Contributors have received an email today from the Mark Allen Group, informing them that the Spring issue of Classical Music magazine is to be the last.
The magazine was sold to Mark Allen by Rhinegold Publishing in December 2018, together with other titles such as Music Teacher, Choir & Organ and International Piano. It had been flourishing since the late 1970s but was facing declining interest and online competition. It went digital-only in November 2020 but losses continued to mount and the owners eventually lost patience. It is unclear if the website will be maintained in more than just the short term.
The Mark Allen Group continues to publish Gramophone and Opera Now magazines.
As one of the early contributors when Classical Music magazine appeared fortnightly, I much regret its passing. The terrific editorial team included Richard Morrison (long since at The Times) and the late John McMurray and Robert Maycock, rest their souls.
