Latest on Classic FM

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked

What is Cynthia Erivo’s voice type and is she classically trained?

Yuja Wang plays a piano with three pedals – but what are they for?

Why do pianos have three pedals, and what do they do?

Cynthia Erivo sings 'Defying Gravity' in the Wicked film

Wicked soundtrack: who composed it and what are the famous songs?

Stephen Schwartz, composer of Wicked.

‘I just stole it from Beethoven’: Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz on how he wrote ‘Defying Gravity’
Epiphany Devotion At Salisbury Cathedral

Six pieces of festive music that aren’t actually about Christmas at all

Christmas

Yuja Wang, Nicola Benedetti and Yo-Yo Ma

What does ‘concerto’ mean in classical music, and what is its history?

Vote for your all-time favourite Christmas carol in The Nation’s Favourite Carol 2024.

Vote for your favourite Christmas carol in The Nation’s Favourite Carol with Viking 2024

Christmas

Young Persons guide trilogy

‘The Very Young Person’s Guide to Christmas Carols’: the perfect Christmas gift!

‘Wicked’ star Cynthia Erivo spoke to Zeb Soanes about preparing to sing ‘Defying Gravity’ as Elphaba.

Cynthia Erivo underwent ‘cardiovascular conditioning’ to play Elphaba in ‘Wicked’

Britten as a Boy

Composer Benjamin Britten to be honoured with a statue outside his childhood home

Britten

Latest instrument features

Ophélie Gaillard’s 300-year-old cello has been stolen for a second time

French cellist reunited with rare €1.3 million cello following home burglary

Ilona Schmiel, leader of the Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich.

Why do orchestras have ‘leaders’ and what do they do?

Hayato Sumino plays Bolero on two pianos.

Viral virtuoso Hayato Sumino plays Boléro on two pianos

Cellist serenades chickens with ‘L’heure exquise’ at 18th-century English farmhouse

Cellist serenades chickens with a French love song at 18th-century English farmhouse

Videos

Einaudi surprised the crowd at St Pancras.

Einaudi surprises commuters with train station piano performance

Einaudi

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

More instruments

See more More instruments

Violin

Piano

Guitar

Flute