Klaus Nomi was one of the most bizarre artists in the notably strange New York underground scene in the 1970s. He moved from Germany to New York in 1972, and began singing professionally after a performance in which he sang opera and disappeared in a burst of light and smoke. Nomi's style mixed po
Sergei, or Serge, Diaghilev is a dance history icon, having founded the Ballets Russes in 1909 with the intention of bringing ballet to the general public instead of just the aristocracy. He was a pioneer, creating modern ballets with uncoventional musical scores. With the Ballets Russes, Diaghilev
Carl Orff was an extremely private person, insisting that his work is the only important thing. When the editor for a lexicon on modern opera asked Orff to provide some bibliographical information, Orff replied: “Carl Orff, born in Munich, still living there.” His eight volume autobiography revea
There are very few composers that are lucky enough to have their work described using the adjectives ‘luxurious’, ‘mysterious’, and ‘exuberant’, yet Kaija Saariaho’s work more than amply fulfils this objective. She is one of the best-known living composers working in the field of both