Magazine

Meet the composer who’s ‘instruments’ have included glass, conversation, and entire rivers.

Discover pianist Margaret Leng Tan, the avant-garde performer who has become recognised as the world’s premiere virtuoso of the toy piano.

Leading left-handed classical pianists including Daniel Barenboim, Nicholas McCarthy and Hélène Grimaud who’ve all performed in our auditoria.

Our Royal Festival Hall organ celebrated 70 years in 2024. The organ’s curator William McVicker’s short history includes the story of its creation.

Ravi Shankar, Zair Hussain, Vilayat Khan, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Abida Parveen and other South Asian musicians who have performed here with us.

The Royal Festival Hall organ is celebrated through memories of those who have heard it, and those who have been lucky enough to play it.

Some of the most famous classical music siblings and families performing today, including the Kanneh-Masons and Katia and Marielle Labèque.

Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard discusses composer György Ligeti, including his favourite performances of Ligeti’s work, and favourite stories.

How Dmitri Shostakovich’s compositions included secret signals, from his own musical motif to dissent against Josef Stalin’s government.

Music professor Laura Tunbridge explains when and why Beethoven wrote his most famous masterpiece, the Symphony No.9 with its celebrated ‘Ode to Joy’.