This week we’re doing another joint post! To start us out, Cammi will share her favorite musical websites/blogs, and Maggie will weigh in next.
Violinist.com
TheViolinChannel.com
TheStrad.com
StringsMagazine.com
ClassicFM.com
Classical-Music-Blogs.weebly.com
SharMusic.com
My go-to store for anything musical! Check out their blog too.
YouTube Channels
Artists’ Websites
And here are Maggie’s links, presented in no particular order.
Partifi
This is an invaluable website that allows you to separate any parts you want from a score. I used it once to separate the piano part from the score of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd concerto, but you can separate more than one part at a time. Partifi might be just the thing for small ensembles trying to downsize a full orchestra score.
Chamber Music Society
The Chamber Music Society is based in Manhattan and their livestreams, in case you haven’t watched any, are truly a pleasure to watch. I particularly love the lectures by Bruce Adolphe, who manages to combine wit with real exploration of a variety of music.
Key Notes
The Key Notes blog is one of my favorite resources when I want to spend an hour reading some great articles. From ear training to practicing, Key Notes has dozens of articles which, aside from being a pleasure to read, are actually helpful.
Classical 89
This is the classical radio, in my opinion. Classical 89 gives you the actual, hearty classical music, not the most famous or the most virtuosic. These are real pieces, like full string quartets or trios, which you have probably never heard before. I love going here because the selection of music is so diverse and genuine.
Boris Giltburg Blog
Boris Giltburg is a concert pianist who has recorded several CDs and concertizes in Europe. I originally found his blog when I was searching for a good listening guide for a piece, and I must say, his guides are most than thorough! I enjoy his listening guides, but I also love the glimpse he affords into the life of a professional pianist. Read my favorite post of his here.
Boosey and Hawkes Music Store
No, you don’t have to buy all your music books on Amazon! You may be surprised, but Amazon often lacks certain editions. Like Cammi, whenever I can’t find an edition I need on Amazon, I go to my favorite alternative: Boosey and Hawkes.
Art of Composing
Art of Composing is by Jon Brantingham, who blogs, podcasts (is that even a verb? :D), and has an online academy for aspiring composers. He is more than thorough when it comes to composing and I’ve found his posts on counterpoint particularly helpful. His beginner’s composing course is free and the perfect place to start if you’re interested in learning composition.
Majoring In Music
This is a fantastic website for high school students looking to college and their futures. Majoring In Music offers advice ranging from choosing a music school and applying to one to your future after college. This is especially helpful for those of you who know you want to major in music but are not quite sure where to start.
Piano Career
I cannot recommend this blog enough! Ilinca Vartic teaches and blogs using the traditional Russian school techniques which have been taught to generations of piano students. She is dedicated to teaching a holistic piano method, freeing the pianist from both physical and mental tension. Time and time again I find myself nodding along in complete agreement with her method. It is clean and straightforward, exactly as piano-playing should be.
Pianostreet
This is positively the best place for a pianist to be if he wishes to waste a couple hours in the endless web of the wide world. Pianostreet is essentially Yahoo for pianists where musicians from all over the world can weigh in on the best pedaling for so-and-so piece, what Urtext editions are and which are the best for certain composers, and, well, basically anything a pianist may want to know. Another similar website is Piano World.
KuhlauDilfeng4
KuhlauDilfeng4 is a YouTuber who has uploaded hundreds of little-known masterpieces. I originally stumbled upon this channel after randomly coming across one of his uploads, Alfredo Casella’s Symphony No. 2. (That symphony, by the way, is one of my favorites these days – the themes won’t stop going through my head!) Now my Watch Later playlist is brimful of symphonies and serenades and who-knows-what-else!