• Sonny Rollins: A towering figure in the world of jazz
    Sonny Rollins: A towering figure in the world of jazz

    Walter Theodore ‘Sonny’ Rollins, born on 7 September 1930 in New York City, emerged as a towering figure in the world of jazz as a saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. Growing up in the vibrant musical landscape of Harlem, Rollins was influenced by what he heard in iconic venues such as the Savoy Ballroom and the…

  • Class Act – Sat 30th
    Class Act – Sat 30th

    Musical Mastery in the Making The September 2023 edition of ‘Class Act’ includes works by several student composers.We hear contributions…

  • On this Day: September 27, 1827 – Franz Schubert finishes his song cycle Winterreise
    On this Day: September 27, 1827 – Franz Schubert finishes his song cycle Winterreise

    Franz Schubert’s Winterreise is not only a musical masterpiece but also a work steeped in the profound emotions of the Romantic era. Composed in 1827, a mere year before Schubert’s untimely death at the age of 31, Winterreise is a song cycle for voice and piano, set to 24 poems by Wilhelm Müller, telling the…

  • CD Review: Hunger by Bungarribee
    CD Review: Hunger by Bungarribee

    Driven by genre-fusing ardour, with the inclusion of warped, shaped sounds, the ethnic intrusions and Eastern tangents of vocalised rhythmic syllables (Konakol), with instruments plus electronics, Bungarribee jazz quartet leans on solid ground while moving in mysterious ways between music of the jazz-infused avant-garde and classical. Embracing different genres, grooves and intensities, they have released…

  • Melodious, Irresistible and Unique
    Melodious, Irresistible and Unique

    By 1866, when he was 47, Jacques Offenbach, although born in the Rhineland, had achieved his ambition to become a celebrated French composer. He began his campaign, not with a bang but a whimper, by persuading the Paris Opéra-Comique to produce his first operetta, Pascal et Chambord.

  • Born on this day: Clara Schumann (13/09/1819)
    Born on this day: Clara Schumann (13/09/1819)

    Clara Schumann was one of the most distinguished pianists and significant female composers of the Romantic era. She was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1819 to Friedrich Wieck, a piano teacher, and Marianne Wieck, a singer. Her father recognized her musical talent early on and began training her to be a child prodigy.

  • High Five: Hamed Sadeghi
    High Five: Hamed Sadeghi

    Born in Iran, Hamed Sadeghi is an acclaimed multi-award winner Persian-Australian tar player and composer known for his innovative blend of Persian classical music with Western contemporary and jazz music. Hamed has performed on a variety of projects as well as performing solo on the tar.

  • The poetry of Die schöne Müllerin
    The poetry of Die schöne Müllerin

    As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Die schöne Müllerin, the collaboration between the poet Wilhelm Müller and composer Franz Schubert, we should recognize that every German schoolboy knows the enchanted opening line by heart: ‘Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust!’ (Roving is the miller’s delight!).

  • Mark Wigglesworth on Dmitri Shostakovich
    Mark Wigglesworth on Dmitri Shostakovich

    British conductor Mark Wigglesworth has conducted many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, and New York Philharmonic. Wigglesworth has recorded the complete Shostakovich symphonies with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, to critical acclaim

  • The other Kreutzer
    The other Kreutzer

    When I came across a work by a composer called Kreutzer in the library at 2MBS Fine Music, I assumed that this might be the same Kreutzer after whom Beethoven had named one of his most famous violin sonatas. To my surprise, this particular Kreutzer was another composer altogether!

  • Geoffrey Chard AM ‘Reflections’

    Join the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation in celebrating Geoffrey Chard’s 93rd Birthday (this month) with a walk down memory lane as Geoffrey entertains guests with anecdotes from his amazing life as one of Australia’s most outstanding international baritones.

  • High Five: Steve Barry
    High Five: Steve Barry

    Dr Steve Barry is a multi-award-winning pianist, composer, improviser, and lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and now living and creating on Gadigal land, Barry works across the music industry as a performer, accompanist, educator, and consulta

  • Celebration of Fine Music
    Celebration of Fine Music

    A Celebration of Fine Music. You’re invited to an intimate musical soirée at Mosman Art Gallery. Thursday 19 October at 6pm. Featuring – pianist Simon Tedeschi, Sydney Mandolin Camerata, Sydney Philharmonia Choir and Nomad String Quartet. Tickets just $50, includes drinks and canapés Places limited, so book now.

  • Sydney Mandolin Orchestra

    The Sydney Mandolin Orchestra performs its 3rd and final 90th anniversary celebration concert. The program, “Evocative Images”, includes exciting works from near and far and features the world premiere of “Backyard Images” a newly commissioned work by SMO’s conductor & Musical Director Werner Ruecker.

  • Born On This Day: Leonard Bernstein (25.08.1915)
    Born On This Day: Leonard Bernstein (25.08.1915)

    Leonard Bernstein’s life story is a tapestry woven with remarkable achievements and complex layers. Born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Bernstein displayed his prodigious musical talents early on. Commencing piano lessons at a mere 5 years old, he astounded by conducting his first orchestra by the age of 10.

  • Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter – Australian Tour Interview
    Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter – Australian Tour Interview

    Currently touring Australia are Chicago based jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and prodigious musician and producer Charlie Hunter. I caught up with Kurt and Charlie during the Melbourne leg of their tour, showcasing songs from their ongoing Superblue project, which arrives in Sydney on Wednesday August 30th at City Recital Hall.

  • Mark Wigglesworth on Dmitri Shostakovich
    Mark Wigglesworth on Dmitri Shostakovich

    British conductor Mark Wigglesworth has conducted many of the world’s leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, and New York Philharmonic. Wigglesworth has recorded the complete Shostakovich symphonies with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, to critical acclaim

  • Fine Music Showcase

    On Sunday Special, 13th August, Julie Simonds presents Fine Music Showcase, an exciting program of vibrant and varied music performed by John Martin, Alexander Yau, Rachel Siu and Nomad Quartet.

  • New Perspectives: Period-style performers charm the piers
    New Perspectives: Period-style performers charm the piers

    “Stable temperatures… the weather was just right,” said Nicole van Bruggen, Co-Artistic Director of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (ARCO), after the concert. Her relief wasn’t simply for the sake of concertgoers, but the delicate period instruments.

  • Born On This Day – André Georges Louis Onslow (27/7/1784)

    Andre Georges Louis Onslow (or George, as he was more commonly known) was born into a wealthy family, which allowed him to pursue his musical studies without financial worry. He studied piano and composition with some of the leading musicians of the day, including Ignaz Pleyel, Johann Baptist Cramer, and Jean-Baptiste Rey.

  • Annie Ross – None One But Me (Documentary)

    “Annie lived a jazz life,” said Gill Parry, producer of No One But Me, this remarkable documentary about Annie Ross that originally screened at the 2012 Glasgow Film Festival.

  • August Events In Sydney
    August Events In Sydney

    If it’s a classical or jazz performance you’re interested in attending throughout the month of August, 2MBS Fine Music Sydney have made some hand picked highlights to help you decide.

  • CD Review: Light Dance – Black Tulip Trio
    CD Review: Light Dance – Black Tulip Trio

    The arrival of a new trio recording such as this often evokes the feeling of greeting an old friend. The…

  • The BBC Proms 2023
    The BBC Proms 2023

    The BBC Proms 2023 is the 128th season of the BBC Proms, a classical music festival held every year at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The season will run from July 14 to September 9, 2023, and will feature a total of 84 concerts, including 13 world premieres.

  • High Five: Lucy Kiely

    Originally from Sydney, Lucy Kiely has lived and worked on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast of Italy for almost a decade. She has experience as a singer and songwriter, including co-writing the official Platinum Jubilee song for Queen Elizabeth II, performed at Buckingham Palace in 2022 by Grammy Award

  • Born on this Day: Deodat de Séverac (20/07/1872)
    Born on this Day: Deodat de Séverac (20/07/1872)

    Deodat de Séverac was born on July 20, 1872, in Saint-Félix-Caraman, a small village in the south of France. He came from a family of noble lineage, but they lost their titles during the French Revolution. Displaying exceptional musical talent from a very young age. At the age of four, he reportedly began picking out…

  • As It Happened – Leah Berry

    2MBS Fine Music Sydney’s goals include promoting young Australian musicians. We have established As It Happened, creating recording opportunities for emerging artists. Welcome songstress Leah Berry.

  • Sundays sound different

    From Sunday 2 July, Sundays will sound different. With two new programs (Explorations and Jazz Interaction), the day is still fine presenting, fine curation, fine music.

  • Infinite Dial 2023 reveals 81% of Australians listen to digital audio monthly
    Infinite Dial 2023 reveals 81% of Australians listen to digital audio monthly

    Australia is leading the way in digital audio listening, challenging the perception that younger music fans have abandoned radio for platforms like Spotify and TikTok. According to the seventh Infinite Dial Australia report, 81% of Australians aged 12 and above listen to digital audio monthly, surpassing the figure of 75% in the United States. This…

  • The prince who launched a rocket
    The prince who launched a rocket

    Frederick the Great wasn’t wrong when he said Carl Theodor was a Glücksschwein, which does not mean ‘lucky pig’ but ‘good luck pig’. Good luck pigs are still to be found on charm bracelets, especially in Germany. What Frederick meant was that Carl Theodor had acquired all his lands and wealth through inheritance, without even…

  • The Sydney International Piano Competition:The marathon begins
    The Sydney International Piano Competition:The marathon begins

    It’s July. By now all the aspiring pianists around the world have learned whether they were successful and made the cut for the 32 competitors who will battle it out on the keyboard for this year’s winner.

  • From Bernstein to the Ring Cycle: a trip around the globe with the Capps
    From Bernstein to the Ring Cycle: a trip around the globe with the Capps

    Mary Jo and Lloyd Capps are passionate about music and travel. They’ve travelled the world with their earliest musical trip being to New York to hear the NY Phil and the Met, Blue Note and Birdland. None of which disappointed.

  • RENAISSANCE TOURS

    Renaissance Tours sponsors Fine Music Breakfast.Please visit our our sponsor Renaissance ToursYou might like to also visit our other sponsors

  • KAWAI AUSTRALIA

    Please visit our sponsor, KAWAI AustraliaYou might like to visit our other sponsors

  • Every Day Jazz

    As part of the rescheduling of Sunday’s programs, FineJazz can now be heard every day at noon and 7pm. Sunday 2nd July is when it all starts, with two new FineJazz programs

  • Highlights from a week of Fine Classics

    Here is just a sample of this week’s Classical Fine Music: We begin an exploration of the Mannheim School and commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd.

  • 2023 Art Music Awards to take place at Carriageworks
    2023 Art Music Awards to take place at Carriageworks

    APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre are thrilled to announce that the Art Music Awards of 2023 will take place on Tuesday, August 15th, at Carriageworks in Sydney, on Gadigal land. This grand event aims to celebrate the remarkable achievements of exceptional talent in the composition, performance, education, and presentation of Australian music.

  • Born on This Day – Georgie Fame (26.06.43)
    Born on This Day – Georgie Fame (26.06.43)

    Georgie Fame is without a doubt, a hugely iconic figure in the UK jazz scene, renowned for his unique blend of jazz, rhythm and blues, and soul. Born as Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire, Georgie Fame displayed exceptional musical talent from an early age.

  • CD Review: To Listen, To Sing: Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples composers
    CD Review: To Listen, To Sing: Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples composers

    Ngarra-Burria (‘To Listen, To Sing’) is a program instigated by Dharug composer and teacher Christopher Sainsbury in 2016 to encourage and enable indigenous composers to ‘create notated compositions and industry connections’.

  • In Memoriam: The Girl from Ipanema
    In Memoriam: The Girl from Ipanema

    83-year-old Astrud Gilberto gazes out of the window of her residence at the Society Hill Towers overlooking the Derwent River in Philadelphia; one of her cats lazily stretches on a rug, dappled by sunlight beaming in between the open curtains. On the walls of her home hang several paintings she has recently made, while photos…

  • Born On This Day: Pablo Bruna (22.06.1611)
    Born On This Day: Pablo Bruna (22.06.1611)

    In the vast realm of classical music, the name Pablo Bruna may not be as widely recognized as some of his contemporaries. However, this Spanish composer of the Baroque era left an indelible mark on the music world with his exceptional organ compositions and his contributions to sacred music.

  • Contemporary Music Collective – A New Lineup

    The Contemporary Music Collective remains a critical part of 2MBS Fine Music’s fine music. Two new programs join the eccentric and the talented: The Pounding System is presented by Clay Caplice, and Snail Radio by Danny Wild.

  • Highlights from a week of Fine Music Mornings

    Here is just a small sample from this week’s Classical Fine Music. Weekday mornings with Diversions in Fine Music, and Concert Hall.

  • As It Happened: The Motion Quartet

    2MBS Fine Music is committed to promoting Australian musicians with a focus on the young. On Saturday’s Emergent Jazz at 7:00pm, we present The Motion Quartet, a jazz group of significant talent from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

  • Australian Haydn Ensemble – Die Stille Nacht

    Die Stille Nacht is a beautiful concert of baroque works that turns the dark night of the soul into a blissful place. The ebony tones of bass-baritone David Greco blend perfectly with dark velvet strings, while, against them, the baroque flute of Melissa Farrow shines as delicately as a thin crescent of moonlight.

  • The Hohle Fels Flute: Unveiling the Earliest Known Musical Instrument
    The Hohle Fels Flute: Unveiling the Earliest Known Musical Instrument

    In the picturesque region of the Swabian Jura in Germany lies a cave that guards a profound secret dating back 40,000 years—a musical treasure that fundamentally reshapes our comprehension of human history.

  • MUSICA VIVA GARRICK OHLSSON REVIEW
    MUSICA VIVA GARRICK OHLSSON REVIEW

    The touch was as light as a feather as American pianist Garrick Ohlsson teased the pianissimo opening out of Franz Schubert’s Impromptu in C minor, the first of his Opus 90 four impromptus. It set the scene for what was to be a wonderfully intimate recital at the City Recital Hall.

  • CD Review: In The Waves
    CD Review: In The Waves

    Born out of a pandemic-inspired reconnection with ocean swimming, these compositions are loosely themed on the physical and philosophical qualities of water as a common thread.

  • Jazz-In-Conversation: Jason Bruer

    Each Friday at noon, Barry O’Sullivan invites a studio guest onto Friday’s A Jazz Hour, this week welcoming Australian saxophonist, Jason Bruer.

  • Berlin, Rachmaninov, and Barramundi with Michael Field
    Berlin, Rachmaninov, and Barramundi with Michael Field

    First Class Magazine’s Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan sits down with 2MBS Fine Music Sydney’s Professor Michael Field to talk all things music and travel.

  • Review: A Clockwork Orange and Beyond
    Review: A Clockwork Orange and Beyond

    The month of May saw arpeggiators, auteurs, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra come together in glorious fashion under the guidance of Richard Tognetti, teaming up with UK musician Will Gregory’s Moog Ensemble for A Clockwork Orange and Beyond.

  • Albert Roussel: A twentieth century classicist
    Albert Roussel: A twentieth century classicist

    Rex Burgess looks at the music of the French sailor turned composerBorn in 1869 in Tourcoing, in north-eastern France, Albert…

  • Highlights from a week of Fine Classics

    Here is just a sample of this week’s Classical Fine Music: From post WW2 symphonies and a “docu-cantata” focusing on the Irish Famine of the 1840s to a celebration of works from 250 years ago.

  • CD Review: Prism V
    CD Review: Prism V

    It was my great pleasure in August 2022 to attend a concert by the Nomad String Quartet (since named as our artists in residence for 2023) featuring The Best of Danish Folk Songs. These were derived from two collections of folk songs collated and arranged by the Danish String Quartet, already showing in their relative…

  • Whirled Wide – world music

    Every Sunday at 1:00pm, Fine Music Sydney brings you a selection of world music from cultures around the world, both traditional and modern. This week, Carole Garland brings you tracks from

  • György Ligeti – New Musical Languages
    György Ligeti – New Musical Languages

    Born on May 28, 1923, in Transylvania, Romania, György Ligeti was one of the most influential and innovative composers of the 20th century. His groundbreaking works pushed the boundaries of traditional composition and paved the way for the development of new musical languages. His unique style, characterized by intricate textures, microtonal harmonies, and complex rhythms,…

  • CD Review: Black Money

    Black Money is an original project of band leader, pianist, and composer John McAll, who launched the debut recording in 2009. His following recordings in the Black Money series are Alter Ego, recorded in 2012, and most recently, Pass the Rainbow.

  • CD Review: Victoria Brass Live

    When the 40 musicians that make up Victoria Brass are playing at full blast, you can be forgiven for thinking that you’re in the middle of an entire symphony orchestra. In numbers like the finale from Sir Arthur Bliss’s Checkmate Ballet Suite, or Mussorgsky’s Coronation Scene from Boris Godunov, you are blown away, no pun…

  • Jazz-On-Wednesdays

    Jazz-On-Wednesdays brings you the magic of world jazz. Listen to Jazz Sketches with Robert Vale at noon and an international cast, and Planet Jazz with Xavier Bichon at 7pm, featuring Norwegian trumpeter Marius Neset.

  • Sydney Male Choir Fundraiser

    The Sydney Male Choir has been on a long standing mission – to Bring Joy Through Song! On Sunday 21 May they will also be on a mission to help domestic violence charity organisation Mary’s House Services fundraise with a special concert. The Sydney Male Choir has been an iconic part of the Sydney arts…

  • Tchaikovsky’s ‘favourite offspring’: The Snow Maiden
    Tchaikovsky’s ‘favourite offspring’: The Snow Maiden

    Mary Moran looks at the story behind a famous Russian fairy taleThe Snow Maiden, the much-loved Rimsky-Korsakov opera, was based…

  • CD Review: Weinberg: String Quartets Vol. 3

    The Polish-born Soviet composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg is receiving something of a reappraisal from the Western musical world. While not as well-known as other Soviet era composers, such as Shostakovich and Myaskovsky, his music shares many aspects with those contemporaries. The third volume of Weinberg’s string quartets from the Arcadia Quartet features two substantial pieces, Quartets…

  • Lisztomania!
    Lisztomania!

    In the mid-19th century, an extraordinary phenomenon was seen across Europe called “Lisztomania,” which was a term used to describe the intense enthusiasm and adoration that fans had for the Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt. It was a cultural and social trend that had a profound impact on the music world of the time.

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
    Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda

    Last month witnessed the passing of renowned Japanese musical visionary Ryuichi Sakamoto, an artist whose talent and versatility as a musician, composer, actor and producer earned him a reputation as one of the most influential artists of our time.

  • The first known recording of classical music made on wax cylinder – Handel’s “Israel in Egypt”
    The first known recording of classical music made on wax cylinder – Handel’s “Israel in Egypt”

    Classical music has been enjoyed by audiences for centuries, but the ability to record and preserve these performances is a relatively recent development. The first known recording of classical music was made on a wax cylinder, capturing a performance of Handel’s Israel in Egypt.

  • CD Review – Bassano: Ricercate for solo recorder

    Giovanni Bassano came to St Mark’s Venice in 1576 where he distinguished himself as director of instrumental music. Giovanni came from the same family of musicians and virtuoso recorder players who settled in England in the early 1500s to enhance the cultural life of the court of Henry VIII.

  • International Jazz Day – Sunday 30th April

    Since 2011, UNESCO has designated 30th April as International Jazz Day, highlighting the diplomatic and uniting forces of jazz in all corners of the globe. FineJazz will be broadcasting A History Of Jazz In Australia off our website, and on-air, Classic Jazz at noon (danceable jazz from down under).

  • On This Day: Turandot Premieres (April 26, 1926)
    On This Day: Turandot Premieres (April 26, 1926)

    Giacomo Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, premiered in 1926 at La Scala in Milan, Italy. The composer worked on the opera for several years before his untimely death in 1924, leaving the completion of the work to his long-time collaborator, Franco Alfano. Despite its difficult production history, Turandot has become one of Puccini’s most beloved works…

  • CD of the Week – From Venice to Versailles

    For their debut album, The Muffat Collective invite you to join them on a journey from the Cathedrals of Venice to the Palace of Versailles with the most stunning French and Italian Baroque trios ever composed. Enjoy passionate Italian works by Marini and Vivaldi and the lacelike trills of the French Baroque with music by…

  • Seven decades of jazz: Ahmad Jamal

    US jazz pianist and composer Ahmad Jamal has died aged 92 after an award-winning career spanning more than seven decades. Listen Anytime to Friday Jazz Session with Alex Siegers for a celebration of his musical performances and his compositions

  • 2MBS Fine Music Sydney Open Day Guest: Nick Russoniello

    Joining us for the 2MBS Fine Music Sydney 2023 Open Day is Nick Russoniello. Nick is one of the most talented and exciting young musicians in the country, known for his virtuosity and versatility as a saxophonist.

  • 2MBS Fine Music Sydney Open Day Guest: Gerard Willems AM

    One of our special guests for the 2MBS Fine Music Sydney 2023 Open Day is renowned Australian pianist and music educator Gerard Willems AM, a musician who has made significant contributions to the classical music scene in Australia and beyond.

  • Born On This Day: Jean-Joseph Mouret (11/4/1682)
    Born On This Day: Jean-Joseph Mouret (11/4/1682)

    Jean-Joseph Mouret was a renowned French Baroque composer who had a great singing voice and charming personality. He is famous for his contribution to the world of opera and for introducing comedy in his work. His notable work, Les fêtes, ou Le triomphe de Thalie, was the first opera to use comedy, which was quite…

  • Highlights from a week of Fine Music Mornings

    Here is just a small sample from this week’s Classical Fine Music. Weekday mornings with Diversions in Fine Music, and Concert Hall.

  • Born On This Day: Francis Wolff (April 5, 1907)
    Born On This Day: Francis Wolff (April 5, 1907)

    While Alfred Lion is often credited as the face of Blue Note, perhaps the most widely recognised jazz label of all time, Francis Wolff was equally important to the label’s success, both as a business partner and as a talented photographer who captured some of the most iconic images in jazz history.

  • Program Highlight – Easter Sunday Special Handel’s Resurrection: Oratorio
    Program Highlight – Easter Sunday Special Handel’s Resurrection: Oratorio

    Oratorio: The Resurrection composed by Georg Friedrich Händel in 1708, depicts the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as recounted in the New Testament. The story unfolds through a series of arias, recitatives, and choruses, each capturing different aspects of the story. The instrumental overture sets the tone for the opera, followed by a…

  • Hania Rani – Worlds Collide
    Hania Rani – Worlds Collide

    Polish born Hania Rani is a composer and musician who trained as a classical pianist before incorporating jazz into her work whilst studying at Music School Feliks Nowowiejski in Gdańsk. Her debut album Esja, a beguiling collection of solo piano pieces on UK label Gondwana Records was released to international acclaim on 5 April 2019…

  • CD Review: Icelandic Symphony Orchestra – Icelandic Works for the Stage

    Rumon Gamba is a champion of new and out-of-the-way music and with the release of Icelandic Works for the Stage he has brought to our attention a couple of composers well worth becoming acquainted with. Páll Ísólfsson (1893-1974) studied in Leipzig with Max Reger before returning to Reykjavik, where he became the first director of…

  • Music for Good Friday

    Good Friday is a solemn day in the Christian calendar with heartfelt music to match. Join Hosanna team members Stephen and Meg Matthews Good Friday afternoon April 7th from 1 o’clock.

  • Sergei Rachmaninov: A misplaced traditionalist?
    Sergei Rachmaninov: A misplaced traditionalist?

    Rex Burgess investigates the music of RachmaninovThe first of April marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the last…

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – 17.01.52 – 01.04.23
    Ryuichi Sakamoto – 17.01.52 – 01.04.23

    Ryuichi Sakamoto, the renowned Japanese musician, composer, and actor, passed away on April 1st, 2023, at the age of 71. His death was confirmed by his family.

  • 2MBS Fine Music Sydney Open Day Guest: Amelia Farrugia
    2MBS Fine Music Sydney Open Day Guest: Amelia Farrugia

    One of our special guests for the 2MBS Fine Music Sydney 2023 Open Day is renowned soprano singer Amelia Farrugia who has captivated audiences with her stunning vocal range and emotive performances in some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses and concert halls.

  • Jazz-in-Conversation: Bonnie Stewart

    Each Friday at noon, Barry O’Sullivan invites a studio guest onto Friday’s A Jazz Hour, this week drummer, composer, improviser and educator, Bonnie Stewart.

  • On this Day: March 30, 1897
    On this Day: March 30, 1897

    Frederick Delius is widely regarded as one of the most influential British composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although he spent most of his life in France, his music was heavily inspired by his time in the United States and South America. In 1897, Delius composed his first opera, Koanga, which premiered…

  • Program Highlight: Evenings With The Orchestra Friday March 31, 8pm
    Program Highlight: Evenings With The Orchestra Friday March 31, 8pm

    During the early 1900s, England saw the rise of several provincial orchestras outside of London, Manchester, and Birmingham. These orchestras were often founded by local music enthusiasts and musicians who aimed to bring classical music to their communities.

  • CD Review: Felicity Wilcox – Threading The Light

    Felicity Wilcox’s major composition, the chamber opera Threading the light, was completed and recorded in 2012 as part of her PhD in composition. It has now been released, spurred on by its recent world premiere performance by The Cooperative at Pitt Street Uniting Church. Its title, and those of its four movements (Light, Water, Blood…

  • Born On this Day – Barry Miles
    Born On this Day – Barry Miles

    Barry Miles is a jazz musician from Newark, New Jersey, who has made significant contributions to the jazz scene since the 1960s. Born in 1947, Miles grew up in a musical family and began playing piano at a young age. He was soon drawn to jazz music, particularly the music of bebop pioneers like Charlie…

  • Coy Composers Round 7 – A Word Puzzle
    Coy Composers Round 7 – A Word Puzzle

    These composers all born in March don’t want to celebrate their birthdays! Help find them so they get to enjoy a slice of cake.

  • French Master par excellence
    French Master par excellence

    Former French Prime Minister Charles de Freycinet was walking amongst the urbane people of Paris when he recognized César Franck approaching at a fast trot, his uniform an oversized frock coat, grey trousers hoisted too high, top hat haphazardly brushed against the nap. The Prime Minister slowed to talk, but Franck, without breaking stride, called…

  • CD Review: Netzel, Sandström & Tarrodi: Piano Concertos

    The Swedish pianist, Peter Friis Johansson, has combined with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra to bring us three premiere recordings of Swedish concertos, two modern, one from the early 20th Century. Most well-known of the composers is Sven-David Sandström, whose Five pieces for piano and orchestra dates from 2017.

  • As It Happened: Abby, Andrew and also Arty

    2MBS Fine Music Sydney has a commitment to supporting young Australian musicians. Listen in to Emergent Jazz (Saturday 25th at 7pm) for Abby, Andrew, and also Arty, as part of As It Happened – Live at Founders.

  • What is The Wagner Tuba?
    What is The Wagner Tuba?

    The Wagner tuba, also known as the Bayreuth tuba, is a brass instrument that was invented by Richard Wagner for use in his operas. It is a unique instrument that looks like a cross between a French horn and a tuba, with a conical bore and a wide bell.

  • Born On This Day – George Benson
    Born On This Day – George Benson

    George Benson is one of the most influential and versatile guitarists in the history of jazz music. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 22 1943, Benson began his musical career as a young boy, singing and playing the ukulele. By the age of eight, he had already made his first professional recordings, and by the time…

  • James Desmond Grant Cameron Pereth (1954 to 2023)

    It is with a heavy heart that I write about the passing of James (Jim) Pereth. Jim was instrumental during our original mast installation at Governor Philip Tower.

  • Jazz-On-Wednesdays: the magic of world jazz

    Jazz-On-Wednesdays brings you the magic of world jazz. Listen to Jazz Sketches with Robert Vale at noon, and Planet Jazz with Xavier Bichon at 7pm.Jazz Sketches has the delights of…

  • CD Review – Love Letters: Compositions For Solo Piano – Tim Bruer
    CD Review – Love Letters: Compositions For Solo Piano – Tim Bruer

    Some purists prefer artists to stay in their lane, but often when they venture out of that tried and tested territory, we hear another side of their superb musicianship. Such is the case in the new recording of Sydney-based jazz pianist Tim Bruer.

  • Born on this day – Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Born on this day – Josef Gabriel Rheinberger

    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901) was a German composer and organist known for his prolific output of choral, chamber, and organ music. He was born in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and showed musical talent at a young age, eventually studying at the Munich Conservatory where he later became a professor.

  • Tamara-Anna Cislowska & Gerard Willems Recital

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  • Focus on the Words
    Focus on the Words

    Angela Cockburn introduces a new series on librettists. Starting in January and running through to June, in the first week of the month Treasures of the Voice will feature a series about the librettists – the wordsmiths that create the stories and the dialogue that keeps an opera or a musical moving right along while…

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    Each Friday, Barry O’Sullivan invites a studio guest onto A Jazz Hour at noon, this week welcoming Dr Sandy Evans OAM. Sandy is an internationally renowned composer and saxophonist with a passion for improvisation and new music. Talented, creative, spirited, energetic, and articulate. Listen in as she discusses her career, life and musical influences, as…