Brendel, who died on Tuesday at 94, concentrated on a small number of canonical composers, mainly Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.
Category: Classical Music
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The Best Classical Music of 2025, So Far
Our critics picked nine performances that included star turns, new opera productions and the unveiling of a concert hall at the Frick Collection.
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Alfred Brendel, Bravura Pianist Who Forged a Singular Path, Dies at 94
With little formal training but full of ideas, he focused on the core classical composers, winning over audiences (though not every critic) worldwide.
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Does It Matter How a Cello Is Held? It’s a Centuries-Old Debate.
Historical response to the cello endpin, which anchors the instrument to the floor, has alternated between acceptance and pushback.
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American Modern Opera Company Arrives at Lincoln Center
The American Modern Opera Company is taking over Lincoln Center for a five-week residency. It is both a milestone and a homecoming for these artists.
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The Pint-Size Singers at the Met Opera Children’s Chorus Tryouts
The Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus has long been an elite training ground for young singers. Getting in requires grit, personality and a soaring voice.
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The Classical Music Our Critics Can’t Stop Thinking About
Watch and listen to recent highlights, including a Shostakovich festival in Germany, the Cleveland Orchestra’s Strauss and Nina Stemme’s Isolde.
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They Led the 2000s Indie-Rock Boom. Now They’re Vying for Oscars.
As Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross continue to spotlight film music, members of Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, Interpol and Animal Collective have been joining the field.
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At 85, Composer Annea Lockwood Is Far From Done Listening
Lockwood, a composer who spins music from the sounds of the natural world, is sharing with and learning from a new generation of artists.
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Per Norgard, Daring Symphonic Composer, Dies at 92
Considered the father of Danish contemporary music, he aspired to works in which “everything came out of a single note,” he said, “like the big bang.”
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Lakota Music Project Merges Two Traditions for One Common Cause
For almost 20 years, the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra has been collaborating with Native artists, aiming to address a history of racial tension.