Artist Insights

There's no place for a long face in music. Acclaimed Belgian trumpet player Jeroen Berwaerts recalls the memorable concerts from an extraordinary career, provides unique insights into his practice routines and explains why you've always got to keep smiling.Why the last two bars are always so scary. Describing the trumpet as an extension of his voice, acclaimed Belgian trumpet player Jereoen Berwaerts recalls the memorable concerts from an extraordinary career, provides unique insights into his practice routines and confesses that he always gets nervous at the very end. Believing there's no place for a long face in music, Jereoen discusses the importance of self-belief, doing everything in a musical way and how he always tries to channel all the great mentors he's had in his own teaching. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first-ever winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year, Clarinet virtuoso Michael Collins looks back on his multifaceted career as a soloist, conductor and professor, and forward to a time when the classical music business might become more equal.Clarinet virtuoso Michael Collins looks back on his multifaceted career as a soloist, conductor and professor, and forward to a time when the classical music business might become more equal. With a love of classical music ignited by a Ladybird Book of Mozart, it's a rollercoaster ride that takes in winning the first ever BBC Young Musician of the Year award, stepping on stage at Carnegie Hall aged 22, telling the Queen that she couldn't try his clarinet, playing a Messiaen clarinet Concerto with the great man in the front row. Why German audiences wait before applauding and how playing chamber music is like a good game of tennis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Widely acknowledged as the leading baritone horn player of her generation, Katrina Marzella talks about her musical influences, growing up in an Italian-Hebridean household and being a woman in the male-dominated world of brass bands. And why playing at Sydney Opera House is no different to playing in Falkirk Town Hall.What it is that makes lawyers such great musicians. Widely acknowledged as the leading baritone horn player of her generation, Katrina Marzella talks about her musical influences growing up in an Italian-Hebridean household, being a woman in the male-dominated word of brass bands and why playing at Sydney Opera House is really no different to playing in Falkirk Town Hall. With so few recordings available for inspiration when she started out, Katrina explains her commitment to expanding Baritone Horn repertoire, why she thinks young players should take the opportunity to travel and study abroad, and why family support means everything. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holder of the world records for playing the highest and coldest concerts, Norwegian saxophonist and extreme athlete Håkon Erlandsen discusses his life in music. And what it's like to hike 6 hours in the snow to a gig carrying your instrument, PA and a generator.What it's like to hike 6 hours in the snow to a gig carrying your instrument, PA and a generator and what happens when you put a saxophone in a deep freezer for 24 hours. Norwegian jazz saxophonist and extreme endurance athlete Håkon Erlandsen describes how combining the great passions in his life have led him on a unique voyage of musical and personal discovery. The holder of records for the world's highest and coldest concerts and now attempting the 7 summits while composing music along the way, Håkon draws inspiration from nature and the people he meets, believing physical and musical training to be perfect partners, and music to be the one and only true international language. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's played with Michael Bublé, Robbie Williams and Seal, and his big band has 15M views on YouTube. Pioneering young trumpet player and producer Louis Dowdeswell discusses his journey in music.The challenge of achieving consistency, the importance of getting the trumpet section on your side and how sometimes you can learn the most when you're eating a taco. Pioneering young trumpet player and producer Louis Dowdeswell discusses a musical journey that has taken him from watching his mother's band in Bristol to more than 15M YouTube views for his own big band. Louis picks out his most memorable performances from an extraordinary list of gigs that includes some of the world's leading artists and orchestras. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first British winner of Amateur Live Night at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, singer, songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson discusses her earliest musical memories, the importance of personal development, and meeting Maya Angelou.What Maya Angelou told a young singer, songwriter and cellist that so inspired her. London-born Ayanna Witter-Johnson, the first British winner of Amateur Live Night at the legendary Apollo theatre in Harlem, discusses her earliest musical memories, the importance of personal development, what she learnt from her actor father about performing and her passion for helping other women in music. It's a journey that's as much spiritual as musical, putting fear and self-doubt to one side in order to truly connect with the audience and tell the story in the very best way she can. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our debut Artists Insight podcast is about the remarkable and life-enhancing journeys that music can take us on, and not just the exceptional and talented musicians featured here. Their stories will resonate with anyone who's ever picked up an instrument and, we hope, inspire you to continue your musical journey and tell your own stories. This first season we've caught up with brass, woodwind and strings artists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.