grounding. This article explores how classical music can help children name their feelings,…
Reading time estimated : 11min read
Sergei Rachmaninov: The Scowl, the Spell, and the Comeback Concerto
Sergei Rachmaninov had the hands, the nerve, and the glare—until one disastrous premiere broke him. What followed was silence, hypnosis, exile, and a concerto that conquered the world.
Reading time estimated : 12min read
Leitmotif Explained: From Wagner’s Ring to John Williams’ Star Wars
A leitmotif is a recurring musical idea that represents a character, place, object, or concept—and evolves as the story changes. From Berlioz’s idée fixe and Wagner’s Ring cycle to the film scores of Max Steiner, John…
Reading time estimated : 20min read
Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique
Dive into Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique: a love obsession spirals into hallucination, execution, and witches’ sabbath. This guide follows the idée fixe from first sight to final parody, revealing how Berlioz’s…
Reading time estimated : 26min read
What Are You Laughing At? Humor in Classical Music
Classical music possesses the power to move us to heights of joy or the depths of despair. But its power to amuse often goes overlooked.
Reading time estimated : 9min read
News
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Has a long-lost Stradivarius been found?, Sofiane Pamart on shaking up classical music, and more
May 4: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Michael Tilson Thomas passed away, Beatrice Venezi was fired, The Met lost a $200 million deal, and more
April 27: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Michael Tilson Thomas dies at 81
Renowned conductor, composer, and educator Michael Tilson Thomas has died at the age of 81.
Reading time estimated : 1min read
Britten’s War Requiem: “My Subject is War, and the Pity of War”:
James Jolly revisits Britten’s War Requiem, born from Coventry’s destruction and consecration. Latin ritual meets Wilfred Owen’s trench poems in a searing memorial that still warns, consoles, and endures.
Reading time estimated : 6min read
The role of the music director, how opera is funded in Germany, the Guadagnini violin knocked to the ground and…
April 20: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Emanuel Ax’s new podcast, the opera techniques helping long Covid patients, how audio descriptions make opera more accessible and more
April 13: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Should contemporary opera challenge us?, a sudden leadership change at the Salzburg Festival, the financial receipts of the Boston Symphony,…
April 6: This week in classical music
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Interviews
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Vilde Frang: “Playing Korngold Feels Like Singing Beyond the Limits”
Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang opens up about the soaring, limitless world of Korngold’s Violin Concerto, the art of daring on stage, and why a day in the mountains beats a…
Reading time estimated : 4min read
Sir Antonio Pappano: “Music Is About Storytelling”
Sir Antonio Pappano reflects on the “necessary evil” of dress rehearsals, the electricity of live performance, and what he listens for first when meeting an orchestra: cohesion, flexibility, and reaction.
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Anastasia Kobekina on Elgar’s Cello Concerto: “It’s the Whole Journey”
Anastasia Kobekina shares what shapes her artistry: Elgar Cello Concerto’s vast emotional palette, stories overheard offstage, and the moment she finally breathes out.
Reading time estimated : 2min read
Thibaut Garcia, Guitar at Heart
A “guitar geek” turned international soloist, Thibaut Garcia chases flow on stage and new sounds off it—period instruments, extra strings, and fresh programs—under Bruno Monsaingeon’s attentive lens.
Reading time estimated : 8min read
Hélène Grimaud: Gershwin, Synesthesia, and Letting Go
“You give everything—and the rest is out of your hands.” In Zurich, Hélène Grimaud reflects on surrender, synesthesia, and Gershwin’s “feral energy” as a force of transformation.
Reading time estimated : 6min read
Books, Baton, and Lutosławski: Tarmo Peltokoski’s Secrets Behind the Music
In Toulouse, alongside Mao Fujita, Tarmo Peltokoski reflects on musical obsession, interpretive challenges, and the subtle craft of creating sound, balance, and meaning beyond the written score.
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Mao Fujita: “Life Is Not a Sprint”
On the occasion of his concert with Tarmo Peltokoski and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, pianist Mao Fujita reflects on collaboration, luck, and guidance from mentors, highlighting his…
Reading time estimated : 3min read
First Times with Anna Clyne: Hearing Your Music for the First Time
What does it feel like for a composer to hear their music performed for the first time? Anna Clyne offers a refreshing perspective. She welcomes the unknown, seeing each performance…
Reading time estimated : 11min read
Jakub Hrůša: “Music Making Is Rooted in Freedom”
In this conversation with James Jolly, Jakub Hrůša explores the subtle dynamics between conductor and orchestra, revealing how trust, shared identity, and long-term collaboration shape performances at the highest level.
Reading time estimated : 9min read
medici.tv picks
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Natalia Osipova: A Force of Nature On and Off Stage
A must-see portrait of Natalia Osipova, an artist whose virtuosity and emotional intensity transcend ballet’s boundaries.
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Champagne, Irony, and Illusion: Inside Kosky’s Die Fledermaus
Barrie Kosky reinvents Die Fledermaus in a vibrant, ironic staging where humor and spectacle meet a subtle undercurrent of melancholy, revealing new emotional depth beneath Strauss’s…
Reading time estimated : 2min read
Top Piano Social Media Accounts You Need to Follow in 2026
Our social media team spends their days tracking trends in the classical music world. Here’s their curated list of the top accounts to follow if you live and…
Reading time estimated : 3min read
Hollywood in Vienna: A Tribute to Randy Newman
In anticipation of the Oscars this Sunday, take a look at this fantastic movie music program that just joined our catalogue, in which the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra…
Reading time estimated : 2min read
Gabriela Montero’s Latin-infused piano magic: improv genius meets cultural pride
Through breathtaking improvisations and her vibrant Piano Concerto, the Venezuelan pianist-composer dazzles with a powerfully personal display of Latin-American pride and staggering virtuosity.
Reading time estimated : 5min read
So you think you can dance?
Grace makes it look effortless — but some ballets are survival tests in disguise. Dual roles, mechanical illusions, and four suitors at once: welcome to the most demanding challenges in…
Reading time estimated : 5min read
Four masterpieces that made me love opera
Four iconic operas, four decisive encounters. From first recordings to unforgettable staged performances, these masterpieces were medici.tv editor Dario’s personal gateways into the world of opera.
Reading time estimated : 6min read
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