BBC Music Magazine

BBC Music Magazine is a must for anyone with a passion for classical music. Classical music connoisseurs and new enthusiast alike will enjoy the fascinating features and reviews of over 120 new works in every issue.

Please Note: Our digital edition does not include the cover mount items or supplements you would normally find with printed copies

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BBC Music Magazine

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FREE ONE MONTH TRIAL to the digital edition • BBC Music Magazine is a must-read for anyone with a passion for classical music. Every issue brings the world of classical music to life, from interviews with the greatest artists and features on fascinating subjects, to all the latest news and opinions from around the music world.

In difficult times, Beirut aims to sing a different tune • Gala concert launches new opera festival and competition in Lebanese capital

Berlioz’s epic Les Troyens falls apart before its Paris premiere

Also in November 1863…

Music to my ears • The BBC Music Magazine team’s current favourites…

Concert Heaven Concert Hell • Top artists recall their best and worst performances

My Hero • Tenor David Webb admires the songwriting and performing genius of the groundbreaking American rapper Eminem

Aural odysseys • In classical music, concept albums give performers the chance to flex their creative muscles, explains Tom Service… and today, many are doing just that!

Honeck heads to London • Philharmonia names its new maestro

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN • Pick a theme… and name your seven favourite examples

Richard Morrison • How medieval music had a welcome, if brief, revival in the 1960s and ’70s

Caribbean Queen • With her dazzling coloratura and bold stage presence, Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique is set to conquer the classical world, writes Amanda Holloway

Playing with fire • Echoes Across the Atlantic

Secrets of the Seasons • Did an abandoned wedding and a mysterious set of Mantuan frescoes provide the original inspiration for Vivaldi’s evergreen masterpiece? Hannah French follows the clues…

From wall to score • Martinů’s Frescoes

Back on track • When former Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth had a stroke in January, he turned to music to aid his rehabilitation, as he tells Anthony Cheng

Therapy in action • Cellist Juliette Alvin

A Star is Born • As we celebrate legendary Australian bel canto soprano Joan Sutherland’s 100th anniversary, Andrew Green traces her early path to stardom

The human touch • From solo Bach to chamber music with friends, violinist Christian Tetzlaff tells Charlotte Smith about forging emotional connections

Across the ages • The art of mixing eras

I’m a concertgoer… get me out of here! • What are the audience habits that can turn an evening from enjoyment into ordeal? Wearing our sternest scowls, we name some of the worst

When soloists snap • The view from the stage

Playing to win • Ahead of this year’s BBC Young Musician Final, Rebecca Franks asks the judges what it takes to succeed in the prestigious contest

On the panel • The 2026 judges

Phantom at 40 • Michael Beek explores the enduring appeal of The Phantom of the Opera and asks what it takes to bring the show to life eight times a week

HOMES & ANTIQUES • Celebrate timeless design, with Homes & Antiques magazine

Ghost stories • Spooky inspirations

Cremona Italy • Michael White visits the birthplace of legendary Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari – and the world’s centre of violin making

Claudio Monteverdi

William Alwyn • Alwyn’s accessible, melodic style made him a natural as a film composer… but he craved...