Classical Guitar Insider

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Candid conversations with the musicians, journalists, and luthiers who are the fabric of the classical guitar universe.

Bret Williams


    • May 7, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 11m AVG DURATION
    • 176 EPISODES

    4.7 from 51 ratings Listeners of Classical Guitar Insider that love the show mention: guitarist, brett, interviews, guy, personal, world, like, lot, guests, great, work, love, listen, classical guitar.


    Ivy Insights

    The Classical Guitar Insider podcast, hosted by Bret Williams, is a must-listen for classical guitar enthusiasts and music lovers alike. With his funny, engaging, and insightful interviewing style, Bret establishes an amazing rapport with his guests. His blend of humor, insight, and spontaneity make for an incredibly lively, entertaining, and informative show. The podcast offers deep insight into the classical guitar world through interviews with some of the biggest names in the business.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is Bret's ability to bring out the personal side of his guests. He goes beyond just discussing their musical careers and delves into their personal stories and journeys in the classical guitar world. This adds a personal flavor to these guitar characters whose voices are rarely heard. Bret's candid discussions about his own struggles and successes also add depth to each episode.

    Another great aspect of this podcast is Bret's ability to create a relaxed and unstructured interview environment. This allows for natural conversations that cover a range of topics from classical guitar technique to musical history and everything in between. The interviews with not only classical guitarists but also audio engineers, composers, and luthiers add variety to the content.

    However, one potential downside is that Bret sometimes spends too much time on intros where he talks about his personal life or struggles before getting into the interview. While some listeners may find this entertaining or relatable, others may prefer a faster-paced introduction.

    In conclusion, The Classical Guitar Insider podcast is a fascinating and entertaining listen for anyone interested in classical guitar or music in general. Bret's interviewing skills and ability to bring out personal stories from his guests make each episode enjoyable and enriching. Despite its occasional lengthy intros, this podcast provides deep insight into the classical guitar world and offers inspiration to musicians at all levels of expertise.



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    Latest episodes from Classical Guitar Insider

    Episode 174 Gerard Cousins

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 58:59


    Welsh composer and guitarist Gerard Cousins comes on to talk baout Glass, minimalism, and his own work. 

    Episode 173 Derek Gripper

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 54:09


    South African guitarist Darek Gripper comes on to the show to talk about Kora music and new approaches to Bach. 

    south africans bach derek gripper
    Episode 172 Nicoletta Todesco and Thomas Flippin (Live at New York Classical Guitar Society)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 53:41


    Nicoletta Todesco and Thomas Flippin (Live at New York Classical Guitar Society) join us for this year's holiday show. 

    Episode 171 ChromaDuo

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 53:00


    Tracy Anne Smith and Rob MacDonald are one of the biggest commisioners of music for duo guitars in North America. ChromaDuo takes time to join us on Classical Guitar Insider. 

    north america rob macdonald
    Episode 170 Sharon Isbin

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 51:17


    Grammy Award Winning Guitarist and founder of the Juilliard Guitar Department, Sharon Isbin comes on Classical Guitar Insider.

    Episode 169 Kenny Hill

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 61:21


    Luthier and guitarist and composer and just about everything in the guitar world you can do, Kenny Hill comes on the show.  

    Episode 168 Jouyan Tarzaban

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 67:18


    Jouyan Tarzaban from Siccas comes on to talk about what he looks for in a guitar's sound.

    Episode 167 Eden Stell Guitar Duo

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 61:31


    Eden Stell Guitar Duo come on to talk about thier prolific past, their recent transcriptions of Scarlatti, and their upcoming releases. 

    Episode 166 Taiwo Adegoke

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 46:13


    Nigerian guitarist and composer Taiwo Adegoke talks about starting the first classical guitar society in West Africa and infusing local harmonies and rhythms into new compositions and arrangements.  

    Episode 165 Alex de Grassi

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 73:08


    I talk to composer and guitarist Alex de Grassi about his genre bending approach to making art. 

    Episode 164 The Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2023 62:51


    Matt Kaplan and Josh Paul come on to talk about the formation of a new guitar society. 

    Episode 163 Jayson Kerr Dobney

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023 68:04


    The Metropolitain Museum of Art oragnaologist and curator shares details about one of the world's most valuable collection of music instruments. Come see them when you're in town for the GFA!  

    Episode 162 An Tran

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2023 52:16


    An Tran joins us to talk about his album, a collection of solo compositions from Vietnam. 

    Episode 161 Hilary Field

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 67:52


    Hilary Field comes on form Seattle to talk about her exciting projects and incredbile career. 

    Episode 160 Nicholas Goluses

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2023 67:59


    Head of the Eastman School Music and Naxos recording artist Nicholas Goluses joins us to talk about teahcing, the early days of the Manhattan School Of Music's gutiar department, Segovia and more. 

    head segovia naxos manhattan school of music
    Episode 159 Matthew Cochran

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2023 77:53


    An amazing guitarist, composer and guy talks about career changes, taking chances and working hard.  

    matthew cochran
    Episode 158 Liona Boyd

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2022 58:23


    I have legendary guitarist Liona Boyd on the show to talk about her long and varied career. 

    liona boyd
    Episode 157 Andrew York

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2022 82:30


    THE composer shares his thoughts on Einstein, jazz, compostion and more. It's Andrew York!

    Episode 156 Fred Hand

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2022 81:21


    I have Fred on for the second time because, he's my main guy. 

    Episode 155 Joe Williams

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2022 55:22


    ACGS Artistic Director and Composer in Residence Joe Williams comes on to talk about his setting of guitar music to Alfred Hitchcock's silent film The Lodger. 

    Episode 154 Hannah Murphy

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2022 73:27


    Hannah Murphy joins us for a chat about saving dogs, the lord of the rings and guitar. and instagram. and her first album, A Dream in the Forest!

    Episode 153 Miloš Karadaglić

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 55:49


    Recording Artist and International Guitarist Miloš Karadaglić joins us. 

    Episode 152 Ana Vidović

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2022 41:26


    Ana Vidović took time out of her schedule to talk to me! 

    Episode 151: David Scott McLean

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2022 48:58


    David Scott McLean is an amazing flamenco guitarist and takes time to speak with us about teaching, performance, and tradition. 

    Episode 150 Paul Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2021 73:44


    I spend some time with an old college buddy who's doing fantastic things in Philadelphia for undeserved communities and celebrating the release of a new album. 

    Episode 149 Stephen Mattingly

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2021 68:43


    Guitarist Stephen Mattingly drops by to talk about guitar and Kentucky stuff!

    Episode 148 Tony Morris

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2021 63:55


    Classical Guitar Alive hosts Tony Morris Talks about outreach, organization and radio on this long lost episode. 

    Episode 147 Louis Trépanier

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2021 61:01


    Louis Trépanier of the Canadian Guitar Quartet joins us!

    Episode 146 Adam Levin

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2021 65:25


    Adam Levin releases a new album featuring contemporary Spanish compositions and has a child. 

    Episode 145 Alexandra Whittingham

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2021 61:05


    English Guitarist Alexandra Whittingham comes on to discuss recording her latest album and American hockey half time promotional giveaways. 

    Episode 144 Dale Kavanagh

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2021 50:22


    Canadian guitarist and composer Dale Kavanagh Joins us to talk about her long, productive career and the new album coming out this month. 

    Episode 143 Johannes Möller

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2021 83:07


    GFA winner and founder of Sueño guitars, Johannes Möller visits. 

    Episode 142 Steve Cowan

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2021 55:35


    McGill University Professor and award winning guitarist Steve Cowan joins us on the show. 

    Episode 141 Ciyadh Wells

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2021 60:28


    Guitarist, Activist, and Arts Administrator Ciyadh Wells joins us for a discussion about all of the above. Please consider supporting the show: https://bretwilliamsmusic.com/support/ 

    Episode 140 Kim Perlak

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2021 80:51


    I sit down over zoom with my old friend and now head of the Berklee College of Music guitar department. 

    Episode 139 Brian Torosian

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 54:12


    A great guy who plays music form the 19th century on period instruments comes on the show, Brian Torosian is our episode 139. 

    Spisode 138 The Olson/De Cari Duo

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2020 60:31


    I zoom with Gioia De Cari (soprano) and John Olson (guitar) about their Dec. 12 video release party. www.olsondecariduo.com  for more info. Don't forget to contribute to the show: www.bretwilliamsmusic.com/support. 

    Episode 137 David Collett and JohnPaul Trotter

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2020 64:15


    David and JohnPaul come on to discuss their unique approach to the sale of fine instruments. 

    Episode 137 David Collett and JohnPaul Trotter

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2020 64:15


    From Guitar Salon International, David Collett and JohnPaul Trotter join us for a discussion about the guitars we love to play. 

    Episode 36 Matthew Hinsley

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 96:01


    One of the most prolific leaders in the world of arts organization comes on to share what he's learned. 

    Episode 135 Bradford Werner

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2020 75:33


    The Founder and host of ThisIsClassicalGuitar.com joins me for a convo about alternative career paths within the guitar world. 

    Episode 134 Laura Mazon

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2020 61:01


    A conversation with emerging Cuba born, Miami based guitarist Laura Mazon. 

    Episode 133 Sean Shibe

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2020 66:59


    I have Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe join us via Zoom from Scotland. Be sure too check out Sean's work at https://seanshibe.com and my new album at https://bretwilliams.hearnow.com 

    Episode 132 Ahmed Dickinson Cardenas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2020 52:43


    From Havana to London to New York (virtually), it's guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cardenas! 

    Episode 131 Jason Vieaux

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2020 63:54


    The Grammy Winner talks!

    Episode 130 Matthew McAllister

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2020 83:31


    Matthew McAllister joins us to talk about education, Scarlatti, and Ice Cream Truck Drug Dealers. 

    Episode 129 Uros Baric

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2020 79:51


    An amazing guitarist, recording engineer and all around good guy, Uros Baric joins us on the first ever remote episode of CGI.

    Episode 128 Linus Wyrsch

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2020 78:47


    Oh man do I love this guy. My grammy award winning buddy, Clarinetist Linus comes on the show. He’s tall and he wins things and is still super nice! 

    Episode 127 Mateusz Kowalski

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2020 59:25


    Mateusz is a great guy with a wonderful debut album and we have one of my favorite conversations. I think it was the Dunkin Doughnuts Coffee, a new supporter of the show. Just kidding, their coffee tastes like the outside of a coke can and they are not sponsoring us, but nkoda.com and savageclassical.com are. 

    Episode 126 Randy Napoleon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2020 39:54


    Jazzzzzz guitarist Randy Napoleon is coming from the University of Michigan to talk with us about the Detroit scene, touring in his forties, and New York. And a little about his kids, but not annoyingly so.  

    Episode 125 Irina Kulikova

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2019 60:47


    From Russia! Irina Kulikova visits Brooklyn for a quick sit down on her tour. 

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