sideNotes

Freed from the jaws of the lion By Florian Riem Among the thousands of great compositions in classical music literature, there are some that are … Read more

Sergiu Celibidache, for those of you who knew him personally, was not exactly what we would call an “easy-going” character. There was an unmistakable finality, … Read more

Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder what’s going through an artist’s mind while they’re performing. Are they solely focused on their music, the composer or … Read more

The not-so-friendly skies One of the most challenging itineraries I managed as a tour manager was the journey from Bucharest, Romania, to Kaliningrad, Russia. It … Read more

They say the cello’s sound is the closest to the human voice among instruments. A cello, because of its size, feels like a person, sometimes … Read more

Looking back: Jessye Norman in Kyiv 2003 Despite the horrors of war, the nightly air raid sirens and audience restrictions (so that everyone can fit … Read more

“Why do the nations so furiously rage together?” Autumn leaves cover the ground in a kaleidoscope of colour, from golden yellows to scarlet reds. A … Read more

The heart of Taipei’s cultural scene welcomes the AAPPAC Located in Taipei’s lively Shilin Night Market, an area known for its vibrant street culture, the … Read more

The Cleveland International Piano Competition

The 1946 Concours de Genève (Geneva International Music Competition), the first held after World War II, was not solely about musical excellence. For many Eastern … Read more