‘i uncovered my italian roots using facebook and dna testing’

Ask if national schools of piano really do exist, and one might be tempted to reply that there are only as many schools as there are pianists. Yet, the idea of a distinctive musical heritage, preserve

It all used to be so simple. The story of how we – that is Homo sapiens, today’s humans – emerged from Africa and spread across what’s become Europe and Asia was a neat, straightforward narrative. It

When we think of all things Italian, in general terms, what do we think of? And how does that translate into music? As a musician, one might think of the heightened emotions of the Romantic era – spec

For me, going on a summer holiday is about getting away from it all and possibly having someone to wait on me for a change. But most importantly, it is to really be stirred. At this time in my life, I

When you’re speaking to someone devastatingly fluent in four tongues (Italian, German, French and English) the subject of language naturally leads to some curiosity. Especially from a somewhat green-e

The British merchant service was renamed the Merchant Navy after World War 1 to mark the vital role its sailors played in wartime. That role continued in World War 2 as merchant ships carried troops a