Category archives: Articles

Sergei Rachmaninoff plays his Piano Concerto No. 2

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff was one of the most important composers in Russia in the early 20th century. He was a wonderful pianist, and some of his most important compositions were writte[...]

April Sheet Music

This month's sheet music is a tribute to Sergei Rachmaninoff, our featured composer. We have included a range of pieces with varying skill levels. We hope you enjoy! 18th Varia[...]

Her Way: Hélène Grimaud's Life as a Concert Pianist - The New Yorker

One day in July, Hélène Grimaud was practicing the piano in a hotel room in Munich. The Palace, where she was staying, is near the Prinzregententheater, and is unusually accomm[...]

The 10 Greatest Pianists of All Time - Limelight Magazine

10. Artur Schnabel (1882-1951) Who was he? An Austrian pianist who specialised in core German composers and made the first complete recording of the Beethoven sonatas. What mak[...]

March Sheet Music

This month's sheet music theme centers around March. "The month?" you ask. Yes, but also the musical term. Musically, a march is "a composition in regularly accented, usually duple[...]

The March King - John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, DC on November 6, 1854. He was the third of ten children of John Antonio Sousa, a Portuguese immigrant, and Maria Elizabeth Trinkhaus, a G[...]

Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits

When children learn to play a musical instrument, they strengthen a range of auditory skills. Recent studies suggest that these benefits extend all through life, at least for those[...]

Inventions: The Piano That Tunes Itself

Tuning a piano, unlike other instruments, is a job for professionals. But what if it could tune itself? Most musicians can tune their instruments whenever they like. The excepti[...]

The History of Valentine's Day

The Legend of St. Valentine The history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its patron saint--is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month[...]