The Chinese conductor – music director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of Beijing Music Festival – on his musical inspirations, from Beethoven to Benjamin, and Karajan to Qigang Chen

The South Korean pianist - youngest ever winner of the Leeds – on his inspirations, from Abbado to Unsuk Chin, and Bach to Burgundy

The violinist on Schubert, Schumann and Schoenberg, and the poetry and charm of Duke Ellington

Dowland, Dove, and Dolly – the countertenor shares his musical loves

The young pianist and medallist in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition on Bach, Brahms and Ligeti, and letting her hair down to Queen

The young violinist on her musical inspirations – Busoni, soprano Anita Rachvelishvili, solo Bach under the fake stars and Rossini under the real ones

Rossini, Mozart, Strauss, Celine Dion, Streisand and Sinatra - the Irish mezzo embraces it all, alongside a soft spot for power ballads

From a teenage obsession with Wagner to the inspirational Giulini and the daily necessity of Bach, the conductor shares his musical passions

From Bach to Bacharach, and Björk and George Benjamin, the composer tells us about the music and musicians that inspire her

The Lebanese-Canadian soprano - currently winning rave reviews for her Violetta at the Royal Opera House - loves the Bee Gees, Maria Callas and Massenet

The pianist talks about striving for excellence in performance, playing in a barn to sparrows and why music education in schools is so important

The British baritone discusses the musicians who inspire him, entering a talent show as part of a boy band – and serenading commuters on the Paris Métro

From Schubert to Mahler, and Kurtág to the Dead Kennedys, the Greek-Russian conductor reveals his musical inspirations

From waking up to Mozart’s Requiem to braving blizzards and blackouts to perform, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields music director tells us about his musical life

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau was a life-changer, he’s sung Wagner on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, and last danced to Tom Chaplin. The Canadian bass-baritone tells us about his musical life on and off the opera stage

Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Abba, Glass and the Legend of Zelda – the conductor tells us about the music and musicians who inspire him

From sampling, Jordi Savall and Stravinsky, to the wonders of Muse and Vivaldi, the bassoonist on the music that inspires him

From Barenboim, Bellini and Bernstein to flamenco dancing and yodelling - the mezzo shares her musical passions