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Biber’s life of Christ falls on contemporary ears: Rosary Sonatas at 92NY

By Kurt Gottschalk, 23 March 2025

Some 350 years after their composition, Heinrich Biber’s Rosary Sonatas might not retain their all of their mysteries, but their beauty is eternal.

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New York City

26 Mar 2025

Biber’s life of Christ falls on contemporary ears

By Kurt Gottschalk

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London

Ballet Black: Pioneers, a double bill with bold drama and pure dance

By Graham Watts, 08 March 2023

Isabela Coracy’s performance as Nina Simone was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that Ballet Black has a new star and she rose to the challenge with allure.

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London

11 Mar 2023

Ballet Black: Pioneers, a double bill with bold drama and pure dance

By Graham Watts

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Manchester

Joyful music-making from Jonian Ilias Kadesha and the Manchester Camerata

By Peter Connors, 03 December 2021

Five diverse pieces from Central Europe are united by humour and fine perfomances by Jovan Ilias Kadesha as soloist and director of the Manchester Camerata.

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Manchester

04 Dec 2021

Joyful music-making from Kadesha and the Manchester Camerata

By Peter Connors

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London

Double success: Ballet Black's Then or Now and The Waiting Game

By Graham Watts, 03 November 2021

Two excellent new works given flow and flair by seven superb dancers in the Linbury Theatre.

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London

07 Nov 2021

Double success: Ballet Black's Then or Now and The Waiting Game

By Graham Watts

Tokyo

“Paganini on acid” and more from Kazuhito Yamane's Tokyo recital

By Nahoko Gotoh, 16 March 2021

Tokyo Opera City is well known for its acoustically magnificent Takemitsu Memorial Concert Hall, but tucked away in the basement is the lesser known Recital Hall where a series called "B→C" is held.

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Tokyo

19 Mar 2021

“Paganini on acid” and more from Kazuhito Yamane's Tokyo recital

By Nahoko Gotoh

London

Prom 70: startling sounds from Jonny Greenwood at the Proms

By Benjamin Poore, 10 September 2019

An inventive programme frames new music by a genre-defying composer and guitarist in a striking late-night concert.

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London

11 Sep 2019

Prom 70: startling sounds from Jonny Greenwood at the Proms

By Benjamin Poore

Edinburgh

Playful, creative and joyous: Pekka Kuusisto directs the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

By David Smythe, 21 March 2019

Pekka Kuusisto’s direction of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is playful, creative and joyous in a mixed programme from Biber to Bartók, Haydn to Messiaen wrapped round with Ravel.

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Edinburgh

22 Mar 2019

Playful, creative and joyous: Pekka Kuusisto directs the SCO

By David Smythe

London

Re-imagining: A showcase for innovation, both old and new at Kings Place

By Timmy Fisher, 20 October 2018

The unlikely pairing of jazz and Baroque makes complete sense under the baton of Sam Poppleton.

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London

22 Oct 2018

Re-imagining: A showcase for innovation at Kings Place

By Timmy Fisher

Stockholm

Congratulations, Esa-Pekka! Baltic Sea Festival celebrates a cherished conductor

By Simon Cummings, 01 September 2018

Esa-Pekka Salonen brings the Baltic Sea Festival to an end in an eclectic, risk-taking programme of music by Biber, Beethoven and himself.

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Stockholm

05 Sep 2018

Baltic Sea Festival celebrates a cherished conductor

By Simon Cummings

Blandford Forum

Guardian Angel: Rachel Podger and VOCES8

By Jane Shuttleworth, 03 August 2018

Angels abound as Rachel Podger joins with VOCES8 for a collaborative exploration built around music from her Guardian Angel album.

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Blandford Forum

04 Aug 2018

Guardian Angel: Rachel Podger and VOCES8

By Jane Shuttleworth

Los Angeles

A portrait of a world drawn closer, as depicted by Esa-Pekka Salonen

By Néstor Castiglione, 08 February 2018

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s spotlight on Salonen the creative artist also imparted thoughts on our interconnected world.

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Los Angeles

09 Feb 2018

A portrait of a world drawn closer, as depicted by Esa-Pekka Salonen

By Néstor Castiglione

London

Austrian Baroque with an exotic twist

By Nahoko Gotoh, 17 May 2017

In this year's London Festival of Baroque Music, the programme of Austrian Baroque rarities by Swiss-based early music group Les Passions de l’Ame particularly caught my eye.

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London

20 May 2017

Austrian Baroque with an exotic twist

By Nahoko Gotoh

San Francisco

Heras-Casado leads the San Francisco Symphony through living sculptures, dancing gypsies and battlefields

By Mayumi Wardrop, 22 April 2016

An overall commendable performance dampened only by a ho-hum Beethoven.

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San Francisco

24 Apr 2016

Living sculptures, dancing gypsies and battlefields

By Mayumi Wardrop

London

Europe by candlelight: Padmore follows Charles Burney at the Sam Wanamaker

By David Karlin, 06 December 2015

Mark Padmore gives a matchless demonstration of English singing as he and the English Concert follow 18th century historian Charles Burney on his travels around Europe.

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London

07 Dec 2015

Europe by candlelight: Padmore follows Charles Burney

By David Karlin

Amsterdam

quartet-lab succeeds at musical experiment in the Concertgebouw

By Sanne Thierens, 23 October 2014

Think of a laboratory and you think of an experiment: quartet-lab's experiments in the Concertgebouw yield refreshing results.

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Amsterdam

25 Oct 2014

quartet-lab succeeds at musical experiment

By Sanne Thierens

Sydney

A room with a view – Sunday matinee chamber music in Sydney

By Zoltán Szabó, 22 June 2014

A well-balanced recital in Sydney's Opera House proves a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

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Sydney

24 Jun 2014

A room with a view – Sunday matinee chamber music in Sydney

By Zoltán Szabó

Dundee

Love and War in Bohemia with the Scottish Ensemble and Sophie Harmsen.

By David Smythe, 22 February 2014

Love and War in Bohemia, with rising star mezzo Sophie Harmsen, an engaging evening of light and darkness, and a study of composer pupils with famous masters.

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Dundee

24 Feb 2014

Love and War in Bohemia with the Scottish Ensemble and Sophie Harmsen.

By David Smythe

Bodø

Biber (mostly) without Bach: Georg Kallweit and Benjamin Bayl at the Nordland Music Festival

By Aksel Tollåli, 04 August 2013

When naming a recital programme for two composers, say “Biber and Bach”, it is usually a good idea to actually include both composers on said recital programme. Sunday’s recital with Georg Kallweit and Benjamin Bayl of the Akademie für alte Musik Berlin apparently didn’t get the memo, and only played music by one of the announced composers: Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644–1704).

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Bodø

07 Aug 2013

Biber (mostly) without Bach: Georg Kallweit and Benjamin Bayl at the Nordland Music Festival

By Aksel Tollåli

London

Peter Sheppard Skærved's Soundbox 2: Flourish in the Harmony

By Julia Savage, 17 July 2012

The second of violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved's Soundbox series once again took place in the exposed-brick Green Room above the bar at Wilton's Music Hall. As with Soundbox 1, the programme comprised short bursts of music with readings of contemporary material, but this time we also had visual aids in the form of postcards, which were referred to througout.

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London

20 Jul 2012

Peter Sheppard Skærved's Soundbox 2: Flourish in the Harmony

By Julia Savage

London

Peter Sheppard Skærved and guests: Soundbox at Wilton's Music Hall

By Julia Savage, 09 July 2012

Wilton's Music Hall in London describes itself as "the city's hidden stage", and rightly so. Nestled in a tiny alleyway in an otherwise dull part of the East End, it's very easy to miss, especially given its outward, derelict appearance. "Niche, arty, folksy, quirky", as I wrote in my notes, really doesn't cover it.

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London

14 Jul 2012

Peter Sheppard Skærved and guests: Soundbox at Wilton's Music Hall

By Julia Savage

New York City

L'Arpeggiata: Inspired by the Baroque

By Zerbinetta, 15 March 2012

Though they play Baroque music, the ensemble L’Arpeggiata is more like a jazz band than a traditional orchestra. Anchored by a continuo (rhythm section?) led by artistic director and theorbist Christina Pluhar, they are joined by various other instrumentalists, singers, and even dancers, fitting each of their projects.

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New York City

16 Mar 2012

L'Arpeggiata: Inspired by the Baroque

By Zerbinetta

New York City

One Charming Night with Andreas Scholl and The English Concert

By Amanda Keil, 20 October 2011

17th Century Europe witnessed the rise of Italian opera and French ballet. These forms, and the distinct musical language of their composers, were highly influential on the music of England and Germany. The cosmopolitan music of Henry Purcell made up the bulk of The English Concert’s program, along with two instrumental works by his German contemporaries Heinrich Biber and Georg Muffat.

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New York City

25 Oct 2011

One Charming Night with Andreas Scholl and The English Concert

By Amanda Keil

London

St. John's Smith Square, Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/ Gardiner/ Debretzeni

By Sebastian Scotney, 03 October 2011

Bach, Biber, St. John's Smith Square. Clever juxtapositions, and they worked. The programmer of this concert - by the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Solists under Sir John Eliot Gardiner - had a neat thought, to place Bach's six Motets (BWV 225-230) into the former church in SW1. The building and the motets date from the same decade, the 1720's.

London

04 Oct 2011

St. John's Smith Square, Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/ Gardiner/ Debretzeni

By Sebastian Scotney

London

Alina Ibragimova at Wilton’s Music Hall

By Andrew Benson-Wilson, 25 July 2011

Following Alina Ibragimova’s recent residency in the medieval Library of Chetham’s School during the Manchester International Festival, her programme of some of the most complex solo violin works has now transferred for a short spell at Wilton’s Music Hall as part of the Barbican’s summer Blaze festival.

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London

26 Jul 2011

Alina Ibragimova at Wilton’s Music Hall

By Andrew Benson-Wilson