On  September 13th, 1965 the Beatles released a single in the United States that they had been arguing for months about.  The signature Beatles sound was a carefully developed synthesis of the rockabilly roots and rhythm beats of the so called Merseybeat produced by local bands from Liverpool by the Mersey River, such as […]... Read More

     Every July and August since 1918, with the single interruption of 1944, a music festival has been held in the Austrian city of Salzburg celebrating its home town hero , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  This year’s festival occurs in the 254th anniversary of Mozart’s birth and presents the master in many venues in addition to […]... Read More

Over thirty years have passed since a group of rather unassuming but extremely talented musicians rose out of East Los Angeles to teach the the United States about the synthesis of culture, rhythm, tradition, and musicality. First and foremost the the band Los Lobos are musicians of the first order. David Hildago, the lead guitarist, […]... Read More

     Vladimir Horowitz was a one of a kind performer piano virtuoso who in his stage life received adulation rarely seen from the typically staid classical music audience.  It was borne of his rare pyrotechnic technique filled with booming rushes of volume and transcendent and delicately displayed motifs that never ceased to enthrall and conquer […]... Read More

     Stringed instruments have played a profound role in the musical expressions of western civilization’s development. The vibration of the taunt string to create a musical note is delivered by sliding over the string with a bow, plucking the string, or hammering it. The stringed instrument as the focus of the composer’s musical vision took […]... Read More

     A casual fan of classical music often has a typical collection of greatest hits that they delve into when they are in the mood for a little introspective listening.  The performances are often attached to movies, such as the musical interlude Hannibal Lector listens to for solace in jail in “Silence of the Lambs“, the Goldberg  Variations – Aria, […]... Read More

     Mary O’Brien, an british born singer better known as Dusty Springfield, created a new world of music in the 1960’s with soul inflected sensual music that resonates to this day.  She managed to marry the intense internalization of emotions reflected in American soul music of the urban street and rural south with the cheerful, upbeat, and hip sound […]... Read More

      France in the 17th century had a special definition for the poet-musicians who could emote the intense internal feelings of courtly love in lyrical fashion – the troubadour.  The tradition of poet-musician transformed in the 20th century to the concept of singer-songwriter, with the quality bar established by Bob Dylan.  Prior to Dylan, the talented […]... Read More

     Every once in a while  the right combination of talent, charisma, looks, and showmanship elevate a performer above all the equally hard working and committed artists to become a star for the ages.  In 1958, a young classical pianist from Texas boldly took the musical prize that Russians considered their birthright, the Tchaikovsky International […]... Read More