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With classical music forced out of the concert hall, one of the few positives of this year has been rediscovering it in the wild This...

The Doughnut theory of economics sets out principles and practical steps towards a sustainable, just and happy world. What can classical...

Very sad news has come through that the great violin pedagogue Sheila Nelson died on 16 November, at the age of 84. By rights, Sheila...

Charlie Chaplin‘s 1917 film about the journey to Ellis Island is as funny and moving today as it must have been to the audiences who saw...

New generations of star players are committing to music education at the grass roots level with a focus that might create lasting change...

Coronavirus has threatened the classical music world’s very existence while simultaneously showing us how much we all need it. Can the...

At a time of crisis for public musical life, performers can remain positive by practising a different way of communicating – with words. Elb

Musicians' biographies are an essential and powerful part of their careers, but they are often not effective. Here are some tips from one wh

The classical music world tends to focus on its young stars, but as the recent BBC documentary on Janet Baker demonstrated, our venerable...

The great film maker's under-appreciated musical talents are the focus of this year's 130th anniversary celebrations I'm chuffed that I...

As research shows that young people are coming to classical music through film and club music, here‘s an article I wrote in 2018 for ISM...

I’ve long since given up New Year resolutions, in the sad certainty of their failure, and I’ve certainly never shared any publicly. But I...

A school in one of England’s most deprived boroughs offers proof that putting music at the heart of education offers positive outcomes...

Research on Joseph Szigeti for BBC Radio 3’s Record Review took me back to some old interviews I did when I was at The Strad, where he...

I had the very great pleasure of being on Radio 3’s Record Review this morning with Andrew McGregor (thankfully pre-recorded, as I hadn’t...

A summer festival in Silicon Valley initiates young players into the joys and challenges of chamber music and then sends them out into...

In June I had the privilege of being part of BE PHIL, an international amateur orchestra conducted by Simon Rattle in Berlin. Read about...

Musicians can generate their own publicity without spending a penny, by sending out their own press releases. Here are some of the things...

The London Symphony Orchestra’s early evening concert format is a welcome development in the city’s entertainment landscape, for music...

Amateur musicians are a vital part of the classical music world, but don’t always get the recognition or opportunities they deserve or...

The recent Amsterdam String Quartet Biennale explored various aspects of the string quartet format, including the many life lessons it...

The internet offers musicians fantastic opportunities to build their reputations and legacies, as well as selling their music. They...

Wigmore Hall’s new photography policy offers a sensible way forward in today’s visual culture and more venues should follow suit There...

Why is music education and pedagogy not taken more seriously in the music world?

Car boot sales offer a brilliant lesson in salesmanship, and for this rookie also raised questions about buying and selling violins I’m...

Alexey Stadler‘s unexpected Proms debut last night was such stuff as careers are made on Performing at the Proms on a day’s notice is the...

I’ve interviewed many wonderful musicians over the year, have learnt much and had my thinking challenged many times. Here are just a few...

I have a theory that musicians write in exactly the same style that they play their instruments. I’m pleased to see it proven, somewhat...

The ground-breaking English folk band has broken up after 12 years, leaving this fangirl sad – but grateful I’m not a mosher. I don’t...

Who are my favourite violinists? A list of 20, which I made for Sinfini Music in 2014, still largely stands, but is sure to provoke a...

The current Southbank Centre slogan offers a lesson in how not to talk to about classical music There are a few obvious rules in...

A trip to the Musical Instrument Museum in Arizona offered profound and uplifting insights into the human condition, and interesting...

On what would have been the 71th birthday of Jacqueline du Pré, the words of János Starker sound a provocative warning Jacqueline du Pré...

As Nigel Kennedy goes on Radio 4's Mastertapes programme to be rude about Baroque performance practice, here's a blog I wrote in 2011 on...

The breadth and success of David Byrne’s recent curatorship of Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival demonstrate how the curiosity and...

Great stage actors have an aura of positive energy and openness that musicians can access, too. Acting coach Patsy Rodenburg tells Ariane...

Perfectionism in music is a modern scourge, and Peter Cropper, who died in May, demonstrated that it is a distracting priority for...

As some of the world's finest violin makers gather in the small university town of Oberlin, Ohio, to share their knowledge at the annual...

The best musicians have special powers of listening, as pianist András Schiff demonstrated in a masterclass last week How can you tell if...

As the Tchaikovsky Competition kicks off, we revisit a 2014 interview with the great Irish pianist Barry Douglas, who won the contest in...

How much can an adult amateur expect to develop as a musician in a short space of time? Quite a lot, it turns out, given the right...

Jury places audience favourite in fifth place at Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition in Belgium Music competitions get a lot of bad press...

A new collection of specially commissioned unantiqued instruments offers hope of a new Zeitgeist around modern violins. Will top soloists...

David Byrne turns 63 today, and yet he still has one of the most energetic and interesting careers of any musician anywhere in the world....

Observing masterclasses can be a brilliant way to learn and find inspiration, and yet students rarely turn up to watch. They may be too...

Facebook just kindly reminded me that two years ago today I was in Sarasota, Florida, enjoying the La Musica Festival, and tasting wine –...

I have an article in today's Financial Times about music philanthropy, for which I spoke to some of the legion of generous souls who help...

Violinist Benjamin Baker has just been selected for the final rounds of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition. Such contests are...

Today's classical music business may be competitive and tough, but there are also more opportunities than ever. Success lies in knowing...

Jazz violinist Regina Carter, interviewed here, offers some advice on exploring the genre Transcribing ‘If it’s not your language you...