Norman Lebrecht

Norman Lebrecht is a British commentator on music and cultural affairs, a novelist, and the author of the classical music blog Slipped Disc. He was a columnist for The Daily Telegraph from 1994 to 2002, and assistant editor of the London Evening Standard from 2002 to 2009. He tweets at @NLebrecht

If Yuja Wang were to strip everything right down to the music, she could be a sensation

His concerto is a rag-and-bone man’s barrow trundling down a Haussmann boulevard

The atmosphere is so thick you’d need a charcuterie knife to cut it

Those who listen to music with an open mind are going to have a ball with this

The future of conducting is looking bright — everywhere except in Russia and America

Beauty released by the singer’s larynx is met by plodding fingers on a monochrome keyboard

Astor Piazzolla is so intimately identified with Buenos Aires that his wider relevance is often missed

The Solem Quartet are my frontrunners for the best new talent in 2021

I would happily subscribe to an emergent series of forgotten Polish treasures if the quality remained this high