Mercury News, California — Cellist Lynn Harrell and violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Yuri Bashmet are taking to the road as a trio, alighting here Sunday on their way to Vancouver on a recital tour featuring three Beethoven works, all written in the composer's early 20s. more info

Guardian Music — They play unusual venues, have no conductor, and strive to involve their audience – Spira Mirabilis is one of a new breed of orchestra. Marshall Marcus sings their praisesNestling between the captivating northern Italian city of Modena and the Apen... more info

The Music Fix — Singer Matthew and drummer Joseph talk to us about Beethoven, shoe-stealing crowds and Lambrini. more info

Guardian Music — West Road Concert Hall, CambridgeWhile James MacMillan has in the past written works with programmatic titles and religious allusions, two of his most recent concertos stick to the purely abstract. Following the violin concerto premiered this year is... more info

Guardian Music — Queen's Hall, EdinburghPiotr Anderszewski is an intriguing pianist, intense and introspected to watch and mesmerising to listen to for his peculiar originality. His performances aren't particularly relaxing – if you were after pretty and predictabl... more info

The Vinyl Villain — Uncut magazine in late 2005 gave away this CD as their way of commemorating the Festive 50 that was of course now no more after John Peel's death in 2004. The full track listing was:-1. Half Man Half Biscuit - The Trumpton Riots2. Camper Van Beethov... more info

Guardian Music — Wigmore Hall, LondonCanadian tenor Michael Schade's recital with Malcolm Martineau formed part of the Wigmore Hall's Decade by Decade series, which chronologically re-examines the development of German lieder. Schade was allotted the years 1810 to 18... more info

Guardian Music — Bridgewater Hall, ManchesterThough Juanjo Mena has made several appearances with the BBC Philharmonic over the last two seasons, there was still surprise when the orchestra announced in July that next year he was going to succeed Gianandrea Noseda as... more info

Guardian Music — Watch samples of Alfred Brendel's best work, chosen from the composers with whom he's most closely associatedSince the 1950s, Alfred Brendel has been one of the most prolific recording and concert artists in the world. He has just been honoured with ... more info

Guardian Music — The 'new, improved' Simon Cowell is still light years away from understanding great musicIt's funny and awful watching how the sneaky Simon Cowell has tweaked himself this year, physically and conceptually. He's sliding through certain changes that a... more info