MusicConnects
The Kora: West Africa’s Heart of History, Storytelling, and Music
Across the deserts and open spaces of West Africa, a voice instrument both supple and commanding has been handed down through the ages, holding history, culture, and stories within its sounds. The 21-stringed harp-lute kora is an instrument of oral tradition...February. 2025Duality of Schumann
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was not only a composer but also a storyteller, at times through his music, at times through the characters he invented to embody the struggles within him. Of all the figures he created none were more personal or famous than...January. 2025The Silkroad Ensemble
The Silk Road Ensemble, from the world-renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma, is an innovative collective of global musicians, composers, and storytellers that embody the notion that music knows no borders. Their music blends the varied traditions of the historic Silk Road...December. 2024A Newly Found Chopin Waltz!
Attention all classical music enthusiasts: a previously unknown waltz by Frédéric Chopin has just been discovered at New York's Morgan Library & Museum! This discovery, announced on October 27, 2024, marks the first time in over fifty years that...November. 2024The Coming Back of a Medieval Instrument - the Crwth
The crwth, also called a crowd, is one of the oldest stringed instruments, with its origins traceable back to medieval Wales. Highly valued not just for its unique sound, but for what it represents culturally as well...October. 2024The Gamelan
Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Indonesia that is heavily woven into the country’s cultural heritage, known for its rhythms, melodies, and textures...September. 2024The Flamenco Guitar
Today, I will be talking about a staple instrument in Spanish culture, especially in the Andalusia region: the flamenco guitar. Flamenco is a highly artistic expression of music...August. 2024Rediscovering the Charm of Player Pianos
In an era driven by digital streaming services and portable music players, the nostalgic appeal of old classical music often gets overlooked. Among these forgotten gems is the player piano...July. 2024Cristal Baschet
In the 1950s, brothers François and Bernard Baschet, two French artists and inventors, set out to redefine the boundaries of traditional musical instruments. Inspired by their fascination with glass and sound, the brothers crafted an instrument that would not only produce melodic tones but also serve as a visual masterpiece...June. 2024Fanny Mendelssohn
In the history of classical music, certain names stand out as beacons of creativity and innovation. However, there are countless talents who, due to societal norms or circumstances, remain in the shadows of their more renowned counterparts...May. 2024Symphony
In the realm of musical compositions, few rival the grandeur and artistic complexity of the symphony...April. 2024Balalaika, A Tortilla Chip Shaped Instrument
The balalaika is a traditional and iconic Russian stringed instrument. It’s known for its distinct triangular base, which I think looks like a tortilla chip, as well as its three strings...March. 2024Toccata, A Brilliant Musical Form
In the world of classical music, few compositions can compete with the brilliance and virtuosity of the toccata...February. 2024Edwin York Bowen
The Edwin York Bowen (1884 –1961), a prominent figure in the world of classical music, embarked on a captivating journey that left a mark on the world of music...January. 2024The Evolution of the Piano
The piano, a beloved instrument cherished by musicians and music enthusiasts for centuries, has a captivating journey. The tale begins with...December. 2023A Self-Playing Instrument
Imagine a magical musical instrument that plays all by itself, without any human touch. That's the wonder of the Aeolian Harp! Named after a Greek wind god, Aeolus...November. 2023The Didgeridoo
Today we’ll be discussing the national instrument out of Australia, the didgeridoo, which is a traditional instrument created at least 1,000 years ago by the indigenous peoples of Australia, the Aboriginals...October. 2023The Carnival of the Animals
Today we’ll be discussing one of French composer Camille Saint-Saens’ most popular works, The Carnival of the Animals. Here is one of the more popular pieces from this collection, The Swan...September. 2023Surreal Sound - György Ligeti
György Ligeti was a Hungarian-Austrian composer who was born in 1923 and passed away in 2006. He is widely regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century, known for his innovative and groundbreaking contributions to music...August. 2023The Great Highland Bagpipe
The bagpipe has a long history and has appeared in various forms in many cultures. It originated from the Middle East and gradually travelled to Europe. The “Oxford History of Music” discusses the oldest bagpipe found on a Hittite sculpture at Euyuk (modern day Turkey) from 1,000 B.C. There are also mentions...July. 2023Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was an Austrian composer and is regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music. Mozart was a prolific composer and wrote in many genres. He wrote 27 piano concertos, with 15 written between 1782-1786. The piano concertos were primarily for his own performances at concerts.
The Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 is a concerto for piano and orchestra...June. 2023Playing with water?
Hey everyone! Today we are excited to share with you a relatively new instrument, the hydraulophone. We think it’s really cool (pun intended) that you can have fun playing with water while making music at the same time. A hydraulophone is a musical instrument that is played by directing a stream of water onto a series of tuned jets, which produce musical notes through the vibrations of the water…May. 2023Liszt’s Three Piano Concertos
Hey everyone! Today we’ll be talking about Liszt’s three piano concertos.
Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) was a Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist during the Romantic era. Liszt composed three piano concertos, one not being exactly titled a piano concerto since... April. 2023Steel Pan
Hey everyone! Today we’ll be discussing the Steel Pan, the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago.
Before we go into more detail about this instrument, we’ve found some music that demonstrates its strength in Calypso music, which many associate with tropical sounds.March. 2023Chopin’s Three Piano Sonatas
Hi everyone! Today's blog is about Chopin's three piano sonatas.
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist in the Romantic Era. He composed primarily piano solo works. Chopin grew up in Warsaw and settled in Paris at age 21...February. 2023Cimbalom
Hi all! This is Harry. Today I’m excited to introduce to you the cimbalom.I encountered the cimbalom a couple years ago when I was learning Franz Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12." I was engrossed by the piece’s thrilling improvisational feeling and particularly attracted to some of the unique trembling sounds. I later found out that the trembling sounds are meant to imitate the cimbalom...January. 2023An Ancient Instrument
Hi everyone, thank you for reading our most recent blog! Today we'll be talking about the xun (in Chinese character: 埙), one of the oldest musical instruments from China, dating back to 7000 years ago! Most xuns are made with pottery, although they can also be made with ceramic, bamboo, bone, and wood etc...November. 2022Performing on Silverware
Hey everyone! For today’s blog post, we'll be discussing the mbira, an instrument that captured our attention because it initially looked like a bunch of silverware on a cutting board. With further research, we realized its complexity and its creators: the Shona people of Zimbabwe...October. 2022Introducing: Toru Takemitsu
Today we'll be discussing Toru Takemitsu (1930 - 1996), a 20th-century Japanese composer and writer on music theory and aesthetics - a branch of philosophy. His compositions often integrated Western music and Japanese traditional music...September. 2022Raining and Pouring
Today, let’s start by listening to some beautiful sounds... Isn’t the rain drop sound relaxing? The sound isn’t actually rain but is from a musical instrument called the rainstick...July. 2022John Corigliano’s Concerto
In 1977, composer John Corigliano Jr. was commissioned a work by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic for the clarinetist Stanley Drucker. Corigliano went on to compose the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, one of his most well-known works and one of the most ingenious clarinet concerti ever written...June. 2022Can’t Touch This
This week, we’ll be showing and explaining to you how the theremin works. First, we wanted to tell you all how unique this instrument is. Unlike any instrument that might come to mind, this one requires no physical touch...May. 2022Villa-Lobos
Today we'll be discussing Leitor Villa-Lobos, who was born in Rio de Janiero and grew up with a passion for Brazilian culture. His best-known works often reflect his country's history and culture. Villa-Lobos was a composer of the 20th century whose work combines elements of Western classical music with indigenous Brazilian rhythms. He was also interested in the country's native music. Numerous transcriptions have been arranged for piano quartet and string ensembles...April. 2022