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Donald Trump says he could have been a ‘brilliant musician’ after receiving flute lessons as a boy.

Donald Trump’s flute-playing career cut short: ‘I didn’t particularly like it, wasn’t for me’

Julie D'Aubigny

Meet the sword-fighting opera singer who burnt down a convent to rescue her gay lover

Composer proposes to his partner with live 78-piece orchestra at Abbey Road studios

Composer proposes to his partner with live 78-piece orchestra at Abbey Road studios

Videos

Jamie Barton, John Holiday and Adrian Angelico: just three of the incredible performers who also happen to be lighting up opera stages around the world with rainbow colours.

20 brilliant LGBTQ+ opera stars you should know

Inventor creates piano doorbell

Inventor replaces his ‘boring’ doorbell with a miniature piano

Discover the greatest classical music

10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time

From Mozart to Elgar: the best pieces of classical music for beginners

15 timeless pieces to begin your journey into classical music

The 20 best operas of all time, according to Classic FM presenters.

The 20 greatest operas ever written

The best classical music playlists to suit your every mood

The best classical music playlists to suit your every mood

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Key differences between a classical and an acoustic guitar - pictured: Ed Sheeran and Miloš Karadaglić

What are the key differences between a classical and an acoustic guitar?

Why do pianos have 88 keys?

Why does a piano have 88 keys?

Why the Severance theme music is so terrifyingly catchy

Why the Severance theme music is so terrifyingly catchy

Pachelbel’s Canon in D is one of the most famous canons

What is a canon?

What are microtones in music?

What are microtones in music?

Humour

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Squirrel falls into chorister’s folder during Good Friday service

Dive-bombing squirrel falls into chorister’s folder during Good Friday service

Videos

Brass players delight passengers with impromptu ‘The Bare Necessities’ on aeroplane

Brass players delight passengers with impromptu ‘The Bare Necessities’ on aeroplane

Videos

Steven Spielberg, Bill Clinton and Tina Fey all played in their school orchestras

11 famous figures you never knew could play a musical instrument

Guest conductor, Tim Schultheis, truly came to sleigh at this orchestral concert...

Audience member conducts ‘Sleigh Ride’, stealing the show in joyful moment

Videos

Cat piano prodigy surprises owner with tuneful solo.

Owner catches her cat playing the piano, with surprising virtuosity…

Women in Music

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First female musician in New York Philharmonic ‘said no’ to Oscar-winning documentary

First female musician in New York Philharmonic ‘said no’ at first to Oscar-winning film about her life

New York Phil

Doreen Carwithen is known as the world’s first full-time female film composer

Meet Doreen Carwithen, the world’s first fully-professional female film composer

Saint Cecilia Playing The Organ.

Who was St Cecilia? Meet the patron saint of music and musicians

Women in Music

Who is Toshiko Akiyoshi? Meet the Japanese pianist and composer who transformed jazz music

Who is Toshiko Akiyoshi? Meet the Japanese pianist and composer who transformed jazz music

Four women conductors lead the Met Opera in one week – in historic first

Four women conductors lead the Met Opera in one week – in historic first

New York Metropolitan Opera

Quizzes

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Can you answer these quiz questions using just the musical notes?

Can you answer these quiz questions using just music notes?

Lifestyle

Are you smarter than a musical 18-year-old? Find out below...

Can you answer these A-Level music questions? Find out if you would pass first time...

Lifestyle

Are you smarter than a 16-year-old? Find out below...

Can you answer these GCSE Music questions? Find out if you would pass first time...

Lifestyle

Who are Sideshow Bob and Bugs Bunny playing in these operatic parodies...

Can you guess the opera these cartoon characters are singing?

Lifestyle

What song did Olivia Olson sing in Love Actually? Take our quiz if you know the answer...

The Ultimate Christmas Movie Music Quiz

Lifestyle

Discover music features

11 of the best LGBTQ+ community classical music ensembles around the world

15 of the best LGBTQ+ classical music ensembles around the world

Pope Levo XIV at the Vatican

Resurfaced footage shows Pope Leo singing ‘Feliz Navidad’ with church band in Peru

Videos

Girl revising and piano keys

10 pieces of classical music to help ease exam stress

The Phoenician Scheme: Wes Anderson’s ingenious use of Stravinsky and other classical music

New Wes Anderson film ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is scored with Stravinsky’s music

Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman in 2009

Who were the Sherman Brothers, Hollywood’s most prolific musical duo?

Curious baby boy playing toy piano at home

Does classical music really make babies smarter?

Who is Anna Lapwood? The trailblazing organist and conductor’s age, biography and performances

Who is Anna Lapwood? The trailblazing organist and conductor’s age, biography and performances

Young audience members can enjoy classical concerts at a low price across the UK

15 cheap classical music concert ticket schemes for young audiences

Exclusive
‘Sinners’ composer Ludwig Göransson breaks down his movie soundtrack

‘Sinners’ composer Ludwig Göransson breaks down his movie soundtrack

10 of the best pieces of classical music written in the 20th century

10 incredible 20th-century classical works that would change music forever

Wales v Australia

Welsh national anthem: what are the English and Welsh lyrics to ‘Land Of My Fathers’?

The fascinating history of the opera glove – which originated in the 16th century

Opera gloves: what’s the history of the fashion items that originated in the 16th century?

10 pieces of classical music to commemorate VE Day 80

10 pieces of classical music to commemorate VE Day 80

Best World War II film scores: Atonement, Saving Private Ryan, The Imitation Game

10 of the greatest Second World War movie soundtracks

Alexander Armstrong narrates a VE Day concert by the Parliament Choir and Sinfonia Smith Square in Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster

Classic FM on VE Day 80: join us for special concerts and premieres and send your requests

What’s the story behind Ravel’s ‘Boléro’, and why is it so controversial?

What’s the story behind Ravel’s ‘Boléro’, and why is it so controversial?

Ravel

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Physicists create ‘the world’s smallest violin’ using nanotechnology

Physicists create ‘the world’s smallest violin’ using nanotechnology

11 days ago

Hundreds of musicians protest Cardiff University’s proposed music school closure

Cardiff University scraps plans to axe music department

18 days ago

The Piano Boat comes to Britain's canals

Floating piano boat named ‘Rachmaninov’ to return to London’s canals

18 days ago

Diana wins 'The Piano' with performance of 'Dreams' at Newcastle concert hall

87-year-old fulfils ‘lifelong dream’ of becoming a concert pianist in tear-jerking The Piano finale

19 days ago

When Tom Cruise came on set, Simon Pegg and ‘The Final Reckoning’ cast had the Mission Impossible theme in their head

Simon Pegg: ‘We sang the Mission Impossible theme a lot in the cast. Whenever Tom walks on set!’

23 days ago

UK’s only string instrument-making degree set to close

UK’s last surviving string instrument-making degree set to close

24 days ago

Best classical music

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The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

Best symphonies: Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak and Florence Price

The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

4 eras of classical music

The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

A young Marin Alsop, Sir Simon Rattle, and Seiji Ozawa conduct their respective orchestras.

The 25 greatest conductors of all time

Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time

Classic FM Live Playlists

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Classic FM Hall of Fame

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Classic FM Pet Classics

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Classic FM’s Baby Bedtime

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Latest on Classic FM

LA Philharmonic cancels concerts as city curfew enforced after protests

LA Philharmonic cancels concerts as city curfew enforced after protests

LA Phil

Pak chois grow better with classical music

Bach-choi? Researchers find plants grow leafier when played Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos

Win tickets to see Ludovico Einaudi at the Royal Albert Hall with a Marriott hotel stay

Win tickets to see Ludovico Einaudi at the Royal Albert Hall with a hotel stay

Win

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Johann Strauss II’s ‘The Beautiful Blue Danube’ was broadcast into space, in partnership with the European Space Agency.

Strauss’ ‘Blue Danube’ waltz has been sent to space... and The Simpsons already predicted it
Scientific reconstruction reveals Beethoven’s ‘true’ face 200 years after his death

Scientific reconstruction reveals Beethoven’s ‘true’ face 200 years after his death

Beethoven

Unseen footage reveals Dick van Dyke singing ‘Mary Poppins’ with THE Richard Sherman on piano

Unseen footage reveals Dick van Dyke singing ‘Mary Poppins’ with THE Richard Sherman on piano
Austrian artist JJ won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest with his song, "Wasted Love."

Austrian Eurovision winner JJ is a countertenor who sang with the Vienna Opera

Netflix releases series inspired by Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’

What classical music is featured in Netflix’s The Four Seasons, and how is it inspired by Vivaldi’s masterpiece?

Vivaldi

87-year-old pianist moves judges with original composition

87-year-old veteran moves ‘The Piano’ judges to tears with original composition

Videos

MADAME BUTTERFLY Poster for Puccini's opera

Giacomo Puccini: Madame Butterfly – short opera summary

Puccini