From Handel to Korngold, we look at the works that document the Exodus, the Passover Seder and other Jewish traditions at this time of year. Here our the Top five Passover works of classical music.

With the midnight tax deadline approaching, here's a salute to the heroes and heroines of the stage who dealt with a fate more aggravating than death.

Eric Whitacre, creator of the world's biggest virtual choirs, which have received more than a million hits on YouTube, shares his top five works to have inspired him over the years.

The quartet has been compared to a marriage. Like matrimony, infighting, clashing personalities and disparate ambitions are just a few causes for strife, break-ups, but also beautiful music. Here are our top five quarreling string quartets.

We’ve made it through the Ides of March in one piece, but now comes the true test: April Fools Day. In honor of this annual excuse for practical jokes, we’re looking at the best musical wisecrackers out there.

Spring officially sprung on March 20 with the vernal equinox, and count us among those excited. In order to summon the warmer weather, here are our top five works to greet the new season:

For a country with a robust musical heritage, Ireland is underrepresented in the classical music canon. So in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here are our Top five non-musical Irish influences on classical music.

British violinist Daniel Hope has performed with the world's major orchestras and conductors, but these days he's got his mind on Joseph Joachim, the violinist he calls "perhaps the greatest of the 19th century." Here are Hope's Top Five violin pieces.

Whether opera in a Lower East Side dive, chant in a Belgian beer bar, impromptu chamber performances in Chelsea Market, here are our Top Five surprise corners to listen to classical tunes.

It takes a certain skill to compose a great film score. It takes an even more precise one to compose a great score that can be appreciated in a concert hall. Here are the top five scores that hold up on their own.

It’s unfortunate to think that Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays were conflated into one Presidents’ Day, but on the other hand, it does give an excuse to celebrate all America’s leaders. Here are the top five works about the President.

Finding that Valentine’s Day performance that truly delivers a romantic evening without being banal or even worse, a rip-off, can be tough. To help out, we offer five Valentine’s Day performances that don’t compromise quality.

In recognition of Black History Month, we’re looking at individuals who helped break down racial barriers on stages, orchestra pits and podiums. Here are the top five black artists who broke barriers.

Brooklyn has long held a spot in the independent music firmament. Increasingly, symphonies, operas and experimental venues are growing alongside the indie rock scene. Here are our top five storylines we are following in Brooklyn:

As we celebrate the current class of the keyboard world this month with our series Powerhouse Pianists, here are five up-and-coming prodigies -- and recent prodigies -- who could be selling out concert halls in the years to come.

This may be the year of the rabbit, but it also seems to be a great year for contemporary music. Here are the top five new music events sure to generate some heat these winter months.

As 2011 gears up, another group of birthdays and anniversaries are receiving their due on stages, with one composer hanging around for a second straight year.

Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean the music has to stop. Here are our top five ways to get your music fix on Dec. 25, from the spiritual to the irreverent.

Tired of standard Christmas fare? Fortunately, there is a discography of lesser known Christmas-themed works to shake up the seasonal soundtrack. Here are our top five.