Polymath composers and their extra-musical successes

By Timmy Fisher, 12 October 2018

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“Rossini, regarded as the greatest Italian composer of his time, also published a cookery book.”

Nahoko Gotoh, 13th March

The Japanese mezzo soprano is returning to the New National Theatre, Tokyo for her role debut in Massenet’s Werther. We talk about her love for Rossini, and expansions into later Romantic opera.

A jack of all trades: Michael Spyres on Vienna, Tristan and Verdi

Chanda VanderHart, 6th March

Chanda VanderHart talks to the American tenor about his Tristan debut at the Met, his love for Vienna and Otto Schenk, and the incredible scope of his repertoire.

All in the family: Flanders Symphony’s new chief Martijn Dendievel

Lawrence Dunn, 15th January

The young Belgian conductor has had a long association with the Flanders Symphony – and this January he takes the chief’s baton from departing Kristiina Poska, who reaffirmed the orchestra’s crisp, classical sound.

Out of the ordinary: Wagner’s Ring at Paris Opera

Bachtrack, 12th November

In 2026, Opéra national de Paris presents its first complete cycle of Wagner’s Ring for over a decade, with productions directed by Calixto Bieito. We dig into these striking and provocative productions...

The art of memory: classical music for mourning

Danny Riley, 28th October

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.

Classical composers with no ‘formal’ training

Danny Riley, 2nd October

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.

Timmy Fisher

Timmy read musicology at Durham University, studying composition with Richard Rijnvos. He has written for Gramophone and The Spectator, and composes for both film and the concert hall. He has a special interest in contemporary choral music, and co-hosts The Classical Music Pod with Sam Poppleton, available on iTunes and Spotify. Follow him on twitter at @timmy_fisher.