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Juventino Rosas and Johann Strauss

This waltz falsely attributed to Strauss is actually by indigenous Mexican composer Juventino Rosas

Four violins hanging in a shop

California violin thief who stole $300k of violins and bows sentenced to four years in prison

Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period.

10 of Felix Mendelssohn’s greatest works

Mendelssohn

10 beautiful pieces of classical music for Mother’s Day

10 beautiful pieces of classical music for Mother’s Day

Why do pianos have 88 keys?

Why does a piano have 88 keys?

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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Music Theory

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Why the Severance theme music is so terrifyingly catchy

Why the Severance theme music is so terrifyingly catchy

Pachelbel’s Canon in D is one of the most famous canons

What is a canon?

What are microtones in music?

What are microtones in music?

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sing 'Defying Gravity' at the 97th Oscars

We break down Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s Oscars duet from a classical music perspective

A ‘sonata’ often refers to a piece of music performed by a solo instrument with piano accompaniment.

What does ‘sonata’ mean in classical music?

Humour

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Steven Spielberg, Bill Clinton and Tina Fey all played in their school orchestras

11 famous figures you never knew could play a musical instrument

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

Women in Music

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Exclusive
First female musician in New York Philharmonic ‘said no’ to Oscar-winning documentary

First female musician in New York Philharmonic ‘said no’ at first to Oscar-winning film about her life

New York Phil

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

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

Wigmore Hall partners with Classic FM to offer £5 tickets for under 35s

Classic FM’s £5 tickets for under-35 audiences at Wigmore Hall – explore upcoming dates

What is happening at the Kennedy Center and why are musicians cancelling US concerts?

What is happening at the Kennedy Center and why are musicians cancelling US concerts?

Irish NASA astronaut plays 100-year-old Irish flute while floating in outer space

NASA astronaut plays 100-year-old Irish flute while floating in outer space

Did you know the Duchess of Kent secretly taught music at a primary school for 13 years?

When the Duchess of Kent went undercover as a primary school music teacher for 13 years

Renowned Masters of the King’s and Queen’s Music: Elgar, Errollyn Wallen, Nicholas Lanier

10 renowned Masters of the King’s and Queen’s Music

Ewan McGregor played the French horn on national TV aged 16

When 16-year-old Ewan McGregor played a French horn solo on national TV

Videos

What is an aria, and how is it different from a song? (Pictured: Nadine Sierra performing at a ball, and in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet)

What is an aria, and how is it different from a song?

Hear Amanda Seyfried play enchanting Joni Mitchell song on the dulcimer, a 19th-century instrument

Hear Amanda Seyfried play enchanting Joni Mitchell song on the dulcimer, a 19th-century instrument

Videos

Figure skater Isabella Aparicio performs poignant routine to her father Luciano’s ‘Pachelbel’s Canon’ recording

16-year-old figure skater performs to late father’s ‘Pachelbel’s Canon’ in heart-breaking tribute

Maurice Ravel is one of the greatest French composers who ever lived.

The 10 best pieces of music by Ravel

Ravel

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason plays Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 at Classic FM Live

Who is Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, the rising star British pianist?

Classic FM’s Rising Stars: 30 incredible musicians under 30 we’re celebrating in 2025

Classic FM’s Rising Stars: 30 incredible musicians under 30 we’re celebrating in 2025

Julie Andrews and real-life Maria Von Trapp sing ‘Edelweiss’ in timeless duet

Julie Andrews and real-life Maria von Trapp sing ‘Edelweiss’ in timeless duet

Videos

Nothing enhances the emotion better than a swooping film score, which elevates the passion on screen to new heights.

10 most romantic movie scores of all time

Did you know Jeff Goldblum is actually a world-class jazz pianist?

Did you know Jeff Goldblum is actually a world-class jazz pianist?

The Irish composer John Field is credited with the invention of one of the most popular classical genres.

Meet the man who invented the Nocturne – and no, it wasn’t Chopin...

Instruments

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Discover music

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Ed Sheeran performs at old school after making £250m music education plea to Keir Starmer

Ed Sheeran performs at old school after making £250m music education plea to Keir Starmer

5 days ago

Music Education

Young penguin steals the show with Puccini in Happy Feet Two

When a tiny penguin sang Puccini’s impassioned ‘E lucevan le stelle’ in Happy Feet Two

7 days ago

Puccini

Hans Zimmer is interviewed by Jonathan Ross in a Classic FM at the Movies special.

Hans Zimmer says the Lion King score was a requiem for his late father

10 days ago

Zimmer

Former Les Mis star performs surprise ‘On My Own’ in Covent Garden busking spot

Former Les Mis star performs surprise ‘On My Own’ in Covent Garden busking spot

12 days ago

Videos

1715 Stradivarius sold for $23 million becomes most expensive violin in history

1715 Stradivarius sold for $23 million becomes most expensive violin in history

15 days ago

Hildur Guðnadóttir wins Oscar for Joker

All the Oscar-winning film scores from the last 50 years

Oscars

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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Essential Classical

Classic FM’s Baby Bedtime

Classic FM Revision

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Latest on Classic FM

US marine band forced to cancel concert with students of colour after Trump Kennedy Center takeover

US marine band forced to cancel concert with students of colour after Trump Kennedy Center takeover
Kennedy Center audience boos JD Vance before Shostakovich violin concerto

Audience boos JD Vance at classical concert following Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center takeover
Traitors star Alexander Dragonetti joins Classic FM for new Friday night series

Traitors star Alexander Dragonetti joins Classic FM for new Friday night series

Is this what Mozart really looked like?

Have scientists solved the 230-year-old mystery of Mozart’s real face?

Mozart

‘The Brutalist’ composer Daniel Blumberg wins his first Oscar for Best Original Score

‘The Brutalist’ composer Daniel Blumberg wins his first Oscar for Best Original Score

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

Chopin

Henry Kelly, a founding presenter on Classic FM, dies aged 78 after a period of ill health

Henry Kelly, a founding presenter on Classic FM, dies aged 78 after a period of ill health

More than 1,000 musicians including violinist Esther Abrami record ‘sound of silence’ to protest plans to let AI use their music

More than 1,000 musicians record ‘silent album’ to protest plans to let AI use their music

Lang Lang surprises audiences at Ed Sheeran’s China tour with ‘Perfect’ piano duet

Lang Lang surprises audiences at Ed Sheeran’s China tour with ‘Perfect’ piano duet

Lang Lang

Musicians showed up to protest Cardiff University’s proposal to shut its School of Music, whose renowned alumni include ‘Adiemus’ composer Sir Karl Jenkins.

Hundreds of musicians protest ‘shock’ Cardiff University music school closure

Jenkins