Off The Podium

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Guests: Anna S. Demerjian and Artyom Manukyan In this episode we talk about Zartonk Academy with Anna and Artyom. Anna is the Development Director of Zartonk Academy and Artyom is a cellist, composer, and rapper who will be teaching at the academy. This year, the Academy will be based in Artsakh with renowned artists and educators. Learn about Zartonk Academy and Donate here: https://www.atkenarmenianfoundation.c... © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2022

Joseph Bohigian is a composer and performer whose cross-cultural experience as an Armenian-American is a defining message in his music. His work explores the expression of exile, cultural reunification, and identity maintenance in diaspora. His music, described as “delightfully accessible and inventive” (SoundWordSight), has been heard around the world at the Oregon Bach Festival, June in Buffalo, Walt Disney Concert Hall, New Music on the Point Festival, TENOR Conference (Melbourne), and Aram Khachaturian Museum Hall. His recent piece Khazeri Yerazhshtutyun focuses on the gesturality of the ancient Armenian musical script called khaz and was written for the Festival Mixtur Composition and Sound Experimentation Workshop in Barcelona. He has also worked with performers including Mivos Quartet, Decibel New Music, Great Noise Ensemble, Argus Quartet, Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy, and members of Yarn/Wire. Currently, Bohigian is composing a work on the resettlement of Syrian-Armenians in the Republic of Armenia in collaboration with the Rerooted Archive. In addition to composing, Bohigian performs as a percussionist, pianist, and laptop musician. He has premiered many new works and curated concerts of contemporary music for the Composer’s Voice Concert Series in New York, for which he was called a “triple-threat” by Time Out New York for his role as curator, composer, and performer. He founded the Fresno State New Music Ensemble and is a member of Ensemble Decipher, a group dedicated to the performance of live electronic music, with whom he has recently performed at the International Computer Music Conference, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Society of Electro-Acoustic Music Conference, and Network Music Festival. Having grown up in the large Armenian community of Fresno, California, the themes of displacement, dispersion, and reclamation in Armenian culture are important influences on his work. In 2012, he traveled to Yerevan, Armenia where he wrote his piece Dzirani Dzar, based on the folk song of the same name, while studying with composer Artur Avanesov. In 2015, he wrote In the Shadow of Ararat, a work commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ararat was premiered alongside other works by living Armenian composers and featured on NPR’s Here and Now and The California Report. He recently spent nine months in Armenia, where he composed The Water Has Found its Crack based on his archival research at the Komitas Museum-Institute and taught a laptop orchestra workshop at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. Bohigian is a graduate of Stony Brook University, where he held a Graduate Council Fellowship, and California State University Fresno. He has studied with Nirmali Fenn, Matthew Barnson, Margaret Schedel, Perry Goldstein, Dan Weymouth, Kenneth Froelich, and Benjamin Boone.

Ep. 143: Eugenia Forteza, opera singer and founder of 360 of Opera. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Eugenia Forteza joins the podcast for a second time during the pandemic (recorded on Dec. 21, 2020). In this podcast we talk about Eugenia's busy schedule during the pandemic, what various arts organizations have done during this time, getting married and much more. Eugenia is the founder of 360 of Opera which has a tremendous following in the opera world and beyond. Eugenia currently resides in NYC, where she freelances as a vocalist, actor and model. She is the Founder and Lead Editor of 360° of Opera and serves as a Board Member ​of Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra & Frisson Films.

Ep. 142: Joe Kinzer, ethnographer, archivist, and ethnomusicologist Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. From Joe Kinzer's website: I am an ethnographer, archivist, and ethnomusicologist specializing in issues of identity and religious expression in Asian musical contexts. I am the Senior Curatorial Assistant in the Archive of World Music at Harvard’s Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, as well as an Affiliate Faculty member at Antioch University. My work focuses on musicians, audiences, and asking ethnographic questions about objects, such as musical instruments and sound recordings, and how the contrapuntality of agency between these forces works to inform cultural formation. In my book project, Arab Lutes and Global Routes in the Music of Muslim Malaysia (Routledge, forthcoming), I use the circuitous migration of Arab lutes to Southeast Asia as a lens to explore how centuries of conflicting Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic influences from India and the Middle East have transformed and continue to complicate Malay cultural politics in 21st century musical practices. I teach courses in humanities research methods using the lenses of global pop, world music, and sound studies. I have had the privelege of teaching courses at Northern Illinois University, University of Washington, and Antioch University. Some of these courses included Introduction to Music and Culture Studies, American Popular Song, and Humanities Research Methods through Music and Sound. I received a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in music from Northern Illinois University. My work has received generous support from a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, the U.S. Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) program, and the Social Sciences Research Council of Canada. I play the oud and guitar and currently perform with Boston College’s Astaza! Arab Music Ensemble. I live in Boston with my wife and daughter.  © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 141: David Korevaar, "You can access the world, it's not easy to reach the world..." Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode Korevaar talks about his studies with Earl Wild and David Diamond, recordings, teachings and much more. Hailed for his “wonderfully warm, pliant, spontaneous playing” by the Washington Post, award winning pianist David Korevaar is in demand as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborator. Korevaar has performed and given master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. Recent highlights include recitals and master classes in Taipei, and a tour of Brazil, with recitals and master classes in São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, João Pessoa, Recife and Natal. He has also concertized and given master classes in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan as part of the U.S. State Department’s Cultural Envoy program and taught at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) in Kabul. Korevaar’s active career includes solo performances with the Rochester Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Japan’s Shonan Chamber Orchestra, Brazil’s Goiania Symphony, and with acclaimed conductors Guillermo Figueroa, Per Brevig, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and Jorge Mester. His performance of John Cage’s Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Paul Zukofsky was praised by the New York Times “as admirably projected in the devoted and lovely performance of David Korevaar.” David was honored to work with Cage to prepare the concerto. © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020  

Ep. 140: Leslie Mandoki, "Music is the greatest unifier.." Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode rockstar Leslie Mandoki talks about his early years in Hungary, being a refugee in Germany and eventual rise to stardom. In 1991, Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, and Al Di Meola became founding members of Leslie Mandoki’s band project ManDoki Soulmates, and for almost three decades, Leslie Mandoki has continued to unite a “who is who” of the icons of Anglo-American and European rock and jazz- rock in the Mandoki Soulmates band. The remarkable lineups in the band’s recordings and performances over the years has included singers and players including Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, David Clayton-Thomas, Chaka Khan, Chris Thompson, Bobby Kimball and Steve Lukather, Nick van Eede, Eric Burdon, Nik Kershaw, Greg Lake, Al di Meola, Randy and Michael Brecker, Cory Henry, Bill Evans, John Helliwell, Till Brönner, Klaus Doldinger, Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Anthony Jackson, Victor Bailey, Pino Palladino, Tony Carey, Mark Hart, Paul Carrack, Peter Frampton, and Jon Lord. The Soulmates concerts are marked by the musical synergy of all these musical icons united in one supergroup of Grammy award winning legends, where everyone’s egos come second. Original Soulmates compositions and collective improvisations on highest levels are just as much part of the concerts as world-renowned hits of the individual Soulmates members. “One stage – one band!” With his Soulmates Leslie Mandoki raises Jazz-Rock back to socio-political relevance, to quote him in his own words: “Even in times of Twitter, social media and short news on the smartphone, when mental laziness often blocks the perception, music for us is still like a love letter to our audience – handwritten with ink on paper.” This band is pure sophisticated JazzRock, or as Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) put it: “One of the best bands you will ever hear!”

Ep. 139: Rose Gear, executive director and bassist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode Rose speaks about her passion for hiking, capoeira, professional career as a bassist, move to PNW to work with the Seattle Symphony and Ludovic Morlot, finding a new bass, working as a Executive Director and more. Rose Gear, an experienced music and arts administrator, business professional and musician, has been appointed full-time executive director of the Cascade Symphony Orchestra by the organization’s board of directors. Gear, who has served as executive assistant to the Seattle Symphony’s music director, Ludovic Morlot, during the past four years, will be the CSO’s administrative leader, working with board members to establish and achieve the mission and values of the orchestra. She will manage business affairs and advocacy in addition to directing community relations and fundraising for the 57-year old nonprofit music organization. She will also work with Cascade Symphony Music Director Michael Miropolsky. The current Seattle area resident “graduated with distinction,” earning a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Wisconsin. She also received an MBA – with a specialty in arts administration – from the same institution. Her background with the Seattle Symphony includes experience in marketing; patron, board member, volunteer and donor relations; and concert venue management. Prior to relocating to Western Washington, she served for a year in marketing for the Madison (Wisconsin) Symphony. © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

In this episode Jovino speaks about his long relationship with Hermeto Pascoal, background in biology, teaching, composing and performing. We also talk about Pascoal's boxing encounter with Miles Davis and much more. Three-time Latin Grammy nominee Jovino Santos Neto, a master pianist, composer and arranger, is among the top Brazilian musicians working today. Currently based in Seattle, Washington, he has throughout his career been closely affiliated with the Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal. He was an integral part of Pascoal's group from 1977 to1992, where he fine-tuned his artistry, performing around the world and co-producing several legendary records. Jovino’s personal style is a creative blend of energetic grooves, deep harmonies, telepathic improvisation, lyrical melodies and great ensemble playing, always inspired and informed by the colorful richness of Brazilian music. His compositions include samba, choro, baião, xote, forró, marcha and many more styles, rooted in centuries-old musical tradition while pointing to new and adventurous harmonic languages.

Ep. 137: Joseph Young, conductor. "Don't wait for people to open doors for you." Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode Joseph talks about his early career as a high school band conductor, studying with Marin Alsop at the the Cabrillo Festival, attending the Peabody Conservatory and working as an assistant at the Baltimore Symphony. He also speaks about New Music USA, Amplifying Voices, conducting competitions, running, yoga, working with Robert Spano, stepping in to conduct at last minute, life changing moments (one of which is becoming an uncle) and much more. Praised for his suavely adventurous programing, Joseph Young is increasingly recognized as “one of the most gifted conductors of his generation.” Joseph is Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony, Artistic Director of Ensembles for the Peabody Conservatory, and Resident Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra–USA at Carnegie Hall. In recent years, he has made appearances with the Saint Louis Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Bamberger Symphoniker, New World Symphony Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and the Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro de RTVE (Madrid); among others in the U.S. and Europe. © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 136: Vanessa Reed, President and CEO of New Music USA. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Vanessa Reed is excited to be joining New Music USA as President and CEO following just over a decade with PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading funder of new music and talent development. During her time at this specialist new music agency, Vanessa significantly increased support available to diverse music creators at critical stages in their careers and repositioned the Foundation as international advocate and go-to partner for major new music collaborations. Her leadership of strategy and outreach resulted in the launch of an array of transformational funding programmes including the Momentum Music Fund, Women Make Music, Musicians in Residence China and the New Music Biennial which help music creators of all backgrounds to realise their potential. More recently, she also founded, with European and Canadian partners, the award-winning international Keychange initiative which invests in female talent and raises awareness of the gender gap in music.

Ep. 135: Teni Odabashian, non-musical guest. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. This is the first time in over 130 that I am featuring a guest who is not a musician. Teni has been one of the early supporters of the podcast and it was a pleasure to speak with her on the show. In this episode Teni talks about being a working mom, traveling, treasured possessions, Paul McCartney, Charles Aznavour, listening to music with her father, Armenian heritage, growing up in LA and much more. © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 134: THE RECAP with George Jackson, principal guest contributor. This the second episode of the RECAP series with conductor George Jackson. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast we talk about the state of orchestras during the pandemic, positives and negatives of state sponsored orchestra, blind auditions, repertoire for chamber orchestra and more. We also talk about past composers we would have enjoyed corresponding with. For more information about George Jackson please visit: http://www.georgejackson.net/   © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 133: Abo Gumroyan, Grammy winning bassist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Grammy Award-winning electric and double bassist Abe Gumroyan crosses musical borders on a daily basis. His diverse musical background has allowed him to perform a wide range of genres ranging from salsa and Latin jazz to traditional Armenian and ethnic fusion to classical. The son of Armenian immigrants, Abe was born in Los Angeles, CA and began double bass studies at the age of 9. A frequent guest with the San Francisco and San Diego Symphony Orchestras, Abe has had the unique opportunity to work with the world's leading conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Ricardo Muti, John Adams, and Charles Dutoit. Aside from his work in the classical music industry, Abe is also an in-demand recording musician, most noted for his work in Latin and pop music. Abe recorded on the Grammy-winning freshman album from the San Francisco-based Latin big band Pacific Mambo Orchestra, garnering his first Grammy win at age 27. Abe's live credits include performances with Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Ricky Martin, Carrie Underwood, and many others. Whether as a sideman, soloist, or producer, Abe is known for his deep groove, creative and melodic solos, and mastery of different tones and techniques for any musical situation. Abe graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Scott Pingel (Principal Bassist of the San Francisco Symphony), and attended the USC Thornton School of Music, studying with David Allen Moore (Bassist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic). © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Colorado-based conductor Jeremy D. Cuebas is quickly establishing himself as a symphonic, operatic, and contemporary musician in the Denver area. He acts as assistant conductor with the Fort Collins Symphony, will soon be starting as the first assistant conductor with the Aurora Symphony, and is regularly invited to lead ensembles as diverse as, Opera Fort Collins, the It Could Be Anything new music ensemble, and the Boulder Concert Band. Jeremy is the founder and co-host of Podium Time, a podcast of interviews and discussions with emerging and established conductors. In August 2019, Jeremy was invited to join the faculty of the International Conducting Workshop and Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria to assist with the program and produce videos and podcasts for promotion. The Podium Time Podcast reaches thousands of conductors and students each year, and its catalog of over 80 interviews includes conductors such as JoAnn Falletta, Teddy Abrams, Brett Mitchell, Kevin Noe, Christopher Rountree, Tito Muñoz, and Roderick Cox.

Ep. 131: Harp and Plow, Americana duo. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Harp & Plow is a husband-and-wife Americana duo that combines a classically trained harpist and a blues-based guitarist, singer/songwriter. These talents create a unique, musical experience that explores American roots music with a modern approach. DEBUT SINGLE “Pastures of Plenty” is now available on all digital platforms! https://song.link/x47C3PthKFv84 For more information about Harp and Plow please visit: https://www.harpandplow.com/   © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Evan Meccarello was recently appointed Music Director of the Binghamton Community Orchestra. Meccarello is committed to new explorations in classical music and engaging with communities across the Northeast. Meccarello is committed to new explorations in classical music and engaging with communities across the Northeast. Meccarello’s conducting experience spans professional, collegiate, youth, and civic ensembles. Based in Rochester, he is Founder and Director of the Hochstein Alumni Orchestra, a community of musicians that rally around the cause of affordable music lessons. Over ten years, he has commissioned five alumni of Hochstein to write orchestral works for the ensemble. Meccarello currently conducts the Thames Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra in New London, CT and the Irondequoit Community Orchestra.   Summer 2019 included performances with professional orchestras in Bulgaria, while the 2019-20 season has featured work with civic and university orchestras from Buffalo to Saranac Lake to Providence, RI. Meccarello serves as guest conductor and clinician at middle and high schools, including NYSSMA Area All State and All-County festival orchestras. He previously was Conductor of the Nazareth College Chamber Orchestra and continues to support the program as Assistant Conductor of the Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra. Meccarello’s training in conducting has included lessons and masterclasses with worldacclaimed conducting teachers, including Larry Rachleff, Benjamin Zander, David Effron, and Jorma Panula. He holds a masters degree in orchestral conducting from Bowling Green State University and a violin performance degree from Nazareth College, where he was a two-time winner of the school’s concerto competition. Meccarello is Vice President of the Keuka Lake Music Festival and a radio host for Soundspace on WAYO-LP in Rochester. He can sometimes be found in Argentine tango clubs, playing violin for dancers.

Acclaimed for her ‘sterling tone’ in the New York Times, Kris Kwapis appears regularly as soloist and principal trumpet with period-instrument ensembles across North America, including Portland Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, Pacific MusicWorks, Bach Collegium San Diego, Staunton Music Festival, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Chicago’s Haymarket Opera Company, Tafelmusik, Bach Society of Minnesota, Oregon Bach Festival, Callipygian Players, Bourbon Baroque, and Lyra Baroque, making music with directors such as Andrew Parrott, Monica Huggett, Alexander Weimann, Barthold Kuijken, Matthew Halls, Jacques Ogg, and Masaaki Suzuki. Her playing is heard on Kleos, Naxos, ReZound, Lyrichord, Musica Omnia and Dorian labels, including the 2013 GRAMMY nominated recording of Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and broadcast on CBC, WNYC, WQED (Pittsburgh), Portland All-Classical (KQAC), Sunday Baroque and Wisconsin Public Radio. A student of Armando Ghitalla on modern trumpet, with a BM and MM in trumpet performance from the University of Michigan, Dr. Kwapis holds a DMA in historical performance from Long Island’s Stony Brook University. She often lectures on historical brass performance practice with appearances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, University of Wyoming, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Louisville, Madison Early Music Festival, Pacific Lutheran University, Seattle Recorder Society, and Rutgers University, in addition to writing program notes and delivering pre-concert lectures. On modern trumpet, Kris was adjunct professor of trumpet at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY from 2000-2010 and taught as a sabbatical replacement at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA for the fall semester of 2019. Dr. Kwapis enjoys sharing her passion with the next generation of performers as a faculty member at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music Historical Performance Institute (baroque trumpet and cornetto) since 2010 in addition to teaching at her home in Seattle and online. When not making music, Kris explores the visual art medium of encaustic painting, cooking and gardening.

Ep. 128: Brian Kai Chin, musician, educator, and cultural entrepreneur. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Brian Kai Chin is a musician, educator, and cultural entrepreneur. Trained in western classical, jazz, and world traditions, Brian’s musical focus is only part of his larger vision as the founder and Executive Director of Common Tone Arts and the Chair of the Music Department at Seattle Pacific University. With a wide array of musical activity, Brian moves seamlessly between soloing as a trumpeter, freelancing for world-class orchestras, composing new music, performing with the contemporary chamber ensemble TORCH, and producing socially conscious, multi-arts events. Brian is focused on using music and imagination as a universal language to bring people together and celebrate our shared humanity. Much of this vision is imbedded in his work via Common Tone Arts, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to inspiring positive change for our diverse world through arts education and music. As the Chair of the Music Department at Seattle Pacific University, Dr. Chin has recently led an innovative 21st- Century curriculum redesign. This vision focuses on encouraging students to become cultural leaders by nurturing complete musicianship and engaging in socially conscious art. For more information about Brian Kai Chin please visit: https://www.briankaichin.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 127: Stephen Williamson, principal clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony. In this podcast we talk about Williamson's journey from the Metropolitan Opera to Chicago Symphony and the New York Philharmonic. He talks about playing jazz piano, starting the saxophone before switching to clarinet, playing principal clarinet as a sophomore at the Eastman School of Music, having four chances to audition for the Chicago Symphony, family, weightlifting and much more! Stephen Williamson is the principal clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, appointed in 2011 by Maestro Riccardo Muti. Mr. Williamson was formerly the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. In addition, he has been a frequent guest principal clarinetist with the Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra in Japan under Seiji Ozawa. Mr. Williamson is currently on the faculty of DePaul University in Chicago, IL. He has served on the clarinet faculty at Columbia University and the Mannes College of Music in New York City, as well as at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan and the Domaine Forget International Music Festival in Québec. He has recorded for the Sony Classics, Telarc, CRI, BMG, Naxos and Decca labels and can be heard on numerous film soundtracks. For more information about Stephen Williamson please visit: Principal Clarinet https://cso.org/about/performers/chic... © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Grammy award-winning conductor Michael Christie, newly appointed Music Director of the New West Symphony, is a thoughtfully innovative conductor, equally at home in the symphonic and opera worlds, who is focused on making the audience experience at his performances entertaining, enlightening, and enriching. Christie won a 2019 Grammy Award (Best Opera Recording) for the world premiere recording of Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with The Santa Fe Opera (PENTATONE), and was featured in Opera News in August 2012 as one of 25 people believed to “break out and become major forces in the field in the coming decade.” At Minnesota Opera, Christie led 24 productions over eight years, six seasons as its first-ever Music Director (2012-2018). For more information about Michael Christie please visit: https://www.michaelchristieonline.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 125: Donato Cabrera, conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Donato Cabrera is the Music Director of the California Symphony and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He served as the Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and the Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2009-2016. Cabrera is one of only a handful of conductors in history who has conducted performances with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and the San Francisco Ballet. Since Cabrera's appointment as Music Director in 2013 of the California Symphony, the organization has redefined what it means to be an orchestra in the 21st Century. Under Cabrera’s baton, the California Symphony has reached new artistic heights by implementing innovative programming that emphasizes welcoming newcomers and loyalists alike, building on its reputation for championing music by living composers, and committing to programming music by women and people of color.  Cabrera also oversees the selection process of the California Symphony’s celebrated Young American Composer-in-Residence program, through which the orchestra has supported the burgeoning careers of composers including Mason Bates, Kevin Puts, and the current Composer-in-Residence, Katherine Balch.   

Ep. 123: JoAnn Falletta, Grammy-winning conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast JoAnn Falletta talks about working with composers, programming, staying connected with the audience during the pandemic, advice to young musicians, and much more. Grammy-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center and Artistic Adviser of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Hailed for having “Toscanini’s tight control over ensemble, Walter’s affectionate balancing of inner voices, Stokowski’s gutsy showmanship, and a controlled frenzy worthy of Bernstein”, she is a leading force for the music of our time. Ms. Falletta has guest conducted over a hundred orchestras in North America, and many of the most prominent orchestras in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. In 2019-20 she will guest conduct orchestras in Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, Brazil and across the US. Upon her appointment as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Falletta became the first woman to lead a major America ensemble. Celebrating her 20th anniversary with the Buffalo Philharmonic this season, she has been credited with bringing the Philharmonic to an unprecedented level of national and international prominence. The orchestra has become one of the leading recording orchestras for Naxos and returned twice to Carnegie Hall, first in 2004 after a 20-year absence, and again in 2013 as part of the Spring for Music Festival. In 2018, the BPO made their first international tour in three decades, to perform at Warsaw’s prestigious Beethoven Easter Festival where Falletta made history as the first American women conductor to lead an orchestra at the Festival. She and the BPO have been honored with numerous ASCAP awards, including the top award for Adventurous Programming, Other accomplishments include the establishment of the orchestra’s Beau Fleuve label, the founding of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition in partnership with WNED, four successful tours of Florida, and the national and international broadcast of concerts on NPR’s Performance Today, SymphonyCast, and the European Broadcasting Union. For more information about JoAnn Falletta please visit: http://www.joannfalletta.com © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 123: Lisa Bielawa, composer and vocalist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast Bielawa talks about a recent project called Broadcast from Home, work with Philip Glass, time at Yale, various major projects and much more. Composer, producer, and vocalist Lisa Bielawa is a Rome Prize winner in Musical Composition and takes inspiration for her work from literary sources and close artistic collaborations. Her music has been described as “ruminative, pointillistic and harmonically slightly tart,” by The New York Times. She is the recipient of the 2017 Music Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters and was named a William Randolph Hearst Visiting Artist Fellow at the American Antiquarian Society for 2018.  Bielawa consistently executes work that incorporates community-making as part of her artistic vision. She has created music for public spaces in Lower Manhattan, the banks of the Tiber River in Rome, on the sites of former airfields in Berlin in San Francisco, and to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Her music has recently been premiered at the NY PHIL BIENNIAL, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, SHIFT Festival, and Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, among others. She will have her second residency as a performer/composer at John Zorn’s venue The Stone in March 2020. Orchestras that have championed her music include the The Knights, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, American Composers Orchestra, and the Orlando Philharmonic. Premieres of her work have been commissioned and presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Rider, Seattle Chamber Music Society, American Guild of Organists, and more.  Bielawa began touring as the vocalist with the Philip Glass Ensemble in 1992 and in 2019 she became the inaugural Composer-in-Residence and Chief Curator of the Philip Glass Institute at The New School. In 1997 Bielawa cofounded the MATA Festival, which celebrates the work of young composers, and for five years she was the artistic director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus.  She received a 2018 Los Angeles Area Emmy nomination for her unprecedented, made-for-TV-and-online opera Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch's Accuser, created with librettist Erik Ehn and director Charles Otte. Vireowas filmed in twelve parts in locations across the country and features over 350 musicians. Vireo was released on CD/DVD in 2019 (Orange Mountain Music) and she is also recorded on the Tzadik, TROY, Innova, BMOP/sound, Supertrain Records, Sono Luminus, and Cedille labels. For more information about Lisa Bielawa please visit: www.lisabielawa.net © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 122: Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode we talk about their new album, working with Leo Brouwer, commissions, hobbies, working in time of a pandemic and much more. Hailed as a “revelation to hear” by The Washington Post, the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo’s phenomenal musicianship places them solidly at the top of their field. Their innovative programming, matchless technique and ensemble precision, combined with their commitment to expanding the repertoire for guitar duo, make them a chamber ensemble of world renown. For more information about the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo please visit: https://www.guitarduo.com/about-the-duo/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 120: Bob Lord, CEO of PARMA Recordings Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode Bob Lord talks about building the PARMA Recordings, job of a CEO, journey as a bassist and his new single. He also discusses the future of his company, memorable collaborations, and much more. Bob Lord is a producer, composer, bassist and CEO of PARMA Recordings, the New Hampshire-based audio production house and parent company of the Navona, Ravello, Big Round, MMC, Capstone, and Ansonica Records label imprints. He was named one of Musical America’s “30 Professionals of the Year: Key Influencers” in 2015. In 2020, PARMA's work was nominated for the 62nd annual GRAMMY Awards in two categories, with entries in classical ("Best Choral Performance" for the Navona Records release THE ARC IN THE SKY by The Crossing) and gospel ("Best Gospel Album" for SOMETHING'S HAPPENING! by CeCe Winans). Formed in 2008 to present contemporary classical, jazz, and experimental music, PARMA features work by artists such as GRAMMY Award winner Richard Stoltzman, Pulitzer Prize winners Yehudi Wyner and Lewis Spratlan, and Emmy Award winner Bruce Babcock among others. PARMA’s music can be heard in products and projects from ABC, CBS, Microsoft, C-SPAN, HBO, Nintendo, Showtime, PBS, and more. With Pete Townshend of The Who Bob co-produced the double album METHOD MUSIC by Lawrence Ball, released in 2012 on Navona Records and hailed by Pitchfork for its “wondrous, rippling, and startlingly tactile music.” In 1996 he co-founded the award-winning recording and touring experimental rock trio Dreadnaught (described by Relix Magazine as “the country's best 'pure' prog-rock combo") and since 2005 has been the Music Director for the New Hampshire Public Radio series Writers on a New England Stage at The Music Hall in Portsmouth NH, where the band has shared the stage with Dan Brown, John Updike, Salman Rushdie, Stephen King, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and many more. In 2004 and 2018 Dreadnaught won "Best Rock Band" at the Spotlight Music Awards in Portsmouth NH. As of this writing Lord more than 600 recording and production credits on his resume, including the 2016 release ABRAZO: THE HAVANA SESSIONS, one of the very first projects recorded and produced by an American music company in Cuba since the loosening of diplomatic relations. With PARMA, Lord regularly produces recording sessions and events in countries across the globe, including the United States, Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Russia, Cuba, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, China, Poland, and more. Lord composed the theme song for NHPR’s morning show “The Exchange” in 2005, and the music is still featured on the program to this day. He is President of the Zagreb Festival Orchestra in Zagreb HR, a member of the Board of Trustees of The Music Hall in Portsmouth NH, and on the Advisory Board of the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, also in Portsmouth NH. For more information about Bob Lord and PARMA RECORDINGS please visit these websites: https://www.boblordmusic.com/news and https://www.parmarecordings.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 119: Yiğit Kolat, composer. Winner of the Takemitsu Composition Award (1st prize). Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast Kolat talks about his education in Turkey, folk music, his compositional process, success in music competitions and much more! Yiğit Kolat is a musician, a soundmaker, and researcher. He studied the craft with some excellent musicians and soundmakers and has had the chance to share it with some excellent musicians and soundmakers. In the process, he gained some tokens and enjoyed the sense of prestige provided by them for a while. Funny how primates work. If you are interested in seeing a list of those tokens, sorry to disappoint you, but you are in the wrong place. If you are interested in collaboration, do not hesitate to reach out. For more information about Yiğit Kolat please visit: http://www.yigitkolat.com/index.html © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 118: Christopher Theofanidis, composer Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode Mr. Theofanidis talks about his collaborations with Robert Spano, Sarah Chang, his most performed work the Rainbow Body, and working with soloists on a commissioned works. He also talks about scuba diving, cooking, having pieces performed more than once and much more. CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS (b. 12/18/67 in Dallas, Texas) has had performances by many leading orchestras from around the world, including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, the Moscow Soloists, the National, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Detroit Symphonies, among many others. He has also served as Composer of the Year for the Pittsburgh Symphony during their 2006-7 season, for which he wrote a violin concerto for Sarah Chang. Mr. Theofanidis holds degrees from Yale, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Houston, and has been the recipient of the International Masterprize, the Rome Prize, a Guggenheim fellowship, a Fulbright fellowship to France to study with Tristan Mural at IRCAM, a Tanglewood fellowship, and two fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2007 he was nominated for a Grammy award for best composition for his chorus and orchestra work, The Here and Now, based on the poetry of Rumi, and in 2017 for his bassoon concerto. His orchestral work, Rainbow Body, has been one of the most performed new orchestral works of the new millennium, having been performed by over 150 orchestras internationally. Mr. Theofanidis’ has written a ballet for the American Ballet Theatre, a work for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as part of their ‘New Brandenburg’ series, and two operas for the San Francisco and Houston Grand Opera companies. Thomas Hampson sang the lead role in the San Francisco opera. His work for Houston, The Refuge, featurs six sets of international non-Western musicians alongside the opera musicians. He has a long-standing relationship with the Atlanta Symphony and Maestro Robert Spano, and has just four recordings with them, including his concert length oratorio, Creation/Creator, which was featured at the SHIFT festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. this year with the ASO, chorus, and soloists. His work, Dreamtime Ancestors, for the orchestral consortium, New Music for America, has been played by over fifty orchestras over the past two seasons. He has served as a delegate to the US-Japan Foundation’s Leadership Program, and he is a former faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University as well as the Juilliard School. Mr. Theofanidis is currently a professor at Yale University, and composer-in-residence and co-director of the composition program at the Aspen Music Festival. For more information about Christopher Theofanidis please visit: https://www.theofanidismusic.com/index.html © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 117: Jimmie Herrod, artist and performer. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast we talk about Jimmie's work with the Pink Martini, touring, music education and much more! Jimmie Herrod is a Pacific Northwest-based artist and performer who now splits time between Portland, Oregon and Paris, France. He holds a Bachelors of Music degree in music composition and performance from Cornish, and a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from Portland State University. While he currently serves as an adjunct professor of jazz voice, he remains and active performer, both as soloist and collaborator. Jimmie has worked in Seattle’s lauded musical theater scene at ArtsWest and the 5th Avenue Theater. Recent performance highlights include being a featured soloist with the Oregon Symphony’s showcase in the 2018 TedX series, working with international acts such as ODESZA as well as being a regular guest vocalist with Pink Martini, touring throughout the US, Canada and Europe. In 2018 Jimmie recorded “Exodus”, his first single with Pink Martini, as well the solo album of original works, Falling in Love and Learning to Love Myself. For more information about Jimmie Herrod please visit: https://jimmiebeingjimmie.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 116: Invencia Piano Duo. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast we talk about the many recordings by the duo, Florent Schmitt, martial arts, working during covid-19 and much more. If the name sounds familiar to you, it could be you have read any of the number of reviews featured in the American Record Guide, International Record Review, Fanfare, Classica, International Piano, PianoNEWS, and BBC Music magazines, among others. Founded in 2003 by Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn, Invencia Piano Duo prides itself on artful, insightful, and articulate performances of duo piano masterworks. Translated loosely as, “Inventive,” Invencia has earned praise worldwide for its recitals and recordings, including a 4-volume set of Florent Schmitt’s complete original works for piano duet and duo. These recordings were released on the Grand Piano label of Naxos Records, between 2012 and 2013. Issued on the American Classics label of Naxos in 2016, Invencia produced two volumes dedicated to the complete piano works of Paul Bowles. Their repertoire extends from the Baroque to the present, including original works and arrangements for this twin art form, befitting the spirit of Invencia. For more information about the Invencia Piano Duo please visit: https://invenciaduo.wordpress.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

In this episode we talk about Elaine Mitchener's many projects, improvisation, music education, Jeanne Lee and much more. Elaine Mitchener is an experimental vocalist, movement artist and composer, whose work encompasses improvisation, contemporary music theatre and performance art. Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Elaine studied voice at Trinity College of Music, London and currently studies with Jacqueline Bremar. She has performed at numerous UK and European festivals, venues and galleries including Aldeburgh Music, London Contemporary Music Festival (LCMF), 56th Venice Biennale, Wysing Arts, Café Oto (London), Bluecoat (Liverpool), SAVVY Contemporary (Berlin), Purcell Room (Southbank Centre, London), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, ULTIMA Festival (Oslo), OCCUPY (St John’s Smith Square), SPILL Festival (Ipswich), La Monnaie (Brussels), Block Universe (London), White Cube (London), Whitechapel Gallery (London), Weserburg MOMA (Bremen), Wellcome Collection (London), and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London). She has worked and performed in a wide variety of contexts with an array of leading musicians, composers, directors and visual artists including Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa), Mark Padmore, The Otolith Group, Deborah Warner, Christian Marclay, Apartment House, Steve Beresford, Pat Thomas, Irvine Arditti, Sonia Boyce, London Sinfonietta, John Butcher,Tansy Davies, George. E. Lewis, Attila Csihar, Rolf Hind, Dam Van Huynh, Lore Lixenberg, George Lewis, Alexander Hawkins, Sam Belinfante, Phil Minton, Evan Parker, Alasdair Roberts, Lucy Bailey, David Toop, Netia Jones, Matt Wright, and Jason Yarde. Elaine is co-founder of the experimental jazz quartet the Hawkins/Mitchener Quartet and a regular vocalist with the ensemble Apartment House. She created the role of Hannah/Voice singing with tenor Mark Padmore, in the opera CAVE, by composer Tansy Davies with libretto by Nick Drake, co-commissioned by the London Sinfonietta / Royal Opera House and directed by Lucy Bailey which premiered in June 2018. Her production company Elaine Mitchener Projects has researched, developed, produced and toured or staged a number of projects including Industrialising Intimacy (with choreographer Dam Van Huynh, David Toop, George Lewis); The Nude Voice (with Dam Van Huynh) commissioned for the Wellcome Collection London’s THIS IS A VOICE exhibition; ‘I back… I neck… I face… I chest’ commissioned by Sonia Boyce for her installation We Move In Her Way at London’s ICA; Of Leonardo da Vinci (with Dam Van Huynh, David Toop, Barry Lewis) for Oslo’s ULTIMA Festival; the three hour durational performance [NAMES] premiered at Ipswich’s SPILL Festival; a presentation of John Cage’s SongBooks for London’s Poetry In The City Festival; Vocal Classics of the Black Avantgarde for LCMF; and SWEET TOOTH in partnership with Bluecoat Liverpool, Stuart Hall Foundation and the International Slavery Museum. Premiered in Nov 2017, SWEET TOOTH has been described as ‘a vital black British addition to those seminal creative statements of resistance and defiance from the African Diaspora’, and was subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Hear and Now programme (Dec 2017). Elaine has participated in residencies and symposiums including Aldeburgh Music (to develop SWEET TOOTH) and Fondazione Claudio Buziol, Venice (where she developed Of Leonardo Da Vinci supported by Muziektheater Transparant) and New Resonances organised by Theatrum Mundi. For more information about Elaine Mitchener please visit: http://www.elainemitchener.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 114: Maria Seletskaja, conductor & former principal soloist with international ballet companies. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast we talk about Maria's journey from a principal soloist with major ballet companies to a professional conducting career. She also talks about her family and work balance, passion for the violin, and much more! Estonian born Maria Seletskaja enjoyed 15 years on the international ballet stage as principal soloist with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Staatsballett Berlin, Zürich Ballet and Estonian National Ballet. Parallel to her dancing career, Maria continued her musical studies both privately and at the Berklee College of Music (Boston USA) and, by 2013, was ready to start conducting piano rehearsals at her company of the time - the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Since 2016 Maria Seletskaja’s experience as a conductor has naturally developed into a full time career. She was invited to be assistant to the music director of Casco Phil (former Flemish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra) and received a similar invitation one year later from the Stuttgart Ballet. In 2018 she conducted her Stuttgart premiere to great acclaim in the ballet La Fille mal gardée ( Herold / Ashton), which was followed by performances of Mayerling(Liszt / MacMillan). She also made her conducting debuts at the National Ballet of Georgia and Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra and was selected as one of five participants for a conducting course with Paul Murphy at the Royal Opera House in May 2019. From October 2019 Maria Seletskaja is Conductor-in-Residence for one season at the National Ballet of Canada to conduct performances of Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and several others. In the season 2020-21 Maria will return to the National Ballet of Canada and will make her debut with the Ballet Santiago de Chile in their production of The Sleeping Beauty. Alongside her professional engagements Maria continues her musical studies, concentrating on broadening her repertoire to include a wider range of both orchestral and operatic repertoire. Amongst her most influential teachers Maria counts James Tuggle (music director Stuttgart Ballet, Stuttgart Opera House) and Rodolfo Saglimbeni. A regular attendee of the Järvi Academy Maria, has also benefitted from personal advice and guidance from Paavo Järvi. In December 2019, Maria had a chance to follow maestro Järvi for two weeks during his work with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. For more information about Maria Seletskaja please visit: https://mariaseletskaja.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 113: Richard Stoltzman, “A Classical superstar.” - NY TIMES. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Two-time Grammy Award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman is known as a captivating recitalist, chamber musician, and jazz performer, as well as a prolific recording artist. He gave the first clarinet recitals in the histories of both the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall. In 1986, Stoltzman became the first wind player to be awarded the Avery Fisher Prize. Recently he was awarded the prestigious Sanford Medal by the Yale School of Music and was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has performed or recorded with such jazz and pop greats as the Canadian Brass, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Mel Tormé, and Spyro Gyra founder Jeremy Wall. In this podcast we talk about Stoltzman's passion for mathematics, collaborations, touring, baking and recording. We also talk about his recital in Carnegie Hall (first solo recital by a clarinetist), Benny Goodman and much more! For more information about Richard Stoltzman please visit: http://www.richardstoltzman.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 112: Eugenia Forteza, opera singer and founder of 360 of Opera. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Eugenia currently resides in NYC, where she freelances as a vocalist, actor and model. She is the Founder and Lead Editor of 360° of Opera and serves as a Board Member ​of Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra & Frisson Films. In this podcast we talk about tennis, marketing of opera and classical music, and much more. Eugenia also talks about starting 360 of Opera and which has grown to have tremendous success and following in the opera world and beyond. For more information about Eugenia Forteza please visit: http://www.eugeniaforteza.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 111: Joe Deninzon, violinist. “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin” Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Joe Deninzon has been hailed by critics as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin,” because of his innovative style on electric seven-string violin. Joe has worked with Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Phoebe Snow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore,, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Robert Bonfiglio, Les Paul, and as a soloist with the NY City Ballet and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Joe is the lead singer and violinist for the progressive rock band, Stratospheerius, which has released five acclaimed CD’s. He can be heard on over a hundred CD’s and jingles as a violinist and string arranger. A BMI Jazz Composer’s grant recipient and winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, he has written a solo piece for violinist Rachel Barton Pine, which will be featured on her upcoming CD. In 2015, Joe premiered his “Concerto for Seven String Electric Violin and Orchestra” with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra. His original music has been featured on CMT, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, National Geographic, the Travel Channel, the History Channel, and the Will Ferrell/ Adam McKay- produced film “Virginity Hit.” Joe is also a member of the Sweet Plantain String Quartet, which combines Latin Jazz with hip-hop and Classical music, and has toured throughout Europe and the U.S. Joe has also released a CD with his Acoustic Jazz Trio, titled “Exuberance.” As an educator, Joe has taught rock violin at Mark O’Connor’s String Camp and Mark Wood’s Rock Orchestra Camp, and made repeated appearances performing at the Grand Canyon Music Festival, where he co-founded the Grand Canyon School of Rock in 2006, an annual program for local high school students. He regularly travels as a clinician and has contributed articles to Strings, Downbeat, and Making Music Magazine. In 2012, Joe wrote a book on electric violin techniques for Mel Bay Publications, entitled Plugging In. Joe recently made the Downbeat Critic’s pole for jazz/rock violin, and Chris Haigh’s recent book, Discovering Rock Violin lists one of Joe’s recorded solos among the “Top 20 greatest rock violin solos of all time.” Joe holds Bachelor’s degrees in Violin Performance and Jazz Violin from Indiana University and a Master’s in Jazz/Commercial violin from Manhattan School of Music. In this episode we talk about Joe's early start in classical music, journey to jazz and rock, online teaching, Frank Zappa, his Concerto for Seven String Electric Violin and much more! For more information about Joe Deninzon please visit: https://joedeninzon.com © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 110: Sharon Isbin, guitarist. Grammy Award winner & founder of the Juilliard Guitar Dept. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist ever to receive the coveted honor in its 59 year award history. Soloist with over 200 orchestras, Isbin has performed in the world’s finest halls. Winner of the Toronto, Madrid and Munich ARD Competitions, Germany’s Echo Klassik and Guitar Player’s Best Classical Guitarist awards, she performed in Scorsese’s Oscar-winning The Departed, at Ground Zero for the first internationally televised 9/11 memorial, the White House by invitation of President Obama, and as the only classical artist in the 2010 Grammy Awards. The documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, seen by millions on over 200 PBS stations across the U.S. and abroad, won the ASCAP Television Broadcast Award. Recent highlights include a commission for her by Carnegie Hall, a 21-city Guitar Passions tour with jazz greats Stanley Jordan and Romero Lubambo, sold-out concerts at the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, and her most recent Carnegie Hall appearances included collaborations with Sting and in recital with Isabel Leonard. Isbin’s catalogue of over 30 albums, from Baroque, Spanish/Latin and 20th Century to crossover and jazz-fusion have sold nearly a million copies and reflect her remarkable versatility. Her two latest releases in May 2020 of world premiere recordings of music composed for her are Affinity featuring Chris Brubeck’s acclaimed concerto for guitar and orchestra, and Strings for Peace, with India’s legendary Amjad Ali Khan in a program of ragas for guitar, sarod and tabla. Her 2019 release with the Pacifica Quartet, Souvenirs of Spain & Italy, debuted at #1 on Amazon and #2 on Billboard, and her Grammy-winning Journey to the New World with guests Joan Baez and Mark O’Connor spent 63 consecutive weeks on top Billboard charts. Isbin’s Dreams of a World earned her a Grammy for Best Instrumental Soloist, making her the first classical guitarist to receive the award in 28 years. Her recording of concerti composed for her by Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun was honored with a Grammy, and her Rodrigo Aranjuez with the New York Philharmonic, their only recording with guitar, received a Latin Grammy nomination. Author of the Classical Guitar Answer Book, Isbin has premiered over 80 works written for her by some of the world’s finest composers, and directs the guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and The Juilliard School, which she created in 1989. In this episode we talk about Sharon Isbin's new albums, working with composers, competitions, passion for new music, numerous collaborations and advice to young musicians. She also speaks about transcendental meditation, recent work with Chris Brubeck, work with non-classical artists and much more.   For more information about Sharon Isbin please visit: http://www.sharonisbin.com © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 109: Rachel Fine, Executive Director and CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Rachel Fine is Executive Director & CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Prior to joining The Wallis team in 2015, she worked as Senior Consultant for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management. Drawing upon a 22-year career in the arts as a versatile administrator, educator and fundraiser, as well as a professional classical pianist, Fine has served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) and Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), where she helped found the Young Men’s Ensemble, a rare choral group for young men with changing voices. She has also held leadership positions for The Juilliard School’s Department of Vocal Arts, Santa Fe Opera, the Aspen Music Festival and the renowned San Francisco-based period ensemble Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Fine completed a Fellowship in 2001-02 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts under the guidance of then-President Michael M. Kaiser. Fine was also selected to participate in the 2012 Leadership L.A. program (SCLN), the Los Angeles County Arts Commission’s 2008-09 Arts Leadership Initiative and the 2007-08 Wells Fargo New Executive Directors Institute of Southern California’s Executive Service Corps. She is founding Mentor of the Los Angeles Emerging Arts Leaders’ mentorship program, former Board member of the Association of California Symphony Orchestra and USC’s Thornton School of Music, and current Advisory Board member of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. An accomplished pianist, Fine studied at the Eastman School of Music and the University of California,Irvine, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in music. She also attended graduate school in musicology at Yale University. In 2014, Fine taught Arts Leadership in the graduate school of USC Thornton School of Music. She and her husband, Christopher Hawthorne, the Chief Design Officer for the City of Los Angeles, have two children who love the arts.  In this podcast we talk about Rachel Fine's journey from a young accomplished pianist to a leading CEO/Executive Director. She talks about the unique work that the Wallis does in Los Angeles, her passion for arts leadership, hobbies and much more! For more information about Rachel Fine and The Wallis please visit: https://thewallis.org © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 108: George Jackson, conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Armed with insatiable artistic curiosity, a true performer’s instincts and the advantages of a rigorous central European training, George Jackson has earned critical acclaim for the authority and eloquence of his music-making. The British conductor’s career continues to gather momentum, propelled by landmark debuts with leading orchestras and opera companies and fuelled by his power to communicate compelling musical ideas. Jackson’s interpretation of Hänsel und Gretel for Grange Park Opera, given with the Orchestra of English National Opera in summer 2019, was showered with five-star reviews and hailed as ‘magnificent’ by the Telegraph. His 2019-20 season includes returns to work with Ensemble Intercontemporain at the Philharmonie Luxembourg and Cité de la musique in Paris, and the orchestras of Opera North and Opéra de Rouen. He is also set to conduct a retrospective of music by Irish composers, comprising works by Brian Boydell, Ina Boyle and Stanford, with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin and the world premiere of Tscho Theissing’s Genia at Theater an der Wien, a major contribution to Beethoven Year 2020. In this podcast George talks about conducting a recording session during Covid-19, cooking, the world of music post the pandemic and much more! For more information about George Jackson please visit: http://www.georgejackson.net/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 107: Michael Crusoe, timpanist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Michael Crusoe is principal timpanist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 1980. In addition, he also serves as principal timpanist of the Seattle Opera Association and the Mostly Mozart Summer Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center in New York. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington, he served as percussion instructor at the Waterloo Music Festival in New Jersey and has taught at Seattle Pacific University and Seattle University. Crusoe can be heard with the Seattle Symphony on the critically acclaimed Delos label recordings directed by Gerard Schwarz. In this podcast we talk about Michael Crusoe's passion for martial arts and early studies with Bruce Lee's protégé Jesse Glover, post retirement involvement in martial arts and continuing collaboration with the Grand Teton Music Festival. He spoke about timpani concertos, life changing moments, work with three different Music Directors of SSO during his tenure as a timpanist. Crusoe also told a number of interesting in-performance stories, diversity in music and much more! © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 106: Yolanda Kondonassis, one of the world's premier solo harpists. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Yolanda Kondonassis is celebrated as one of the world’s premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today’s most recorded classical harpist. Hailed as “viscerally exciting” (The Chicago Tribune) and a “brilliant and expressive player” (The Dallas Morning News), she has performed around the globe as a concerto soloist and in recital, bringing her unique brand of musicianship and warm artistry to an ever-increasing audience. Also a published author, speaker, professor of harp, and environmental activist, sheweaves her many passions into a vibrant and multi-faceted career. Kondonassis has sold hundreds of thousands of albums and downloads worldwide and her extensive discography includes over twenty titles. She continues to be a pioneering force in the harp world, striving to make her instrument more accessible to audiences and push the boundaries of what listeners expect of the harp. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for the world premiere recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto with The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (Azica Records, 2019). Her 2008 album of music by Takemitsu and Debussy, Air (Telarc), was also nominated for a Grammy Award. Since making her debut at age 18 with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, Kondonassis has appeared as soloist with major orchestras in the United States and abroad including The Cleveland Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, to name a few. Other engagements include performances at renowned festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival, Spoleto Festival,Tanglewood Music Festival, and she has been featured on CNN and PBS, as well as Sirius XM Radio’s Symphony Hall, NPR’s All Things Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts,St. Paul Sunday Morning, and Performance Today.   Kondonassis is committed to the advancement of contemporary music for the instrument, with recent premieres including works by Bright Sheng, and Jennifer Higdon. Her extensive discography includes works by Rorem, Rochberg, Erb, Liebermann, Paulus, Fitch, Lash, Montsalvatge,Takemitsu, Cage, and Carter, among others. Her most recent book,The Composer’s Guide to Writing Well for the Harp, was released in 2019. In addition to her active solo, chamber music and recording schedule, Kondonassis heads the harp departments at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Cleveland Institute of Music, and presentsmasterclasses around the world.   In this podcast we talk about premieres, her new book, passion for writing, life changing moments and hobbies. Ms. Kondonassis also speaks about her non-profit, Earth at Heart and much more. For more information about Yolanda Kondonassis please visit: https://www.yolandaharp.com © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ransom Wilson has long been recognized internationally as one of the greatest flutists of his generation. Flutist/conductor Ransom Wilson has performed in concert with major orchestras the world over. As a flutist, he has recently launched an ongoing series of solo recordings on the Nimbus label in Europe. As a conductor, he is starting his third season as Music Director of the Redlands Symphony in Southern California, and he continues his positions with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and Le Train Bleu ensemble. He has led opera performances at the New York City Opera, and was for ten years an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. He has been a guest conductor of the London, Houston, KBS, Kraków, Denver, New Jersey, Hartford, and Berkeley symphonies; the Orchestra of St. Luke’s; the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra; the Hallé Orchestra; and the chamber orchestras of St. Paul and Los Angeles. He has also appeared with the Glimmerglass Opera, Minnesota Opera, and the Opera of La Quinzena Musical in Spain. As an educator, he regularly leads master classes at the Paris Conservatory, Juilliard School, Moscow Conservatory, Cambridge University, and others. A graduate of The Juilliard School, he was an Atlantique Foundation scholar in Paris, where he studied privately with Jean-Pierre Rampal. His recording career, which includes three Grammy Award nominations, began in 1973 with Jean-Pierre Rampal and I Solisti Veneti. Since then he has recorded over 35 albums as flutist and/or conductor. Mr. Wilson is Professor of Flute at the Yale University School of Music, and has performed with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1991. In this episode we talk about his relationships with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Leonard Bernstein and Julius Baker. He talks about various collaborations, teaching, hobbies, solo career, touring and much more! For more information about Ransom Wilson please visit: https://www.ransomwilson.com © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 104: Kirsten Agresta Copely, harpist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. KIRSTEN AGRESTA COPELY is a harpist, composer, and arranger. Known for her unusual command of genres like hip-hop in addition to classical music, her prolific career has taken her throughout the United States, Europe, South America, Israel, Japan, and the South Pacific; she has performed for heads of state, in blockbuster movie soundtracks, alongside Billboard 100 artists, on late night television, and with the most recognized symphony orchestras in the world. Composition marks Copely’s latest addition to her career: she recently released her first album as composer, Around the Sun, in January 2020. The album, a collection of New Age works, is a collaboration with her husband Marc Copely, credited as producer, engineer, and mixer. Recently, One World Music UK praised her first single as “a rich weave of melodic brilliance...a single you could leave on repeat for hours.” In this episode we talk about Kirsten's collaborations with artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, and her work in studios with artists from different genres. She also shares stories about competitions, collaborating with her husband, hobbies, and much more. For more information about Kirsten Agresta Copely please visit: https://www.musiccityharp.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 103: Angel Velez, conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Angel Velez enjoys a career balanced between the studios of Los Angeles, guest conducting and teaching. Velez has extensive experience as an orchestral conductor working with orchestras such as the Augsburger Philharmoniker (Germany), Berlin Sinfonietta (Germany), Budapest Symphony (Hungary), Cape Cod Symphony (USA), Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rhineland-Pfalz (Germany), Boca del Rio Philharmonic (Mexico), Illinois Valley Symphony (USA), Indianapolis Symphony (USA), Moravian Philharmonic (Czech Republic), Puerto Rico Symphony (USA), Rousse Philharmonic (Bulgaria), Los Angeles studio ensembles and many others. Velez serves as conductor of the Santa Monica Chamber Orchestra, artistic director and conductor for Silent Films LIVE, a live-to-film concert series benefiting Education Through Music - Los Angeles, as well as conductor for the recent Silent Films LIVE album with the Varèse Sarabande Chamber Orchestra at Capitol Studios. He served as conductor for the L.A.-based ensemble, Helix Collective in addition to serving as conductor for the Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival, American Society of Cinematographers Awards at the Dolby Theatre, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Centennial Gala and many others. He has recorded for the Südwestrundfunk (SWR) in Germany and Varèse Sarabande Records labels. He continues to work professionally in the entertainment industry where he has worked on projects such as Family Guy, Green Book, James Bond: Goldeneye for Wii, Jane the Virgin, Madison, My Week with Marilyn, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, Tatort and others as well as recently conducting the world-premiere concert performance of the Marvel franchise hit movie, Captain Marvel. In this episode we talk about LA Film Conducting Intensive which Angel co-founded, music in film, and choices for family and career. We also talk about his mentors, hobbies and much more! For more information about Angel Velez and the LAFCI please visit: https://www.lafci.org/angel-velez © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 102: Ludovic Morlot, conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Following eight years as Music Director, Ludovic Morlot is now Conductor Emeritus of the Seattle Symphony. His tenure in Seattle formed a hugely significant period in the musical journey of the orchestra. Ludovic’s innovative programming encompassed not only his choice of repertoire, but theatrical productions and performances outside the traditional concert hall space. There were numerous collaborations with musicians from different genres, commissions and world premieres. Some of these projects, including John Luther Adams’ Become Ocean, Aaron Jay Kernis’ Violin Concerto performed by James Ehnes and an exploration of Dutilleux’s music, have earned the orchestra five Grammy Awards, as well as the distinction of being named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. Under Ludovic’s baton, 19 recordings have been released under the Seattle Symphony Media label which was launched in 2014. In this podcast we talk about Ludovic's departure from the Seattle Symphony, the groundbreaking initiatives he was able to create during his time with the SSO and his passion for tennis. We also talk about life changing moments, interest in orchestrating, composing, writing and much more. For more information about Ludovic Morlot please visit: https://ludovicmorlot.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 101: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Celebrating more than 30 years of professional conducting, Miguel Harth-Bedoya is a master of color, drawing idiomatic interpretations from a wide range of repertoire in concerts across the globe. He has amassed considerable experience at the helm of orchestras, including seven seasons as Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and twenty seasons as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Previously he has held Music Director positions with the Auckland Philharmonia and Eugene Symphony. Beginning in August 2020, Harth-Bedoya will be the new Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and will work to create a brand new Bachelor of Music in orchestral conducting. He has also created The Conducting Institute, with a summer orchestral conducting program as well as a variety of online courses. In this podcast we talk about his time studying with Otto-Werner Mueller, new position at UNO, premieres, passion for teaching, and hobbies. He also discusses the importance of an undergraduate degree in conducting, a project he is eager to conduct and his first experience on the podium. Lastly, he talks about starting Cowboy Compost, a business geared to achieve food waste reduction. For more information about Miguel Harth-Bedoya please visit: https://www.miguelharth-bedoya.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 100: Robert Dick, revolutionary composer and flutist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. World renowned as the leader in contemporary music for flute, Robert Dick embodies the ideal of the Renaissance artist. With equally deep roots in classical music old and new and in free improvisation and new jazz, he has established himself as an artist who has not only mastered, but redefined the instrument. In 2014, the National Flute Association honored Robert Dick with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In this podcast we spoke about how he overcame Covid-19, his revolutionary Glissando headjoint, and the music on his playlist. He also talked about a new book that he is working on and the three books that he has already published, among many other topics and stories. For more information about Robert Dick please visit: http://robertdick.net/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 99: Wadada Leo Smith. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Wadada Leo Smith, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser is one of the most acclaimed creative artists of his times, both for his music and his writings. For the last five decades, Mr. Smith has been a member of the historical and legendary AACM collective. He distinctly defines his music as “Creative Music.” Mr. Smith’s diverse discography reveals a recorded history centered around important issues that have impacted his world. In this podcast we talk about improvisation, creative music, and the African-American Improvisation program at Cal Arts. Mr. Smith talks about his collaborations with Vijay Iyer and Anthony Braxton, his Ankhrasmation language scores, and much more. For more information about Wadada Leo Smith please visit: https://wadadaleosmith.com/  © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 98: Diane Schuur, Grammy winning jazz vocalist Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan Schuur’s much-laureled career includes two Grammy Awards---each for Best Jazz Vocal Performance---on Timeless (1986) and Diane Schuur and The Count Basie Orchestra (1987). Both were released by GRP Records, the label that had launched her recording career. Schuur scored three additional Grammy nominations for subsequent albums Pure Schuur and Love Songs, as well as for the individual track “The Christmas Song.” Schuur’s music has explored almost every locale on the American musical landscape, and her attendant studio collaborations---showcasing her pitch-perfect execution and three-and-a-half-octave vocal range---are a who’s who of American originators in a plethora of styles. They include the albums Heart To Heart with B.B. King and Swingin’ for Schuur” with Maynard Ferguson, alongside assorted tracks with Stan Getz, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Mark Knopfler and Jose Feliciano, among countless others. Distinguished producers who have joined forces with Schuur include Phil Ramone (Friends For Schuur), André Fisher (Pure Schuur, In Tribute), Barry Manilow (Midnight), Steve Buckingham (The Gathering), Dave Grusin (Schuur Thing, Deedles, Timeless) Al Schmitt (Blues for Schuur, Love Walked In) and Oscar Castro-Neves (Schuur Fire). In this podcast we talk about her many collaborations with Stan Getz, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and a long list of others. Ms. Schuur also talks about her new album, childhood in Washington, Sesame Street appearance, and much more. For more information about Diane Schuur please visit: http://www.dianeschuur.com/index.php © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 97: Martin Kuuskmann, Estonian-born bassoon virtuoso Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan Grammy nominated Estonian-born bassoon virtuoso, Martin Kuuskmann’s charismatic and commanding performances throughout the world have earned him repute as one of the leading solo instrumentalists of his generation. Kuuskmann has appeared with conductors Neeme, Paavo and Kristjan Järvi, Robert Spano, Tõnu Kaljuste, Risto Joost, Nikolay Aleksejev, Anu Tali, Mihhail Gerts, Kirk Trevor, Leonid Grin, and with orchestras such as Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Chile, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Lukes, Estonian Festival Orchestra, Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra, Macao Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the Norrlandsoperan, and many others. Constantly pushing the boundaries for new artistic and technical possibilities, Kuuskmann has premiered 11 bassoon concertos, all written and dedicated to him by some of the foremost composers of our time, including Erkki-Sven Tüür, Christopher Theofanidis, Eino Tamberg, Tõnu Kõrvits, Ülo Krigul, Gene Pritsker, David Chesky, Gregor Huebner and Charles Coleman. In this podcast we talk about Martin's start in music and specifically bassoon, collaborating with artists with various genres, repertoire and inspirational figures. We also talk about teaching and performing during Covid-19, concertos and life changing moments. For more information about Martin Kuuskmann please visit: http://kuuskmann.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 96: Øystein Baadsvik, international soloist and chamber musician. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan Øystein Baadsvik is voted one of the top ten brass players in history by the listeners on Classic FM. He did the first TED talk on the topic tuba and is one of the most popular classical musicians on YouTube with more than six million views. His multi-faceted musical career as a soloist and recording artist has taken him all over the world. He regularly gives master classes and clinics at major universities worldwide. In this podcast we talk about his approach to tuba techniques, composition, and hobbies. Mr. Baadsvik also talks about the ways he practiced in different times of his life and how he built a unique career as an international soloist, chamber musician and teacher. For more information about Øystein Baadsvik please visit: https://www.baadsvik.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 95: Holly Mathieson, conductor Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan New Zealand-born Holly Mathieson is an award-winning conductor, regularly working with opera houses, ballet companies and orchestras in Europe, Australasia and North America. She is the Music Director Designate of Symphony Nova Scotia, Co-Artistic Director of the Nevis Ensemble with Jon Hargreaves, and founder and artistic director of Rata Music Collective. She frequently records for BBC Radio, and her first major commercial recording with Decca reached #1 on the UK classical charts. Her work has seen her travel to nearly every continent on the planet, and perform for audiences spanning from the British Royal Family and Europe’s political elites, to Scotland’s homeless and refugee communities. In this podcast we talk about programming, her time as an orchestra librarian, working with young musicians and music in time of Covid-19. Fascinating conversation with lots of stories! For more information about Holly Mathieson please visit: https://www.hollymathieson.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020