CLASSICAL MUSIC / Upbeat: All keyed up

THE recession-defying boom in music magazine launches is set to continue in a fortnight's time with the arrival of Classical Piano. Devised by Rhinegold, the publishers of the well-established fortnightly Classical Music, it will make its first appearance as an inclusion in CM's 24 April issue, and its second six weeks later. Independent life will begin later in the year.

Rhinegold has a history of spotting gaps in the market, and if this launch manages to do for keyboards what, say, The Strad has done for strings then its prospects must be good. The firm is planning up to three more magazines, including one about voices which is likely to appear in similar form at the end of May. It will be called The Singer - nothing to do with sewing machines, says the editor of CM, Keith Clarke, who is overseeing the projects.