Few musicians have left a mark as indelible as Jacqueline du Pré. In this TWoA listening feature, Christina Ezrahi revisits du Pré’s iconic interpretation of Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Instinctive, emotionally raw, and deeply human, the performance captures the essence of an artist whose playing continues to move listeners decades on.

Can music respond to violence when words fall short? In this TWoA essay, Christina Ezrahi reflects on The Sad Park, a haunting work by Michael Gordon composed in response to 9/11. Built from children’s recorded voices and performed by the Kronos Quartet, the piece transforms memory, innocence, and grief into sound—asking how art can bear witness to trauma without explanation or spectacle.

One of the most moving works in the cello repertoire nearly vanished under Nazi rule. In this TWoA essay, Christina Ezrahi traces the extraordinary history of Max Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, a composition rooted in Jewish liturgy that was later banned by the Nazis who falsely believed its composer to be Jewish. A reflection on music, memory, and survival in the shadow of persecution.

In moments of loss, music can become an act of remembrance and resistance. Editor Christina Ezrahi turns to the songs of Queen Liliʻuokalani, Hawaii’s last sovereign ruler, whose compositions preserved language, identity, and hope in the face of colonisation and exile. Written in freedom and in imprisonment, her music continues to resonate as a testament to cultural resilience and dignity.

A century after her birth, Maria Callas still defines the word “diva.” A TWoA portrait of the voice, discipline, and vulnerability behind opera’s most enduring legend. Beyond the jewels and scandals, this is the story of an artist who changed how opera feels, sounds, and is remembered.

On the 175th anniversary of his birth, we celebrate Sergei Rachmaninov, one of classical music’s greatest pianists and late-Romantic composers. From early brilliance and personal tragedy to exile and timeless melodies, his life shaped some of the most emotionally powerful music ever written.

When Naatu Naatu from RRR won the Oscar, it marked a first for Indian cinema. TWoA explores the song’s cultural power, political echoes, and global appeal.

From Star Wars to Schindler’s List, John Williams has shaped how cinema sounds and feels. This TWoA article reveals how just two notes, operatic thinking, and emotional restraint turned his scores into modern classics.

What does biodiversity loss sound like? By altering Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture note by note, a composer and an economist turn climate data into music—revealing how the silencing of nature can finally be heard.