Derrick Hodge is an all-star all-rounder. A bass player, band-leader, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist so versatile that any attempt to categorise him is rendered futile. In addition to Grammy-winning collaborations with Robert Glasper, Terence Blanchard, and Common, Hodge has worked on film scores for Spike Lee and brought his subversive concepts to orchestras in Atlanta, […]

Hailed as a “modern day musical genius” by The Line of Best Fit, internationally renowned composer, pianist, producer and collaborator, Max Richter is one of today’s most influential artists. Through his ground-breaking works, captivating recordings and innovative performances, he has forged new paths in contemporary music and culture – garnering awards, critical acclaim and surpassing […]

I spoke with violinist Mari Samuelsen, over Zoom, from her home in the Norwegian countryside. Out of the generous windows behind her I could see a valley descend into a blue lake, with a mountain range in the distance. Somehow the sunroom in my small inner-Sydney apartment suddenly felt a little less – impressive? (Queue […]

Belgrade, Serbia-based composer-pianists Sonja Lončar and Andrija Pavlović are the musical minds behind LP Duo. Eager to break new ground, Sonja and Andrija have forged their own original combination of electronics and acoustic pianism – melding the synthesized and the organic – with a little help from their friends over at the quantum physics lab. […]

You may not know his name, but you know his music. Canadian composer and performer Stephan Moccio is the songwriter behind Miley Cyrus’s global smash hit ‘Wrecking Ball’, ‘Earned It’ – The Weeknd’s sensual ballad from the Fifty Shades of Grey film soundtrack – and Céline Dion’s triumphant 2001 comeback ‘A New Day Has Come’. […]

Isobel Waller-Bridge can’t wait to lock herself away. The celebrated composer – whose recent credits include Emma, Black Mirror and Vanity Fair – has recently finished building a brand new recording studio. The first project to be produced there will be Isobel’s debut album for Mercury KX, slated for release in 2021. The crown in […]

Somewhere within us all there is a secret garden. A garden in which we can seek refuge when times are rough, or retire to in joy or contemplation – Rolf Løvland Secret Garden is the musical duo of Norwegian composer Rolf Løvland and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry. The duo rose to prominence during the mid-90s […]

Be it at a wedding, a funeral, or during the emotional climax of a K-drama, Yiruma’s music has tugged at the heartstrings of millions worldwide.

Unlike the piano – which unless creatively modified is confined to the 12 pitches of the Western chromatic scale – the strings have access to the notes between the notes. This freedom allows for all manner of expressive wobbling, bending, and sliding. The emotional potential of stringed instruments is only magnified when they gather in […]