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Great classical music. Pictured: Gustavo Dudamel, Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall, and cellist Margarita Balanas

10 pieces of classical music everyone should know

The traditional ‘piping in of the haggis’

Why does the haggis get its own entrance music? Inside the Burns Night tradition

Jacqueline Du Pré

Who was Jacqueline du Pré, the legendary cellist who brought the Elgar Cello Concerto to the masses?

Jacqueline du Pré

All of John Williams’ record-breaking 54 Oscar nominations so far

All of John Williams’ 54 Oscar nominations so far – including five wins

Williams

German bass Ivan Rebroff had a vocal range of over four octaves

Hear the record-breaking range of German bass Ivan Rebroff, down to his earth-shuddering low F

Discover the greatest classical music

10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time

From Mozart to Elgar: the best pieces of classical music for beginners

15 timeless pieces to begin your journey into classical music

The 20 best operas of all time, according to Classic FM presenters.

The 20 greatest operas ever written

The best classical music playlists to suit your every mood

The best classical music playlists to suit your every mood

Periods & Genres

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Renaissance

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Romantic

Film & TV

Music Theory

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What is an earworm?

What is an earworm and how do you get rid of one?

Maxim Vengerov – here’s why musicians use vibrato

Why do musicians always use vibrato?

How did music notation begin?

How did music notation begin?

What is a scale?

What is a scale?

Violinist name Ava Bahari plays with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

What’s the difference between a symphony, a concerto, and a sonata?

Humour

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Guest conductor, Tim Schultheis, truly came to sleigh at this orchestral concert...

Audience member conducts ‘Sleigh Ride’, stealing the show in joyful moment

Videos

Cat piano prodigy surprises owner with tuneful solo.

Owner catches her cat playing the piano, with surprising virtuosity…

Peter Schickele Beethoven 5 parody

PDQ Bach delivered the ultimate classical music and sport parody in this Beethoven performance

Beethoven

Rowan Atkinson, Mr Bean, performs during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.

Mr Bean plays iconic ‘Chariots of Fire’ with London Symphony Orchestra at 2012 Olympics Ceremony

LSO

Cat wanders on stage during Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony at Istanbul Music Festival

Curious cat wanders on stage during Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony in Istanbul

Beethoven

Women in Music

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Doreen Carwithen is known as the world’s first full-time female film composer

Meet Doreen Carwithen, the world’s first fully-professional female film composer

Saint Cecilia Playing The Organ.

Who was St Cecilia? Meet the patron saint of music and musicians

Women in Music

Who is Toshiko Akiyoshi? Meet the Japanese pianist and composer who transformed jazz music

Who is Toshiko Akiyoshi? Meet the Japanese pianist and composer who transformed jazz music

Four women conductors lead the Met Opera in one week – in historic first

Four women conductors lead the Met Opera in one week – in historic first

New York Metropolitan Opera

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The Donne Foundation has successfully set the Guinness World Record for the Longest Acoustic Music Live-Streamed Concert, with a 26-hour concert of music by women and non-binary composers.

Musicians break Guinness World Record with 26-hour concert of music by women composers

Quizzes

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Can you answer these quiz questions using just the musical notes?

Can you answer these quiz questions using just music notes?

Lifestyle

Are you smarter than a musical 18-year-old? Find out below...

Can you answer these A-Level music questions? Find out if you would pass first time...

Lifestyle

Are you smarter than a 16-year-old? Find out below...

Can you answer these GCSE Music questions? Find out if you would pass first time...

Lifestyle

Who are Sideshow Bob and Bugs Bunny playing in these operatic parodies...

Can you guess the opera these cartoon characters are singing?

Lifestyle

What song did Olivia Olson sing in Love Actually? Take our quiz if you know the answer...

The Ultimate Christmas Movie Music Quiz

Lifestyle

Discover music features

Christopher Macchio will sing at the Inauguration.

Who is Christopher Macchio, the operatic tenor singing the national anthem at the US inauguration?

The greatest opera singers of all time

25 best opera singers of all time

Sir Simon Rattle.

When Simon Rattle raised the roof of a brand-new Symphony Hall with unforgettable Mahler

Simon Rattle

Is Timothée Chalamet really singing and playing in new Bob Dylan biopic?

Is Timothée Chalamet really singing and playing in new Bob Dylan biopic?

Bill Skarsgård worked with an opera singer to produce terrifying ‘vampire voice’ for Nosferatu

Bill Skarsgård worked with an opera singer to produce terrifying ‘vampire voice’ for Nosferatu

The Vienna New Year's Concert.

Vienna New Year’s Concert: what music was played?

On Christmas Eve 1914, WWI paused when troops sang carols across enemy limes

On Christmas Eve 1914, WWI paused when troops sang carols across enemy limes

Princess of Wales attends the ‘Together At Christmas’ carol service at Westminster Abbey

What music is being performed at the Princess of Wales’ carol service?

The three films of the Christmas season. Well, three films.

The 10 best Christmas film scores

Holly and the Ivy.

What are the lyrics to ‘The Holly and Ivy’, and what is it about?

Christmas

Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree...

Which are ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and what are the lyrics to the Christmas carol?

Christmas

Moana soundtrack

Moana 2 soundtrack: what are the songs and who are songwriters Barlow and Bear?

Choristers from Salisbury Cathedral Choir have their final practice ahead of Christmas Eve

20 famous Christmas carol lyrics

Christmas

O Little Town of Bethlehem

What are the lyrics to ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ – and why are there two versions?

Christmas

Exclusive
Gladiator II composer Harry Gregson-Williams on the ‘pretty rude sound’ that made it into the score

Gladiator II composer Harry Gregson-Williams on the ‘pretty rude sound’ that made it into the score

Gregson-Williams

Jacqueline du Pre, who brought the Concerto to prominence in her breakthrough recording with John Barbirolli and the LSO in 1965.

What’s the history of Elgar’s Cello Concerto – the work with a disastrous premiere?

Elgar

Instruments

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Discover music

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More than half of gamers would go see a classical concert.

More than half of gamers would like to attend a live orchestral video game music concert

5 days ago

New Jesse Eisenberg film ‘A Real Pain’ is scored entirely by Frédéric Chopin

New Jesse Eisenberg film ‘A Real Pain’ is scored entirely by Frédéric Chopin

5 days ago

Chopin

Children learning to read and perform music as part of the initiative from the RBC.

Over 300 primary school pupils can now read and write music, thanks to top music school

6 days ago

Yo-Yo Ma and Marion Cotillard in Notre Dame

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and French actor Marion Cotillard perform an intensely mystical duet

7 days ago

Yo-Yo Ma

The Lost Music of Auschwitz

Hear haunting music composed at Auschwitz for the first time in 80 years

10 days ago

John Williams facts

John Williams facts: Movie scores, family, age and awards

Williams

Best classical music

See more Best classical music

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

Best symphonies: Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak and Florence Price

The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

4 eras of classical music

The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

A young Marin Alsop, Sir Simon Rattle, and Seiji Ozawa conduct their respective orchestras.

The 25 greatest conductors of all time

Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time

Classic FM Live Playlists

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Classic FM Hall of Fame

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Classic FM Revision

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Latest on Classic FM

Anna Dennis sings ‘The Queen of the Night’

Soprano stuns by singing Mozart’s ‘Queen of the Night’ aria in shopping centre surprise

Mozart

Arnold Schoenberg’s archive has been destroyed by the LA fires, including photographs, letters, and over 100,000 scores.

Over 100,000 Arnold Schoenberg scores destroyed by LA fires in ‘profound cultural blow’

Ruth Slenczynska

100-year-old piano virtuoso Ruth Slenczynska is the last surviving pupil of Sergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninov

Mohand Al Ashram, a Palestinian singer and Oud player, sits in front of a small classroom of children.

Palestinian music teacher uses drone sounds to teach school children in haunting video

Videos

Gustavo Dudamel, the Musical Director of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra.

LA Philharmonic forced to cancel concerts due to wildfires

LA Phil

Listen to the Classic FM Hall of Fame countdown live, 9am-9pm across the Easter weekend.

Vote for your favourite classical music in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2025

Classic FM Hall of Fame

Nicola Benedetti.

Nicola Benedetti leads calls for funding to save Edinburgh International Festival

Ambassador Suzuki singing the Welsh national anthem

Japanese UK ambassador sings Wales’ national anthem in Welsh, delighting crowds

Videos

Dan Middleton, better known on YouTube as DanTDM, joins Classic FM

YouTube megastar DanTDM joins Classic FM to present new video game music series

Young people at a concert

Under 35s are more likely to listen to classical music than their parents