I’m proud to welcome you to OV Opinion, a new digital magazine of classical music journalism published by Olsen Verlag.
OV Opinion aims to publish outstanding new writing on classical music, appealing to as wide an audience as possible. Classical music can often seem like an arcane and impenetrable subject to the ‘uninitiated’, so we hope that our no-nonsense approach will speak to you whether you’re a young musician, an adult learner, a professional, an academic, or just a music enthusiast.
Our team of writers comes from a broad range of musical backgrounds and includes professional musicians, music students and postgraduate musicologists. However, they are united by their commitment to discussing fresh ideas about music, engaging critically with scholarly debate, interrogating received wisdoms, and shedding a light on the ins and outs of the music industry. Often speaking from their personal experiences and research interests, they provide a new perspective on the classical music world as it stands today.
At OV Opinion, no topic is considered too big nor too small for our attention, as our first set of articles shows, ranging from a discussion of the ‘two lives of Haydn’s Kaiserlied’ to a cautionary note against buying into ‘YouTube child genius bullshit’. We seek to combine the best of ‘serious’ academic enquiry, fearless journalism, plenty of plain speaking, and a pinch of humour.
Our journalism is free for all to read: we have no paywall, no fees, no adverts. This is because Olsen Verlag believes in classical music for everyone, and we want OV Opinion to be a peaceful space where we can all learn about classical music and reflect on its role in our hectic modern world.
We hope you enjoy our first articles, and would love to hear what you think.
Emily Jones