"When I hear recordings by pianist Rudolf Firkušny, whose was born on February 11, 1912, the word that comes to mind every time is 'warmth,'" writes Jeff Spurgeon.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra officials insist it's not "American Idol" meets Mozart.

The famously floppy-haired maestro of Los Angeles-via-Venezuela made his debut on Sesame Street this week. See this and videos of other classical guests on the show.

Tuesday marked the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. Find out about the musical connections to the famed writer.

Almost two decades ago, composer and Cambridge professor Robin Holloway set about to recompose Bach’s Goldberg Variations. If a healthy dose of skepticism is in order, rightly so.

For the first time, 21st-century audiences are able to hear the voice of Otto von Bismarck, one of the 19th century's most important figures.

Bach, Beethoven, Rossini, Verdi and Philip Glass were among the composers to appear in the commercial lineup during Super Bowl XLVI. Watch all of the ads here and tell us your favorite.

The Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona's opera house, has become the latest victim of the economic crisis hitting Spain as it announced it will close for two months in a bid to cut costs.

A company in Germany has created a violin using a laser printer that's designed to be ergonomically and acoustically comparable to a traditional. Watch it in action.

Camilla Williams, believed to be the first African-American woman to appear with a major U.S. opera company, has died. She was 92.

Philip Glass's 75th birthday is being marked by premieres, album releases and tribute concerts. The occasion prompts us to ask: Who is your favorite minimalist?

To keep your musical spirits up, here are five recent albums of Latin American classical works that are sure to transport you to a warmer, sunnier place.

The Philharmonic and the union representing its 106 musicians agreed Sunday to a new two-year contract that will preserve its health insurance and pension plan.

Paavo Berglund, one of Finland's most prominent conductors, has died at age 82.

As part of its 2012-13 season, Carnegie will present a month-long festival of Latin music that will feature performances by Gustavo Dudamel, Gilberto Gil and others.

The fallout from bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff's sudden retirement from the concert stage is beginning to be felt around the classical music business.

Chicago violin shop owner Chunyee Lu is suing an anonymous commenter who posted negative reviews of his shop on consumer sites like Yelp.com, Citysearch.com, and Kudzu.com.

"China was always just a myth to me, a patchwork of anecdotes, news reports, and a weird middle-name given to me at birth," writes our correspondent. "And now, it was about to become real."