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Anna Lapwood plays newly restored Britton organ

Restored 5,000-pipe organ finally sounds again at sell-out Anna Lapwood concert

Ludwig Göransson won the Best Original Score Golden Globe for 'Sinners'

Outrage as ‘Best Original Score’ award cut from Golden Globes televised broadcast

Hamnet (2026) starring Jessie Buckley

Max Richter’s ‘Hamnet’ soundtrack leaves fans in tears after Jessie Buckley scene

Richter

Washington National Opera leaves Kennedy Center

Washington National Opera ends 55‑year residency at the Trump Kennedy Center, citing financial issues

David Bowie Life on Mars

David Bowie’s isolated vocal from ‘Life On Mars’ reveals the true power of his tenor range

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

Periods & Genres

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Music Theory

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Barber's Adagio for Strings is sampled in Mobb Deep’s Down For You

What’s the piece of classical music in Mobb Deep’s Down For You?

‘Auld Lang Syne’ was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns, and is usually sung to fireworks on New Year’s Eve

What are the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne, and what does Auld Lang Syne actually mean?

Uncovered 9th-century manuscript could contain earliest Western music notation

Uncovered 9th-century manuscript could contain earliest Western music notation

What is solfège and what does Julie Andrews have to do with it?

What is solfège and why is it useful?

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?

Humour

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Fake cannonball falls off stage, hits timpani right on cue in ‘Nutcracker’ accident

Fake cannonball falls off stage, hits timpani right on cue in ‘Nutcracker’ accident

Tchaikovsky

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

Women in Music

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Lise Cristiani (December 24, 1827 – October 24, 1853)

Have you heard the story of the world’s first female cellist, also an intrepid explorer?

Exclusive
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

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

Gustavo Dudamel is one of today’s most celebrated orchestral conductors

Who is Gustavo Dudamel, Grammy-winning Venezuelan conductor?

Gustavo Dudamel

What happened to all Mozart’s children?

What happened to all Mozart’s children?

Mozart

Vienna New Year's Day Concert

The best classical music for New Year’s celebrations

Exclusive
Diana Newell makes her Royal Albert Hall debut at Classic FM Live

‘The Piano’ winner, veteran Diana Newell, makes her Royal Albert Hall debut aged 88

Events

Mozart's middle name wasn't really Amadeus

Did you know Mozart’s middle name isn’t really Amadeus?

Mozart

The most sinister lyrics you never noticed in Christmas carols

The most sinister lyrics you never noticed in Christmas carols

Christmas

A Christmas bauble, classical music baby grows and more

Classic FM Christmas gifting: baubles, books and baby grows!

Christmas

2025 Christmas highlights on Classic FM

Christmas on Classic FM: explore our 2025 radio schedule highlights

Christmas

Bass clarinettist plays in ‘cathedral-like’ acoustic of cooling towers

Bass clarinettist plays in ‘cathedral-like’ acoustic of cooling towers

Videos

This keyboard kitten is a fan of classical music

10 calming pieces of classical music for your pet

Exclusive
Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi wrote his famous ‘Totoro’ theme in 20 minutes

Composer Joe Hisaishi: ‘I wrote the Totoro theme in 20 minutes!’

Hisaishi

The spookiest pieces of classical music for Halloween.

The 20 scariest pieces of classical music for Halloween

Who is Dave, and does he really play the harp?

Who is Dave, and does he really play the harp?

Why does Rosalía’s song ‘Berghain’ feature a symphony orchestra and German opera?

Why does Rosalía’s song ‘Berghain’ feature a symphony orchestra and German opera?

LSO

Exclusive
Camden Stewart, St Pancras station’s viral piano star who began life as a boy soprano

Meet St Pancras station’s viral piano star who began as a boy soprano

Myleene Klass and Dan Walker

Classic FM Live at 25: photo highlights from our anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall

Events

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Discover music

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Footage resurfaces of Paul Mescal singing in school production of ‘Phantom of the Opera’

Paul Mescal stars in school production of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ in unearthed footage

5 days ago

Lloyd Webber

Rare iron age trumpet unearthed in Norfolk

Rare iron age battle trumpet unearthed in Norfolk

6 days ago

Stephen Schwartz boycotts Trump’s Kennedy Center gala

Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz boycotts Trump’s Kennedy Center gala

8 days ago

Sir Bryn Terfel joins Classic FM to host new series on opera villains.

Opera star Sir Bryn Terfel joins Classic FM to host new series

10 days ago

Bryn Terfel

Does Will Sharpe really play the piano in Amadeus?

Does Will Sharpe really play the piano in Amadeus?

12 days ago

A Classic FM exclusive of Aled Jones and Malakai Bayoh singing ‘O Holy Night’ went viral in Christmas 2022

‘O Holy Night’ voted the nation’s favourite Christmas carol for tenth consecutive year

20 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 Relax

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Classic FM Christmas

Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame

Classic FM’s Baby Bedtime

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Latest on Classic FM

Listen to the Classic FM Hall of Fame countdown live, 9am-9pm across the Easter weekend.

Vote for your favourite classical music in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026

Classic FM Hall of Fame

Max Richter, Cynthia Erivo, Bill Bailey recognised in His Majesty’s 2026 New Year Honours list.

Max Richter, Cynthia Erivo and Bill Bailey among musicians named in His Majesty the King’s New Year Honours
Avatar: Fire and Ash composer Simon Franglen on how he wrote the score.

‘Avatar’ composer reveals he invented brand new instruments for latest film

Will Sharpe, Paul Bettany and Gabrielle Creevy play Mozart, Salieri, and Constanze Mozart in Sky's new 'Amadeus' series.

Paul Bettany tapped into own insecurities to play Salieri in new ‘Amadeus’ series

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is one of the world’s best known choral groups

King’s College, Cambridge to launch all-female choir for first time in its history

Sir Humphrey Burton, former Classic FM presenter and Bernstein biographer, dies aged 94

Sir Humphrey Burton, former Classic FM presenter and Bernstein biographer, dies aged 94

‘The News Agents’ wins Best Podcast Show at The Global Player Awards 2025

‘The News Agents’ wins Best Podcast Show at The Global Player Awards 2025

Classic FM Live with Viking returns to the Royal Albert Hall in April 2026!

Get your tickets to Classic FM Live with Viking at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2026!

Events

Conch shells

Archaeologists discover 6,000-year-old musical shells which are as loud as a lawnmower

Michael Bublé gets Pope to sing along at Vatican concert

Pope Leo asks Michael Bublé to sing spontaneous Schubert ‘Ave Maria’ at the Vatican