In 1980, John Adams was an emerging 33-year-old composer living in a San Francisco garret who had written a handful of promising solo piano and chamber pieces when he got his first major commission ...

It isn’t always easy being a trombone octet, no matter how wonderful you sound. Sometimes you have to resort to some desperate measures – which might include a bit of theft. It hasn’t always been ...

Giuseppe Verdi (or 'Joe Green' in English!) was an Italian composer who dominated the Italian opera scene in the late 19th Century. Verdi's first opera – 'Oberto', written in 1839 – was a big success.

Listen: Verdi's 'Dies Irae' and ‘Tuba Mirum’ from 'Requiem'Listen: Verdi's 'Dies Irae' and ‘Tuba Mirum’ from 'Requiem' ...