Dmitri Shostakovich (1905-1975) had a hard and troubled career within the political machine that was the Soviet Union. At times the model composer and at others, the reviled modernist, he moved between the extremes of popularity and marginalization. His 11th

Pianos are highly versatile instruments, equally at home in luxurious concert halls, smokey pubs, middle-class living rooms and sweaty practice cubicles. Kawai instruments prominently feature in all those locations. However, the Kawai hybrid piano has also featured in one of

The “Great Depression” was the immediate result of the sudden devastating collapse of the US stock market on 29 October 1929. Known as “Black Tuesday,” it plunged the world into a severe economic downturn in the 1930’s. Construction virtually halted

Scattered in moveable sites around the streets and buildings of Hong Kong are decorated pianos that are all part of an international piano artwork by artist Luke Jerram. Since 2008, in more than 47 cities around the world, 1,500 street

In my youth, I spent countless Saturday and Sunday afternoons playing for weddings until I was finally able to buy my own wheels. Since playing for weddings does not really pay all that well, I had to settle for two

The Roman de Fauvel is an early 14th-century satirical poem preserved in a beautifully decorated manuscript. Attributed to Gervais de Bus, a clerk at the French royal chancery, the narrative is divided into two books. It details the rise of

social media noun noun: social media; plural noun: social medias 1. websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

In 2016, music festivals are once again a dime a dozen. No longer confined to their traditional time slots during the summer months, listeners and performers can thankfully enjoy live music year round. Catering to all manners of taste and