Talking Classical Podcast

 I'm so pleased to share a conversation I recorded back in September with Iestyn Davies. Iestyn is one of the world's most sought after countertenors. A noted interpreter of Handel. His repertoire also extends beyond the traditional confines of the Baroque repertoire, having recently released a disc of English song, and relishing the challenges of contemporary music, as you'll hear later in this conversation. Iestyn and I talked about a range of topics, including his favourite Handel roles, his thoughts on Baroque ornamentation, acting, what it was like working with Sir Mark Rylance, the countertenor repertoire, and maintaining a career in the classical music industry, including some of his thoughts about the advantages and disadvantages of competitions and the music college system. I'd seen Iestyn a few months before in a concert performance of Handel's opera Orlando back in the summer with the Academy of Ancient Music at the Barbican; a terrific afternoon of music. We spent the first part talking about this concert, leading into a discussion about some of the more cumbersome aspects of Handel's writing and in concert performances. Thank you very much Iestyn for giving up your time, as well as your patience, your good humour and wise words throughout the hour or so we spent talking.

Last month, I was delighted to speak to cellist and composer Matthew Barley. His latest album, Light Stories is a deeply personal exploration of his own journey from darkness to light. Having experienced, a psychotic drug incident as a teenager. Matthew found solace in his cello playing and music-making as you'll hear in a moment. Matthew and I talked about the genesis behind his Light Stories project, which not only includes his album but also a series of multimedia concert performances this autumn across the UK. Further dates are to be announced. Matthew also has planned to set up an arts foundation to help young people learn more about the importance of good mental health practices through music and the performing arts. Additionally, we discussed improvisation within a classical music context, and our own experiences of mental health. If you're affected by any of the issues in this podcast. Please do contact a helpline or seek medical help. Thank you also to Rebecca and Flora at RDMR for putting me in touch with Matthew for this interview. Additional music: The Dreaming by Matthew Barley from Light Stories released on 27 September, 2024 on Signum Classics. https://matthewbarley.com

On this podcast, sometimes I like to venture outside of the traditional confines of the classical music world and speak to people who have a relationship with classical music but work in different art forms. My guest on this episode is just that. Adam Cooper is a dancer, choreographer, director and all-round performer. He's best-known as a former Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet, and for originating the role of the Swan in Sir Matthew Bourne's re-invention of Swan Lake. Adam and I met back in April at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, a lovely intimate theatre just an hour away from London. Check out their events programme and do take a visit if you're in the area! In our conversation, we talked about a lot of different areas, including: being in a musical family, the role of music in his personal and performing life, studying music at the Royal Ballet School, choreographing, creating new scores, and the challenges of singing and dancing; often, simultaneously! This was a really fascinating insight into a different perspective on dance, performing and choreography. Adam's playing the role of Zac in the musical A Chorus Line, which is about to complete a London run at Sadler's Wells and then continues on a UK tour until the beginning of October. Many thanks to Adam and also to Stephanie, Fran and Molly at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre for making us feel so welcome during our recording! - https://www.mradamcooper.com

On the last episode, I spoke to cellist Gabriella Swallow. This guest describes her as her "mysterious benefactor!" Like Gabriella, Verity Simmons is one of the most in-demand and versatile cellists within the music industry. She has a wide range of work from chamber music, West End shows, and being a session musician with some of the leading pop artists. You might also recognise her as the presenter of the popular podcast Three In a Bar which she hosts with fellow musician Seb Philpott where they've talked to a range of musicians, performers and creatives. I met Verity back in April in London at the Caravan Café on a wet morning but that was made up with some excellent coffee and ambiance. We talked about her musical training, making the transition between college and the profession, playing and adapting styles for different repertoire such as West End shows and pop music, and presenting and podcasting. https://www.estilostringquartet.com https://www.threeinabar.com

Gabriella Swallow is one of the most in-demand and versatile cellists in the music industry. She plays everything from traditional classical repertoire to contemporary music, and playing with pop artists. She's about to finish playing in the band for the acclaimed West End show Standing at the Sky's Edge, a love letter to the city of Sheffield back dropped by the songs of Richard Hawley. I met Gabriella back in May. Gabriella has an extremely busy schedule so we were able to fit in a record in the foyer of the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House, in between coming from teaching and just before she was about to play in the show that evening. We talked about her musical background, mental health and teaching practices, collaborating with pop artists and celebrity performers such as Hugh Jackman and Rob Brydon, her special English cello which she plays in Standing at the Sky's Edge and memorable moments on stage! https://www.gabriellaswallow.com

Camilla Harris is a British soprano, fast establishing herself in the opera world. Camilla and I were at university together, so it was lovely to meet her in March at her house in London and talk to her after a long time. Among the topics we talked about included: Camilla's journey into music, the importance of her training as a chorister, training at college and during the COVID-19 pandemic, recital programmes (including Camilla's debut recital disc Chère Nuit available on Linn Records), favourite composers, and taking recordings with a pinch of salt. Camilla is currently singing the role of Helena in Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream at Garsington Opera. She'll be reprising the role in a performance at the BBC Proms in September and with Opera North in the autumn. - https://www.camillaharrissoprano.com

Ed Lyon is an internationally recognised tenor who enjoys a career in a wide range of repertoire from the Baroque to contemporary music, and performs in many of the major opera houses and concert platforms around the world. He is also a therapist, who specialises in helping people in the classical music industry deal with its unique challenges.  Last month, I played in a concert of Bach's St. Matthew Passion where Ed was singing the role of the Evangelist. The concert also featured the St. Albans Bach Choir and Sinfonia Verdi Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Lucas. A few weeks after the concert, I met Ed in London to talk more about the day, as well as his work and approaches as a singer and therapist.  Among the topics we discuss include: what can be the impact of therapeutic techniques for classical musicians; identity as a classical musician; performance anxiety; the importance of creating a safe environment in rehearsals and performance; cultivating your mindset as a performer; and Ed's approach to the role of the Evangelist. I was moved by how openly Ed spoke about his own experiences. It was also really insightful to understand classical music performance within psychological and therapeutic frameworks. Thank you so much Ed for taking the time to speak, and also to Ed Maitland Smith at the Barbican Centre for kindly hosting and providing us with a room. Check out their season for the rest of this year and next! - https://edlyon.info https://www.edlyon-therapy.co.uk - --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

Emily Pailthorpe is an an internationally renowned oboist who also practises as a psychotherapist, seeing clients for the NHS and at The Door clinic in Chiswick, as well as online in private practice. I spoke to Emily in June when we talked about her versatile work in oboe playing and psychotherapy, and how both areas relate to each other. This led us to talk about a range of topics such as the healing power of music, mental health and wellbeing, breathwork, and two pieces that Emily has recorded for her YouTube channel: Britten's Six Metamorphoses after Ovid and an instrumental reinterpretation of Vaughan Williams's great art song, Silent Noon. These two works speak to the psyche and the great emotive sway music has on both player and listener. www.emilypailthorpe.comwww.emilypailthorpetherapy.comwww.conchord.co.uk Trailer for Six Metamorphoses after Ovid film. The full film will be premiered on Emily's YouTube channel on 10 January 2024, followed by a Q&A. Subscribe to Emily's YouTube channel for the release: https://www.youtube.com/@EmilyPailthorpe. Emily performs Silent Noon (for oboe and piano) by Vaughan Williams, accompanied by Julian Milford. Enjoy a sample of this performance towards the beginning and end of the podcast! Emily talks about Silent Noon. Interview with Emily recorded 26 June 2023 at Richmond Library Annexe, London. Updated and published 24 November 2023. Thank you to Alitu for the amazing audio editing software to help with the podcast; it's so simple and easy to use for anyone looking to make a podcast and wanting to make editing stress free! https://alitu.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

Hattie Butterworth and Rebecca Toal are professionally trained classical musicians, Initially training as a cellist, Hattie is currently the editor of the Opera Now magazine and Rebecca is a freelance trumpeter who is training to be a counsellor. They also host a successful podcast called Things Musicians Don't Talk About, which is aimed at destigmatizing difficult conversations about aspects of being a classical musician and working in the music industry. I met Hattie and Rebecca to talk about their podcast, as well as their experiences of training at music college, developing transferable skills and other work assets alongside one's work as a classical musician and the future of the classical music industry. Interview with Hattie and Rebecca recorded 20 April at the Royal Opera House and remotely 26 May 2023. Published 4 June 2023. Main editing from Your Podcast Editor. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

Brandon Lawrence is a Principal Dancer of the Birmingham Royal Ballet company but will be leaving at the end of the 22/23 season to join Ballett Zürich, the ballet company of Opernhaus Zürich. In this wide-ranging discussion, Brandon and I discuss his love of classical music, specific aspects surrounding the relationship between music and dance, working with orchestras and conductors, favourite ballet scores, and dancing narrative and non-narrative ballets, among other things. Brandon's real passion and extensive knowledge not only of the ballet canon but the classical music repertoire comes through immensely, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot from this discussion. I had a wonderful time visiting the Birmingham Royal Ballet headquarters and thank you to Brandon and the staff for making me feel so welcome! Interview with Brandon recorded 13 April 2023; podcast published 21 April 2023. Brandon's bio - https://www.brandonlawrence.co.uk/brandonlawrence. Interview with conductor Jonathan Lo on Brandon's Open Barre podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gvujQG4LkE8JkWyyawKzF?si=NLcdJCJNQCy7X_b251Q5IQ. Main editing Your Podcast Editor. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

Anthony Roth Costanzo is one of the world's most in demand countertenors who has recently completed a run of Philip Glass' opera Akhnaten at English National Opera, performing the title role of the legendary Egyptian king. In this short interview (Anthony was very kindly taking some time out from his off day to speak to me), we talked about some of the challenges of performing the very demanding role of Akhnaten, working directly with Philip Glass, the development of the countertenor voice, presenting classical music to new audiences, and bringing joy to audiences on stage. Anthony's bio: https://anthonyrothcostanzo.com/About. The i's review of Akhnaten: https://inews.co.uk/culture/akhnaten-london-coliseum-review-astonishing-staging-philip-glass-proves-why-we-need-the-eno-2216322. Anthony's Humans of Classical Music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXab0t6dnSE. Anthony's performance of Gershwin's classic "I Got Rhythm": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAnyv4LV8ko. Interview with Anthony recorded 20 March 2023; podcast published 8 April 2023. Main editing by German at Your Podcast Editor. Anchor is now part of Spotify for Podcasters. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

I'm delighted to be welcoming on this podcast Guy Johnston. Guy is one of Britain's leading cellists who was the winner of the BBC's Young Musician of the Year back in 2000 which set him on a glittering international career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. This podcast was recorded after Guy had given two performances of Elgar's Cello Concerto at very short notice with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, having come for a short trip from the States to England. And we managed to cover a number of different topics over the short time we had including: performing last-minute concerts, being a musical parent, growing up in a musical household, training in the States, Guy's new YouTube series Creative Cello Chats, playing on a Stradivarius and interpreting Bach, which Guy has been a real exponent of. Interview recorded 27 January 2023; podcast published 18 February 2023. Edited Joe Eftihiou at Clarion; additional edits Annabelle Lee. Guy's bio: https://guy-johnston.com/biography Creative Cello Chats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ziGbwPHIR4 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8KqYRfsnIA Live stream of Guy's performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Wigglesworth (available till 24 February): https://bsolive.com/book-online/106202 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

I'm pleased to present this discussion with Emily Beynon, one of the Principal Flautists with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. I had the pleasure of seeing the orchestra at one of their concerts during their London residency at the Barbican Centre. Thank you to the Barbican Centre's Press Team for arranging that amazing experience! In this podcast, Emily and I discuss her musical journey, training in both London and Paris, playing with the Concertgebouw Orchestra (including in the hall itself), some of the flutes she plays and advice for practising. Interview recorded 7 December 2022; published 16 January 2023. Emily's bio: https://emilybeynon.com/biography Emily's Lockdown Insanity Project (all videos available to watch on her YouTube channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y2Rd7O8Xzs Emily's masterclass at London's Royal Academy of Music takes place on 14 March 2023 - booking essential: https://tickets.ram.ac.uk/sales/categories/masterclasses/masterclass-emily-beynon Edited Joe Eftihiou; additional edits Annabelle Lee. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

I'm pleased to share this conversation with Claire Wickes, Principal Flautist of the Orchestra of English National Opera. Alongside her work as a flute player, she has recently developed a career as a media composer. I met Claire in October at the Royal Opera House a few hours before she had a performance at the London Coliseum that same evening. We talked about her musical journey, studying music at university and college, learning from different teachers, experiences of playing in the orchestra with ENO (including on the stage of the Coliseum!) and her composing activities. This podcast was recorded before the formal announcement at the start of November regarding ENO's funding cuts from the Arts Council and their possible relocation to Manchester. Listen to the podcast here! Interview recorded 19 October 2022; podcast published 14 January 2023. Edited Joe Eftihiou; additional edits Annabelle Lee. Claire's bio: https://www.clairewickes.com/bio. Claire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairewritesmusic. Batman: Broken Promise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c_ORJHJXgI. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/talking-classical-podcast/message

Davina Clarke is a violinist based in London who specialises in historically informed performance and Baroque music. She also hosts her own podcast called The Classical Corner where she has had the opportunity to speak to a number of distinguished artists about what makes them the top of their field. I was pleased to speak to Davina during a Saturday morning in October over Zoom where we talked about the world of historical performance practice today and some of her exciting musical projects including her latest album of Handel and a video series with the Connaught Hotel entitled Musical Mixology which aims to explain different aspects of classical music to a cocktail drinking audience. She also has an album out now including Handel's Nine German Arias and two violin sonatas by the composer. Thanks to Davina for taking the time to speak to me. Davina's album Sweet Stillness is available to stream, download or purchase wherever you like to get your music! Davina's album Sweet Stillness: https://orcd.co/kv0avry Musical Mixology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15MiR-5Ud6w (all episodes available to watch on Davina's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@davinaclarke6578) The Classical Corner podcast: https://lnkfi.re/classicalcorner Davina's bio: http://www.davinaclarke.com/about-davina End music: George Frideric Handel. Meine Seele hört im Sehen, HWV207 from Nine German Arias [performed by Mary Bevan, Davina Clarke and the Davina Clarke Ensemble]. On Sweet Stillness. Voces8 Records. (Original work composed 1724-1726). Interview recorded 22 October 20222; podcast published 14 December 2022. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Last week, I was so pleased to meet Ralph Allwood for a podcast interview. Having played under him in a concert with the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir a few years ago, and having interviewed for this podcast several distinguished alumni he has taught, it was wonderful to talk to him about his extensive and pioneering work in choral directing, singing and teaching music. We also talked about his involvement setting up the Rodolfus Choral Courses (formerly the Uppingham and Eton Choral Courses) and more recently the Pimlico Musical Foundation. You're going to find this such an inspiring and motivating listen! Podcast interview recorded 25 November 2022 at Ralph's flat in London (thank you Ralph and Alastair Davey for making me feel welcome!); podcast published 28 November 2022. Pimlico Musical Foundation concert "Earth, Sun and the Stars" - 30 November 2022: https://pimlicomusicalfoundation.org.uk/whats-on-list/earth-sun-and-the-stars. Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir Carol Services - 11 and 12 December 2022: https://ornc.org/whats-on/chapel-carol-services. Applications for the 2023 Rodolfus Choral Courses are now open! https://talkingclassicalpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/rf_choral_courses_2023_poster_a4.pdf. 2023 Adult Choral Course: https://talkingclassicalpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/rf_adult_choral_course_2023_poster_a4.pdf. Ralph's bio: https://ralphallwood.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

I'm pleased to share this podcast with Daniel Pailthorpe, Co-Principal Flautist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. We had a fascinating discussion about his musical journey growing up, parallels between flute playing and singing, solo performances, what it's like playing for one of the top symphony orchestras in the country, performing at the BBC Proms and Royal Albert Hall (including a memorable concert involving the then five members of Monty Python!), tone production and vibrato. Podcast interview recorded 26 September 2022 at Daniel's home in Richmond, London; Daniel's additional commentary about tone production and throat tuning recorded 12 November 2022; podcast released 16 November 2022. Due to some digital noise when I started recording, here's also what he said when I asked him about his musical journey growing up: "I actually don't come from a particularly musical family. My father loved music but was not a trained musician at all. Bach was his passion and he transferred that to me. It was just a very pure love of music without having an instrument but they very much encouraged me in my music, took me to concerts. It so happened that both of my godparents who they chose when I was born were both very keen musicians and so they helped to introduce me to the world of music." Crumb - Voice of the Whale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd76Q-yA5M4. Daniel's arrangement of Prokofiev's Scenes from Romeo and Juliet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmca0PTyy-c. Daniel's arrangement of Scenes from Romeo and Juliet for oboe - https://youtu.be/lB07FNY84DQ. End music: Margaret Hubicki (2005). From the Isles of the Sea [performed by Daniel Pailthorpe and James Kirby]. On Dedication in Time: Chamber Music by Margaret Hubicki. Chandos. (Premiere recording). Podcast intro and outro music by Helena and Annabelle Lee. Podcast edited by Joe Eftihiou, additional edits from Daniel Pailthorpe and Annabelle Lee. One of the few orchestral principals of international standing who plays on a modern wood flute, Daniel Pailthorpe has gained a world-wide following for the uniqueness and breadth of his sound as well as the warmth of his musicianship. As co-principal flautist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Daniel is regularly heard on BBC Radio 3 and at the Proms. He features prominently on the BBCTV 'Symphony' series and is a familiar face on the Last Night of the Proms. Together with his wife Emily Pailthorpe and the pianist Julian Milford, he founded the London Conchord Ensemble. The group has rapidly gained an international reputation, performing in some of the world's most prestigious concert series. His recordings, ranging from Poulenc to Bach and George Crumb, have enjoyed many accolades, among them Sunday Telegraph's CD of the week and Classic FM's CD of the month. Singing featured prominently in Daniel's musical training: he began as a choirboy aged six, was a finalist in the UK Chorister of the Year competition, and went on to become a Choral scholar at Clare College, Cambridge. After a year of postgraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music, Daniel was the recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Centre, USA. His flute studies took him to Paris and America and his teachers include William Bennett, Derek Honner, Gaston Crunelle, Thomas Nyfenger and Geoffrey Gilbert. He has gone on to be much in demand as a guest principal with many orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is one of London's most sought-after session musicians, featuring on the soundtracks for many films. As a teacher Daniel has been a coach for the National Youth Orchestra and is a Professor of flute at the Royal College of Music. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

I am delighted to be back after a break from the podcast, and to share this discussion with coloratura soprano and Broadway soprano actor Meghan Picerno. Meghan is a wonderful and unique artist who has not only great success in and understanding of the operatic world and repertoire but more recently in musical theatre. In this podcast, we talk about Meghan's career in opera and the turning point for her journey into musical theatre, which started at Plácido Domingo's Operalia competition at Covent Garden. We also discussed the crossover and differences between opera and musical theatre in terms of performance, style, interpretation and techniques. It's great to hear Meghan is keen to bring back her singing and acting experience of musical theatre back into the opera she initially trained in. This is a fascinating listen for anyone who's interested in classical music and opera and wanting to learn more about musical theatre and vice versa if there are any listeners who are more bent towards musicals. Meghan's bio: https://www.meghanpicerno.com/about Notes: A Zwischenfach voice refers to a singer who can sing different roles within the range of a soprano and a mezzo-soprano. The "Don Quixote" musical I am referring to at the end of the podcast is The Man of La Mancha, which is inspired by the same novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Podcast recorded 5 July 2022; published 18 July 2022. Editing by Saw and Sine. Additional editing from Annabelle Lee. Music by Helena and Annabelle Lee. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this episode, I am pleased to share a discussion recorded earlier this year with Andy Higgs. Andy is a composer and piano accompanist specialising in writing and playing music for dance. Kasper Cornish (a previous guest on the podcast) recommended I talked to Andy as they both work together regularly in dance classes. We discuss Andy's journey to composing and accompanying dance, as well as the challenges and processes surrounding the disciplines. We also discuss career highlights, including Andy's work for the Stopgap Dance Company, a pioneering UK dance company which includes disabled and non-disabled dancers. Podcast interview recorded 22 February 2022 at London Contemporary Dance School; published 9 April 2022. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Last month, I talked to Nina Brazier, an opera director who is currently on the staff at Oper Frankfurt. We discussed Nina's journey to becoming an opera director, the differences between the opera world (and approaches to opera directing) in Germany compared to the UK, her approach to directing, what happens on an opening night and her role in that, and diversity and inclusion in the opera business. Nina's bio: http://www.ninabrazier.co.uk Nina's podcast The Opera Pod: https://www.theoperapod.com Podcast recorded remotely on 2 February 2022; published 8 March 2022. Music by Helena and Annabelle Lee --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Last month, I recorded a podcast interview with Chief Executive of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Stephen Maddock. In this discussion, we talked about how Stephen got into the world of arts management and what led him to the esteemed post he's in today. We also discuss what makes the CBSO distinctive, the role of the orchestra within the city of Birmingham, artistic programming and challenges of Stephen's position. Stephen's bio: https://cbso.co.uk/profile/stephen-maddock. Podcast recorded 15 February 2022 at the CBSO Centre, Birmingham; posted 8 March 2022. Music by Helena and Annabelle Lee. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Happy New Year! I'm so excited to start 2022 with a great discussion with Gerald Finley, one of the world's leading opera and concert singers. I was pleased to talk to him amidst his very busy schedule. We talked last year, a few months ahead of a US recital tour he's embarking on next week with renowned British pianist Julius Drake. Gerry had been very busy over the past two years despite the Coronavirus pandemic and UK national lockdowns so we started off by talking about what he'd been up to. We also talked about a wide range of topics from young singers, conservatoire life and the challenges and high points within a long and illustrious career. Additionally, we discussed some of the interesting issues raised crossing different genres such as opera, musical theatre and acting. Interview with Gerry recorded 26 August 2021. Podcast published 21 January 2022. Gerry's bio: http://www.geraldfinley.com/about. US tour dates: http://www.geraldfinley.com/event-directory. *The discussion about King Lear towards the end of the podcast refers to a project last year at the UK's Grange Festival, where a group of established opera singers acted Shakespeare's play. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this podcast, we'll be hearing from Andrew Nethsingha, Director of Music for the world-renowned Choir of St. John's College at the University of Cambridge. We talk about the Choir's latest album The Tree, a selection of recordings representing the idea of growth and showcasing the Choir under three of its music directors: Nethsingha, as well as David Hill and Christopher Robinson. We also discuss the idea of tradition, the St. John's sound and the introduction of women in the choir next year. Andrew also talks about the unique experience at St. John's College School (the Choir's school for young choristers) and how potential choristers can apply. Email choir@joh.cam.ac.uk for more information. Interview recorded 14 December 2021; podcast published 22 December 2021. Thank you to Premier for sponsoring this episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this episode, we'll be hearing from Zvonimir Hačko, conductor and Artistic Director of the newly initiated International Centre for Contemporary Music (ICCM). We'll learn more about the ICCM and what the future and development of contemporary music might look like over the next few years. One of the ICCM's inaugural projects is recording the complete symphonies of Penderecki, and we'll hear more about this recording process. We also discuss audience responses and perceptions towards contemporary music, particularly in light of the recording of Penderecki's symphonies Zvonimir is directing and conducting with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Zvonimir's bio: http://www.zhacko.com/biography. ICCM: https://www.iccmlondon.org. Zvonimir's article "Beyond Artistic Homogeneity," which he refers to in the podcast: https://www.iccmlondon.org/beyond-artistic-homogeneity. Thank you to Premier Communications for sponsoring this episode! Interview with Zvonimir recorded 23 November 2021; podcast published 7 December 2021. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this podcast, we're hearing from Kirill Gerstein and learning about his fascinating webinar series "Kirill Gerstein invites." Over the past two years, Kirill has been hosting these webinars, alongside his rich and diverse career as an international concert pianist. Kirill Gerstein invites is presented in association with the Kronberg Academy, where he teaches. Podcast recorded 29 November 2021; published 1 December 2021 (intro added 4 December 2021). Kirill's bio: https://kirillgerstein.com/biography. Kirill Gerstein invites: https://kirillgerstein.com/ventures/kirill-gerstein-invites. Watch previous seminars here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbBJqVJEs-coNaXvQepQWrg/videos. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this podcast, I talked to Julia Bishop, leading violinist specialising in Baroque and historical performance practice. You may also best know her as the co-founder of the pioneering Baroque quartet Red Priest. In this wide-ranging discussion, we talked about Julia's journey into Baroque music, what it was like to be involved in the early music movement in the 1980s and 1990s and the philosophy behind Red Priest. We also discussed life as a touring musician, acting on stage and feeling confident in what you're wearing on stage, which can aid how you feel when playing in a performance. Red Priest's members wear worn bold, eye-catching costumes when they give concerts. Julia talked about her approaches to teaching Baroque music as well. Finally, she gave some advice to newcomers, aspiring to get into the music industry. Julia's bio: https://www.juliabishopviolin.com/gallery-2. Podcast recorded 18 October 2021; published 16 November 2021. Music used in the podcast: Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto in E Major - 'La Primavera' (Spring) - Allegro from The Four Seasons, Red Priest (Red Priest Recordings, RP003, 2009). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Last week, I got to go to the iconic Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club during a brief visit to London. I met the club's Artistic Director James Pearson who is both equally at home in jazz and classical music. We talked about the similarities and the differences between both genres, playing styles, improvisation, orchestration and how this feeds into the acoustics of music. We also discussed James' programme which he presented last year with his trio at Ronnie Scott's. This concert was live streamed and celebrated the legacy of legendary comedian, entertainer and musician Dudley Moore. He was someone who could effortlessly cross the boundaries between jazz and classical music. Younger listeners should take a look at his inimitable pastiches of Beethoven, Britten, Fauré, Schubert and Kurt Weill, which are available to watch on YouTube. James reflected on the legacy and history of Ronnie Scott's, including the eclectic range of artists who have performed on the stage. This led us to discuss working across different genres and great pianists such as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett who learnt jazz music through playing classical piano. Finally, James gave me a walk around the venue, sharing stories about the club and some of the musicians who played there as we went along. This is an experience I will never forget! Thank you to James and the staff at Ronnie Scott's for making me feel so welcome! James' bio: https://www.jamespearsonmusic.com/about. Watch James Pearson presents 'A Portrait of Dudley Moore'; concert with his trio live streamed from Ronnie Scott's on 30 November 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0LKPt7qFuY. Interview recorded 20 October 2021; podcast published on 30 October 2021. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this podcast, we're hearing from musician and creator of PlayScore 2 Anthony Wilkes. PlayScore 2 is a music scanning app from Organum Ltd. Anthony talks about how he came to develop the app and its exciting features that make it essential for any musician. We also learn about the technology behind PlayScore 2 called Optical Music Recognition (also known as OMR). In short, it is the musical version of Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Anthony talks about the development of OMR, some of its challenges and whether technology has improved or impeded the way we learn music today. Optical Music Recognition on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_music_recognition. playscore.co Organum Ltd is a UK company based in Oxford specialising in printed and handwritten optical music recognition. Anthony also created the handwritten music recognition engine in the popular NotateMe app, and the PhotoScore application from Neuratron Ltd. As a musician Anthony studied cello with Caroline Bosanquet and Rohan de Saram, and plays in several ensembles. You can also see Anthony's composer's page on the IMSLP free music site. Podcast recorded on 14 October 2021; published 18 October 2021. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Last week, I went to the University of Birmingham (UK) to learn about its MA Music: Choral Conducting pathway, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. In the first part of this podcast, we'll hear from the course's director Simon Halsey. He talks about how the course was developed from his desire to pass on what he'd learnt from an extensive career as a choral conductor and director, specifically, training a choir to sing with an orchestra. This is the course's main focus - it's the only choral conducting course to be run with a major international orchestra: the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. However, students are immersed in many genres of choral conducting throughout the degree. It's an intensive course but the students should leave with plenty of ideas about how to conduct choirs in their home countries or other capacities. Then we'll hear from four students on this year's course (2021/22), why they chose to specifically come to Birmingham, their ambitions and what attracts them to choral conducting. Simon Halsey occupies a unique position in classical music. He is the trusted advisor on choral singing to the world's greatest conductors, orchestras and choruses; as an ambassador for choral singing to amateurs of every age, ability and background he has led ground-breaking massed choral events, notably for New York's Lincoln Center. Making singing a central part of the world-class institutions with which he is associated, he has been instrumental in changing the level of symphonic singing across Europe. He holds positions across the UK and Europe as Choral Director of London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Chorus Director of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Artistic Director of Orfeó Català Choirs and Artistic Adviser of Palau de la Música, BarcelonaCreative Director for Choral Music and Projects at WDR Rundfunkchor, Conductor Laureate of Rundfunkchor Berlin and Professor and Director of Choral Activities at University of Birmingham. He is also a highly respected teacher and academic, nurturing the next generation of choral conductors on his post-graduate course in Birmingham and through masterclasses at Princeton, Yale and elsewhere. He holds four honorary doctorates from universities in the UK, and in 2011 Schott Music published his book and DVD on choral conducting, Chorleitung: Vom Konzept zum Konzert. Halsey's numerous awards include three Grammys for his recordings with the Rundfunkchor Berlin. He was made Commander of the British Empire in 2015, was awarded The Queen's Medal for Music in 2014, and received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2011 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to choral music in Germany. Born in London, Simon Halsey sang in the choirs of New College, Oxford, and of King's College, Cambridge and studied conducting at the Royal College of Music in London. In 1987, he founded with Graham Vick the City of Birmingham Touring Opera. He was Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir from 1997 to 2008 and Principal Conductor of the Northern Sinfonia's Choral Programme from 2004 to 2012. From 2001-2015 he led the Rundfunkchor Berlin (of which he is now Conductor Laureate); under his leadership the chorus gained a reputation internationally as one of the finest professional choral ensembles. Halsey also initiated innovative projects in unconventional venues and interdisciplinary formats. MA Music (Choral Conducting) students: Jonathan Hatley, Jonathan Lucas Wood, James Bate and Daniel Tíjaro. *Interview with the MA students recorded in the foyer of Birmingham University's Music Hub - edited transcript here: https://bit.ly/3mHZzLf. Interviews recorded on 4 October 2021; published 12 October 2021. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this podcast, we hear from Tim Rhys-Evans who is Director of Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. I talked to him about how the past two years have been in the role (in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic), what his post entails as well as many of the College's exciting and varied opportunities. They include an international concert series at the Dora Stoutzker concert hall and a new BMus programme focusing on areas such as collaboration, artistry and the role of a musician in society. We also talk about the importance of mental health. Tim featured in a BBC documentary called All in the Mind which won a Welsh BAFTA and aired in May 2016. In this programme, he talked candidly and openly to camera about his experiences of mental health, while maintaining a successful music career, most notably, with his choirs Only Men Aloud (winners of the BBC One reality choir competition Last Choir Standing) and Only Boys Aloud (which made the final of ITV's Britain's Got Talent). This led us to discuss why he made the documentary, advice for music students and young musicians to improve their mental health and what the Royal Welsh College has been doing to promote mental health and wellbeing. This podcast raises many pertinent issues and questions regarding what a conservatoire should look like in the twenty-first century, and the Royal Welsh College is certainly a prime example. Please note that the latter half of this podcast contains discussion of suicidal ideation and mental illness. Recorded 15 September 2021 over Zoom; published 25 September 2021. Tim's bio: https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/staff/tim-rhys-evans. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Today, we're talking to arts entrepreneur and marketing consultant David Taylor. He works with a range of orchestras, arts organisations and individuals on developing their business and marketing strategy, with particular reference to digital media. In this podcast interview, we consider the changes the classical music industry has seen over the last year and if it has changed with regards to today's current trends and stylistics. We also discuss what the classical sector can learn from other industries such as pop, media and sports with regards to their marketing and branding. Additionally, David talks about how he develops a strategy with the clients he works with, using the example of the Philharmonia Orchestra. We talk about how musicians and organisations can best use social media and interact with their audiences, for example, the concert enhancement strategy of artists talking to their audience during a performance. Podcast interview recorded 16 July 2021; published 20 July 2021. One of the leading entrepreneurs in the world of classical music, David Taylor has built his career on a dynamic and energetic approach to bringing innovation to the arts, leading him to be named on Forbes 30 under 30 Europe 2018 list, alongside Paul Pogba, Rita Ora, Dua Lipa, Anthony Joshua, Maisie Williams and Little Mix. Described as an “arts innovator” by the BBC, David's accomplishments and pioneering approach to digital marketing in the arts has led him to become a highly sought after consultant with arts organisations and individuals in both Europe and the USA. David created Yorkshire Young Sinfonia (YYS) in 2015, growing it to reach an audience of over 7.5 million people in just 4 years. He also led YYS to win the Arts and Culture Award at the White Rose Awards 2016, the largest tourism awards in the UK. In 2015, the BBC Radio 4 programme “Birth of an Orchestra” documented the creation of YYS and allowed David to showcase his passion for classical music on the national stage. In addition, both David and YYS have featured on Sky News, BBC News, The Times, The Telegraph, BBC Look North, Classic FM, BBC Radio 3, Il Giornale and Classical Music Magazine. In 2017, David led YYS to become the first youth orchestra in the world to be 100% digital in partnership with the app Newzik, using iPads instead of sheet music. As a presenter, David has created projects with BBC Arts and interviewed Louis Theroux, Romesh Ranganathan, George Shelley and Katie Derham. David is passionate about enabling the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and 'doers' in the arts. He regularly speaks and writes about entrepreneurship, arts education and classical music. Prior to his career as an entrepreneur, David taught the cello at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Jerusalem. Website: www.david-taylor.org Twitter: @davidtaylor_uk Instagram: davidtaylor_uk Facebook: davidtaylormusicuk #ad PlayScore 2 - The App That Sight Reads Your Sheet Music PlayScore 2 is an amazing app that lets you play any music by taking a photo of your score. You can even scan in PDFs from a free sheet music site like IMSLP. If you don't read music, you can hear what it sounds like, or PlayScore 2 can accompany you in any key. If you sing in a choir, you can isolate your part on its own or with others in the background. PlayScore 2 also exports to score editors such as Dorico, MuseScore or Finale. playscore.co --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

*All Talking Classical podcasts on SoundCloud have been redirected to Anchor.* In this podcast, I'm showcasing Alternative Classical's new concert video jukebox Concert Roulette and Chris Warner's new album Wonders of the Cosmos. Concert Roulette Concert Roulette is a new video jukebox created by Alternative Classical specifically for this current crisis. All live concerts have been cancelled so streaming has become the way audiences are accessing music at this time. Viewers are presented with a randomly selected YouTube video from renaissance choral music to an experimental solo piece but you can either watch that particular performance or click onto the next one just like your streaming playlist. As people around the world are staying at home and looking for content to keep them entertained, Concert Roulette is a brilliant way to introduce new audiences to classical music without prior knowledge. To start your Concert Roulette, please go to alternativeclassical.co.uk/concert-roulette. Chris Warner The album was recorded in Ely Cathedral and at Abbey Road Studios, combining the amazing tonalities of the cathedral organ with gorgeous strings. It also features British soprano Grace Davidson, set amongst the 6-second reverberation of the cathedral. I talked to Chris on Zoom about combining his passion for astronomy with storytelling, framing his album around Ely Cathedral's organ, and advice for composers in today's digital age. To learn more about the album and Chris, please go to chriswarnermusic.com. Many thanks to Robert Shone at WildKat PR and Chris for their time! Interview recorded 29th April 2020; podcast published 13th May 2020. Chris Warner is a composer, sound designer, arranger, orchestrator and an avid astronomer. Having worked as a composer for the some of the finest UK theatres, including The RSC, the Lyric Theatre Belfast and The Royal Exchange Theatre, Chris dedicates his craft to telling stories through music and sound. Recent credits include original songs and music for Much Ado About Nothing at the prestigious Shakespeare At The Tobacco Factory and the original score and sound design for Olivier Award-Winning playwright Marie Jones' new play 'Archie in Manhatten'. PlayScore 2 - The App That Sight Reads Your Sheet Music #ad PlayScore 2 is an amazing app that lets you play any music by taking a photo of your score. You can even scan in PDFs from a free sheet music site like IMSLP. If you don't read music, you can hear what it sounds like, or PlayScore 2 can accompany you in any key. If you sing in a choir, you can isolate your part on its own or with others in the background. PlayScore 2 also exports to score editors such as Dorico, MuseScore or Finale. Download PlayScore 2 from your app store! playscore.co --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this series of 4 episodes delving into the world of music education and outreach in the UK, we'll be talking to inspirational musicians and facilitators working in some of the UK's leading organisations, ensembles and charities. How well supported is the music education sector? What is the National Plan for Music Education? What work are organisations and charities doing to tackle problems of access to early musical experiences and education? These are just some of the questions we'll be asking in a fascinating series that also hopes to illuminate some of the exciting and innovative work being done, even during the lockdowns of 2020/21. Written, presented and produced by Chris Warner. Chris is a composer and sound designer working across a range of theatre, television and film projects. Find out more about his work at www.chriswarnermusic.com. Episode 4 - Everybody Benefits In this final episode we look at the benefits that getting involved in education and outreach projects can bring to the players and musicians themselves, and we'll be finding out about the positive things to emerge out of lockdown for the Hallé and Ulster Orchestra education and outreach departments. Contributions and more information: Ulster Orchestra https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/learning-community-engagement https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/learning-community-engagement/learning/crescendo Rozzie Curlett, Ulster Orchestra Education Facilitator, Lucy McCullagh, Director of Learning & Community Engagement, Colin Stark, Education Liaison. Halle Orchestra https://www.halle.co.uk https://www.halle.co.uk/education https://www.halle.co.uk/education/halle-inspire Steve Pickett - Education Director, Jo Brockbank, Schools Programme Manager Awards For Young Musicians https://www.a-y-m.org Hester Cockcroft - Chief Executive Music featured in this episode: Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture 'Romeo & Juliet', Ulster Youth Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Rustioni, recorded at home during the 2020 Online Course and produced by Tom Wall from TW Post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtCX5QCCBR8 'Hope', composed by Ollie Lambert, performed by the Halle Workplace Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbY2t7AJO_o Lauren McCann and Brendan Kerr, Queen's University Belfast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS3cKjroSLU. 'Goddess Gaia', Words by Tony Mitton, Music by Steve Pickett, Animation by Peter Naish. https://www.halle.co.uk/gaia (animated cantata for Flute, Harp, Cello and Narrator, complete with comprehensive teaching resources for Primary Schools). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this series of 4 episodes delving into the world of music education and outreach in the UK, we'll be talking to inspirational musicians and facilitators working in some of the UK's leading organisations, ensembles and charities. How well supported is the music education sector? What is the National Plan for Music Education? What work are organisations and charities doing to tackle problems of access to early musical experiences and education? These are just some of the questions we'll be asking in a fascinating series that also hopes to illuminate some of the exciting and innovative work being done, even during the lockdowns of 2020/21. Written, presented and produced by Chris Warner. Chris is a composer and sound designer working across a range of theatre, television and film projects. Find out more about his work at www.chriswarnermusic.com. Episode 3 – Accessibility In this episode we explore some of the ground-breaking schemes and initiatives that are designed to break down barriers to musical experiences and music education in general. Contributors and more information: Awards For Young Musicians https://www.a-y-m.org Hester Cockcroft - Chief Executive Jess Gillam - https://www.jessgillamsax.co.uk Hallé Orchestra https://www.Halle.co.uk https://www.Halle.co.uk/education https://www.Halle.co.uk/education/Hallé-inspire Steve Pickett - Education Director Jo Brockbank - Schools Programme Manager Ulster Orchestra https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/learning-community-engagement https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/learning-community-engagement/learning/crescendo Lucy McCullagh - Director of Learning & Community Engagement Colin Stark - Education Liaison Richard Wigley - Managing Director National Plan for Music Education https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-importance-of-music-a-national-plan-for-music-education Cambridgeshire Music https://www.cambridgeshiremusic.org.uk Julia Ient - Business Development Manager, Cambridgeshire Music Able Orchestra https://www.orchestraslive.org.uk/projects/able-orchestra Music featured in this episode: 'More Up', composer Oliver Vibrans, performed by The Able Orchestra, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuuG8vquvTo. Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture 'Romeo & Juliet', Ulster Youth Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Rustioni, recorded at home during the 2020 Online Course and produced by Tom Wall from TW Post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtCX5QCCBR8. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this series of 4 episodes delving into the world of music education and outreach in the UK, we'll be talking to inspirational musicians and facilitators working in some of the UK's leading organisations, ensembles and charities. How well supported is the music education sector? What is the National Plan for Music Education? What work are organisations and charities doing to tackle problems of access to early musical experiences and education? These are just some of the questions we'll be asking in a fascinating series that also hopes to illuminate some of the exciting and innovative work being done, even during the lockdowns of 2020/21. Written, presented and produced by Chris Warner. Chris is a composer and sound designer working across a range of theatre, television and film projects. Find out more about his work at www.chriswarnermusic.com. Episode 2 - Partnerships In this episode we take a closer look at the work of two great UK orchestras, The Hallé in Manchester and the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, and more specifically the education and outreach departments that they run. We'll also discover the key to running successful education and outreach projects is building partnerships with other organisations. Contributors and more information: Ulster Orchestra https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/learning-community-engagement https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/learning-community-engagement/learning/crescendo Lucy McCullagh - Director of Learning & Community Engagement, Colin Stark - Education Liaison, Managing Director - Richard Wigley. More info about the Crescendo Project: https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/cesi/zones/News/CRESCENDOPROGRAMMEFINALEVENTJUNE2019.html https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/cesi/zones/News/CrescendoWidensitsAppeal.html Hallé Orchestra https://www.Halle.co.uk/education https://www.Halle.co.uk/education/Hallé-inspire Steve Pickett - Education Director, Jo Brockbank - Schools Programme Manager. Sistema England http://www.sistemaengland.org.uk Arts Council England https://www.artscouncil.org.uk Lyric Belfast https://lyrictheatre.co.uk/creative-learning Music featured in this episode: Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture 'Romeo & Juliet', Ulster Youth Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Rustioni, recorded at home during the 2020 Online Course and produced by Tom Wall from TW Post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtCX5QCCBR8 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

In this series of 4 episodes delving into the world of music education and outreach in the UK, we'll be talking to inspirational musicians and facilitators working in some of the UK's leading organisations, ensembles and charities. How well supported is the music education sector? What is the National Plan for Music Education? What work are organisations and charities doing to tackle problems of access to early musical experiences and education? These are just some of the questions we'll be asking in a fascinating series that also hopes to illuminate some of the exciting and innovative work being done, even during the lockdowns of 2020/21. Written, presented and produced by Chris Warner. Chris is a composer and sound designer working across a range of theatre, television and film projects. Find out more about his work at www.chriswarnermusic.com. Episode 1 - Music Hubs Music Education Hubs are groups of organisations – such as local authorities, schools, other hubs, art organisations, community or voluntary organisations – working together to create joined-up music education provision. The total amount of Hub funding from the Department for Education in the 2019-20 financial year was £75.84 million. They are a crucial part of the infrastructure for ensuring that every child aged 5-18 has the opportunity to sing, learn a musical instrument and benefit from rewarding musical experiences. In this Episode we'll be looking into the crucial role that Music Hubs play. Contributors and more information: Cambridgeshire Music https://www.cambridgeshiremusic.org.uk Matthew Gunn - Head of Service, Cambridgeshire Music Julia Ient - Business Development Manager, Cambridgeshire Music Arts Council England https://www.artscouncil.org.uk Ulster Orchestra https://www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk Lucy McCullagh - Director of Learning & Community Engagement, Colin Stark - Education Liaison, Richard Wigley - Managing Director Hallé Orchestra https://www.Halle.co.uk. Steve Pickett - Education Director, Jo Brockbank, Schools Programme Manager Voces 8 https://voces8.com. Katie Jeffries-Harris, Alto The Brook Street Band https://www.brookstreetband.co.uk Awards For Young Musicians https://www.a-y-m.org. Hester Cockcroft - Chief Executive Youth Music UK https://youthmusic.org.uk National Plan for Music Education https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-importance-of-music-a-national-plan-for-music-education. Music featured in this episode: Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overture 'Romeo & Juliet', Ulster Youth Orchestra, conducted by Daniele Rustioni, recorded at home during the 2020 Online Course and produced by Tom Wall from TW Post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtCX5QCCBR8 'La Bamba', performed by Cambridgeshire Music Lockdown Orchestra, and arranged by Mark Aldous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VghpiD-O9gE The Brook Street Band, Handel's Oxford Water Music Suite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq17WKDFHas Voces 8 - A Cappella Lego: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Txq6Wgo70 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

*All Talking Classical podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have been redirected to Anchor.* In this podcast, I'm talking to Hannah Fiddy, who is the co-founder of Alternative Classical, an initiative that aims to present classical music in a variety of different ways, from pop-up performances to new presentations on digital media. We talk about the premise behind Alternative Classical, attitudes towards different presentations of classical music and her latest project Humans of Classical Music, a video series featuring a variety of people talking about pieces of classical music in an informal, jargon-free way. We also talk about how the classical music industry has been adapting during the last year or so and what the industry might look like post-pandemic. Podcast recorded on 19 February 2021; released 12 May 2021. Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast. Hannah's website: hannahfiddy.com Alternative Classical: alternativeclassical.co.uk Don't forget to listen to Chris Warner's guest podcast series! An amazing 4-part series, reflecting on music education in the UK and featuring contributions from a variety of practitioners in this field. Many thanks to Chris and all of the people who very kindly took the time to be part of the series. PlayScore 2 - The App That Sight Reads Your Sheet Music #ad PlayScore 2 is an amazing app that lets you play any music by taking a photo of your score. You can even scan in PDFs from a free sheet music site like IMSLP. If you don't read music, you can hear what it sounds like, or PlayScore 2 can accompany you in any key. If you sing in a choir, you can isolate your part on its own or with others in the background. PlayScore 2 also exports to score editors such as Dorico, MuseScore or Finale. Download PlayScore 2 from your app store! playscore.co --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/talking-classical-podcast/message

Welcome to the first Talking Classical Podcast of 2021! Kate Royal is one of the world's leading sopranos. In this podcast, we talk about her journey into music and classical singing, and what it was like training at the world-renowned conservatoire, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Kate was a very conscientious student at music college, so she also discusses having a fulfilling balance between singing and life post-conservatoire and later on in her career. Additionally, she highlights the skill and ability opera singers need in order to negotiate many different facets both in the profession and act of live performance. Kate now wants to inspire the younger generation of singers, so she is in the early stages of setting up a support network for singers of all ages in conjunction with her alma mater, the National Opera Studio. She talks about this network and, in that light, offers her advice to young singers and musicians during this current coronavirus pandemic. Many thanks to Kate for talking to me! Kate's bio: kateroyal.net/about I'm also delighted to be doing a special giveaway with PlayScore 2, the app that takes music scanning to the next level. Many thanks to the PlayScore 2 Team for providing some codes for 1 month's FREE ACCESS to the Professional subscription of the app! To be in with a chance of getting one of these codes, go to talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com/contact. Then fill in the "Contact" form with your name, email address and "PlayScore 2 giveaway" in the subject heading. For all the details about this giveaway, go to: talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com/2021/02/06/playscore-2-giveaway. For more information about PlayScore 2, visit: playscore.co. Music in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast.

In this podcast, we'll be hearing from Canadian pianist Sandra Mogensen. To commemorate the bicentenary of Clara Schumann's birth, Sandra released an album in December 2019 entitled En Pleine Lumière (In Full Light), a collection of piano music by women composers from c.1840-1870. It is part of a multi-album and concert project, shedding light on women composers, of which En Pleine Lumière is the first album. In this podcast, Sandra discusses the research process of finding these often neglected gems, common perceptions and stereotypes surrounding the music of women composers, and what the classical music industry and people ― like Sandra ― can do to help alleviate these. This is a wonderfully enlightening discussion to end 2020 so I hope that you enjoy it and the album as much as I did! Links: Sandra's bio: https://www.sandramogensen.com/about. Sandra's album En Pleine Lumière: https://sandramogensen.bandcamp.com/album/en-pleine-lumi-re Sandra's Patreon: patreon.com/sandramogensen. "Piano Music, She Wrote" YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/34URsmv. Statistics quoted in the podcast are cited from this article. "Female composers largely ignored by concert line-ups' by Mark Brown, The Guardian (13 June 2018): https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/13/female-composers-largely-ignored-by-concert-line-ups. Music in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast. Gavotte by Helen Hopekirk Feuilles d'automne (Autumn Leaves) Both extracts performed by Sandra Mogensen and taken from her album En Pleine Lumière. Album released December 4, 2019, recorded in Wuppertal, Germany, June 2019, and produced and mastered by Kaling Hanke.

In this podcast, I'm delighted to be talking to Dr Nico de Villiers. Nico is a pianist, vocal coach and researcher, and launched an invaluable musicians' career development podcast during the lockdown earlier this year, called "What Would Mozart Do?". We talk about his podcast and Nico shares some very interested insights into careers with regards to music colleges and the recent governmental debates surrounding occupations in the arts and music industries. We also talk about his journey into music and his fascinating research into Richard Hageman. Nico has co-authored a critical biography on this lesser known composer, pianist, conductor and vocal coach that will be released soon. Many thanks to Nico for talking to me! Nico's bio: https://www.nicodevilliers.com/biography. Podcast released 18 December 2020; interview recorded 7 December 2020. *Due to a technical issue during recording, the sound quality does change slightly about seven minutes into the podcast but hopefully that should not affect your listening experience too much!* Music used in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast.

Welcome back to another episode of the Talking Classical Podcast! We're slightly moving away from the classical music world and exploring the wonderful world of dance and ballet, as in today's podcast, we'll be "zooming in" with former Principal Dancer of The Royal Ballet, Zenaida Yanowsky. Zenaida enjoyed a distinguished career for over twenty years as a dancer with London's Royal Ballet Company. She performed iconic roles such as Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Manon and her infamous, "viral" creation as the Queen of Hearts in Christopher Wheeldon's modern classic 'Alice in Wonderland' (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), premiered at London's Royal Opera House in 2011. Retiring in 2017, Zenaida now teaches and coaches dancers around the world. During this summer, I had the pleasure of talking to her partner on the podcast, renowned British baritone Sir Simon Keenlyside (https://soundcloud.com/talkingclassicalpodcast/ep-35-sir-simon-keenlyside) so I thought that it would be interesting to hear from his other half, as two performers at the highest level in the classical arts. In this podcast, we talk about Zenaida’s journey into dance and ballet, her career highlights in The Royal Ballet, including the creation of new characters/works, the relationship between dancers, conductors and live musicians, and the situation of the arts in the current coronavirus pandemic. Many thanks to Zenaida for taking the time out of her busy schedule to talk to me! Interview recorded 8 September 2020; podcast published 7 December 2020. Zenaida's bio: http://www.roh.org.uk/people/zenaida-yanowsky. Music used in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake (Op. 20), Introduction to Act 1. Jules Massenet, Don Quichotte, Introduction to Act One. Both extracts sourced from the European Archive via Musopen (tracks licensed under the Creative Common License Public Domain Mark 1.0). Link to the discussion with Sir David Bintley I referred to in this podcast: Off Pointe (Birmingham Royal Ballet's podcast), Episode 1 - David Bintley and the Will Mossops of Hobson's Choice. https://pod.co/brb-off-pointe/episode-1-david-bintley-and-the-will-mossops-of-hobsons-choice.

This podcast is brought to you by Hershey Felder's A Paris Love Story. Hershey has been renowned all over the world for his unique one-man shows, in which he portrays a range of iconic composers including Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Rachmaninoff. He both acts and performs extracts from works by the different composers. During this lockdown period, he has adapted these plays for film and are available to stream as part of his "Live From Florence" series. A Paris Love Story is the latest play available for streaming and has a semi-biographical narrative, in which he plays Debussy looking at Hershey's life. Earlier this week, I talked to Hershey about the play, what the music of Debussy means to him, the creative process behind his plays and adapting them for the camera. To purchase A Paris Love Story and the other films in Hershey's "Live From Florence" series, go to https://www.hersheyfelder.net. Named to Time Magazine’s 2016 Top 10 Plays and Musicals, Hershey Felder has played over 6,000 performances of his self-created solo productions at some of the world’s most prestigious theatres and has broken box office records consistently. American Theatre Magazine has said, “Hershey Felder is in a category all his own.” His shows include: George Gershwin Alone (Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre, West End’s Duchess Theatre); Monsieur Chopin; Beethoven; Maestro (Leonard Bernstein); Franz Liszt in Musik, Lincoln: An American Story, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Our Great Tchaikovsky, and A Paris Love Story. His compositions and recordings include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Fairytale, a musical; Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano; Song Settings; Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra; Etudes Thematiques for Piano; and An American Story for Actor and Orchestra. Hershey is the adaptor, director and designer for the internationally performed play-with-music The Pianist of Willesden Lane with Steinway artist Mona Golabek; producer and designer for the musical Louis and Keely: ‘Live’ at the Sahara, directed by Taylor Hackford; and writer and director for Flying Solo, featuring opera legend Nathan Gunn. Upcoming projects include Anna and Sergei, a new play featuring the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff; as well as a new musical based on the award-winning book Out on a Ledge by Eva Libitzky. Hershey has operated a full-service production company since 2001. He has been a scholar-in-residence at Harvard University’s Department of Music and is married to Kim Campbell, the first female Prime Minister of Canada. Interview with Hershey recorded 24th November 2020; podcast released 26th November 2020. Music used in the podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast. Claude Debussy, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (L. 86). Performed by the Columbia University Orchestra. Sourced from Musopen (track licensed under the Creative Common License Public Domain Mark 1.0).

Welcome back to another episode of the Talking Classical Podcast. This week is Anti-Bullying Week. It’s a week organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance every year since 2004 that aims to raise awareness of bullying among children and young people and to emphasise ways we can tackle it and respond to it positively. Over the last few years on Talking Classical, we’ve explored a range of issues that are affected by bullying such as mental health and racism. I felt that it was important to address these issues with regards to the classical music industry and the solutions artists, practitioners and senior staff have implemented. Last month, I spoke to distinguished British conductor, broadcaster and TV presenter Charles Hazlewood. In May 2020, Charles appeared as a castaway on the iconic Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, where he took the opportunity to talk openly about his childhood experiences. Following an unprecedented response after this appearance, he'll be hosting a special commission entitled Beethoven and Me, which will be shown on Sky Arts in December. This programme not only celebrates the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven but is a deeply personal look at the life of this composer through the lens of one of his signature works, the 5th symphony, exploring how this famous work reveals Beethoven’s experiences such as child abuse, deafness and potential autism. In this podcast, Charles will be talking to us about this documentary, his appearance on Desert Island Discs and his own experiences of recovering from childhood trauma. He talks about his experiences of the lockdown period and recent governmental debates and perceptions surrounding the creative industries and the viability of freelance musicians' work. He also discusses the act of being vulnerable and open, and shares some encouraging and motivating advice for anyone who’s been through similar experiences. This podcast discusses themes that may be of a sensitive nature so if you are affected by any of the issues, please seek help or talk to someone - there are some links below for hotlines and organisations you can access for advice and support. Thanks so much to Charles for taking the time to talk to me amidst his busy schedule. For more information about Anti-Bullying Week and how you can get involved, please go to https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk. Charles' bio: https://www.charleshazlewood.com/about Podcast recorded 22 October 2020; released 18 November 2020. Resources: Anti-Bullying Alliance https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/if-youre-being-bullied/find-help-and-support National Bullying Helpline https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk 0300 323 0169 (children's helpline) or 0845 22 55 787 Open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday YoungMinds https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/bullying YoungMinds Crisis Messenger 24/7 text support; free from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus. Text: YM to 85258 Bullying UK (Family Lives) askus@familylives.org.uk Online chat open 1:30pm to 5:30pm https://public.mc.hostedcc.com/familylives/forms/Chat/Family%20Lives%20Chat 0808 800 2222 NAPAC napac.org.uk 0808 801 0331 10am until 9pm Mondays to Thursdays, 10am until 6pm on Fridays support@napac.org.uk Article mentioned in the podcast: Classical Music Has a ‘God Status’ Problem by Ashley Fetters, J. Clara Chan, and Nicholas Wu. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2020/01/conservatories-sexual-harassment-abuse/604351 Music used in this podcast: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1st movement "Allegro con brio" from Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, "Ach, ich fuhls" from The Magic Flute, K. 620, Act 2. Both extracts sourced from the European Archive via Musopen (tracks licensed under the Creative Common License Public Domain Mark 1.0).

I'm pleased to introduce British pianist and composer Daniel Johnson, whose debut album "Faith" is released on Friday 6th November. Daniel enjoys a career as a concert pianist, performing on cruise ships and as the Classical Artistic Associate of the Harwich Festival. Daniel's new album "Faith" is an album of compositions, inspired by biographical experiences and the passing of time. Daniel's website: https://www.danieljohnsonmusic.co.uk Podcast published 3rd November 2020; recorded on 14th September 2020. Music used in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast. "Faith della vita" and "Waterfall" by Daniel Johnson. Composed, performed, mixed and mastered by Daniel Johnson. Taken from his debut album "Faith." Available to purchase via online music stores and streaming services.

In this podcast, I'll be talking to Dr Maiko Kawabata, Lecturer at the world-famous Royal College of Music. This podcast discussion was recorded earlier this month, in the wake of the tragic events surrounding the murdering of George Floyd. It was also recorded just a year after the pioneering symposium "Cultural Imperialism and the New 'Yellow Peril' in Western Classical Music," which took place in June 2019 at Senate House, London. The aim of this study way to encourage open discussions about "yellowness" and race within the classical music industry and to pave the way for further discussions such as those. You can read the fascinating report from this event here, which I helped to minute: https://bit.ly/2JmeCKx. We also talk about Dr Kawabata's background as a professional violinist and how she combines this with her work in academia to explore in her research notions of virtuosity, particularly, in the violin tradition of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We discuss what virtuosity means today and some preconceptions around this construct. She has published a book that dispels common ideas around virtuosity, with specific reference to Paganini, who was, of course, one of the great violin virtuosi of his day. Many thanks to Dr Kawabata for talking to me! Podcast recorded 4 July 2020; published 30 October 2020. Maiko's bio: https://www.rcm.ac.uk/research/people/details/?id=04456. Music used in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast.

An interview with Thomas Kemp, Artistic Director of the At Home with Music@Malling Festival 2020. Book your tickets for this festival here! https://musicatmalling.com Music used in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast.

This episode of Talking Classical is presented in collaboration with Wigmore Hall. Nestled in the heart of London, just off Oxford Street, Wigmore Hall has established itself as the world’s leading chamber music venue. Its new concert series commences on Sunday 13th September and will be presented in line with government guidelines surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week, I was delighted to talked to John Gilhooly, the Director of Wigmore Hall, to learn more about how he and his team have been responding to the current crisis in terms of its artistic programming and financially. Of course, many concert halls all over the world have been capitalising on new media and social networks in this current time. Wigmore Hall has been a pioneer in digital media so we talked about the importance of the venue's "digital infrastructure" on its musical activities, promotions and outreach such as live streaming and bringing in a younger audience that may be experiencing chamber music for the first time. In addition, we discussed the Hall’s learning and participation strand and the pledge the venue has made to ensuring good mental health among its staff, artists and the wider Wigmore Hall community. What's more, John mentioned that within the programme, he's been able to respond to some issues that cause mental health problems such as racism and isolation. This, too, has been a response to the tragic events that took place over the summer. We also talked about what it takes to perform on stage at this iconic venue and some of the memorable performances that have taken place there over the years. This is an especially difficult time for the classical music business and the arts so if you're able to, please consider making a donation to Wigmore Hall, by going to wigmore-hall.org.uk/donate. You can also donate while watching Wigmore Hall’s Autumn Series concerts, which will all be live streamed on the Hall's website. All donations will be going directly to the Hall, its staff and artists. Many thanks to: John for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to talk to me. We actually recorded this interview on the day after the government reinstated some new guidelines in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jon Carvell and Tara Savile for kindly arranging and offering this wonderful opportunity. Podcast issued 12th September 2020; interview recorded 9th September 2020 via Zoom. John Gilhooly - Final Note Magazine article: finalnotemagazine.com/articles/john-gilhooly. Music used in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast.

Subscription-based, boutique Italian recording series 19'40" release their latest album, "At The Gates Of The Twilight Zone," on 12 August 2020. This release is a live recording from the ContempoRarities Festival in Milan. It pays homage to the iconic music of Bernard Hermann, written for Rod Serling's science-fiction anthology TV series The Twilight Zone. The music on this recording is arranged by Enrico Gabrieli, while staying true to Hermann's unique writing. I talked to Francesco Fusaro and Sebastiano De Gennaro from 19'40" a few weeks ago to talk about the album. This led to some interesting discussions about orchestration and instrumentation; for example, the vibraphone and theramin are two important instruments that contribute to Hermann's other-worldly scores and science fiction music. Indeed, Francesco suggests that listening to his atmospheric and mysterious soundscapes takes on a new dimension during this lockdown period, where people are inhabiting their own "twilight zones." We also discussed notions around the classical canon as 19'40" describe themselves as "anti-classical" - that their premise is to break down some of the traditional conventions surrounding the canon. They aim to endorse music (e.g., contemporary music, film music) that could form a new way we view the historical (or historicised) canon of works. We discuss the future of music distribution. The model 19'40" presents to their audience/customer base is innovative within the constantly changing music industry as it combines traditional and digital modes of dissemination and promotion. Although their subscriptions have increased during the pandemic, the crisis has been a reminder that the concert experience needs the physical presence and interaction of an audience. We'll also hear about the current lockdown situation in Italy and some other fascinating projects the members of 19'40" have been involved in, more recently, in light of the easing of restrictions. Many thanks to: Robert Shone at WildKat PR for bringing this thought-provoking and emotive project to my attention. Francesco and Sebastiano for talking to me. https://www.19m40s.com Purchase "At The Gates Of The Twilight Zone" here: https://19m40s.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-gates-of-the-twilight-zone Music used in this podcast: Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast. "Where Are You?" by Bernard Hermann, arr. Enrico Gabrieli Music from "Little Girl Lost" (1962) Esecutori di Metallo su Carta Carlotta Raponi, flute, piccolo Enrico Gabrielli, B clarinet, bass clarinet, G flute, synth Yoko Morimyo, violin, viola Paolo Raineri, trumpet Francesco Bucci, trombone, euphonium Stefano Bertoni, french horn Damiano Afrifa, piano Ethel Colella, harp Sebastiano De Gennaro, percussion Giuseppe Gagliardi, percussion Marcello Corti, conductor Live recording at ContempoRarities Festival, Santeria Social Club, Milano on 3 December 2017. Recording and mixing by Carlo Zollo at "Terribile Studio" (Milan - IT) Mastering by Roberto Rettura at "Lo Studio Spaziale" (Bologna - IT) Podcast published 12 August 2020; interview recorded 22 July 2020.

In this podcast, we'll be talking to jazz saxophonist and composer Quinsin Nachoff. His new album Pivotal Arc is released today on Whirlwind Recordings. Quinsin's music has been well-known for its unpredictability and innovation, for crossing boundaries between different musical genres and pushing the performers' barriers. The album is based around three main works. Firstly, a violin concerto features virtuoso soloist Nathalie Bonin, and a jazz-tinged unit comprising two giants of the New York scene (bassist Mark Helias and drummer Satoshi Takeishi), vibraphone player Michael Davidson, and a wind and string ensemble conducted by JC Sanford. The first movement is written as "an imaginary deconstructed and reconstructed Tango." The second movement is a ballad that combines both written and improvised sections and the third is inspired by Balkan folk music. The String Quartet (performed by the Molinari String Quartet) "represents some of Nachoff’s most intricate writing to date, allowing him to explore his deep attachment to the tradition and his engagement with contemporary iterations." As he recalls, "I like to keep up with what's happening now in quartet writing and this gave me the opportunity to explore some of those ideas – pitch axis, using quarter tones, etc., but still keeping a jazz influence because that’s a large part of my background.." The final work, Pivotal Arc, has been described as "Nachoff's extended reflection on the critical position we currently find ourselves in regarding climate change." It's perhaps the most traditional jazz-sounding work on the album with ample opportunity for interplay between the jazz unit and solos from bassist Helias, drummer Satoshi Takeishi, and Nachoff's tenor saxophone. With broad influences ranging from Strayhorn to Mancini, Bartók to Berg, this is a unique album that's refreshing and innovative to listen to from both the classical and jazz perspectives. Many thanks to: Quinsin for talking to me and his permission to use some extracts from the album in this podcast. Ann Braithwaite for bringing this really interesting project to my attention. CREDITS Music used in this podcast: 1 &2. Violin Concerto - Movement 1 3. Violin Concerto - Movement 2 4. String Quartet - Movement 1 5 & 6. Pivotal Arc Nathalie Bonin - violin soloist Molinari String Quartet: Olga Ranzenhofer - violin I, Antoine Bareil - violin II Frédéric Lambert - viola, Pierre-Alain Bouvrette - cello Quinsin Nachoff - tenor saxophone JC Sanford - conductor Michael Davidson - vibraphone Mark Helias - bass Satoshi Takeishi - drums, percussion Jean-Pierre Zanella - piccolo, flute, clarinet, soprano sax Yvan Belleau - clarinet, tenor saxophone Brent Besner - bass clarinet Jocelyn Couture - trumpet I Bill Mahar - trumpet II David Grott - trombone Bob Ellis - bass trombone Recorded at Studios Piccolo, Montreal, Canada Recording Engineer - David Travers Smith Assistant Engineer - Patrice Pruneau Edited, mixed and mastered by David Travers Smith Produced by Quinsin Nachoff, David Travers-Smith Executive Producer - Michael Janisch Pivotal Arc released 7 August, 2020 Podcast published 7 August 2020; interview with Quinsin recorded 31 July 2020. Quinsin's bio: http://www.quinsin.com/bio. Purchase Pivotal Arc here: https://quinsinnachoff.bandcamp.com. Citations taken from "About the Album," Pivotal Arc, https://quinsinnachoff.bandcamp.com (accessed 7 August 2020).

In this podcast, we'll be "zooming in" with Sir Simon Keenlyside, one of the most distinguished baritones, maintaining a top-level career in the major opera houses and concert halls around the world. We start off by talking about what Simon and his family have been doing during this lockdown period. We then share some thoughts about the importance of supporting and financing the arts during this current pandemic (in this podcast, we're talking about the present situation in Great Britain). Alongside his intense passion for music and opera, Simon talks about his deep love of nature and some of his other interests including art and poetry. We also find about his journey into music (and experience as an ex-runner), which leads to an interesting discussion on some of the challenges of being a top-level performer. For him, this includes the difference between being a singer and an artist. He reflects on the highs and lows of an elite performing musician, and offers some invaluable advice on navigating these. Additionally, Simon shares some of his thoughts on attention and personality among performers; that some artists enjoy the limelight but someone like him wants to be focused on the work. However, he recognises that he can be extremely different on stage and this is not the person he is in real life. The facets of a person that can be moulded over time contribute to who performers are. He feels that being left-handed has influenced his artistry and creativity (a distinct characteristic of left-handed people)but he tries not to read too much into this! Finally, I ask that question...what it was like getting the knighthood? Many thanks to Simon for taking the time to talk especially for this podcast and his team at Askonas Holt (Joel Thomas, Sophie Dand and Imogen Taylor) for helping to arrange this recording! Podcast published 31 July 2020; interview recorded 27 July 2020. Simon's bio: https://www.askonasholt.com/artists/simon-keenlyside Music by audionautix.com. "Alla What (parody)," Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Used in full and edited forms for the podcast. *Amended - The marmots can be found in the Whipsnade Downs at Whipsnade Zoo, which is near Dunstable.*

Ep 35 preview: Sir Simon Keenlyside on receiving the knighthood. by Talking Classical Podcast