Classics For Kids

William Grant Still was a 20th century African-American composer. But hundreds of years before he lived, there were other black composers. ‘The Music of Freedom The songs that helped the […]

After William Grant Still wrote his Afro-American Symphony, he found bits of poetry that he thought went with each movement. The poetry was written by Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first […]

William Grant Still wanted to put the sound of the blues into a symphony. His Afro-American Symphony is centered on a bluesy theme. Still took that theme and did something […]

William Grant Still has been called the Dean of Afro-American composers. William grew up listening to his grandmother tell stories about her life as a slave on a plantation in […]

Antonin Dvorak and his fellow Czech composers were among the first music nationalists. Here’s a look at many others, including composers from America.

All across Europe in the 19th century, there was a wave of nationalism as people fought for political independence. Composers started wanting musical independence, too. When they started putting folk […]

In 1892, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s trip to the New World, a wealthy New Yorker invited Antonin Dvorak to visit America. Tchaikovsky, Albeniz, and Delius were […]

At the time when Czech composer Antonin Dvorak was born, the Czech people had no country of their own. The regions where they lived — Bohemia and Moravia — were […]

Many composers used European dance forms in their work. Dvorak, Haydn, Chopin and Beethoven are just a few of the composers featured here.

The Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms were never really intended for dancing. But that doesn’t mean that people in Hungary don't dance! Richard Graber, the director of a Hungarian dance […]

When he was a young pianist, Johannes Brahms accompanied a Hungarian violinist, and fell in love with Hungarian music. His own Hungarian-flavored dances were written to entertain his friends at […]

Brahms, Bach, and Beethoven are known as the “Three B’s” of classical music. Brahms always knew that he wanted to be a composer — by the time he was six, […]

Even though Schubert’s Marche Militaire has the word “march” in the title, it was never actually meant for anyone to march to. Several other composers wrote march music without bands […]

Franz Schubert wrote his Marche Militaire for piano four hands — two people playing the same instrument. Here are some more pieces for piano four hands.

Songs in classical music are usually called “art songs.” In German, art songs are called Lieder. Franz Schubert was a master of writing Lieder. Each of his songs combines poetry […]

Franz Schubert’s father expected his son to be a teacher in the school that he ran. But Schubert didn't last long at that job — he was much more interested […]

A collection of musical firsts, including the first string quartet, the first use of trombones in a symphony, and the first professional musician to make a recording.

In the “Farandole” from Georges Bizet’s Arlésienne Suite, there are examples of all three kinds of harmonic texture: monophony, homophony, and polyphony. Hear those terms explained in words and in […]

In celebration of the Christmas season, some classical compositions that have Christmas carols in them.

Georges Bizet was not Jewish, his father-in-law was. Bizet married the daughter of his composition professor, Jacques Halevi. To celebrate Chanukah, we learn about some other Jewish composers of classical […]

Georges Bizet’s parents were both musicians, so he grew up surrounded by music. Today, Bizet is best remembered for his theatrical music — operas and incidental music for plays.

Both Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams loved using folk music in their music. They were inspired by a “folk song revival” started by an English musician named Cecil Sharp […]

Appropriately spooky classical music for Halloween.

Many pieces of music from Russian operas have become much more famous in the concert hall than on the opera stage. Some of these pieces include Tchaikovsky’s Waltz and Polonaise […]

Russian artist and architect Victor Hartman was a good friend of Modest Mussorgsky. When Hartman died at the age of 39, there was a memorial exhibit of his work. That […]