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Danny Riley

Danny Riley worked as Bachtrack's content creator from 2017-2018 and is now a freelance contributor. Having also written for sites such as The Quietus and Bandcamp, he loves music of all genres, with a particular fondness for folk and minimalism, and recently completed a PhD on representations of sound in contemporary British poetry.

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Ida Meidell (Baroque violin) with Johan Hedin (nyckelharpa) © Fredrik Gille

Follow your ears: Ida Meidell on Early music in Scandinavia

By Danny Riley, 27 February 2026

We talk to Baroque violinist and folk fiddler Ida Meidell about being at the intersection of folk music and Early music, and the richness of the wider scene across Scandinavia.

Ida Meidell (Baroque violin) with Johan Hedin (nyckelharpa) © Fredrik Gille

Follow your ears: Ida Meidell on Early music in Scandinavia

Élodie Brzustowski © Alexandre Nicot

Singing on the strings: Élodie Brzustowski on Early music in France

By Danny Riley, 14 January 2026

Lute player and guitarist Élodie Brzustowski talks about the challenges of the two-metre long theorbo, rediscovering guitar music of the 1830s, and the multifaceted Early music scene in France.

Élodie Brzustowski © Alexandre Nicot

Singing on the strings: Élodie Brzustowski on Early music in France

Baritone Sudrophone, Sousaphone, Heckelphone © Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mothers of invention: eponymous musical instruments

By Danny Riley, 31 October 2025

From instruments played with water to early electronic devices promoted by the Nazis, we take a look at the surprising history of instruments named after their creators.

Baritone Sudrophone, Sousaphone, Heckelphone © Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mothers of invention: eponymous musical instruments

Cover of the first edition of Le tombeau de Couperin (1918) designed by Ravel himself © Public domain | Bibliothèque nationale de France

The art of memory: classical music for mourning

By Danny Riley, 28 October 2025

From fulfilling funerary functions, to eulogising friends and fellow artists, or lamenting the waste of war: here are some of the finest examples of music written in mourning.

Cover of the first edition of Le tombeau de Couperin (1918) designed by Ravel himself © Public domain | Bibliothèque nationale de France

The art of memory: classical music for mourning

Andrew Arceci © Winchendon Music Festival

Musical histories in transit: Andrew Arceci

By Danny Riley, 06 October 2025

The versatile period multi-instrumentalist talks about his fascination with English Renaissance and early American music, his Winchendon Music Festival, and unconventional Early music band Floyds Row.

Andrew Arceci © Winchendon Music Festival

Musical histories in transit: Andrew Arceci

The Music Lesson by Louis Moritz (1808), Rijksmuseum, Netherlands © Public domain / Unsplash

Outside the Academy? Classical composers with no ‘formal’ training

By Danny Riley, 02 October 2025

A look at some major composers who did not receive any formal musical training and followed their own non-traditional paths into Western classical music.

The Music Lesson by Louis Moritz (1808), Rijksmuseum, Netherlands © Public domain / Unsplash

Classical composers with no ‘formal’ training

Vienna Staatsoper © Clive Kim | Pexels

A musical bucket list: Ten of the most important cities in classical music history

By Danny Riley, 23 August 2018

A non-exhaustive look at some of the most influential cities in the history of classical music.

Vienna Staatsoper © Clive Kim | Pexels

Ten of the most important cities in classical music history

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore © Utpal Sarkar | Pexels

Ten stunning 21st-century concert venues

By Danny Riley, 15 August 2018

A look at some of the most eye-boggling concert halls to open this century.

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore © Utpal Sarkar | Pexels

Ten stunning 21st-century concert venues

Palais Garnier © Peter Rivera (CC BY 2.0)

Ten beautiful opera houses across the world

By Danny Riley, 03 August 2018

From the Neoclassical to the hyper-futuristic, here is our selection of aesthetically enticing opera houses.

Palais Garnier © Peter Rivera (CC BY 2.0)

Ten beautiful opera houses across the world

Mozart statue at the Mozartplatz in Salzburg © Tourismus Salzburg GmbH | B. Reinhart

Bachtrack top ten: Mozart places to visit

By Danny Riley, 16 July 2018

For Mozart obsessives, ten of the best and most significant places from the composer’s life.

Mozart statue at the Mozartplatz in Salzburg © Tourismus Salzburg GmbH | B. Reinhart

Bachtrack top ten: Mozart places to visit

The gravestone of Antonio Salieri in the Vienna Central Cemetary (gate 2, group 0, row 1, number 54) © Eva Maria Mandl | Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-4.0

Ten final resting places of famous composers

By Danny Riley, 04 July 2018

Hanging around in graveyards isn’t just the reserve of goths: here are the places classical fans of a morbid persuasion should go.

The gravestone of Antonio Salieri in the Vienna Central Cemetary (gate 2, group 0, row 1, number 54) © Eva Maria Mandl | Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-4.0

Ten final resting places of famous composers

The Beethoven Museum at Heiligenstadt © Mark Pullinger

Top ten Beethoven places to visit

By Danny Riley, 27 June 2018

Walking in the footsteps of giants: here are some places of pilgrimage for Beethoven buffs.

The Beethoven Museum at Heiligenstadt © Mark Pullinger

Top ten Beethoven places to visit

Ticciati, Ólafsson and Shida Rigolo take their time at Kings Place

By Danny Riley, 11 May 2018

Hugo Ticciati and Víkingur Ólafsson explore notions of time, but a lesson in mindful performance comes from the gravity-defying Sanddorn Balance act.

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Ticciati, Ólafsson and Shida Rigolo take their time at Kings Place

Teachings in texture: Hodges and Currie with meditative Stockhausen at the Southbank Centre

By Danny Riley, 19 April 2018

Two new music specialists revel in the sheer textural variation of Kontakte.

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Hodges and Currie with meditative Stockhausen at the Southbank

Remember the root: Ksenija Sidorova on Latvia and classical accordion

By Danny Riley, 13 April 2018

A Russian-blooded Latvian national, trained in the UK and living in Spain, the accordionist Sidorova tells us about her sense of musical and national identity.

Remember the root: Ksenija Sidorova on Latvia and classical accordion

Thea Musgrave © Bryan Sheffield

Discovery and drama: Thea Musgrave at 90

By Danny Riley, 12 April 2018

Ahead of a major presentation of her work in Stockholm for her 90th birthday in 2018, we sat down with the master craftswoman to talk about her passion for discovery and her advice to young artists.

Thea Musgrave © Bryan Sheffield

Discovery and drama: Thea Musgrave at 90

The way forward: contemporary music festivals for 2018

By Danny Riley, 29 March 2018

From Finland to California, we run down some of the festivals that no self-respecting new music fan should miss out on.

The way forward: contemporary music festivals for 2018

Paul Sacher Foundation archive © Ute Schendel / Paul Sacher Stiftung

The Mecca of contemporary music: Paul Sacher’s monument to modernity

By Danny Riley, 26 March 2018

The Paul Sacher Foundation is among the most comprehensive archives of contemporary composers on earth, and a forgotten work from there by Boulez will soon see the light of day.

Paul Sacher Foundation archive © Ute Schendel / Paul Sacher Stiftung

Unearthed in Basel: new work by youthful Boulez

Hammer of the gods: bringing an Icelandic epic to life

By Danny Riley, 16 March 2018

Ahead of Iceland Symphony’s première of Jón Leifs’ Edda II, we speak to expert Árni Heimir Ingólfsson about bringing this gargantuan piece to life.

Bringing an Icelandic epic to life

Utopia in a crazy world: Bang on a Can interviewed

By Danny Riley, 14 March 2018

Looking back on 30+ years of contemporary music-making and discussing new projects with Bang on a Can founders Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon.

Bang on a Can’s utopia in a crazy world

The Flying Dutchman by Albert Pinkham Ryder c. 1887 (Smithsonian American Art Museum) © Public domain

Der fliegende Holländer: 10 facts about Wagner’s early opera

By Danny Riley, 09 March 2018

Der fliegende Holländer is a great entry point for those looking for a way into Wagner’s operatic oeuvre. Here, we run down the need-to-knows about this early masterwork.

The Flying Dutchman by Albert Pinkham Ryder c. 1887 (Smithsonian American Art Museum) © Public domain

10 facts about Der fliegende Holländer

Freedom within discipline: an Indian classical master on his sarod concerto

By Danny Riley, 07 March 2018

Ahead of a live streamed performance of his concerto with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, we talk with renowned sarod master Amjad Ali Khan.

An Indian classical maestro on his sarod concerto

Where technology and spirituality meet opera: Holland Festival previewed

By Danny Riley, 02 March 2018

Esoterica from Armenia, video game operas, algorithmic audiovisuals and more: Holland Festival doesn’t let you settle into one genre.

Technology and spirituality at Holland Festival

Accessing the future with Kronos Quartet

By Danny Riley, 01 March 2018

We speak to David Harrington, founder of the intrepid Kronos Quartet, to discuss building a string quartet repertoire for the 21st century.

Accessing the future with Kronos Quartet

Johann Sebastian Bach, 1746 © Portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann (public domain)

10 major works by Johann Sebastian Bach

By Danny Riley, 19 February 2018

We explore 10 of the best works by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Johann Sebastian Bach, 1746 © Portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann (public domain)

10 major works by Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach © Public Domain

New heads for the old wig: ten alternative versions of Bach

By Danny Riley, 12 February 2018

Historically-informed performance fanatics, look away now.

Johann Sebastian Bach © Public Domain

Ten alternative versions of Bach

Richard Wagner © Public Domain

“I have not written anything better”: Wagner and the Wesendonck-Lieder

By Danny Riley, 24 January 2018

The object of his desires, the wife of Wagner’s patron proved an important collaborator.

Richard Wagner © Public Domain

Wagner and the Wesendonck-Lieder

Felix Mendelssohn, portrait by James Warren Childe (1830) © Public domain

A symphonic trip: Mendelssohn on tour

By Danny Riley, 18 January 2018

In the 1800s as it is now, it was normal for young people to travel around Europe. But the young Felix Mendelssohn was no ordinary traveller.

Felix Mendelssohn, portrait by James Warren Childe (1830) © Public domain

Mendelssohn on tour

Kotek and Tchaikovsky © Public domain

From infatuation to inspiration: Josef Kotek and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

By Danny Riley, 11 January 2018

A look at Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and the musician who inspired it.

Kotek and Tchaikovsky © Public domain

Josef Kotek and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

The original manuscript of the Ninth Symphony © Public domain

Interpreting Joy: a guide to Beethoven’s Ninth

By Danny Riley, 20 December 2017

We look at the changing fortunes of Beethoven’s “Choral” Symphony.

The original manuscript of the Ninth Symphony © Public domain

Interpreting Joy: a guide to Beethoven’s Ninth

Carnegie Hall “Links Up” the concert hall and the classroom

By Danny Riley, 15 December 2017

Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute is introducing young people all over the world to orchestral music with its Link Up programme.

Carnegie Hall “Links Up” the concert hall and classroom

Delight, surprise and shock: Interview with music educator Paul Rissmann

By Danny Riley, 08 December 2017

Working with the Philharmonia and more, Paul Rissmann specialises in presenting orchestral music to children in engaging ways. We interviewed him as part of our music education focus.

Delight and shock with Paul Rissmann

Suomenlinna Fortress, Helsinki © Marjatta Caján | Pixabay

A hymn of victory: The story of Finlandia

By Danny Riley, 04 December 2017

Celebrating 100 years of Finnish independence, we look at the story of Sibelius's Finlandia.

Suomenlinna Fortress, Helsinki © Marjatta Caján | Pixabay

The story of Finlandia

The City of London Sinfonia plumbs the depths of Tavener's The Protecting Veil

By Danny Riley, 02 December 2017

The City of London Sinfonia presents an absorbing account of Tavener's musical ecumenicism.

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Plumbing the depths of Tavener

“A great creative platform”: Music education at English Touring Opera

By Danny Riley, 01 December 2017

English Touring Opera help young students to create their own operatic works. We caught up with their Head of Education Tim Yealland to see how they work.

Music education at English Touring Opera

Lifelong learners: Alexander Bernstein on Artful Learning

By Danny Riley, 01 December 2017

The Artful Learning model was initiated by Leonard Bernstein. Now, it's being used in 15 schools in the US.

Alexander Bernstein on Artful Learning

For the love of music: Music education at the Czech Philharmonic

By Danny Riley, 01 December 2017

We spoke to Czech Philharmonic Head of Education Petr Kadlec to discuss the orchestra's work with young people in Romany communities and more.

Music education at the Czech Philharmonic

“It’s about changing lives”: Music education at Cape Town Opera

By Danny Riley, 01 December 2017

As part of our music education month, we caught up with Christine Crouse of the Cape Town Opera to discuss how the company brings music to disadvantaged areas in South Africa.

Music education at Cape Town Opera

Gustav Mahler, 1907 by Moritz Nähr © Public domain

Outrageous fortune: A Guide to Mahler’s Sixth Symphony

By Danny Riley, 29 November 2017

It was described as “the first nihilist work in the history of music” by the conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. We look at the story behind Mahler’s Sixth Symphony.

Gustav Mahler, 1907 by Moritz Nähr © Public domain

Guide to Mahler’s Sixth Symphony

Nordic uproar: The Guide to contemporary Norwegian music

By Danny Riley, 21 November 2017

From electroacoustic experiments to bombastic timpani concertos, Norwegian composers produce some of the most interesting music on the contemporary scene.

Guide to contemporary Norwegian music

© Arindam Mehanta | Unsplash

Ten soloists who got their start in competitions

By Danny Riley, 10 November 2017

Music competitions can be a useful step for any young musician on the road to greatness. Here, we look at major stars who entered competitions at the start of their careers.

© Arindam Mehanta | Unsplash

Ten soloists who got their start in competitions

Eyes on the prize: Interview with Gustav Alink

By Danny Riley, 06 November 2017

Gustav Alink compiles information on music competitions worldwide, aiming to help young musicians and the events themselves.

Eyes on the prize: Interview with Gustav Alink

An all-round experience: Q & A with Marianna Shirinyan

By Danny Riley, 01 November 2017

Ahead of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra’s live stream on 2nd November, we caught up with their soloist Marianna Shirinyan.

Q & A with Marianna Shirinyan

Competitions month on Bachtrack: Top international music competitions

By Danny Riley, 01 November 2017

As part of our competitions month, we look at nine major music contests on the international scene.

Top international music competitions

Map of Utrecht

Five best places to visit in Utrecht

By Danny Riley, 20 October 2017

Heading to Utrecht and looking for a culture fix? Check out our guide to the top five places to visit in the city.

Map of Utrecht

Five best places to visit in Utrecht

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai © Public Domain

Orchestrating the sublime: six works inspired by the sea

By Danny Riley, 18 October 2017

We look at Peter Grimes and other works inspired by the sea.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai © Public Domain

Six works inspired by the sea

Stained Glass Window by Jean Cocteau, Église Saint-Maximin , Metz, France © Photo by Marie Bellando Mitjans on Unsplash

Disbelieving Composers, Sacred Music

By Danny Riley, 17 October 2017

We take a look at non-religious composers' relationship to the sacred.

Stained Glass Window by Jean Cocteau, Église Saint-Maximin , Metz, France © Photo by Marie Bellando Mitjans on Unsplash

Disbelieving Composers, Sacred Music

Person playing piano © Ludwig Kwan | Pexels

Bachtrack top ten: Piano Concertos

By Danny Riley, 11 October 2017

We take a look at the ten most popular piano concertos of recent years.

Person playing piano © Ludwig Kwan | Pexels

Bachtrack top ten: Piano Concertos

Everest for the Pianist: Interview with Anna Fedorova

By Danny Riley, 09 October 2017

Anna Fedorova is the featured artist in our next At Home Concert Club, so we caught up with her to talk about her musical background and approach to playing Rachmaninov.

Everest for the Pianist: Anna Fedorova

Posthumous painting of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Barbara Krafft,1819 © Public domain

Mozart’s last year and the Requiem

By Danny Riley, 02 October 2017

Mozart’s final months and Requiem mass are a source of popular fascination. But was 1791 really his annus horribilis?

Posthumous painting of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Barbara Krafft,1819 © Public domain

Mozart’s last year and the Requiem