‘A singer, dancer, policeman, psychiatrist and clown’Gábor Takács-Nagy knows what it takes to be a good conductor, and he’s more than happy to share itThu Sept 12 2013 - 01:00
Presenting Grieg with a freshness and grandeurHadland brings new take on Norway’s greatest piano concertoWed Sept 11 2013 - 01:00
Schumann: Violin Concertos; Phantasie Op 131 –Baiba Skride (violin), Danish National SO/John StorgårdsFri Sept 06 2013 - 00:00
Testing the theory: does Ireland really punch above its musical weight?It is often said we outstrip expectations when it comes to producing talent. But is it true?Thu Sept 05 2013 - 01:00
Conductors? ‘We’re just waving our hands’In person, outspoken Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko has a self-confidence that comes across as disarmingly matter-of-factWed Sept 04 2013 - 01:00
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Jaap van Zweden – Bruckner: Symphony No 6Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Jaap van ZwedenChallenge Classics CC 72552Fri Aug 30 2013 - 00:00
Choir of Royal Holloway, Britten Sinfonia/Rupert Gough – Tonu Korvits: Kreek’s NotebookChoir of Royal Holloway, Britten Sinfonia/Rupert GoughHyperion CDA 67968Fri Aug 30 2013 - 00:00
Keller Quartet – Ligeti: string quartets 1 & 2; Barber: AdagioECM New Series 481 0026Fri Aug 30 2013 - 00:00
Slow set: RTÉ taking its time to appoint replacement for CrimminsThe national broadcaster seems to have studied the Cowen reshuffle of 2011 – but at least Cowen was quickWed Aug 28 2013 - 01:00
Ksenija Sidorova (accordion), Thomas Gould (violin), BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Clark Rundell: Fairy TalesFri Aug 23 2013 - 00:00
Keys to success: masterly performances to inspire the next generationClassical Music: piano masterclasses in Dublin and mesmerising skill in Kilkenny offered young musicians much to aspire toWed Aug 14 2013 - 01:00
Pimp my piano: a technician lifts the lidDublin International Piano Festival opened with an intimate look at – and inside – the instrumentWed Aug 07 2013 - 01:00
Heaven and hell: an audience with the women of the West Cork Chamber Music FestivalFrom listening to Debussy to drowning, five performers from the recent Bantry festival share their ideas of life’s highs and lowsMon Aug 05 2013 - 01:00
Surprise exit: what is behind the departure of RTÉ old hand Crimmins?The bowing-out of one of RTÉ’s most experienced musical hands is a bombshellWed Jul 31 2013 - 01:00
Sometimes there’s no need to blow your own trumpetPublicity can be misleading, as in the case of a fine trumpeterWed Jul 24 2013 - 01:00
‘Horrid’ music: The dark side of the concert hallThe idea that classical music ought to be ‘nice’ has gained an alarming currency. Thank goodness, then, for ‘uneasy listening’ numbers performed at the Summer Baroque FestivalWed Jul 17 2013 - 01:00
Stirring rendition of Enescu’s ‘Octet’The RTÉ Vanbrugh and Jupiter String Quartets produced a blitz of energyWed Jul 10 2013 - 01:00
Radical rule-breaking and back to basicsThere is a time for artistic licence – and a time to focus on basics of performing: William Brooks on Yeats, and string quartet masterclasses at the West Cork Chamber Music FestivalWed Jul 03 2013 - 01:00
Out of the chamber and into the worldThe reach and reputation of the West Cork Chamber Music Festival resonates beyond the Bantry venuesFri Jun 28 2013 - 01:00
Blown away on the beach by Britten’s ‘Peter Grimes’Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes at the Aldeburgh Festival and Astor Piazzolla’s María de Buenos Aires at the Cork Midsummer FestivalTue Jun 25 2013 - 01:00
