Renowned pianist Young Hyun Cho is set to continue her ambitious journey of recording all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas with the upcoming release of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Nos. 12–15 on the Blue Griffin label. The album, catalogued as BGR685, will be available on Friday, June 27, 2025. This follows her critically acclaimed interpretation of Beethoven’s Last Three Piano Sonatas previously released by Sony, which garnered high praise from audiences and critics around the world.

Founded in 2000 by the celebrated pianist, composer, and recording engineer Sergei Kvitko, Blue Griffin has produced nearly 300 recordings and is recognized for its exceptional audio quality. As Classics Today notes, “The lifelike, vibrant engineering typifies Blue Griffin’s usual high sonic standards.” Similarly, The Whole Note lauds the label’s commitment to high production values and artistic integrity.

Known for her idiomatic interpretation, technical brilliance, and deep understanding of a wide range of repertoire, Young Hyun Cho has graced some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls. Her performances have taken her from the Vienna Musikverein and Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall to Smetana Hall in Prague, Liszt Academy’s Solti Hall in Budapest, and the Seoul Arts Center in Korea. A review from the Aachen newspaper in Germany described her as “a blessed interpreter of Beethoven,” commending her expressive range, passionate delivery, and rich touch.

Born in Korea to a non-musical family, Young Hyun Cho discovered Western classical music through her father, an anesthesiologist who frequently listened to classical radio. Her passion for piano began early and grew rapidly, leading her to attend Yewon Middle School, Seoul Arts High School, and Seoul National University. She later moved to the United States, earning a Master of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory, followed by a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music. Her principal teachers included Nelita True, Boris Slutsky, and Mikyung Kim.

Young Hyun Cho’s career as a soloist includes performances with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Euro Sinfonietta Wien, Filarmonica della Calabria, North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Teplice, Budapest Symphony Chamber Orchestra M.A.V., Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra, Korean Broadcasting System Symphony Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, and the Eastman Symphony Orchestra.

Currently, she serves as Associate Professor of Piano at Michigan State University College of Music, following her previous faculty position at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Outside of music, Young Hyun Cho shares a life with her husband, Dr. Dean Lee, a distinguished nuclear physicist and head of the Department of Theoretical Nuclear Science at Michigan State University. He also leads the Advanced Studies Gateway at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The couple co-organizes the FRIB concert series and are both passionate animal advocates, living with four rescue dogs. Fluent in English and Korean, Ms. Cho also studies Italian, German, and Spanish.

The 2025 edition of the prestigious Dudley International Piano Competition has concluded, naming Tomos Boyles as the first prize winner. Held every three years, the competition is open to pianists of all nationalities aged 35 and under who are studying or residing in the British Isles at the time of application.

Boyles takes home the £6,000 top prize and will be given the opportunity to perform a concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, along with recital engagements throughout the UK.

The second prize of £4,000 was awarded to American pianist Seth Schultheis, while the third prize of £3,000 went to English pianist William Bracken. Fourth prize, worth £1,000, was awarded to Bulgarian pianist Roberto Rumenov.

In addition, four semi-finalists—Julian Chan, Alex Wun, Xizong Chen, and Dida Condria—each received £250 prizes, sponsored by Waldrons Solicitors.

The competition’s jury was chaired by Daniel Browell and included distinguished musicians Marie-Louise Taylor, Lucy Parham, Gordon Fergus-Thompson, Nicola Eimer, Robert Markham, Graham Lloyd, and Allan Schiller.

“Throughout the competition we heard some excellent playing,” the organizers shared. “We thank all those who applied or participated but were not selected for the final, and we wish you every success in your future careers.”

The 17th International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna has concluded with American pianist Derek Hartman securing first prize. Hosted at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the prestigious event culminated in the Grand Final held at the iconic Golden Hall of the Musikverein.

Hartman, who emerged as the top laureate, received a €30,000 cash prize and a Bösendorfer Grand Piano Model 214 VC.

The second prize, totaling €12,000, was jointly awarded to pianists Martin Nöbauer and Jonas Stark for their exceptional performances.

The 2025 competition jury was chaired by Jan Jiracek von Arnim and included esteemed pianists and educators HieYon Choi, Ingrid Fliter, Sofya Gulyak, Robert Levin, Hélène Mercier, Ronan O’Hora, Antti Siirala, and Jasminka Stančul.

“We warmly congratulate Derek Hartman on winning the title,” the organizers stated. “Martin Nöbauer and Jonas Stark also delivered outstanding performances and share second place in the competition.”

The organizers extended gratitude to their partners and sponsors, including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conductor Petr Popelka, the Musikverein Vienna, and the audience, all of whom contributed to the event’s success. They also announced the next edition of the competition will be held in 2029.

Hartman, a former student of Boris Slutsky and James Giles, is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Yale School of Music. His accolades include First Prize in the Professional Concert Artist category of the Chicago International Music Competition and Third Prize at the Washington International Piano Competition. He also serves as a Lecturer of Piano at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music.

Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem stunned passers-by at London’s St Pancras International Station on Wednesday with an unexpected piano performance that brought joy and nostalgia to the busy terminal.

Goodrem, 40, sat down at the public piano — donated to the station by legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber in late 2024 — to mark the 20th anniversary of her second album Mistaken Identity. The surprise appearance featured several tracks from the album, which holds deep personal meaning as it marked her return to music after a courageous fight with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 18.

Delivering powerful renditions of fan favourites such as Wings, Predictable, and Hearts on the Run, Goodrem’s emotive voice filled the station, drawing smiles from amazed travellers and creating a memorable atmosphere within the station’s grand concourse.

“This is the most magical place,” she told the gathering crowd between songs. “Every piano tells a story—and this one’s seen some legends. I’m honoured to share a few songs with you while I’m here in the UK.”

St Pancras International has a storied tradition of musical moments. Since Sir Elton John donated a Yamaha piano to the station in 2016, the venue has welcomed surprise performances by world-renowned artists including Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Jeff Goldblum, John Legend, and Sir Rod Stewart. Goodrem’s impromptu concert now joins that legacy.

Peter Martin-Jones, Head of Marketing at London St. Pancras Highspeed, praised Goodrem’s visit.
“We’re thrilled to have welcomed Delta Goodrem to St. Pancras International for this special performance,” he said.
“Our public pianos have become a stage for extraordinary talent and unforgettable moments, and Delta’s visit was no exception. It’s moments like these that make St. Pancras a unique cultural hub for London, bringing music and joy to all who pass through.”

The Australian pop star looked effortlessly stylish in a black leather jacket and pants paired with white heels. Observant fans may have also noticed her sparkling diamond engagement ring from guitarist Matthew Copley, to whom she became engaged in 2023. Notably, she wasn’t seen wearing the diamond band she sported during her recent sold-out Hackney Empire shows, a detail that had previously fueled speculation about a possible secret wedding.

Goodrem’s surprise performance served as a heartfelt nod to her journey, artistry, and enduring connection with fans — reminding all who witnessed it of the power of music to uplift and inspire, even in the most unexpected of places.

Billy Duffy, guitarist for The Cult, recently shared insights into the making of the band’s iconic 1985 album Love, including his challenges with achieving the right guitar tone and the use of an unconventional amplifier during recording sessions.

The Cult, now a well-established name in rock, were among many bands vying for mainstream success in the mid-1980s. After their debut album Dreamtime, which saw modest success, the group aimed for a broader breakthrough. That moment arrived with the release of Love in 1985, propelled by standout singles like “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Rain.”

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Duffy discussed the gear he used while crafting the sound of Love. While standard equipment from that era, such as Marshall and Roland JC-120 amps, was part of the setup, Duffy noted one unusual addition to the mix.

“There would have been a Marshall, and there would have been a Roland JC-120, so that would have been my go-to setup,” Duffy explained. “But Ian also had this odd Yamaha that was a copy of a Fender Twin that I’ve never seen since. It had, like, red dials.”

Although Duffy didn’t specify the exact model, it’s believed he might have been referring to a Yamaha G100 or G50 from the 1980s. The “red dials” he mentioned could indicate the Mk3 version, which featured distinctive red knobs for presence and reverb. Interestingly, this Mk3 model is thought to have been released in 1986, after Love was recorded in 1985. Regardless, this series of solid-state amps is often considered an underrated gem, and its inclusion added an unusual flavor to The Cult’s sound.

Duffy also opened up about his personal struggles with getting a satisfying guitar tone during the album’s production. It wasn’t until producer Steve Brown got involved that things started to click. Together, they developed a layered sound that would define the album.

“But honestly, I remember not ever feeling comfortable with the tone until I blended all the amps together with various mics and distances,” Duffy recalled. “And Steve Brown was pretty mental — he’d basically go for anything. I think we might have taken everything we had and just blended them. It was basically like a wall of about four amps.”

Thanks to this experimental approach, Love achieved a unique sonic texture that helped elevate The Cult to a new level in their career. The blend of traditional gear with lesser-known equipment like the Yamaha amp, combined with Steve Brown’s fearless production style, contributed to the album’s enduring legacy.

Mike Portnoy, drummer and co-founder of Dream Theater, recently reflected on how he and his bandmates were once considered outliers at Berklee College of Music due to their passion for progressive metal. Ironically, today’s Berklee students are now flocking to the prestigious music school largely inspired by the same genre and band that was once seen as unconventional.

Progressive metal wasn’t even a defined genre back in the mid-1980s when Portnoy, guitarist John Petrucci, and bassist John Myung first met and began jamming at Berklee. The trio bonded over a shared admiration for bands like Rush—a taste that, at the time, was often considered nerdy and far outside the jazz- and classical-dominated culture of Berklee.

In a recent interview with Tom Power on CBC’s Q, Portnoy discussed this cultural shift and the band’s early beginnings, as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar.

“We started writing original music right out of the gate at Berklee when we formed in ’85. We would spend half the time doing covers. You know, we’d do Rush covers, or Iron Maiden, or whatever we were listening to at that time.”

When asked whether he and his bandmates felt like misfits at Berklee, Portnoy responded candidly:

“Big time. There were jazz guys, and you’d go down the hallway, and you’d hear everybody doing Miles Davis covers, or Chick Corea stuff, or jazz standards, swing stuff. And then, you go past our room, and we’re playing like ‘La Villa Strangiato’, ‘Xanadu’, and doing all these Rush covers.”

He added:

“We were definitely the outcasts at that time. And now, you go to Berklee, and it’s all Dream Theater kids. They’re all playing Dream Theater songs. They’re all into this prog metal world that has evolved over the last couple of decades.”

Even while immersed in a jazz-heavy environment, Portnoy, Petrucci, and Myung pushed forward with their own style. They didn’t just play covers—they immediately began crafting original material, which eventually led to their first demo.

“At Berklee, the three of us started writing material that turned into our first demo in 1986, the Majesty demo.”

Dream Theater’s evolution continued rapidly from there. Just a few years later, they secured their first record deal and found their longtime vocalist.

“A few years later, we got our first record deal and eventually found our singer, who was from up here in Toronto, James Labrie. We were sent an audition tape from him. He was Kevin Labrie at the time.”

Portnoy’s reflections underscore how Dream Theater helped redefine what was once considered fringe or niche into something that today’s aspiring musicians admire and emulate. The genre they helped pioneer—once misunderstood at institutions like Berklee—has become a respected and influential force in modern music education.

The rock music world is mourning the loss of Rick Derringer, the celebrated guitarist and songwriter best known for the 1970s anthem Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo. Derringer passed away on Monday in Ormond Beach, Florida, at the age of 77.

The news of his death was confirmed by his longtime friend and caretaker, Tony Wilson, who posted a heartfelt tribute on Facebook. “Derringer’s legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent. His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones,” Wilson wrote.

While the official cause of death has not been publicly disclosed, it is known that Derringer had been dealing with health issues in recent months. According to updates shared on the official page he managed with his wife, he had recently undergone ankle bypass surgery.

Born Richard Dean Zehringer in 1947, Rick Derringer’s musical journey spanned more than six decades and left a significant mark across multiple genres. He first gained national attention as a teenager in the 1960s with The McCoys, whose hit Hang on Sloopy reached No. 1 on the charts in 1965.

His career further soared as he collaborated closely with brothers Johnny and Edgar Winter, contributing to classic hits like Frankenstein and Free Ride. Derringer’s guitar skills and production talents also led him to work with an eclectic mix of artists, from Barbra Streisand to Steely Dan.

One of Derringer’s notable partnerships was with parody artist “Weird Al” Yankovic. “I’m very sad to say that my friend, rock guitar legend Rick Derringer, has passed,” Yankovic shared on Instagram. “Rick produced my first six albums and played guitar on my earliest recordings, including the solo on Eat It. He had an enormous impact on my life, and will be missed greatly.”

Derringer also left his mark on pop culture in unexpected ways, including crafting the patriotic wrestling anthem Real American—a theme famously associated with Hulk Hogan.

Rick Derringer’s contributions to rock and American music culture are enduring. His energetic guitar style, innovative production, and collaborative spirit resonated across generations. His death is a profound loss to the music community and his legacy will continue to influence artists and fans around the world.