German composer and pianist
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Con Mario Mora y Ana Laura Iglesias | El organista y colaborador de la Orquesta Nacional Daniel Oyarzabal tiene una importante cita este viernes: hacerse cargo del armonio, un particular instrumento, en la Pequeña Misa Solemnis de G. Rossini. Con él hemos charlado sobre esta cita, sobre instrumentos de teclado, repertorio, Bach y mucho más. Antes de ello, la visita obligada al Auditorio Nacional con Carlos Iribarren y la obra del mes: ¿el Concierto para Violín de Brahms o Así Habló Zaratustra de Strauss? ¡Tú eliges! Branded pódcast de la Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) - 5 Lieder, Op. 1051. Wie Melodien zieht es mir leise durch den Sinn2. Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer 2:063. Klage 5:214. Auf dem Kirchhofe 7:205. Verrat 10:16 Christoph Prégardien, tenoreUlrich Eisenlohr, pianoforte
Featured on Brahms: Mad Hatter Futurologist - by J. S. O'Keefe - narrated by Ed Errington The First Day of Law School - by Tony Meacham - narrated by Alistair Lloyd MEMVID 2047 - by Robert Howling Our Audio License AntipodeanSF Radio Show by Ion Newcombe is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Featured Music Johannes Brahms "Hungarian Dance Number 1" - Public Domain - Wikimedia Commons Funeral Brahms by Polka Madre is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Burn me Alive by Plastic Robot is licensed under a Attribution License. Radio Memory by dadala is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Intro & Outro Music Celestial Navigation by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License
durée : 00:20:24 - Disques de légende du vendredi 13 février 2026 - Parmi les trois intégrales des Symphonies de Johannes Brahms gravées par Herbert von Karajan avec le Philharmonique de Berlin, celle de 1978 demeure la plus équilibrée. Un enregistrement légendaire qui témoigne d'une compréhension totale de cette musique par le chef et son orchestre. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Questo episodio è dedicato a come riconoscere la modalità minore.Ascoltiamo subito Bella ciao. E' l'esempio migliore in assoluto della modalità minore perché è una canzone famosissima, conosciuta internazionalmente, ed essendo anche cantata è più facile da ricordare. La conosce anche chi non la ascolta attivamente, cioè anche chi non sceglie di ascoltarla, chi non ha studi musicali, ed è un tema transgenerazionale, che conoscono tutti a prescindere dall'età che hanno. E' un canto chiaramente in minore: non espande, non addolcisce, guarda in faccia alla realtà nella sua crudità e proprio per questo non consola, non è depressivo né lamentoso. E' seria. E' una dichiarazione di ciò che la realtà è. Giusto una curiosità di tipo culturale: Bella ciao deriva da un canto popolare di lavoro delle mondine nelle risaie italiane, con testi sulla fatica e lo sfruttamento, e solo dopo la Seconda Guerra mondiale è diventato l'inno simbolico della Resistenza partigiana contro fascismo e nazismo. Ti faccio sentire un brano di questo canto nella versione di una cantante, Milva, appassionata cultrice di canti popolari! Milva ha amato, interpretato e valorizzato canti popolari e “impegnati”, portandoli anche nei palcoscenici principali e incidendoli nei suoi album. Quella che nasce dalla fatica e dalla durezza del lavoro delle mondine, e che negli anni è stata poi trasformata in un canto di lotta politica e simbolo di libertà. Oggi, è diventata un inno cantato in tutto il mondo, oltre che per questioni politiche e sociali anche grazie alla serie “La casa de Papel”. In questo episodio del podcast ti faccio ascoltare brani che sono già nella tua memoria sonora e ti aiuto a creare una categoria identificativa della modalità minore. Sono tutti brani tratti di una selezione sonora intuitiva, immediatamente riconoscibile e internazionale, tutta roba che “suona minore” anche a chi non sa cosa sia una scala.Non sono musicista, non ho intenzione di usare tecnicismi che non padroneggio neppure io. Il mio mantra resta lo stesso: zero tecnicismi, sentire prima di sapere e sfruttare competenze e conoscenze che hai già, in modo da organizzarle.Ascoltiamo Greensleeves. E' una delle melodie più antiche e riconoscibili della tradizione europea. Famosa anche per essere stata affiancata alle melodie natalizie.Intima, narrativa, essenziale. Il minore qui non è drammatico, non è teatrale: è raccolto, ti accompagna dentro una storia, non ti spinge chissà dove nella fantasia. Altro esempio famosissimo, di cui forse non conosci il titolo ma di certo conosci il tema musicale: Sonata al chiaro di luna – primo movimento, di Ludwig van Beethoven. E' probabilmente uno dei brani in minore più conosciuti al mondo. Lento, ipnotico, sospeso. Il minore qui non chiede azione, non chiede energia: chiede ascolto interno, presenza, silenzio. Continuiamo con un esempio pop internazionale: Eleanor Rigby dei Beatles. Il minore, in questo brano racconta un clima sobrio, reale, quotidiano. Enuncia semplicemente le cose come un dato di fatto: è spoglio, umano, diretto, non cerca commozione facile, niente di melodrammatico. Proseguiamo con una sigla che conosciamo da sempre: Heidi Una sigla per bambini, eppure chiaramente in minore. Esprime una atmosfera nostalgica, tenera, intima. Il minore qui racconta di una realtà, non spaventa, non opprime, è quindi accessibile anche all'infanzia. Parla di casa, memoria, legame. Non c'è tristezza o clima “pesante” ma solo calma e fotografia di una realtà. Ascoltiamo una ninnananna che definirei universale, forse la più cantata. Forse ce l'hai in mente così: suonata con il carillon. E' la ninnananna di Brahms. Originariamente cantata (ti faccio sentire un brano), viene tradott ain altre lingue e cantata ovunque, riconosciuta da chiunque. Il minore qui è avvolgente, rassicurante, non stimola ma calma. Il minore non è tristezza obbligatoria. Così come il maggiore non è “allegria obbligatoria”! È interiorità, è densità emotiva, è uno spazio più raccolto. Se il maggiore è piena luce in un giorno di sole con il cielo azzurro, il minore è come stare in una stanza con una luce più morbida. Non stai peggio. Respiri diversamente. Se facciamo un'analisi percettiva, possiamo dire che il minore ha alcune caratteristiche molto chiare: lo spazio sonoro si contrae e diventa intimo, privato, quindi l'attenzione si sposta verso l'interno, non genera una spinta immediata all'azione, e porta invece alla presenza. Gli esempi che ho usato appartengono a un repertorio occidentale, non sono universali in senso assoluto. Ma la sensazione che producono, di raccoglimento, presenza, descrizione di una immagine reale, è riconosciuta da moltissimi esseri umani, anche in culture musicali molto diverse. Cambiano i sistemi musicali. Cambiano i nomi. Ma corpo ed emozioni no. Sono Sabina Todaro mi occupo di flamenco e di danze e musiche del mondo arabo dal 1985. Dal 1990 insegno baile flamenco a Milano, a Il Mosaico Danza, e un lavoro sull'espressione delle emozioni che ho chiamato Lyrical Arab Dance. Vediamo come si utilizza il minore nel flamenco. Dato che il flamenco non nasce per rassicurare, ma per raccontare l'esperienza umana per come è, il minore si adatta perfettamente, descrivendo la presenza nell'esperienza. Pochissimi palos vivono stabilmente nel minore molti lo attraversano, lo evocano. I palos che si svolgono su modalità minore: Farruca, Tango de Malaga, lo stile di Fandango de Huelva di Cabezas Rubias, tango de Triana o del Titi, Milonga, Vidalita. La petenera gioca sulla modalità minore, ma non è solo in modalità minore: utilizza un linguaggio tonale instabile in area minore. Vai ad ascoltare i podcast sulla Petenera, se hai la curiosità. Ci sarà un podcast dedicato a chiarire il concetto di tonale e di modale, queste parolacce che fanno impazzire noi che abbiamo la formazione di teoria musicale che si limita alla teoria musicale delle medie con il flauto dolce. Ossia: zero.Molti palos utilizzano in parte il linguaggio minore: Mariana, Granaina, Media granaina, Mirabrás (attraversa maggiore, minore e modalità flamenca), Alegrías de Córdoba, alcuni Fandangos personales, Fandango de Huelva (molte strofe in area minore, con remate in modalità flamenca). Come sempre, ti invito a sfruttare competenze e conoscenze che hai già, e semplicemente ti aiuto a riunirle sotto un nome, a dar loro una casa
durée : 00:20:24 - Disques de légende du vendredi 13 février 2026 - Parmi les trois intégrales des Symphonies de Johannes Brahms gravées par Herbert von Karajan avec le Philharmonique de Berlin, celle de 1978 demeure la plus équilibrée. Un enregistrement légendaire qui témoigne d'une compréhension totale de cette musique par le chef et son orchestre. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:28:16 - En pistes ! du jeudi 05 février 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Le pianiste et compositeur Hayato Sumino imagine un dialogue entre les œuvres de Chopin et ses propres compositions. De son coté, Viktor Soos, vainqueur du concours Robert Schumann en 2021, organise la rencontre entre les pièces pour piano des Schumann et celles de Brahms. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:28:16 - En pistes ! du jeudi 05 février 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Le pianiste et compositeur Hayato Sumino imagine un dialogue entre les œuvres de Chopin et ses propres compositions. De son coté, Viktor Soos, vainqueur du concours Robert Schumann en 2021, organise la rencontre entre les pièces pour piano des Schumann et celles de Brahms. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:28:05 - Jakub Hruša, la fougue et la rigueur - par : Aurélie Moreau - Jakub Hrůša, entre autres directeur musical de l'Opéra royal de Covent Garden et à partir de 2028, de l'Orchestre Philharmonique Tchèque, est réputé pour sa direction énergique, précise et nuancée. Aujourd'hui: Suk, Dvořák, Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner… Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:27:49 - En pistes ! du lundi 02 février 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - On débute la semaine avec le maître du romantisme allemand : sonates et lieder sont au coeur des albums des altistes Mihai Cocea et Arnaud Thorette. Vous entendrez aussi l'album du pianiste irlandais Finghin Collins entièrement enregistré sur un piano Pleyel 280 de 1937. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:27:49 - En pistes ! du lundi 02 février 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - On débute la semaine avec le maître du romantisme allemand : sonates et lieder sont au coeur des albums des altistes Mihai Cocea et Arnaud Thorette. Vous entendrez aussi l'album du pianiste irlandais Finghin Collins entièrement enregistré sur un piano Pleyel 280 de 1937. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
DescriptionTheme and Variations: Order vs. Imagination in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactSome variation sets were written as showpieces to prove compositional skill. Brahms once joked that anyone could write a good theme, but only a real composer could write convincing variations. Beethoven agreed—he used the form repeatedly when he wanted to demonstrate both discipline and daring in equal measure.About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.Support the show
Kenneth Hamilton picks his favourite of Brahms's Paganini Variations.
El próximo jueves, 5 de febrero, el Auditorio de Ferrol se vestirá de gala para recibir al pianista argentino Nelson Goerner, considerado uno de los mejores intérpretes del mundo en la actualidad. El concierto, organizado por la Sociedad Filarmónica Ferrolana, contará con la participación de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia (OSG) bajo la dirección del joven talento surcoreano Hankyeol Yoon, ganador en 2023 del prestigioso Premio Karajan de Jóvenes Directores de Orquesta. El programa promete ser un «festín de música romántica con obras apasionadas y monumentales» de tres compositores que fueron pilares del siglo XIX: Schumann, Chopin y Brahms. Comenzará a las 20.30 horas y las entradas se pueden adquirir desde 17, 60 euros. Los socios de la Filarmónica Ferrolana podrán acceder al precio reducido de 5 euros y dispondrán del servicio gratuito de autobús desde el Teatro Jofre.
The botanist Dr Sandra Knapp is a senior researcher at the Natural History Museum - but that title doesn't convey the sheer adventure of her work. She's a kind of Indiana Jones of the plant world, travelling to remote regions of Central and Southern America and beyond. Her speciality is the Solanum genus, which includes potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines – and she has found and named more than a hundred new varieties. The rainforests, where she has worked for more than 40 years, are a long way from the dry rural deserts of New Mexico, where she was born. Her music choices include works by Mozart, Brahms, Hindemith and Holst, as well as music inspired by the biodata of some of her beloved plants. Presenter Michael Berkeley Producer Katy Hickman
B wie bekannte Komponisten: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms oder die Beatles beruhigen Dich und bringen Dich behaglich ins Bett.Diese Stücke hast Du in der Folge gehört:Bach, Johann Sebastian - "Klavierkonzert f-Moll (Largo)" //Bear's Den - "Gabriel" //Beethoven, Ludwig van - "Klavierkonzert 5 (2. Satz)" //Brahms, Johannes - "Intermezzo Es-Dur" //Beatles - "Let it be" //Den Podcast "Bergfreundinnen" vom BR findest Du hier:https://1.ard.de/BergfreundinnenWenn Du eine Idee oder einen Wunsch zu einem musikalischen Thema hast, dann schreib ihm eine Mail: playlist@ndr.de
Ils les considéraient comme « les berceuses de ses douleurs ». Les dernières pièces pour piano de Brahms, qui constituent les opus 116 à 119, comptent parmi les pages les plus touchantes voire bouleversantes du compositeur. Piotr Anderszewski nous en livre aujourd'hui une lecture saisissante d'émotion, soulignant avec tant de subtilité la tendresse, la souffrance comme les mystères qui en émanent.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
durée : 00:13:24 - Le Disque classique du jour du mardi 27 janvier 2026 - Dans son nouvel album, le pianiste Kenji Miura explore la «Heimat», ce mot allemand qui définit l'idée du « chez-soi ». Lauréat du Concours Long-Thibaud-Crespin et installé à Berlin après un parcours international, le musicien propose un programme où se mêlent intensité, tendresse et réflexion. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:13:24 - Le Disque classique du jour du mardi 27 janvier 2026 - Dans son nouvel album, le pianiste Kenji Miura explore la «Heimat», ce mot allemand qui définit l'idée du « chez-soi ». Lauréat du Concours Long-Thibaud-Crespin et installé à Berlin après un parcours international, le musicien propose un programme où se mêlent intensité, tendresse et réflexion. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
I'm sure many of you balked when you saw the title of this episode: “But Daniel: Schubert wrote no orchestral songs!” And of course you would be correct. And yet, what about when other composers orchestrate his songs? Therein lies the content of today's episode. Historical evidence from some of Schubert's contemporaries and closest associates indicate that he was strict in both tempo and affect in the performance of his Lieder. And yet, in the later 19th century (and beyond) many of his songs were orchestrated by such masters of orchestral color as Reger, Berlioz, Brahms, Liszt, Weingartner, and Mottl. In the twentieth century, individual songs have been orchestrated by such unexpected composers as Britten and Webern. In the late 1970s, Hermann Prey and conductor Gary Bertini made two LPs of the first recordings of these orchestrations and they make for fascinating listening, as these songs are transformed from the distinct genre of Klavierlieder to that of Orchesterlieder. These two records are supplemented by excerpts of a recording of a live performance by Hermann Prey of the world premiere of an orchestrated version of Winterreise by Japanese composer Yukikazu Suzuki. Even less than a year before his death, Prey's connection to the music of Schubert remains palpable, and the slight vocal vulnerabilities from that performance serve only to intensify and deepen Prey's interpretation. Countermelody is the podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
durée : 01:29:04 - Relax ! du lundi 19 janvier 2026 - par : Lionel Esparza - 1868 est un grand millésime pour la musique romantique. De Munich à Paris, les salles de concert vibrent au rythme de créations majeures : le triomphal Requiem allemand de Brahms, l'éclatante première des Maîtres Chanteurs de Wagner, la 1ère Symphonie de Bruckner et le Concerto n°2 de Saint-Saëns. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:29:04 - Relax ! du lundi 19 janvier 2026 - par : Lionel Esparza - 1868 est un grand millésime pour la musique romantique. De Munich à Paris, les salles de concert vibrent au rythme de créations majeures : le triomphal Requiem allemand de Brahms, l'éclatante première des Maîtres Chanteurs de Wagner, la 1ère Symphonie de Bruckner et le Concerto n°2 de Saint-Saëns. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:05:03 - Classic & Co - par : Anna Sigalevitch - Présentation par Anna Sigalevitch des pièces tardives pour piano de Brahms par Piotr Anderszevski, un disque qui vient de paraître chez Warner Classics, et il sera en récital avec ce programme le 2 février à la Philharmonie de Paris. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Die späten Klavierstücke von Johannes Brahms - Musik von unendlicher Poesie und Schönheit. Genau das Richtige für einen so skrupulösen Künstler wie den polnischen Pianisten Piotr Anderszewski. Ein wunderbares Album!
durée : 01:28:12 - En pistes ! du vendredi 16 janvier 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Au programme : un disque Brahms pour le Philharmonique de Berlin sous la baguette de Kirill Petrenko, le premier album du jeune pianiste Alexander Malofeev et une intégrale de la musique de chambre de Ravel qui poursuit les festivités du centenaire de sa disparition. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:28:12 - En pistes ! du vendredi 16 janvier 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Au programme : un disque Brahms pour le Philharmonique de Berlin sous la baguette de Kirill Petrenko, le premier album du jeune pianiste Alexander Malofeev et une intégrale de la musique de chambre de Ravel qui poursuit les festivités du centenaire de sa disparition. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
This week it's time to hang out with Brahms in The Boy (20216) with The Hanna's! Jamie and Nikisha are joined by Hanna and Matt from Horror hour with the Hannah's to talk big swing twists, coping with loss, arrested development, female horror tropes, hunky grocery men, poorly timed letters, and, of course, being a pro-Brahms podcast. Watch us on YouTube! Follow us on Instagram | Twitter | TikTok: @TalkHorrorPod Check out Horror Hour with the Hanna's on YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Apple
durée : 01:27:59 - En pistes ! du mercredi 14 janvier 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Le jeune ensemble Prattica di Musica et son chef Andrea Gavagnin nous font découvrir les premiers madrigaux, compilés dans le Premier Livre de la Sirène publié en 1530. Le répertoire pour piano sera aussi de la partie, avec le Concerto de Théodore Dubois et un album Brahms par Piotr Anderszewski. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:27:59 - En pistes ! du mercredi 14 janvier 2026 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Le jeune ensemble Prattica di Musica et son chef Andrea Gavagnin nous font découvrir les premiers madrigaux, compilés dans le Premier Livre de la Sirène publié en 1530. Le répertoire pour piano sera aussi de la partie, avec le Concerto de Théodore Dubois et un album Brahms par Piotr Anderszewski. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
The English contralto Alfreda Hodgson (07 June 1940 – 16 April 1992) has been featured numerous times on Countermelody and when I recently acquired a copy of her 1980 solo recital recording originally released on Pearl Records, I decided that the time was right to do a full episode on this rich-voiced, profoundly musical singer. Though she was equally superb in Bach, Mahler, Handel, and Elgar, I have chosen to focus on her performances of the music of Johannes Brahms, including superb recordings of the Alto Rhapsody, the Songs for Alto and Viola, the Vier ernste Gesänge, and a posthumously-assembled collection of his Lieder published under the title Mädchenlieder. Artists accompanying Hodgson include Bernard Haitink, Edward Downes, violist Ludmila Navrath, and her long-standing pianist, the late Keith Swallow. I begin the episode with brief examples of Hodgson singing (in English) the music of her countrymen Lennox Berkeley, Edward Elgar, and John Ireland in the company of Peter Pears, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Steuart Bedford, and Alan Rowlands. Countermelody is the podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
Links: Join our Word-of-the-year Art Party (or watch the replay!) Join the next Artist's Way Creative Cluster Pre-order Art Is How God Loves Us Original show notes: Any other artists out there tired of thinking/talking/obsessing about marketing? This week, Merideth shares the first of a three-part series based on her words of the year. The first word—anti-hustle—calls her to a simpler, quieter, more harmonious way of life. She also answers a question about morning pages, all to the beautiful music of Debussy, Beethoven, and Brahms performed by Marnie Laird of Brooklyn Classical. Leave us a question via email Join the FREE Artist's Way Creative Cluster Podcast Transcript
NEW YEAR RE-RELEASE ✨ Looking for creative inspiration as you step into a brand-new year? This episode is the perfect way to kick things off. Originally released as Episode 12, this conversation explores divine inspiration, creativity, intuition, and co-creation—powerful themes for anyone setting intentions, starting new projects, or opening themselves to what wants to come through next. Is divine inspiration real? Is creativity something the human brain generates—or something we channel from beyond ourselves? Join Jane and Sarah for a soulful, hilarious, and deeply moving conversation with Adam Barr, Emmy Award–winning writer and executive TV producer. Adam was nominated four times and won an Emmy for his work on Will & Grace, and has been a creative force behind many beloved television projects. Together, the trio dives into the magic of creativity and co-creation, exploring channeling in the arts, divine inspiration, and what it really means to collaborate with something greater than ourselves. Along the way, Adam and Sarah discover a shared love of legendary classical composers—cue chills, chicken skin, and full-body resonance—as Brahms and Schumann clearly make their presence known. The conversation also explores the emotional and energetic power of music and art, the importance of grounding and protecting your energy as a creative, and how to stay balanced while making meaningful work. This episode is packed with practical tips for creativity and intuition, psychic games to play with kids (and adults), and ways to test and strengthen your own intuitive abilities. As always, we land on a truth we love: whatever you're creating this year, you're not doing it alone. We are constantly, magically, and most definitely being supported from the other side. ✨ Memorable Quotes “Guide me, show me the way. Let's co-create. Let's make something great together.” — Adam “Just seeing it would blow up my whole spirit and tears would spring out of my face.” — Jane
durée : 01:28:29 - Christian Gerhaher, un chant profond aux nuances subtiles - par : Aurélie Moreau - La carrière à l'opéra du baryton Christian Gerhaher s'est développée avec grand succès depuis quinze ans, mais le lied reste au cœur de sa passion musicale. Au programme aujourd'hui : Mozart, Schumann, Brahms, Beethoven, Weber et Schubert. - réalisé par : Lionel Quantin Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:58:42 - Concertos déconcertants - par : Christian Merlin - Point commun entre le Double Concerto de Brahms, le Triple de Beethoven, les Brandebourgeois de Bach, le Don Quichotte de Strauss, la Rhapsodie sur un thème de Paganini de Rachmaninov ? Ce sont des concertos atypiques qui dévient par rapport à la norme. Laissons-nous déconcerter ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:28:59 - Une heure et plus, un compositeur : Johannes Brahms - par : Aurélie Moreau - Né à Hambourg en 1833 dans un milieu modeste, Johannes Brahms grandit entre les ports, les tavernes et la musique populaire. La rencontre avec Robert et Clara Schumann, en 1853, marque un tournant décisif : Brahms devient alors l'espoir d'une nouvelle génération de compositeurs allemands. - réalisé par : Lionel Quantin Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:40 - Concertos déconcertants (4/4) - par : Christian Merlin - Point commun entre le Double Concerto de Brahms, le Triple de Beethoven, les Brandebourgeois de Bach, le Don Quichotte de Strauss, la Rhapsodie sur un thème de Paganini de Rachmaninov ? Ce sont des concertos atypiques qui dévient par rapport à la norme. Laissons-nous déconcerter ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:34 - Concertos déconcertants (3/4) - par : Christian Merlin - Point commun entre le Double Concerto de Brahms, le Triple de Beethoven, les Brandebourgeois de Bach, le Don Quichotte de Strauss, la Rhapsodie sur un thème de Paganini de Rachmaninov ? Ce sont des concertos atypiques qui dévient par rapport à la norme. Laissons-nous déconcerter ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:46 - Concertos déconcertants (2/4) - par : Christian Merlin - Point commun entre le Double Concerto de Brahms, le Triple de Beethoven, les Brandebourgeois de Bach, le Don Quichotte de Strauss, la Rhapsodie sur un thème de Paganini de Rachmaninov ? Ce sont des concertos atypiques qui dévient par rapport à la norme. Laissons-nous déconcerter ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 00:28:31 - Concertos déconcertants (1/4) - par : Christian Merlin - Point commun entre le Double Concerto de Brahms, le Triple de Beethoven, les Brandebourgeois de Bach, le Don Quichotte de Strauss, la Rhapsodie sur un thème de Paganini de Rachmaninov ? Ce sont des concertos atypiques qui dévient par rapport à la norme. Laissons-nous déconcerter ! - réalisé par : Marie Grout Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 02:28:19 - France Musique est à vous du samedi 20 décembre 2025 - par : Gabrielle Oliveira-Guyon - Au programme ce samedi, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Brahms, en passant par Max Richter, Bourvil ou encore l'air "I could have danced all night" du film My Fair Lady. - réalisé par : Emmanuel Benito Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
durée : 01:28:17 - Kent Naganov, toute la maîtrise d'un chef classique et contemporain - par : Aurélie Moreau - Kent Nagano, chef invité par les meilleures formations internationales, a été nommé Chef principal et directeur artistique de l'Orchestre et Chœur National d'Espagne à partir de septembre 2026. Aujourd'hui : Brahms, Chopin, Canteloube, Dvořák… Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Yes has been around for more than 55 years. They've made some of the world's best progressive rock music and even had some success on the pop charts. While The Wolf was living in London, he got to see Yes at Royal Albert Hall on the Close to the Edge 50 Tour which was a special night. It was there that he truly came to appreciate the talents of Jon Davison, the lead singer who is very close in age to your hosts. A friend of the late Taylor Hawkins, he does justice to classic Yes songs from throughout the catalog. After that show, The Wolf wanted to make sure he never missed his heroes again as long as Davison was fronting the band. On October 27, the boys came to his town and not only did he attend but he brought The Wolfcub, an aspiring guitar player, to see Steve Howe do his thing live. And they both loved the show (and The Wolfcub was handed an official Steve Howe guitar string!). They performed classics throughout the catalog and then after an intermission played Fragile in it's entirety straight-through, including big hits like Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround. But fan favorites like South Side of the Sky and Heart of the Sunrise really got the diehards on their feet! Steve Howe had his time in the sun on Mood for a Day and Geoff Downes had his spotlight doing the Rick Wakeman penned Cans and Brahms. Billy Sherwood showed why Chris Squire chose him to carry on his legacy, especially on The Fish and Jay Schellen kept them all in time. For those who wouldn't go because not enough original or heyday members are still in the band, we understand your argument. But this version of Yes fronted by Jon Davison delivers solid shows doing classics you love and the big screen behind them featuring Roger Dean artwork coming to life makes for a killer night out with Yes. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Yes has been around for more than 55 years. They've made some of the world's best progressive rock music and even had some success on the pop charts. While The Wolf was living in London, he got to see Yes at Royal Albert Hall on the Close to the Edge 50 Tour which was a special night. It was there that he truly came to appreciate the talents of Jon Davison, the lead singer who is very close in age to your hosts. A friend of the late Taylor Hawkins, he does justice to classic Yes songs from throughout the catalog. After that show, The Wolf wanted to make sure he never missed his heroes again as long as Davison was fronting the band. On October 27, the boys came to his town and not only did he attend but he brought The Wolfcub, an aspiring guitar player, to see Steve Howe do his thing live. And they both loved the show (and The Wolfcub was handed an official Steve Howe guitar string!). They performed classics throughout the catalog and then after an intermission played Fragile in it's entirety straight-through, including big hits like Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround. But fan favorites like South Side of the Sky and Heart of the Sunrise really got the diehards on their feet! Steve Howe had his time in the sun on Mood for a Day and Geoff Downes had his spotlight doing the Rick Wakeman penned Cans and Brahms. Billy Sherwood showed why Chris Squire chose him to carry on his legacy, especially on The Fish and Jay Schellen kept them all in time. For those who wouldn't go because not enough original or heyday members are still in the band, we understand your argument. But this version of Yes fronted by Jon Davison delivers solid shows doing classics you love and the big screen behind them featuring Roger Dean artwork coming to life makes for a killer night out with Yes. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with author and USC musicology instructor Tim Greiving to dive into John Williams: A Composer's Life (OUP)—the first full-scale biography of the world's most beloved film composer. Greiving traces a lifelong fandom that began with a Jurassic Park cassette, then details the five-year journey of the book: 5:30 a.m. writing rituals, a year of archival research, and rare long-form conversations with Williams at the Amblin bungalow. Together they explore Williams' jazz and Great American Songbook roots, his Brahms-leaning aesthetic, and how he revived—and refined—the classic Hollywood symphonic tradition with Spielberg and Star Wars. You'll hear why Greiving calls Williams “closer to a church composer,” how the E.T. finale let the music lead picture, why the orchestra is truly timeless, and the astonishing revelation about Williams' grandfather, Thomas Nagel, a silent-era cinema music director. Close with a lightning round on favorite themes, underrated scores, and the one word that captures John Williams. Featured music: Star Wars Main Title • “Fascinatin' Rhythm” (arr. JW) • Jurassic Park Theme • “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads” (JW Trio) • “Hatikvah” from Munich • “Luke & Leia” • The Quiet Man Main Title • Seven Years in Tibet Main Theme (w/ Yo-Yo Ma) • Superman Main Theme • Schindler's List Theme (Itzhak Perlman) • Piano Concerto No. 1 (Ax/BSO) • Violin Concerto No. 2: II “Rounds” (Mutter/BSO) • “Harry's Wondrous World” • “Adventures on Earth” (VPO) • “Flight to Neverland” (VPO) • Close Encounters excerpts (VPO) • “Hedwig's Theme” • “Flying” (E.T.) • “Throne Room & Finale” (Berlin Phil)
In the 1960s, Leonard Bernstein famously helped to popularize the music of a then relatively obscure composer, Gustav Mahler. His work, as well as the work of other conductors, made Mahler into a classical-music household name. Mahler's symphonies are played every year all over the world, and he is firmly ensconced in the so-called canon of standard orchestral repertoire. Would it surprise you to know that Franck's D Minor Symphony once had the same reputation? It was played almost every year by most major orchestras, it was recorded by all the great conductors, and it was a fixture of the canon just like a Brahms symphony. Nowadays you would be lucky if, outside of France and Belgium, you hear Franck's Symphony once every five years, if that. The truth is that, other than a short golden period for this symphony, it has either been controversial (around the time it was premiered) or ignored (nowadays), which is a real shame, since it is a glorious piece that I would argue is drastically underrated in our modern world. The symphony was radically innovative for its time, which probably explains some of the more virulent criticism it received, but even though those innovations now sound completely normal to our ears, they are still at the heart of what makes this symphony so profoundly satisfying to listen to. Ahead of my performances of the symphony in Lille this December, I wanted to dive in and explore this unfairly ignored masterpiece. In about 40 minutes of music in three grand movements, Franck pours his soul into this work. That phrase sounds a bit cliché, I know, but I really mean it; there is an earnestness about this music that I find deeply moving, and it is something we will explore together today. We will talk about Franck's late entry into the world of composition, his reputation as an organist, and the challenges he faced in finding acceptance as a composer. Along the way, we will discuss this gorgeous piece in all of its passion and intensity. Join us!
We speak with David Anderson, artistic director of the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, about the LGSO's next concert- featuring music of Glinka, Brahms, and Dawson. The group is in the midst of its 25th Anniversary season.
How has the classical music industry approached representation and how has the new music community forged new paths to embrace diverse musics? On tonight's episode of Obbligato on APEX Express, Isabel Li is joined by violinist Shalini Vijayan, who discusses her vibrant career and reflects upon the ways contemporary classical music can build community. Violinist Shalini Vijayan, deemed “a vibrant violinist” by Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times is an established performer and collaborator on both coasts. Always an advocate for modern music, Shalini was a founding member and Principal Second Violin of Kristjan Jarvi's Absolute Ensemble, having recorded several albums with them including 2001 Grammy nominee, Absolution. Shalini was also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles' most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series, for Jacaranda Music and helped to found the Hear Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles. Shalini performed for over a decade with Southwest Chamber Music and can be heard on their Grammy nominated Complete Chamber Works of Carlos Chávez, Vol. 3. She has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Chinary Ung's Spiral XII and Tan Dun's Water Passion, including performances at the Ravinia Festival. As a chamber musician, Shalini has collaborated with such luminaries as Billy Childs, Chinary Ung, Gabriela Ortiz, and Wadada Leo Smith on whose Ten Freedom Summers she was a soloist. Shalini joined acclaimed LA ensemble, Brightwork New Music in 2019 and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays@Monkspace series, a home for contemporary music and performance in Los Angeles. As a teacher, she has been on the faculty of the Nirmita Composers Workshop in both Siem Reap and Bangkok and coaches composition students through the Impulse New Music Festival. Shalini received her B.M. and M.M. degrees from Manhattan School of Music as a student of Lucie Robert and Ariana Bronne. As a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, Shalini served as concertmaster for Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Reinbert de Leeuw and Oliver Knussen. She was also concertmaster for the world premiere performances and recording of Steven Mackey's Tuck and Roll for RCA records in 2000. Shalini was a member of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra for ten seasons and also served as Principal Second Violin of Opera Pacific. She lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California. Check out more of her work at: https://brightworknewmusic.com/tuesdays-at-monk-space/ https://www.lyrisquartet.com/ Transcript Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the APEX Express. 00:01:03 Isabel Li You're listening to Obbligato, which is a segment about the Asian American Pacific Islander community, specifically in classical music. 00:01:11 Isabel Li I'm your host, Isabel Li, and today joining me is Shalini Vijayan, who is a violinist, established performer, and always an advocate for modern music. 00:01:21 Isabel Li Shalini is also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series for Jacaranda Music, and helped to found the Here and Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles. She joined acclaimed LA ensemble Brightwork New Music in 2019, and also serves as the curator for Brightwork's Tuesdays at Monk Space series. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs, and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California. 00:02:04 Isabel Li Well, Shalini, thank you so much for joining me in this conversation today. 00:02:09 Shalini Vijayan I'm so happy to be with you. 00:02:11 Isabel Li Awesome. I'd like to just get to know you and your story. How do you identify and what communities do you consider yourself a part of? 00:02:18 Shalini Vijayan I use the pronouns she, her, and I. Um, I identify as South Asian. I grew up in an Indian family. My parents immigrated to the US in the sixties to teach at medical school. And I grew up with a great deal of Indian culture. And I've spent a lot of time going back and forth to India from the time that I was very young. You know, it's interesting because I feel like in LA, where I live and work specifically, there is so much overlap between all of our different musical communities. You know, I went to school in New York, and I feel like there I was much more, I'm very connected to the new music community in New York and felt really kind of entrenched in that at the time I was there. And after coming to LA, I realized that, um, there are a lot of musicians doing so many different things. That's one of the things I love about Los Angeles, actually. And, you know, I'm definitely very, very rooted in the new music community in LA. And that was where I made my first sort of connections when I first moved to Los Angeles. But I also, you know, worked in an orchestra when I first came to LA. I played in the Pacific Symphony for almost ten seasons, and so I became a part of that community as well. And you know, as the years went on, I also became much more involved in the studio music community of LA studio musicians playing on movie scores, playing on television shows, records, what have you, Awards shows, all sorts of things. And these are all very distinct communities in LA in music. But I see a ton of overlap between all of them. There are so many incredibly versatile musicians in Los Angeles that people are able to really very easily move from one of these groups to the other and, you know, with a great deal of success. And I feel like it gives us so much variety in our lives as musicians in LA, you don't feel like you're ever just in one lane. You can really occupy all these different kinds of spaces. 00:04:23 Isabel Li Right, yeah. So you're classically trained, from what I know, and you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music. So why modern music? 00:04:33 Shalini Vijayan That's a great question. I have have had to answer this question quite a bit over the years, especially to non-musicians. And it's always an interesting story for me. You know, as a violinist in particular, you know, we have such a storied history of repertoire and pedagogy, and there is such an incredible, um, library of music that we have access to from the very standard classical repertoire. And there is a great deal to be learned about the instrument and about music from playing all that repertoire. I think at some point when I was in high school, I started to become interested in more modern music. And actually I grew up in Davis in Northern California. My parents both taught at the university there, at the medical school and in Sacramento. Nearby there was a festival of modern American music that I think still goes on to this day at Cal State University, Sacramento. And it was really a great festival. And at that time, you know, they would bring professional artists, they'd have composers, they'd have commissions, all sorts of things. But at the time that I was like in high school, they also had a junior division to the festival, and I was asked to play a couple pieces in the Festival of, um, Modern Works, and I can't remember at this time what the pieces were, but it left such a huge impression on me. And I think what I really took away from that experience as a kid is that in my studies as a violinist, I was always being asked to sort of live up to this history and this legacy of violin music and violin playing in Western classical music. And it's a very high bar. And it's, um, you know, of course, there's so much great stuff there. But there was something so freeing about playing this music that had either never been played or not been recorded. So there was nothing to reference in terms of listening to a recording, um, and listening to how you, you know, quote, should be playing it that it made me feel, uh, you know, all this, this freedom to really interpret the music, how I felt, rather than feeling like I had to live up to a standard that had been set for me, you know, decades or centuries before. And I think that really something really clicked for me with that, that I wanted to have that kind of freedom when I, when I was playing. And so from there on out, um, you know, when I went to college and I really sought out opportunities in new music as much as I could. 00:07:00 Isabel Li So you were first exposed to new music when you were in high school. Did that influence your decision to become a musician at all? Or were you already set on becoming a musician and that was just part of what shaped your works over the years. 00:07:15 Shalini Vijayan I think by that time, I had already decided that I wanted to be a musician. I mean, as you know, so many of us as musicians and I think particularly string players, we decide so young because we start our instruments at such a young age and we start studying so early. Um, that I think by that time I, I had decided I wanted to do music, but this sort of opened another door for me that made me realize that it wasn't just one path in music necessarily. I think it's very easy as a, as a kid and as a violinist to think you admire these great soloists that you see and, you know, people like Perlman and, you know, Isaac Stern, who were the stars of the time when I was growing up. But, you know, you get to be in high school and you realize that hasn't happened yet. It's probably not going to happen. And so, you know, what's then then what's your path forward? How do you find a life in music if you're not going to be one of these stars? And I think, you know, new music really opened up that opportunity for me. And yeah, made me look at things a little differently for sure. 00:08:18 Isabel Li And currently you're in the contemporary classical music ensemble, Brightwork newmusic, and you curate the ensemble's concert series, Tuesdays @ Monk Space. So how do you go about curating concerts with music by contemporary or living composers? What do you look for? 00:08:33 Shalini Vijayan Well, right now I'm really focused on trying to represent our new music community in LA at Monk Space, which is such, you know, we have such a diverse community of musicians, not just in the makeup of who the people are making the music or writing the music, but also in just the styles of music. And so I think I try to really represent a very diverse set of aesthetics in our season. Um, you know, everything from, you know, last season we had, uh, Niloufar Shiri, who is a traditional Persian kamancheh player, but she also she can play very in a very traditional way, but she also plays with a jazz pianist. And, you know, it does all this very improvisatory stuff. And, you know, then we would have other programs where everything is very much written out and very through, composed and you know, it's been a very wide variety. And, you know, when I try to build the season, I try to make sure that it's really balanced in terms of, you know, the different types of things you'll be hearing because not every audience member is going to want to engage with every type of music. Um, or, you know, if we if we really stuck to one style and it was just in that language for the whole season, then I feel like we would, you know, alienate potential audience members. But with this, I feel like if we can bring people in for one concert and they're really into it, then hopefully they'll come to something else that is new and different for them and be exposed to something that they may really get into after that. So yeah, I think diversity and variety is really where I try to start from. 00:10:09 Isabel Li How does that engage the community? Have you observed audience reception to this type of new music when there are composers from all different types of backgrounds? 00:10:20 Shalini Vijayan Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think that each composer and each artist brings their own community into the space, which and so that's another. I feel like another strong reason why I try to make things very different from concert to concert. And, you know, we have some younger players who come in and bring in, you know, everyone from college students to, you know, their friends and family. And then, you know, really established composers. Like this season we have Bill Roper, who is kind of a legend in the music community in LA. Mult instrumentalist and composer who has been around for decades. And, you know, I think people will come out just because they want to see him and he's such a draw. And, um, you know, I, I also would love to be able to incorporate more world music into the series. Like I said, we did do Niloufar concert, which I felt like I really hoped would like engage with the Persian community in LA as well. And a couple seasons ago we had Rajna Swaminathan, who is, I just think, an incredible artist. Um, she plays mridangam, which is a South Indian percussion instrument, but she also writes for Western instruments, uh, and herself. And we had her and a pianist and then Ganavya, who's a vocalist who's amazing. And, you know, Ganavya had her own following. So we had and Rajna has her own following. So we had a whole full audience that night of people who I had never seen in the space before. And that was for me. That's a success because we're bringing in new friends and new engagement. And, um, I was really excited about that. When I'm able to make those kinds of connections with new people, then that feels like a success to me. 00:12:05 Isabel Li Certainly. 00:12:06 Isabel Li Let's hear one of Shalini's performances. This is an excerpt from the 10th of William Kraft's “Encounters”, a duologue for violin and marimba, performed here by Shalini Vijayan with Southwest Chamber Music. 00:12:20 [MUSIC – Encounters X: Duologue for Violin & Marimba] 00:17:18 Isabel Li An excerpt from William Kraft's Encounters, the 10th of which is called Duologue for Violin and Marimba, that was performed by Shalini Vijayan, the violinist, with Southwest Chamber Music. 00:17:31 Isabel Li And Shalini is here with me in conversation today. We've been discussing contemporary music and her involvement in the new music scene, specifically in Los Angeles. 00:17:40 Isabel Li Music is all about community, drawing people together. So going back to how you describe yourself as an advocate for modern music, what are other ways that you have advocated for modern music besides curating the concert series? 00:17:53 Shalini Vijayan Well, over the years, um, you know, I feel like in all the ensembles I've been in, there's been a real focus on commissioning composers and on performing works that have not been, uh, either performed or recorded before. And I feel like the only way to really get the music out there is to, obviously, is to play it and hopefully to be able to record it. We've worked especially with the lyrics quartet. We've worked with so many young composers in LA either just strictly, you know, contemporary classical composers or even film composers who, um, have works that they'd like to have recorded. And, you know, it's been great to see a lot of those people go on to really amazing things and to be a part of their journey, uh, and to help support them. And, uh, the other thing that the quartet has been heavily involved in and now Bright Work Ensemble has been involved in as well, is the Here Now music festival, which has been going on in LA for well over a decade now. We were involved in the first, um, seasons of that festival. We've been one of the resident ensembles since the very beginning, and that festival is dedicated to the music of LA and Southern California composers. And, um, we have a call for scores every year that we, the four of us in the quartet, are part of the panel that reviews all the scores, along with a lot of our other colleagues, um, who are involved with the festival, and Hugh Levick, who is the artistic director of the festival and has we've worked side by side with him on this for a very long time. And that's also been a fantastic avenue for, um, meeting new composers, hearing new works, having them performed. And the thing I always say about that festival every time it comes around, usually in the spring we have at least three concerts. It's this incredible coming together of the new music community in Southern California, where all these great composers and all these amazing players come together and play these series of concerts, because there's such a vast number of pieces that end up getting programmed. They can't rely on just like one group or one or two groups to play them. So it really pulls in a lot of players from all over town. And I don't know, it always just feels like a really fun time, a fun weekend for all of us to see each other and connect. And, um, and again, just build our community to be even stronger. 00:20:20 Isabel Li That's really cool. How do you ignite interest in new music? Because this is a genre that I think is slightly underrepresented or just underrepresented in general in both the classical music community and the music industry as a whole. 00:20:35 Shalini Vijayan That's a great question, and I think it's a really important question for our whole industry and community. How do you engage people in new music and get them into a concert? Um, you know, I think one of the biggest hurdles for classical music in general, I will say, um, when I talk to people about why they don't want to come to a concert or why they don't want to, you know, let's say, go see the LA Phil or, you know, wherever, whatever city they're in, the major cultural music institution. I think there is a misconception generally that, oh, it's, you know, I have to be dressed a certain way or I it's going to be really stuffy. And, um, I, you know, I don't know what to wear or I don't know how I'm supposed to dress or how I'm supposed to act when I'm in the concert. Am I going to clap at the wrong time? You know, is it going to be really long? And, you know, and I and I get it, you know, I mean, I understand why that would be uncomfortable for a lot of people. And it's not, um, it's something that necessarily everyone has grown up with or that it's been a part of their life. So I think it's really up to us, as you know, when we're on the side of programming concerts or putting together festivals or whatever, um, that we make things more accessible in terms of, um, concert length and interaction with audience. And, um, you know, I think it's I know I've been told so many times and I really think it's important that I think audiences love it when performers talk to them, when they talk about the music and, and set things up for a listener. I think that puts a kind of context on things that makes it so much easier for perhaps a new audience member, someone who's never come to a concert before to feel at ease and feel like, okay, I know what I'm getting into. One of our, actually our former executive director at Brightwork, Sarah Wass, who was fantastic, and I was very happy to work with when I was just starting out programming, Monk Space had the idea of putting on the program the running time of the pieces, and I think even that is just something that, like, can prepare people for what they're getting into when they're about to listen to something new. And in terms of the music itself, I think that if someone, especially a younger person, doesn't feel like they have any connection to Beethoven or Brahms or Mozart, they might actually feel more connected to someone who is their age or a little older. Someone who has had similar life experiences to them, or grown up in the same era as them, rather than someone who grew up, you know, in the seventeen hundreds. You know, there can be more of a real connection there, and that that person is writing this music and reflection of their life and their experiences. And, um, you know, again, I think that kind of context is important for a listener. And yeah. And then just lastly, I would say also, I feel like our space at Monk space is very inviting. It's very low key. It's, um, you know, it's casual, it's comfortable. Role. Um, we have, you know, snacks and a bar and, you know, everyone is very relaxed at intermission and has a good time. And I mean, for me, every time we host one of those concerts, I feel like I'm hosting a little party, you know? That's what it feels like for me. And that's what I want it to feel like for the audience as well. 00:23:52 Isabel Li That brings up a really good point in that new music can make classical music or a new classical music, contemporary music, more accessible to different audiences. And certainly I've definitely heard the complaint from people over the years about classical music being a little too uptight. Would you say that these are two different genres? 00:24:11 Shalini Vijayan I think that there is overlap, and I think, you know, for an ensemble like ours, like Brightwork, we have chosen to make our focus new music. So that's our thing. That's what we do. Um, and, uh, all of our concerts and our programming reflect that. Very rarely do we do anything that's not considered a contemporary piece. Um, but, you know, if you do look at some of our major institutions, like I think the LA Phil and I think the San Francisco Symphony, um, earlier, you know, like in the nineties under MTT, really started to pave the way for incorporating contemporary music into a standard classical format. And, you know, I think that's been very important. And I think it's really changed the way that orchestras have programmed across the country. And there has been such a nurturing of contemporary music in larger spaces. Now that I think that kind of overlap has started to happen much more frequently. I think that in more conservative settings, sometimes there's pushback against that. And even even, you know, in some of the places that I play, you know, sometimes with with the lyrics quartet, um, we are asked to just purely program standard classical repertoire, and we will occasionally throw in a little short piece, you know, just to try and put something in there, you know, something that's very accessible. Um, and, uh, you know that we know the audience will like so that we can help them, you know, kind of get over that fear of connecting to a newer piece. And I, I think in some ways, that's where the path forward lies, is that we have to integrate those things, you know, in order to keep kind of the old traditions of classical music alive. I think we have to keep the newer tradition alive as well, and find a way to put them in the same space. 00:26:00 Isabel Li I certainly agree with that. 00:26:01 Isabel Li Let's hear more of Shalini's work in new music. This is a performance of the first movement of Atlas Pumas by Gabriela Ortiz. Violinist Shalini Vijayan is joined by percussionist Lynn Vartan. 00:26:18 [MUSIC – Atlas Pumas, mvt 1 by Gabriela Ortiz] 00:29:21 Isabel Li The first movement of Gabriela Ortiz's Atlas Pumas played here by violinist Shalini Vijian, and Lynn Vartan plays the marimba. 00:29:30 Isabel Li And Shalini is actually joining us here for a conversation about new music, performances, identity, and representation. 00:29:38 Isabel Li Many Asian American Pacific Islander artists in music have varying relationships between their art and their identity. I was wondering, to what extent do you feel that perhaps your South Asian identity intersects or influences the work that you do with music? 00:29:54 Shalini Vijayan Growing up, um, you know, I grew up in a in a university town in Northern California and, you know, a lot of highly educated and, you know, kids of professors and, you know, but still not the most terribly diverse place. And then going into classical music. And this was, you know, in the early nineties when I went to college, um, it still was not a particularly it was very much not a diverse place at all. And, um, there certainly were a lot of Asian students at, um, Manhattan School of Music where I did my my studies. But I would say it was a solid decade before I was ever in any sort of classical music situation where there was another South Asian musician. I very, very rarely met any South Asian musicians, and it wasn't until I went to the New World Symphony in the early late nineties, early two thousand, and I was a musician there. I was a fellow in that program there for three years that I walked into the first rehearsal, and there were three other South Asian, I think, of Indian descent musicians in the orchestra, and I was absolutely blown away because I literally had not, um, other than here and there at some festivals, I had not met any other South Asian classical musicians. So it was really like that was the hallmark moment for me. It was a really big deal. And coming with my family, coming from India, you know, there is such a strong tradition of Indian classical music, of Carnatic music and Hindustani music. And, um, it's such a long, long tradition. And, you know, the people who have studied it and lived with it are, you know, they study it their whole lives to be proficient in it. And it's such an incredible, incredible art form and something that I admire so much. And I did as a kid. Take a few lessons here and there. I took some Carnatic singing lessons, um, and a little bit of tabla lessons when I was very young. Um, but I think somewhere in middle school or high school, I kind of realized that it was, for me at least, I wasn't, um, able to put enough time into both because both of them, you know, playing the violin in a Western classical style and then studying Indian classical music require a tremendous amount of effort and a tremendous amount of study. And I at that point chose to go with Western classical music, because that's what I'd been doing since I was five years old. But there has always kind of been this longing for me to be more connected to Indian classical music. Um, I'll go back again to Rajna. When I presented Rajna Swaminathan on Monk Space a couple of years ago, it was a really meaningful thing for me, because that's kind of what I'd always wanted to see was a joining together of that tradition, the Indian tradition with the Western tradition. And, um, I'm so happy that I'm starting to see that more and more with a lot of the artists that are coming up now. But at the time when I was young, it just it felt almost insurmountable that to to find a way to bring the two together. And, um, I remember very clearly as a kid listening to this, um, there was an album that Philip Glass did with Ravi Shankar, and I thought that was so cool at the time. And I used to listen to it over and over again because I just again, I was so amazed that these things could come together and in a, in a kind of successful way. Um, but yeah, there is, you know, there there's a part of me that would still love to go back and explore that more that, that side of it. Um, and but I will say also, I'm very happy now to see a lot more South Asian faces when I, you know, go to concerts on stage and in the audience. And, you know, a lot of composers that I've worked with now, um, of South Asian descent, it's been, you know, I've worked with Reena Esmail and Anuj Bhutani and Rajna and, um, there's so many more, and I'm so glad to see how they're all incorporating their connection to their culture to, to this, you know, Western kind of format of classical music. And they're all doing it in different ways. And it's it's really amazing. 00:34:22 Isabel Li That's fantastic. 00:34:24 Isabel Li I was wondering if you could maybe describe what this merging or combination of different styles entails. Do you think this makes it more accessible to audiences of two different cultures? 00:34:36 Shalini Vijayan For me, one example, before I started running the series at Tuesdays at Monk Space, Aron Kallay, who is our Bright Work artistic director, had asked me to come and do a solo show on Monk Space, which I did in November of 2019. 00:34:52 Shalini Vijayan And at the time, I wanted to commission a piece that did exactly that, that, that, um, involved some sort of Indian classical instrument or kind of the language of Indian classical music. And so I actually did reach out to Reena Esmail, and she wrote me a very cool piece called blaze that was for tabla and violin. Um, and I really had so much fun doing that. And Reena, Reena really has a very fluid way of writing for the violin, which she actually was a violinist, too. So she's she's really good at doing that. But being able to write for any melodic instrument or for the voice, which she does quite a bit as well, and incorporating sort of the tonality of Indian classical music, which obviously has its own scales and, um, has its own harmonic, harmonic world that is different from the Western world, um, but finds a way to translate that into the written note notation that we require as, uh, Western classical musicians. And, you know, I think that's the biggest gap to bridge, is that in Indian classical music, nothing is notated. Everything is handed down in an oral tradition, um, over the generations. And for us, everything is notated. And in Indian classical music, you know, there's much more improvisation. And now, of course, with modern classical music, there now is a lot more improvisation involved. But in our old standard tradition, obviously there isn't. And in the way that we're trained, mostly we're not trained to be improvisers. And um, so it's it was great. She has a great way of writing so that it kind of sounds like things are being tossed off and sounding sounds like they're being improvised, but they are actually fully notated, um, which I really appreciated. 00:36:50 Isabel Li Yeah. 00:36:51 Isabel Li So your career has spanned orchestras, recording ensembles, chamber music. Having had so much experience in these types of performance, what does representation in classical music mean to you? 00:37:04 Shalini Vijayan Well, representation is is very important because we're talking about a tradition that was built on white men from centuries ago, European white men. And and it's again, it's an incredible tradition and there's so much great repertoire. But I'm going to circle back to what you were saying or what you asked me about connecting to audiences and, you know, connecting to audiences with new music. It's I think people like to see themselves reflected in the art that they choose. They choose to consume. And, you know, whether that's movies or television or music, I think that's how you connect with your audience is by being a bit of a mirror. I think the only way that we can really continue to connect with a diverse audience is by having that type of diverse representation on our stages and on our recordings. And again, also not just the people, but the types of music, too. You know, musical tastes run wide, genres run wide as well. And it's I think It's good for all of us to be exposed to a lot of different kinds of music, to figure out what we connect with the most. And, um, yeah, the only way we can do that is by really, you know, opening our arms to a, a much wider variety of styles of music. And so I, you know, I mentioned improvisation, improvisation earlier. And I think that is something that's now starting to happen so much more in modern classical music. And, you know, I think there's something about the energy that a player has when they're improvising that is maybe not something that an audience member could quantify verbally, but there's a looseness and a freedom there that I think, you know, for a lot of audience members, they probably really can connect to. And, you know, that's a lot of why people go and listen to jazz is because there's so much freedom and there's so much improvisation. I've been very lucky to be able to work with, um, Wadada Leo Smith, who's a trumpet player and composer. I've worked with him for probably almost ten years now. And um, through Wadada, actually, I have learned to become much more comfortable with improvising on stage and not within a jazz language of any kind or any kind of harmonic structure necessarily, but within the language of his music, which is very unique and very open and very free and, um, but also has a really strong core in its connection to history. And, um, you know, he's written a lot of amazing works about the civil rights movement and about a lot of, you know, important moments in history for our country. And, um, that's been a real learning experience for me to connect with him in that, in that way and learn from him and learn to be more comfortable with improvisation. Because I think growing up, improvisation for me always meant jazz, and that was not a language I was comfortable in. And um, or even, you know, jazz or rock music or folk music or whatever, you know, it was just not something that came naturally to me as a kid to, I mean, I listened to all of it. I listened to everything when I was a kid, but I never played in any of those styles. And I think the older you get, the scarier it gets to start branching out in those ways. But, um, I think, uh, that's been a an incredible, like, new branch of my life in the last decade has been working with Wadada. [MUSIC – “Dred Scott, 1857,” from Ten Freedom Summers, by Wadada Leo Smith] 00:42:23 Isabel Li An excerpt of Wadada Leo Smith's music to give you a sense of the jazz influences in these types of contemporary new music pieces that also touch on pieces of history. This was an excerpt from his album, Ten Freedom Summers, which also consists of compositions based on pieces of American history. For example, what we just heard was from a piece called Dred Scott, 1857. 00:42:49 Isabel Li Now that I realize that we've been having a conversation about new music, I realize that, hmm, when does new music really start? So if you take a look at maybe music history, when does new music really become new music? 00:43:07 Shalini Vijayan I guess it depends on who you ask, probably. Um, it's it's pretty recent. You know, it has to be really legitimately pretty new. And, um, again, you know, if you ask an audience member, um, and I think of some of my friends or family who are maybe who are not musicians who come to concerts, and I'm always so interested in talking to them and hearing their opinions about things. Um, you know, they will listen to Bartok and say, oh, that sounds like new music to me. But, you know, Bartok, Bartok passed away a long time ago, and it's, you know, and for me, that's more like canon now. You know, that's like now for me, part of the the standard repertoire. But there was a time when Bartok was new music. And I think for, you know, maybe the listeners who are more comfortable with the very diatonic, you know, world of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, then something like Bartok really does sound so modern for me. Boy, maybe around the time that minimalism started, you know, John Adams and Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, all of that for me feels like maybe that's the older like the The edge of new music now even though that was that would be the eighties, probably seventies 80s, you know, but that we're talking about like, you know, fifty years ago. So yeah, I mean, it's not that new, but those are all still living composers. So maybe, maybe that's part of what it is for me is that it's the composers of our era, the composers who are alive, who we can communicate with and ask questions of. And, um, you know, at the very least, if you can't talk to John Adams, you can talk to somebody who has worked directly with him and get their impressions of how something should be played, um, as opposed to composers who have been gone for hundreds of years. And you can't have that level of communication with them. I think that, for me is what new music, new music is about. It's about working with living composers and, um, having that type of interaction. 00:45:15 Isabel Li Yeah. So would the word or the phrase contemporary classical music, be a little oxymoronic in a sense? 00:45:26 Shalini Vijayan No, I don't think so. I think it's still part of the same tradition. Um, yeah. I really do think it is, because I think there is a lineage there. Um, for a lot of composers, not all of them, um, that I mean, I think particularly if you're writing for, let's say, an orchestra or a string quartet or sort of one of these very standard classical ensembles. Um, even if you're writing in a very new language and you're writing in a very different way, I think there is still a through line to the canon of classical music. I guess for me, new music and classical music are not mutually exclusive. I think they can be the same. So I don't I don't think they're totally different. I think that there is a lot of a lot of overlap. 00:46:16 Isabel Li For sure, considering how new music fits into the classical music or the classical music industry as a whole. Have you noticed any sorts of shifts in the classical music industry in the past several decades in regards to diversity, equity, inclusion? And have you just noticed any changes? 00:46:35 Shalini Vijayan I have noticed some changes. I mean, I think that most organizations in this country are making an effort to be more inclusive in their programming now. And, um, you know, another another South Asian composer who I just think is fantastic is Nina Shekhar. And, um, she has had pieces played by the New York Phil for the last couple seasons. I mean, you know, so on on major, major stages, I feel like now I'm seeing more representation and that is definitely Encouraging and, um, you know, uh, same for Anuj and Rajna and Reena. They've all, you know, had their works done by major ensembles. And, um, I think I think there is definitely movement in that direction, for sure. I think it could always be more. I think also for women and women composers, women performers, I think that has also always been a struggle to find enough representation of women composers and you know, especially if like as I mentioned before, when you're in a situation where an organization asks you to program a concert, like, let's say, for our quartet and wants much more standard repertoire than it does limit you, you know, how because there isn't much from the older canon. You know, there is. You know, there's Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann and, um, you know, I think in the last five to ten years they've both been played a lot more, which is great. But, you know, I think, uh, there's so many amazing female composers right now that I think are starting to get much more recognition. And I think that just needs to be more, more and more, um, but, uh, you know, that is why, again, like on those programs, sometimes we try to just sneak one modern piece in because it's important for those voices to be heard as well. But yes, I do see some forward movement in that direction with, um, classical programming. And, you know, you just have to hope that the intent is always genuine in those situations. And I think, um, you know, I think that's the most important thing. And giving a platform to those voices is really important. 00:48:59 Isabel Li How would you go about arts advocacy during this current time when, well, the arts are being defunded and devalued by our current administration and how everything is going on right now? 00:49:10 Shalini Vijayan Yeah, it's really, really difficult right now. And, um, you know, I think a lot of arts organizations are losing a lot of government funding. Obviously, I know of a couple projects that lost their NEA funding because of DEI, and which is so disheartening. And, um, I think, you know, there's going to be a lot of leaning on private donors to try and, uh, make up that difference or, you know, private foundations to make up the difference in funding, hopefully. And, um, uh, you know, it's yeah, it's scary. It's a scary time. And I think, you know, even for private funding and, um, private donors, it's, you know, everyone is feeling stressed and feeling concerned about our future right now, just as a country. and there's so much uncertainty. And, um, but I think people who really rely on the arts for all the things that it can provide, you know, an escape and pleasure and, you know, stimulation of a different kind. And especially in a time like this, when you want to be able to get away from maybe what's going on around you, you know, I'm hoping we can find a way to really come together and, um, kind of, you know, rally around each other and find a way to support each other. But, um, I think it is going to be hard for the next few years if we can't find ways to replace that funding that so many people have lost. And I certainly don't think that anyone wants to back away from the progress that's been made with inclusion and representation, you know, just to get funding. So I know we have to be very creative with our path ahead and find a way to, to keep doing what we're doing in this current environment. 00:51:07 Isabel Li Yeah, on a brighter note, I read about your work with Lyris Quartet earlier this year when you presented a concert with Melodia Mariposa called Altadena Strong with the Lyris Quartet, raising funds for those who have been affected by the LA fires. Can you talk a bit about the power of music? And we're going to end on a stronger note here about the power of music in bringing communities together and accelerating community healing. 00:51:31 Shalini Vijayan Well, I have to say that concert was really a special one for us. You know, um, so many musicians were affected by the fires in LA. And, you know, I, I've lived in LA for over twenty years now, almost twenty five years and, um, certainly seen my share of wildfires and disasters, but this one hit so much more close to home than any of the other ones have. And, you know, I know at least twenty five people who lost their homes in between the Palisades and Altadena and Altadena in particular. When I moved to LA, it was a place where a lot of musicians were moving to because you could it was cheaper and you could get a lot of space, and it's beautiful. And, you know, they really built a beautiful community there among all the musicians out there. And it's just heartbreaking, um, to see how many of them have lost everything. And I have to say, Irina Voloshina, who is the woman who runs Melodia Mariposa, and just an amazing violinist and an amazing, wonderful, warm, generous person. You know, she started that series in her driveway during COVID as a way to just keep music going during the pandemic, and it really turned into something so great. And she's, you know, got a whole organization with her now and puts on multiple concerts a year. And when she asked us if we would play that concert for the community in Altadena is, you know, there's no question that we were going to do it. I mean, we absolutely jumped at the chance to support her and support the organization and that community. And people really came out for that concert and were so excited to be there and were so warm and, um, you know, and and she talked to the crowd and really connected with everybody on a very personal level, because she also lost her home in Altadena and, um, you know, it was it was a really meaningful show for all of us. And again, those are the moments where you realize that you can use this art to really connect with people that you may have never met before and show your your love for them, you know, through music, as corny as that may sound, but it's true. 00:53:54 Isabel Li Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you so much, Shalini, for sharing your visions, your knowledge with new music and community building with us today. Thank you so much for being on Obbligato. 00:54:07 Shalini Vijayan Thank you so much for having me, Isabel. It was really a pleasure. 00:54:10 Isabel Li What a wonderful conversation that was with LA-based violinist Shalini Vijayan. If you go to kpfa.org, you can check out more of her work. I put the links to two of her ensembles, Brightwork New Music and Lyris Quartet up on kpfa.org. And thank you for listening to our conversation here on Obbligato on Apex Express. 00:54:32 Isabel Li We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important. 00:54:42 Isabel Li APEX Express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, and Cheryl Truong. Tonight's show was produced by Isabel Li. Thanks to the team at KPFA for their support. Have a great night. [OUTRO MUSIC] The post APEX Express – 11.13.25 – Obbligato with Violinist Shalini Vijayan appeared first on KPFA.
1. Inspiration Beyond the BrainThe book challenges the materialist view that creativity is a left-brain, analytical function. Instead, it presents music as a right-brain, paranormal process. Many iconic songs are received through instantaneous “downloads” or vivid dreams. Keith Richards famously dreamt the riff for “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,” even recording his snoring afterward. These dream-sourced compositions often arrive fully formed, with clarity unlike typical dream content.2. Musicians as ChannelsMany legendary artists describe themselves as vessels rather than creators. John Lennon said he was “just the channel” for the “music of the spheres.” Michael Jackson believed his best songs were “works of God” that dropped into his lap. Notably, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix couldn't read or write music—suggesting that genius may bypass formal training and arise from external sources.3. A Historical PatternThis phenomenon isn't limited to rock and pop. Classical composers also reported receiving music from beyond. Mozart described his compositions as arriving “almost complete” in dreams. Brahms spoke of entering a trance-like state where ideas flowed “directly from God.” Such accounts suggest a long-standing tradition of non-local inspiration.4. UFOs and MusiciansThe book documents a striking number of UFO encounters among musicians. If cataloged, the list would include hundreds of high-profile names. John Lennon had a daylight sighting in 1974; Mick Jagger saw a UFO over the crowd at the 1969 Altamont concert. 5. Alien OriginsSome musicians believe they are extraterrestrial in origin. John Denver referenced the constellation Lyra as his home. Elvis Presley claimed he came from Orion, saying, “I am not of this world.” Lee Scratch Perry declared, “I am an alien from outer space… from Krypton.” Kurt Cobain expressed a lifelong feeling of being “homesick,” imagining himself as an alien baby found in a spaceship.6. Messages of Oneness and LoveThe themes expressed in music often mirror those reported by UFO experiencers. The central message is Oneness—the idea that all existence is interconnected. Lennon's lyric “I am he as you are he as you are me…” reflects this unity. His slogan “Love is the Answer. What was the Question?” and the anthem “All You Need is Love” serve as spiritual propaganda for this shift from fear to love.7. Environmental and Nuclear WarningsA recurring theme is planetary survival. Musicians often channel messages warning of ecological collapse and nuclear danger. Neil Young's “After the Gold Rush” describes “silver spaceships” rescuing the chosen ones.8. Targeting YouthMusicians are seen as strategic messengers to reach younger generations—the “ultimate swing voters.” Youth are more open to ideas that transcend traditional structures like religion and politics. Carlos Santana reported that the entity Metatron told him he'd be tuned into a “radio airwave frequency” to deliver a “new menu” of existence, helping students realize they are “multi-dimensional spirits.”9. Dreams and Altered StatesSongs often arrive during altered states—dreams, meditation, or automatic writing. Sting received “Every Breath You Take” in 15 minutes through automatic writing. Billy Joel dreamt many of his songs fully formed. Music heard during near-death experiences is described as “floating,” ethereal, and profoundly beautiful—often called the “music of the spheres.”10. Music and Quantum ConsciousnessThe book concludes by challenging the materialist worldview. It suggests that the universe operates through a quantum reality where consciousness is primary. Musicians report accessing a non-local field of awareness, consistent with quantum experiments showing that consciousness precedes matter. In this view, the brain doesn't create consciousness—consciousness creates the brain. Music becomes a delivery system for awakening, love, and planetary stewardship.
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