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A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. On tonight's edition of Obbligato on APEX Express, which focuses on AAPI artists, musicians, and composers in the classical music world, host Isabel Li is joined by LA based performer and composer Richard An, who plays and creates new avant-garde music, usually with the ensemble House on Fire, and his music has been performed by the LA Phil and the Calder Quartet to name a few. Join us in our conversation, exploring the possibilities of avant-garde music, raising questions regarding Asian identities in the classical music world, and Richard's insights on art making during a time when Trump's cuts to the NEA are affecting artists and institutions nationwide. Featured Music: Sonatrinas: https://richardan.bandcamp.com/album/sonatrinas i got the electroshock blues: https://rasprecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-got-the-electroshock-blues   RICHARD AN (b.1995) is a performer and composer, born and raised in Los Angeles. Richard plays new music – usually with House on Fire – co-founded the tiny backpack new music series, and has performed with Monday Evening Concerts' Echoi Ensemble, Piano Spheres, The Industry and on Bang on a Can's LOUD Weekend. Richard plays piano and percussion, and has been known to sing, conduct, and teach. Richard's music has been performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Calder Quartet, HOCKET, C3LA, and more. His music has been released on CMNTX Records. Richard has a BM in Composition from USC and an MFA from CalArts. He is on faculty at the Pasadena Waldorf School, Glendale Community College and Harvard-Westlake. He plays taiko and tabla, and makes YouTube videos. Learn more about Richard's work on his website: https://richardanmusic.com/ Richard's social media: https://www.instagram.com/richardanmusic/ If you are in LA and want hear Richard's work, he's playing with House on Fire at the Sierra Madre Playhouse on August 17! https://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/event/richardan2025   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. 00:00:46 Isabel Li Good evening and welcome back to a new episode of Apex Express on KPFA, 94.1 FM. We are bringing you an Asian and Asian American view from the Bay and around the world. I'm your host, Isabel Li, and tonight is a new edition of Obbligato, which explores AAPI identities and classical music. Tonight I'm joined by LA based performer and composer Richard An, who plays and creates new avant-garde music, usually with the ensemble House on Fire, and his music has been performed by the LA Phil and the Calder Quartet to name a few. Join us in our conversation, exploring the possibilities of avant-garde music, raising questions regarding Asian identities in the classical music world, and Richard's insights on art making during a time when Trump's cuts to the NEA are affecting artists and institutions nationwide. 00:01:41 Isabel Li Welcome to the show. Welcome to APEX Express, Richard. My first question for you is how do you identify and what communities would you say that you're a part of? 00:01:50 Richard An My name is Richard An I use he/him pronouns and I'm a second generation Korean American. My parents are both Korean. My dad came from Busan, which is a large city in South Korea, and my mom was born in Seoul and then moved to South America and then made her way up to Los Angeles where they met. And as for identity, like, I think Korean American would be the most accurate one. This is and I think an ever evolving part of first of all my identity and the way that it intersects with my practice and also I think that's the case with many Asian American artists, I mean artists from immigrant families, you know, the the matter of your identity, especially if you feel more distanced from it for one reason or another, is like an unsolved question for everyone like there is no one answer. That works for people and that's a thing that me people like myself I think will be exploring for our entire lives. When I introduce myself to people, I say that I'm a classical musician. And at the very core of it, that is true. That's not a lie. And I am, you know, a part of the classical music community in Los Angeles. But as time goes on, I have noticed and realized. That I tend to align myself more with like the avant-garde and experimental contemporary music communities of Los Angeles, which has certainly an overlap with the classical community, both in practice and historically, but yeah, I I would say those are the sort of two biggest ones, classical musicians and experimental avant-garde, contemporary musicians, whatever label you want to use for that. 00:03:47 Isabel Li Yeah. Some of our listeners might not know what avant-garde music entails. Can you — how would you describe avant-garde music to someone who might not be as familiar with this particular movement? 00:03:57 Richard An Yeah. So avant-garde music, a sort of flippant and joking way to to talk about it is ugly music or music. You know, my dad, for example, wouldn't like, but I think. It's music that either interfaces with elements or confronts facets or issues in music that aren't typical of other kinds of music. The music that you might hear that is labeled of on guard might be noisy or dissonant or uncomfortable, or any kind of, you know, adjectives that are synonyms for noisy or ugly, but I have come to love that kind of music, you know 1. Because of the the kind of questions that they might ask about our perceptions of music and two, because I guess one way to put it is that to be a classical musician, you need to be in a practice room for many hours a day for many years and go to what is unfortunately a college, which is usually very expensive and I guess for lack of a better term, paywalled for like you need to have the kind of resources that allow you to attend a four year undergrad and then a two year masters and then a three-year doctorate. But avant-garde music, contemporary music, experimental music doesn't necessitate that kind of thing. Often those musicians do have a background that gives them some amount of, you know, virtuosity or facility in an instrument. But like some of the best experimental musicians. Alive and some of the best ones that I know have no, like extensive training in a particular instrument and some may not have a degree in music at all. And that's one thing that I in like that separates it from classical music is that. 00:05:44 Richard An Classical music can be, unfortunately a little bit exclusionary. I don't think by any one specific design, but the fact that you need so many hours and very specific instructions from a mentor that necessitate that kind of relationship. But experimental music, I think does a little bit better job of diversifying or making it feel more equitable. 00:06:12 Isabel Li That's a great point, actually. One of my questions following up with that was what do you think is possible with this genre, which you kind of mentioned earlier with perhaps how this genre makes classical music a little bit more equitable for those who are interested in this field. In your experience, composing, what do you think makes the genre special, and how do you go about it? 00:06:35 Richard An One thing that I've noticed about being involved in the sort of contemporary experimental avant-garde music sphere is that it makes me a better listener, and I think other people who attend these concerts will agree. Like for example a large part of this kind of music is drone or repetition or, you know, like long spans of unchanging sound. And if the the sound that is being produced at face value is not changing, well then what do you notice about it? What do you grab on to and one of the most, I think, gratifying experiences is listening deeper and realizing that, ohh, even though you know for example this piano playing two notes for 30 minutes might not like the instructions will say to do the same thing for 30 minutes, but your experience as a human being will certainly change over those 30 minutes, even if the the notes are not like you will notice the slight fluctuations in the way that someone is playing, you will notice the beating patterns in the pitches on an instrument that may not be perfectly in tune, you will note other ambient sounds, you will note like you will notice so much more about the world when you are confronted with the kind of music that you know. You can say it forces you to listen to these sounds but also invites you to listen to these things. And I think that's really, really special. That's not to say that that can't happen with other kinds of music. Or even with classical music. Surely you know there are many, many ways to listen to everything. But I've noticed this within myself. When I listen to long, repetitive drone based music that it really opens my ears and makes me a more active participant as a listener. 00:08:30 Isabel Li It's a great point actually. Part of my work– because I studied music, history and theory in college– was how music can engage various listeners to participate. Have you composed anything that perhaps engages the listener in this more of a participatory setting? 00:08:47 Richard An Yeah. So I guess in order the some of the stuff that I've done to engage the audience, I guess both literally, and maybe more figuratively is, I wrote a piece last year for the Dog Star festival, which is a a contemporary and experimental music festival that is actually happening right now, at the time of this recording. It's a multi week long festival that focuses on music of this type that was founded by people in the sort of CalArts music world. But I wrote a piece for that last year for three melodicas, which are these basically toy instruments that look like keyboards, but you blow into them and you blowing air through these makes the sound happen. It's basically like if you cross a harmonica and a piano together. But I I wrote a piece for three of these, playing essentially the same notes. And because these instruments are pretty cheap, and they're often considered toys or, you know, instruments for children, they're not tuned to the exact way that, like a piano or a vibraphone or an expensive instrument might be. But I wanted to use that for my advantage. For example, if I play an F# on one melodica the same F# on another melodica will not be exactly the same and playing those two pitches together will produce what's known as a a beat or beat frequency. Which is, you know, a complicated, you know, mathematic physics thing, but basically 2 notes that are really, really close, but not quite together will create a kind of third rhythm because the the pitches are so close. Like, for example, if if I play an A at 4:40 and another A at 441, you will notice that difference of 1 Hertz inside of your ears. And that's a really cool phenomenon that happens explicitly because you were there listening to the piece. They don't happen necessarily, you know, like in, in recorded formats like, it's a very difficult thing to capture unless you are in the room with these instruments. And the fact that we had this audience of, let's say, 40 people meant that all forty of these people were experiencing these beat frequencies and another really cool factor of this is depending on where you are located in the room. With the way that the beats will sound in your ears are different and purely by the fact of acoustics like a wave bouncing off of the wall over on your left, will feel really different if you are closer or further from that wall. So not only do the audiences ears themselves, you know, invite these this this participation, but the pure physicality of each listener means that they will have a very slightly different experience of what the piece is, and again like this will happen in any concert. If you're at a classical show, if you're at a rock show if, if you're further from the stage, if you're further to the left or right, you will get a slightly different position in the stereo field that the musicians are playing in, but pieces like what I wrote and many others that exist emphasize this kind of like acoustic phenomena. That is really, really fascinating to listen to. 00:12:23 Isabel Li That's fascinating. And to get a sense of Richard's work, we'll be hearing coming up next. The short excerpt from his album Sonatrinas. This is the duo excerpt performed by Wells Leng, Katie Aikam, Kevin Good and composer Richard An himself. [COMP MUSIC: Sonatrinas (Excerpt: Duo)] 00:17:38 Richard An And so the back story for this piece is this was written for one of my recitals at CalArts. I was planning on playing this piece by Michael Gordon called Sonatra, which is a really, really beautiful and difficult piece for solo piano that I gave myself as an assignment, which I was not able to do with the amount of time. And, you know, like I just didn't give myself enough time to do this thing, so I still had this program of several pieces written with the idea of having this Michael Gordon Sonatra in the middle, but now that that sort of middle part was gone, there was a bunch of pieces about a piece that didn't exist. So in order to fill that hole, I wrote this piece called Sonatrinas which is a cheeky nod to the Michael Gordon Sonatra, but also to the fact that each part of this is kind of a diminutive Sonata form. Everything has a sort of ABA– here's some idea. Here's a different idea, and now we go back to that first idea. Every single part of this has a little bit of that in it. 00:18:51 Isabel Li Yeah, that's fascinating. Even the name itself reminds me of Sonata form in classical music, where it's kind of like an ABA section. As you sort of talked about earlier. And it's really cool that you're adapting this in a more avant-garde context. This is a reminder you're listening to Apex Express. Today we are interviewing composer and musician Richard An. 00:19:12 Isabel Li I think the general question that I have next is can you tell me a bit about what drew you to music and how you got your start in music, how you got introduced to it and what things have inspired you over the years? 00:19:24 Richard An Yeah. So a real quick sort of, I guess, history of my involvement with music is that I started piano lessons when I was pretty young, either three or four years old. I continued that until I was 12 or 13. I decided I really wanted to become a musician. I started taking composition lessons with this composer, AJ McCaffrey, who is really responsible for a lot of what I know and my successes, if you can call it that. He got me into a lot of the music that I am into now and set the foundation for what I would study and what I would write he was one of the instructors for this program called the LA Phil Composer Fellowship program, which back when I was a participant from 2011 to 2013, was a program hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic that took 4 high school age students every two years. And you know, they they taught us, you know, everything. How a young composer needs to know how instruments work, how to write a score, how to talk to musicians, how to do everything that a that a composer needs to learn how to do and at the end of this program, after the two years the young composers write a piece for the at the LA Philharmonic. So I was extremely lucky that by the age of 17 I was able to write a piece for orchestra and get that played and not just any orchestra, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, you know, undisputedly one of the best orchestras in the world. Right. And then after that I I went to USC for my undergrad and then went to CalArts for my masters. And then here we are now. And that those are sort of the like, you know if someone writes a biography about me, that's what we'll be, you know, involved in the thing. But I really started to develop my love for music in my freshman and sophomore year. In high school I I started to get into more and more modern composers. I started to get into more and more noisy things and a lot of this coincided actually with the passing of my mother. She died when I was 14 and you know that in any human the death of a parent will cause you to reevaluate and rethink aspects of your life. Things that you thought were certainties will not be there anymore. So for me, I stopped taking piano lessons and I sort of went headfirst into composition and which is why my degrees are specifically in composition and not piano. Had my mother's passing not happened, you know, who knows what I would be doing now? Maybe I'm not a composer at all. Maybe I'm not into avant-garde music at all, but because things happen the way that they did, I suddenly took a quick turn into avant-garde music and my involvement there only grew more and more and more. Until you know where I am today, I'm almost 30 years old, so I've been listening to and a participant of this music for maybe 15 years or so and I'm quite happy. 00:22:43 Isabel Li That's awesome to hear. 00:22:45 Isabel Li And perhaps a testament to Richard one's very versatile compositional style and avant-garde music coming up next are three pieces from his album i got the electroshock blues. There are five pieces in the album in total, but we will be hearing three of them. The first one called “feeling, scared today,” the second one, “pink pill,” and the fifth one, “la la.” [COMP MUSIC: i got the electroshock blues: 1. “feeling, scared today”, 2. “pink pill”, 3. “la la”.] 00:36:41 Richard An Earlier last year, I released a collection of live recordings under the title of I got the Electroshock Blues. Electroshock Blues is a song by the band Eels I encountered at a pivotal moment in my life. This was right around the time that my mother passed and this record and this song is heavily centered in grief. The main musician in the Eels, Mark Oliver Everett, was dealing with the passing of multiple family members and people who were close to him so it hit me in just the right way at just the right time. And because of that, this song specifically has stayed with me for many, many years. I found myself coming back to the contents of this song as I was composing and all the pieces on this album, of which there are 5 heavily take material from this song, whether that's words, chords, the melody. I really, you know, take it apart, dissect it and use those as ingredients in the pieces that I have written here and all of these are live recordings except for the first piece which was recorded in my studio. I just sort of overdubbed the parts myself, and there are credits in the liner notes for this album, but I just want to say that. The first piece which is called “feeling, scared today,” was originally written for the Hockett piano duo, which is a duo comprised of Thomas Kotcheff and Sarah Gibson. Sarah Gibson was a really close friend of mine who passed away last year and now this piece which in some way came out of a feeling of grief now has renewed meaning and another facet or aspect of this piece is centered in grief now. Because this was dedicated to Thomas and Sarah. Yeah. So these pieces are all derived from this one song. 00:38:57 Isabel Li That's a beautiful response. Thank you so much. Kind of following along your background and how you got to where you are. How do you think your identity has informed your work as a composer and musician? And this could be– you can interpret this in any way that you wish. 00:39:11 Richard An Yeah, this is a really interesting question. The question of how my identity interfaces with my music. In my art, particularly because no person's answer is quite the same, and I don't necessarily have this figured out either. So for a little bit of I guess for a little bit of context on me, I'm second generation Korean American, but I've never been to Korea and I never went to Korean school. My parents never really emphasize that part of my education. You could call it assimilation. You can call it whatever, but I think they valued other aspects of my growth than my explicit tie to Koreanness or, you know my specific identity as a Korean or Korean American, and because of that, I've always felt a little bit awkwardly distanced from that part of my identity, which is something that I will never be completely rid of. So in in a world and the field where whiteness is sort of the default part you know, particularly because you know, classical music does come from Europe, you know, for hundreds of years, like all of the development in this particular kind of music did happen in a place where everyone was white. So because of that background of where I come from and where my musical activity comes from, whiteness has been the default and still feels like it is. So me looking the way that I do as, an obvious not white person, as a person of color will always have a little bit of an outsider status to the thing. And with that comes the question of what are you bringing to classical music? What do you bring to the kind of music that you're creating? Like for example, the most I think the most well known East Asian composers are people like Toru Takemitsu or Tan Dun, people who will interface with their Asianness, in many different ways, but that often involves bringing, for example, a Japanese scale into your classical composition, or bringing a Japanese instrument into your classical composition. Those are, you know, examples of of of pieces by Toru Takemitsu, and other, you know, very successful. Asian American composers now may do similarly. Texu Kim is maybe someone who can also give insight into this, but nothing about me feels explicitly Korean, maybe besides the way that I look. And besides, the way that I grew up a little bit like I've never been to Korea. What right does that give me as a Korean, to for example, use a Korean instrument or use a Korean scale? I've never studied that music. I've never studied that culture. I in in some arguments I would be guilty of cultural appropriation, because I, you know, have not done the work to study and to properly represent. And for example, like Pansori, if I were to use that in any of my music. 00:42:46 Richard An But then the the the difficult question is well, then who does have the right? Does being Korean give me all the license that I need to incorporate aspects of my identity? And if I am not Korean, does that, does that bar my access to that kind of music forever? Another way of looking at this is, I've studied North Indian Classical Hindustani music for a while. I've played tabla and and studied that music at CalArts and I really, really love playing tabla. It's it doesn't make its way into my composition so much, but it is certainly a big part of my musicianship and who I am and, like, but am I barred from using ideas or aspects of that music and culture and my music because simply for the fact that I am not Indian? Many musicians would say no. Of course you've done your homework, you've done your research. You're doing due diligence. You're you're representing it properly. And many people who study this music will say music cannot go forward if it's not like the innervated and continued and studied by people like me who are not explicitly South Asian or Indian. That's an example of the flip side of this of me using or representing the music from a culture that I am not a part of, but again, am I really Korean? I've never been there. I wasn't born there. I speak the language conversationally. But this is an extremely long winded way of saying that I feel a tenuous connection to my Korean this my Korean American identity that hasn't been solved, that isn't solved and probably will never be completely solved. But I think that's exciting. I think that's an evolving aspect of my music and will continue to be that way as long as I continue to be involved in music and as as long as I continue to write. 00:45:05 Isabel Li Yeah, absolutely. That's a wonderful response. Actually. I was, as I was studying different types of world music and learning how people kind of borrow from different cultures. There is this always, this kind of question like ohh, like which types of musical elements from which cultures can I incorporate and obviously the aspects of personal identity definitely play into that a little bit. And part of my senior thesis in college was studying AAPI artists in classical music, and specifically that there are a lot of Asian-identifying musicians in the classical music world. But as you kind of mentioned earlier, I think classical music is very much still like grounded in whiteness and has this kind of air of elitism to it just because of its roots. How do you think this kind of identity intersects with the classical music world? And forgive me if you've already kind of talked about it before, but it's an interesting juxtaposition between like, for example, musicians who identify as AAPI or Asian in this kind of genre that is very– it's very associated with whiteness. Could you kind of talk about the dynamics of how these two aspects of like culture kind of interplay with one another? 00:46:26 Richard An Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, there are ways that I personally feel like I intersect with classical music with reference to my identity, and that also plays with the sort of cultural expectations, like there are stereotypes of Asian musicians, of Asian classical musicians. But there are not necessarily the same the same kind of stereotypes with white classical musicians. A very dominant like stereotype that you'll run into is the young Asian prodigy who practices 10 hours a day and may therefore be labeled as mechanical or unfeeling or, you know, are involved in in this a lot. So much so to the fact to the to the point where to excel an Asian American classical musician or as an Asian classical musician, in general, seems to always carry that stereotype. Like you know, Seong-Jin Cho's success as a pianist may not necessarily be attributed to his musicianship or his skill as a pianist. Because he is an Asian person, an Asian guy. Like how much of his success is because of the perceived tiger mom-ness that he might have existed under? How much of it is attributed to the same type of stereotypes that are labeled like that that label the five year old pianist on YouTube that that is clearly better than I am? Like some of these stereotypes help and some of these don't, but the I think it's undeniable that they exist in a way that doesn't in a way that doesn't carry for white people in the classical music sphere. And I think part of that is that classical music is still rooted in its Eurological identity. I think I'm using that correctly. That's an idea from George Lewis. Eurological versus Afrological. The context that I'm using Eurological right now is specifically in reference to George Lewis, who is a composer, trombonist, and musicologist who, I think coined the two terms to differentiate the roots of different styles of music, and you know, I haven't read enough to confidently say, but classical music is Eurological by example and like jazz would be Afrological by an example and the contexts in which they develop and exist and grew up are fundamentally different, which is what makes them different from each other. And again like this needs a little bit more research on my part. 00:49:23 Richard An Yeah, and because the classical music is so rooted in this thing, I don't believe that the stereotypes that exist for Asian classical musicians exist for white people. And I think that is something that will naturally dissipate with time, like after another 100 years of Asians, and, you know, people of color in, you know, every country in the world, with their continued involvement and innova otypes will disappear like this. You know, it may require certain concerted efforts from certain people, but I do believe that after a while these things will not exist. They'll sort of equalize right in the same way. That the divisions that we make between a Russian pianist and a French pianist and a German pianist, though you know people still do study those things like those aren't really dividing lines quite as strong as an Asian composer or an Indian composer might be. 00:50:27 Isabel Li Thank you for that perspective. I think it's, I think these are conversations that people don't kind of bring up as much in the classical music world and it's great that, you know, we're kind of thinking about these and probably possibly like opening some conversations up to our listeners hopefully. And so my next kind of pivot here is as you know with our current administration, Trump has canceled millions of dollars in National Endowment of the Arts grants, and it's been affecting arts organizations all over the nation. And I was kind of wondering, have you been affected by these cuts to arts programs and what kinds of advice would give upcoming musicians or composers in this era? 00:51:07 Richard An Yeah, that's a yeah, that's a big thing. And like, you know, changing day by day, right. So the Trump administration's effects on my life as a musician is simultaneously huge and also not really that much. So in one way these grant cuts have not affected my personal musical life because I haven't ever received a government grant for any of my arts making. So in one way like my life is the same, but in many, many, many other ways it has changed. Like I am involved with and I work with concert series and organizations and nonprofits that do rely on NEA funding and other government arts based funding. And if they have less money to fund their next season, that means certain projects have to be cut. That means certain musicians have to be paid less. That means certain programs have to change, especially if these funding cuts are aimed towards DEI or quote and quote, woke programming like that is, you know this that will by design disproportionately affect people of color in this field, which already you know, like is in a Eurocentric urological tradition like this is already something that people of color don't have a head start in if the funding cuts are aimed at certain types of programming that will disadvantage already disadvantaged groups of people, well then I don't know, that's even–we're starting even later than other people might be, and you know, like, if a musicians, if a person's reaction to this is despair, I think that's reasonable. I think that is an absolutely, like that's an appropriate reaction to what is fundamentally an attack on your voice as an artist. But I I have for as long as I can, you know, I have always worked under the impression that I will have to do the thing myself, and that's in the piece of advice that I give for a lot of people. You shouldn't necessarily wait for this ensemble to come pick you to play or or to to, you know, commission you to write a piece if you want to write the piece, you should do it and figure out how to put it on yourself. If you want to perform you know music by a certain composer, you should do it and then figure out how to do it yourself. That certainly comes from a place of privilege, like I can do this because I have enough work as a musician to be able to pay for the the passion projects it comes from a place of privilege, because I live in Los Angeles and the resources and musicians and other people who I would like to collaborate with live here, so you know, completely acknowledging and understanding that I I do believe that it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. I think if you're a young musician and are feeling some despair about these funding cuts and you know the many, many, many other transgressions against humanity by this current administration. 00:54:38 Richard An I recommend you just go out and do it yourself. You find your people, you find your community, you pull favors, you work long nights and you do it and the reward will firstly be the good you're putting out into the world and then the the art you're making. But also this will be paid in kind by the community you're building, the musicians you're working with. And the the connections you make like you know I I have, I am currently conducting this interview from a studio space that I am renting out in Pasadena that I have built over the last two years that I do all of my rehearsals and my performances in, and that I, you know, host rehearsals and performances for other people, and this cannot happen and could not have happened without the goodwill and help and contribution from other people. When I say go out and do it yourself, I'm not saying that you as a human being are alone. I'm saying you don't need to wait for institutional approval or permission to go out and do these things. Get your friends and do them themselves. And my optimistic belief is that the support and the work will follow. 00:55:53 Isabel Li Richard, thank you so much for sharing your perspectives and your voice on this show today. And thank you to our many listeners of KPFA on tonight's episode of Obbligato on Apex Express. Which focuses on the AAPI community of the classical music world. There were some inspirational words on arts and arts making by Richard An musician and composer based in Los Angeles. 00:56:18 Isabel Li Please check our website kpfa.org to find out more about Richard An and his work as well as the state of the arts during this period of funding cuts. 00:56:29 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 and your art are important. 00:56:41 Isabel Li APEX Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by Isabel Li. Have a great evening. The post APEX Express – 8.7.25 – Obbligato with Richard An appeared first on KPFA.

Crime is everywhere – Brentwood homeless man terrorizing neighborhood and beats up a gardener. Andor needs a jacket for the winter! Who's a good boy? // Are people eating less fast food? Do you eat fast food? // Celebrity break-ins, Brad Pitt house ransacked. WHIP: What is Brad Pitt's network? // Nurse Lisa won tickets to LA Phil, Earth Wind& Fire at the Hollywood Bowl  #Crime #Celebrities #Fastfood #BradPitt #Breakins #Nurses #LAPHIL #EarthWindFire #HollywoodBowl 

For the last ten years (up until this past February), Deborah Rutter '74 was President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the national cultural center of the United States. In this episode, Deborah tells her story. From growing up in Encino and attending Westlake and then Stanford, to her long career in the arts—beginning with the LA Phil and LA Chamber Orchestra, before leading both the Seattle and Chicago Symphonies for 11 years each. Deborah and I also discuss the peculiarity of the past few months, beginning with her announcing in January this would be her last year leading the center as part of a carefully orchestrated succession plan. Two weeks later, everything changed. President Trump took over the center's board, naming himself as chair, and relieving Deborah of her duties. While Deborah does not directly address the President's reasoning, she instead focuses on the center's purpose and its magic. Deborah references Harry Jarvis of Mulholland Junior High School; David Coombs, James Hosney, Nat Reynolds '51, and Ham Smith of Westlake School; and Ernest Fleischmann of the Los Angeles Philharmonic as profound influences on her life and career in the arts.

The L.A. City Council approved a plan to expand the Convention Center, but the full project won't be done in time for the Olympics. The council is looking into increasing trash fees in the city of L.A. And The L.A. Philharmonic hits Coachella this year. Plus, more.Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comVisit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!Support the show: https://laist.com

When was just 26 years old, Gustavo Dudamel arrived from Venezuela to become conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He immediately became one of the world's most beloved figures in classical music. He's collaborated with pop stars (including Billie Eilish, Nas and Christina Aguilera). He's played the Super Bowl half-time show. He even the model for the main character in the hit tv series "Mozart in the Jungle". Sixteen years later, after making an enormous mark on the LA Phil and the city of LA, Gustavo Dudamel is preparing to move east, as music director and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic. He talks here about coming up as a musician and a budding conductor in "El Sistema", Venezuela's classical music training ground for children of all backgrounds. He describes conducting his toy figurines while listening to the world's greatest orchestras, before he even understood what conductors actually do. And he shares his love of music - all music - and his work to erase boundaries between audiences. 

Episode 462 / Doug Aitken Doug Aitken is an artist whose work explores every medium; from sculpture, film and installations to architectural interventions. His films often explore the modern condition, and his installations create immersive cinematic experiences. Notable artworks include electric earth (1999), sleepwalkers (2007), SONG 1 (2012), Station to Station (2013), Mirage (2017-ongoing), NEW ERA (2018), New Horizon (2019), Flags and Debris (2021), and HOWL (2023). He has collaborated with numerous artists and musicians and his artwork has been exhibited widely. Aitken's latest artwork, Lightscape (2024), was produced by Aitken as a collaboration between the LA Phil and LA Master Chorale and premiered at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. 

The Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world.  Today's episode features Greg Roosa, 2nd horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. About Greg: Gregory Roosa was appointed Second Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Gustavo Dudamel in September 2012. Prior to that he held the Fourth Horn position in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra beginning in 2003. His previous positions include Fourth Horn with the Kennedy Center Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and Fourth Horn with the Colorado Symphony in Denver. A native of Troy, Michigan, Roosa attended the University of Illinois and studied with Ralph Froelich at the University of South Florida. In 1992, he moved to Chicago to study with Dale Clevenger, Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony. He was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for three seasons. Active as a freelance musician in the Chicago area for eight years, Roosa played in the Broadway shows Ragtime, Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon. He also played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, including a European tour and two recordings. Roosa has appeared as soloist and clinician at numerous universities and horn workshops around the world. Roosa has performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Orchestra in Australia, as well as with the Florida Orchestra and Detroit Symphony in the U.S. He was a member of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra from 1999 to 2012, where he met his wife, Amy Jo Rhine, the Third Horn of LA Phil. Together they have two young boys, Norton and Sutton.

The Australian-born, California-based singer/songwriter and producer RY X seems to have multiple careers: writing intimate, diaphanous folk/pop songs that offer connection and vulnerability; collaborating as a producer, singer, or DJ with some of the biggest names in electronic dance and pop, like Drake, Diplo,  and the band Odesza; and performing with orchestras, including the LA Phil, and the London Philharmonic. RY X spent the pandemic time looking inward and listening to nature. He walks on the quiet wild side, with regular collaborator Gene Evaro Jr., playing recent songs, in-studio. Set list: 1. Only 2. You 3. Howling

Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions, this week on the show, we're joined by three guests—though, not all at once.  In the first half of the show: Mark “Frosty” McNeill of dublab and the LA Phil to discuss a new compilation he helped produce, Even the Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971​-​1996; in the second-half of the show, Estevan and Alejandro Gutierrez, better known as Hermanos Gutiérrez just us to discuss their latest album of spacey guitar instrumentals, Sonido Cosmico. Assembled by Light in the Attic Records in partnership with the Kyiv-based archival label, Shukai, Even the Forest Hums offers music rarely heard outside of its homeland—a genre diverse compilation of Ukrainian music recorded under the USSR's reign and in the aftermath of its collapse, from post-punk to folk, from jazz rock to early electronic music, from downtempo hip-hop to oddball pop.  “Music has always pulled Ukrainians out of the abyss,” writes Vitalii “Bard” Bardetskyi in the liner notes. “When there is no hope for the future, there is still music. At such moments, the whole nation resonates under a groove. Music, breaking through the concrete of various colonial systems, is an incredible, often illogical, way to preserve dignity.” Mark “Frosty” McNeill takes us behind the scenes. Brothers Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez grew up in two words, splitting time between their father's native Switzerland and Ecuador, where their mother's family hailed from. On past records, they've evoked the imaginal expanses of Spaghetti Westerns through a pan Latin/surf/psychedelic sound for guitar and lap steel.  Their latest is called Sonido Cósmico. Joined by producer Dan Auerbach, they flesh the surroundings out even more this go-round, dialing in a song that's as suited for the desert expanses of Mars or the moon as much as any Sergio Leone film.  Estevan and Alejandro joined us to discuss setting their sights on the stars, channeling feminine energy via their abuela, and the intent that fueled committing their earliest musical efforts to vinyl. Aquarium Drunkard is supported by our subscribers. Head over and peruse our site, where you'll find nearly 20 years worth of playlists, recommendations, reviews, interviews, podcasts, essays, and more. Subscribe at Aquarium Drunkard.  Transmissions is a part of the Talkhouse Podcast Network. Visit the Talkhouse for more interviews, fascinating reads, and podcasts. This episode is brought to you by DistroKid. DistroKid makes music distribution fun and easy with unlimited uploads and artists keep 100% of their royalties and earnings. To learn more and get 30% off your first year's membership, visit: distrokid.com/vip/aquariumdrunkard

Show Notes: Episode Title: S3E40 - Emmanuel Ceysson: Mastering the Harp YouTube Video Link: Watch Here Introduction: In this captivating episode, we delve into the fascinating world of harp mastery with Emmanuel Ceysson. Join us as we explore his remarkable journey from starting the harp at the tender age of 7 to becoming a renowned professional harpist. Emmanuel shares insights into the challenges he faced as a male harpist, the intricacies of the pedal harp, and his unique approach to overcoming performance anxiety. Key Discussion Points: Early Beginnings and Unique Sound: Emmanuel's journey into the world of harp playing, starting at the age of 7. The allure of the harp's unique sound and its impact on Emmanuel's musical journey. Challenging Stereotypes: The obstacles faced by male harpists and the stereotypes associated with the instrument. Emmanuel's perspective on breaking through these stereotypes and carving his own path in the industry. Understanding the Pedal Harp: Detailed insights into how the pedal harp functions, including its unique tuning mechanism. Exploring the technical aspects of the pedal harp, with 7 strings per octave that can be altered with pedals. Historical Perspectives: A glimpse into the history and evolution of the harp, including the competition between pedal and chromatic harps in the late 19th century. Preparing for Auditions and Performance: Strategies for preparing for auditions on unfamiliar instruments and navigating inconsistent tuning. The visual impact of Emmanuel's iconic red Salzedo harp on stage. Orchestral Experience: Contrasting experiences of playing in symphony orchestras versus opera orchestras. Emmanuel's approach to learning orchestral repertoire, focusing on musicality over technical perfection. Overcoming Performance Anxiety: Insights into managing performance anxiety by focusing on personal growth rather than external validation. Emmanuel's journey in overcoming nerves and finding confidence in his craft. Conclusion: Emmanuel Ceysson's story is a testament to the power of dedication, perseverance, and passion in pursuing one's musical dreams. Whether you're an aspiring musician or a seasoned professional, this episode offers valuable insights into the world of harp performance and the art of mastering one's craft. Connect with Emmanuel Ceysson: Follow Emmanuel on Instagram @emmanuel_ceysson Visit Emmanuel's Website for more information and updates on his performances and projects. Additional Resources: Explore more of Emmanuel's performances and interviews on his YouTube Channel Acknowledgment: Special thanks to Emmanuel Ceysson for sharing his expertise and experiences with us. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more insightful conversations with talented musicians like Emmanuel. Stay Connected with Us: Subscribe to the Honesty Pill YouTube Channel for the latest episodes and updates. Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content and exclusive updates. Sponsor Message: This episode is brought to you by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Visit Yamaha Corporation of America to learn more about their products and services.

Composer & Conductor David Newman talks conducting classic film music live and the program curated by John Williams for the LA Phil concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 2-4. Featuring Writer and Journalist Tim Greiving Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Film music is now a staple of the concert hall experience, with countless performances across the world by orchestras and ensembles of all kind, from local community symphonies to major historical institutions. Music from the movies is performed on the same stage where only the established canon of classical repertoire was once allowed, bringing a new audience to the concert hall and reinvigorating the live experience with innovative formats like the live-to-picture concerts. If this is now an accepted reality of the classical music landscape, a huge part is owed to John Williams and his 45-year activity as a champion of conducting film music in concert halls. On February 2, 3 and 4 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, David Newman is conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program called A Century Of Film Music. The concert is part of a series curated by John Williams and it features an exciting selection offering a journey through several decades of great film music with pieces by some of the finest composers who ever wrote for the movies. This is the starting point of this new Legacy Conversation podcast episode, a lively discussion with David Newman about the challenges and the opportunities of performing film music in the concert hall, while also reflecting on how crucial John Williams has been in making film music more widely accepted and recognized. Joining the discussion is writer and journalist Tim Greiving, who has followed the film music industry closely for almost 20 years and witnessed the transformation of how music from the movies is perceived by the audience.   Read more: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/02/02/legacy-conversations-a-century-of-film-music Listen to "A Century Of Film Music" playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1blGRnjBOFUA4xfGZiX08O

Gus Van Sant's film about musician Kurt Cobain's final days has been adapted into an opera that will make its U.S. debut with the LA Phil this week. The U.S. says an Iran-backed militia launched a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American service members and injured nearly three dozen more.  More than a dozen countries have paused funding for a United Nations program aiding Palestinians in Gaza. Israel claims some of the agency's workers are tied to last year's Hamas attack.  Assemblyman Vince Fong is running for former Congressman Kevin McCarthy's seat. He's also on the ballot to keep his state Assembly seat, which is illegal under California law. Grocery stores will no longer sell Knott's Berry Farm jams and jellies. Smucker's purchased this iconic Southern California brand in 2008.

#208: Hey, How to LA listeners! We're trying something new and hanging out with friends and colleagues from L.A. who are checking out interesting, fun, new happenings in the city.Guests: Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and Marty Preciado, an arts and culture executive who serves as commissioner for LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis and works to advance community strategies for The Ford, LA Phil, LA Opera and other organizations. Here's what each person pitched for YOUR social calendar: 100 Carats: Icons of the Gem World at the Natural History MuseumCurrently on view (until April 2024) The Great Wall of Los Angeles, by Judy Baca  Luna Luna: Forgotten FantasyIf you wanna tells us what you're doing on your weekends, holler at us howtola@scpr.org 

Esa-Pekka Salonen took over the helm of the San Francisco Symphony in 2020 from Michael Tilson Thomas. Both men have had a major impact on symphonic music in California, and Salonen is one of the three guiding figures – with the LA Phil's Gustavo Dudamel and the San Diego Symphony's Rafael Payare – behind the California Festival, a statewide celebration of music that launched in November. James Jolly spoke to Salonen at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco following an afternoon concert, as part of the California Festival, in November.

Sydney Skybetter and producer Kamal Sinclair chat about the intersection of the cultural sector, emerging technologies, and the vintage hardware that shaped their childhoods. Are we all complicit in these complex cultural systems? Oh, and also, can we please bring back the Filofax? About Kamal: Kamal Sinclair supports artists, institutions, and communities working at the convergence of art, media, culture, and technology. Currently, she serves as the Senior Director of Digital Innovation at The Music Center in Los Angeles, which is home to TMC Arts, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera, and LA Phil. Additionally, she serves as an advisor or board member to  Peabody Awards interactive Board, For Freedoms, NEW INC.'s  ONX Studio, Civic Signals, For Freedoms, MIT's Center for Advanced Virtuality, Starfish Accelerator, Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation, and Eyebeam. Previously, she was the Director of Sundance Institute's New Frontier Labs Program, External Advisor to Ford Foundation's JustFilms and MacArthur Foundation's Journalism & Media Program, Adjunct Professor at USC's Media Arts + Practice program, and Executive Director of the Guild of Future Architects. She is the co-author of Making a New Reality. Sinclair got her start in emerging media as an artist and producer on Question Bridge: Black Males, where she and her collaborators launched a project with an interactive website and curriculum; published a book; exhibited in over sixty museums/festivals. Read the transcript, and find more resources in our archive: https://www.are.na/choreographicinterfaces/dwr-ep-4-fierce-on-the-palm-pilot-a-conversation-with-kamal-sinclair Like, subscribe, and review here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dances-with-robots/id1715669152  What We Discuss with Kamal (Timestamps): 0:00:00: Introduction to Kamal Sinclair 0:01:32: Discussion on the influence of Minority Report on technology and body interfaces. 0:04:56: Personal experiences with early mobile devices and anticipation of smartphones. 0:07:10: Exploring the cyclical nature of technology and imagining the future. 0:08:10: The role of a curator in identifying and bridging new forms of art and technology. 0:09:18: The importance of following the artist and supporting their vision. 0:10:38: Balancing the promise and ethics of technology in art. 0:12:29: Exciting emerging art in storytelling, aesthetics, and movement. 0:15:18: The power of imagination and action in shaping the future. 0:17:43: The relationship between bodies and technologies. 0:18:53: The influence of disability and otherly abled experiences on technology. 0:19:41: Dance historical perspectives on the bodies of the future. 0:21:26: The need to consider nature and relationships in future designs. 0:23:25: The negative impact of militarized surveillance technologies on marginalized groups 0:25:39: Discussion on the immersive VR experience of Birdly 0:27:02: Healing and altered states through immersive experiences 0:28:30: Managing complicity and the future of work for artists 0:30:41: Closing with the acknowledgement of not knowing 0:31:19: Show credits & thanks The Dances with Robots Team Host: Sydney Skybetter Co-Host & Executive Producer: Ariane Michaud Archivist and Web Designer: Kate Gow Podcasting Consultant: Megan Hall Accessibility Consultant: Laurel Lawson Music: Kamala Sankaram Audio Production Consultant: Jim Moses Assistant Editor: Andrew Zukoski Student Associate: Rishika Kartik About CRCI The Conference for Research on Choreographic Interfaces (CRCI) explores the braid of choreography, computation and surveillance through an interdisciplinary lens. Find out more at www.choreographicinterfaces.org Brown University's Department of Theatre Arts & Performance Studies' Conference for Research on Choreographic Interfaces thanks the Marshall Woods Lectureships Foundation of Fine Arts, the Brown Arts Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for their generous support of this project. The Brown Arts Institute and the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies are part of the Perelman Arts District.  

In this Backstage Pass Series episode, I speak with LA Phil Associate Principal Horn, David Cooper. We discuss how he handles maintaining a large repertoire and the importance of practicing fundamentals, how he likes to learn music through creative interpretation, his views on passion, purpose, and dedication in music, his pre performance rituals and how he practices self-care as a high-level artist, and redefining success in music performance.   Book your free consultation with Renée HERE Download the transcript from this episode HERE   MORE ABOUT DAVID COOPER Website:  https://cooperhorn.com/about YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@davidcooperhorn/videos Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidcooperfrenchhorn/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidcooperhorn/   Mind Over Finger Click www.mindoverfinger.com/coaching to book your free consultation with me. Visit MindOverFinger.com for my online courses as well as free resources on peak performance. Connect: https://www.youtube.com/@MindOverFinger https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfinger https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/     THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme:  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.

Los Angeles, the city in which Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) spent the last few months of his life, played host to an exceptional festival of music last February. As part of this year's Rachmaninoff 150 celebrations, Yuja Wang joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel over two consecutive weekends to perform all four of the composer's piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Deutsche Grammophon were there to capture their sold-out and critically acclaimed performances live at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Rachmaninoff: The Piano Concertos and Paganini Rhapsody is now set for release on 2 CDs, 3 LPs, and digitally on 1 September 2023. The Allegro vivace finale of Piano Concerto No. 1 comes out as an e-single and e-video on 23 June; the filmed cycle of five performances will be premiered on STAGE+ on 24 June and will also be available on the LA Phil's online concert series SOUND/STAGE later in September. Track Listing:1 Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor op. 18 – 1. Moderato2 2. Adagio sostenuto3 3. Allegro scherzando 4 Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor op. 1 – 1. Vivace – Moderato5 2. Andante6 3. Allegro vivace 7 Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor op. 40 – 1. Allegro vivace8 2. Largo9 3. Allegro vivace 10 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43 – Introduction – Variation I11 Tema12 Variation II13 Variation III14 Variation IV15 Variation V16 Variation VI17 Variation VII18 Variation VIII19 Variation IX20 Variation X21 Variation XI22 Variation XII23 Variation XIII24 Variation XiV25 Variation XV26 Variation XVI27 Variation XVII28 Variation XVIII29 Variation XiX30 Variation XX31 Variation XXI32 Variation XXII33 Variation XXIII34 Variation XXIV 35 Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor op. 30 – 1. Allegro ma non tanto36 2. Intermezzo. Adagio37 3. Finale. Alla breveHelp support our show by purchasing this album  at:Downloads (classicalmusicdiscoveries.store) This album is broadcasted with the permission of Crossover Media Music Promotion (Zachary Swanson and Amanda Bloom).

#126: It's summer! Time for all night, experimental ambient music gatherings....right???  Ambient music gatherings as a thing have been gaining popularity here in the LA area in the past few years. These immersive events combine elements of music, theater, dance, live visual art and poetry to create a really impactful experience meant to take you on a journey of sorts.  And the roots of these events come from what's known as “happenings” that trace back to 1960s loft parties in New York, and even further to traditional, meditative trance music from places like India and Morocco.  Today, HTLA producer Megan Botel takes you to a recent ambient music event called Tonalism at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge to tell you what this scene is all about.  Guests: Mark "Frosty" McNeil, co-founder of Dublab and Creative Producer of LA Phil; Hatt Merlino, producer at Dublab, Rachel Day, program director at Dublab

In this episode, two stories about trying to figure out what's on someone's mind. In the first, we ogle the news media's obsession over the story of a woman who may or may not have had a "full-body orgasm" during a performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 at the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. The only folks who hope the music moved her to sexual ecstasy more than the press? The LA Phil, no doubt. The story hinges on the frustrating fact that we just can't get into that woman's head, and so — speculation is the mother of titillation. But the technology to read minds may now be here, according to a new study out of the University of Texas at Austin. Participants got fed hours of podcast audio in an fMRI and had their reactions to the words and phrases recorded. When participants were asked later to think of a particular story, the researchers (with help from some artificial intelligence) were apparently able to figure out with crazy accuracy the content of the story. Naturally, this took us straight into fears of LL Bean reading our minds to find out our deepest feelings on fleece, and we had to dig into the current state of research on "mental privacy." Come with us (so to speak) and be reminded why the brain is the biggest sex organ ... and why it's a flimsy, see-through little number. Listen to this so many times a machine can hear it in your thoughts. NOTES The "Orgasm Audio" is a sexual Zapruder film // The fMRI technically just reads your blood, not your thoughts // The original performance of Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" also made people a little nutty // The "Bolero" we sampled is from a 2010 Lucerne Festival performance by the Wiener Philharmoniker with conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who went on to (possibly) conduct a woman to orgasm over at the LA Phil. 

Kaelan Decman joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Associate Principal Bass in spring 2022.  Prior to his appointment, he was a member of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra bass section.  He is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. We talk about his audition journey and much more in this wide-ranging conversation.  Enjoy!   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.   theme music by Eric Hochberg

LA Phil Principal Pianist/Keyboardist talks about her unique experience of recording the piano solos for Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, including the original score by John Williams Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto John Williams has written solo parts spotlighting specific instrumentalists both in his film scores and works for the concert hall. While it's not rare to see such superstar musicians as Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma or Anne-Sophie Mutter as the featured soloist and the dedicatee of a piece, Williams has often used the talents of some of the best musicians of the Los Angeles area, including distinguished members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It's the case of Joanne Pearce Martin, the Principal Keyboardist and Pianist of the LA Phil, who recently had the honour to be the featured piano soloist on the soundtrack for Steven Spielberg's acclaimed The Fabelmans, performing both the piano solos from the classical repertoire as heard in the film and John Williams' Academy Award-nominated original score. In this conversation, Joanne talks about her experience of playing for John Williams and Steven Spielberg on The Fabelmans, sharing stories and insights about her unique collaboration with both the director and the composer during the creation of the film's soundtrack. She also talks about her experience playing under John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Disney Hall with the LA Phil many times over the years and also as rehearsal pianist, giving her own perspective on the Maestro's musicianship as a composer and conductor. Learn more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/02/24/legacy-conversations-joanne-pearce-martin/(opens in a new tab)

The Spanish pianist Javier Perianes is racking up quite a lot of frequent flyer miles these days. This season alone, his concert schedule has him zigzagging the globe to perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony here in the States, Europe's Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic, and a whirlwind trip to Australia for concerts with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, among many other engagements. And while the thrill of making music with friends and colleagues around the world is a key driver for Perianes's career, his extensive travels also provide a key element that fuels his creativity: new life experiences. "When you're with a piece, you have big emotional landscapes — death, pain, suffering, hope, joy," Perianes shares on the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "Where can you get all those feelings to convey? You can't get that from others' lives. You can't imitate them. You have to have them deep inside you." That authentic approach to performance has served Perianes well. A prolific recording artist, he's released 20 critically acclaimed albums on the Harmonia Mundi label — and he's performed with many of today's leading conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Klaus Mäkelä, Daniel Barenboim, and Vladimir Jurowski. Next up for Perianes are three performances of Saint-Saëns's Fifth Piano Concerto — also known as "The Egyptian" — with the LA Phil and conductor Gustavo Gimeno. In this episode, we talk more about how he's preparing the Saint-Saëns concerto and what he hopes audiences in Los Angeles will enjoy about this seldom-heard work. Plus, Perianes shares how short siestas and long walks to work are part of his wellness routine, the Manhattan restaurants he seeks out whenever he's performing in New York, and how defining success for him is simply to "Do what you love." — Classical Post uncovers the creativity behind exceptional music. Dive into meaningful conversations with leading artists in the world today. Based in New York City, Classical Post is a touchpoint for tastemakers. Visit our website for exclusive editorial and subscribe to our monthly newsletter to be notified of new content. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. Classical Post is an ambassador for NED, a wellness company. Get 15% off their products like CBD oil and many other health-based products by using our code CLASSICALPOST at checkout.

Akiko and I are back for the 2022-2023 season! In this first episode we share with you a fun new format: awards in all kinds of different categories. Next week we'll focus on the season-opening tour prep weeks at the LA Phil, but for today we're handing out some All-Time awards. Discover which composers we'd love to have dinner with, which excerpts terrify us in auditions, and which conductor gestures stand the test of time. And don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, just by clicking the link below the podcast player. Welcome back to SPFL!

Akiko and I are back for the 2022-2023 season! In this first episode we share with you a fun new format: awards in all kinds of different categories. Next week we'll focus on the season-opening tour prep weeks at the LA Phil, but for today we're handing out some All-Time awards. Discover which composers we'd love to have dinner with, which excerpts terrify us in auditions, and which conductor gestures stand the test of time. And don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, just by clicking the link below the podcast player. Welcome back to SPFL!

Na'ilah Mu'ied (nah-ee-lah moo-eye-ed), aka Nubia is the owner of Divine Variations which spans three industries. Arts/Entertainment Education Retail Na'ilah is an inspirational entrepreneur, author, consultant, and poet whose work revolves around the principles of Psychology, Spirituality, and Creative Expression. Her work is soul stirring and connects audiences to a deeper sense of purpose. She has been a featured speaker, author, and artist across Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, and New York. She has performed in Paris, Sydney, Dubai, and Egypt. Through Divine Variations, Na'ilah has developed and facilitated the ‘Manifesting Impact' workshop, ‘Healing Through Writing' workshops, ‘The Rhythm of the Heart' variety show, produced ‘Agape Poetry Jam and Dance', and the ‘Building Bridges' program. She has created a board game, published three books which includes two children's books, and five chapbooks of poetry. She is currently developing a workbook for a new paradigm for education. She serves on consulting teams servicing clients ranging from The Getty Museum, LA Phil, Glendale Library Arts and Culture, to local community organizations and colleges. Na'ilah is available for coaching, engagements, and consulting and can be reached at divinevariations@gmail.com

Usually mysteries are reserved for true crime podcasts and cop shows, but in this week's episode, both our storytellers delve deep into a scientific puzzle in search of answers.Part 1: Sabrina Imbler encounters strange blobs in the ocean and becomes obsessed with figuring out what they are.Part 2: While visiting a new eye doctor, Derek Traub wonders if his Duane Syndrome and uneven vision are somehow connected.Sabrina Imbler is a writer based in Brooklyn. They are currently a staff writer at Defector Media on the creature beat. Their work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Catapult, among others. Their chapbook Dyke (geology) came out with Black Lawrence Press, and their first book, an essay collection about sea creatures called How Far the Light Reaches, will be published on December 6, 2022 with Little, Brown. Derek Traub is a writer and storyteller currently living in—and frequently writing about—Los Angeles. For the last decade, he has worked as a writer for the LA Phil, where he recently wrote a book and recorded a podcast series about the Hollywood Bowl's first century. Both can be found at hollywoodbowl.com/first100years. Follow him on IG @froznla. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Usually mysteries are reserved for true crime podcasts and cop shows, but in this week's episode, both our storytellers delve deep into a scientific puzzle in search of answers. Part 1: Sabrina Imbler encounters strange blobs in the ocean and becomes obsessed with figuring out what they are. Part 2: While visiting a new eye doctor, Derek Traub wonders if his Duane Syndrome and uneven vision are somehow connected. Sabrina Imbler is a writer based in Brooklyn. They are currently a staff writer at Defector Media on the creature beat. Their work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Catapult, among others. Their chapbook Dyke (geology) came out with Black Lawrence Press, and their first book, an essay collection about sea creatures called How Far the Light Reaches, will be published on December 6, 2022 with Little, Brown. Derek Traub is a writer and storyteller currently living in—and frequently writing about—Los Angeles. For the last decade, he has worked as a writer for the LA Phil, where he recently wrote a book and recorded a podcast series about the Hollywood Bowl's first century. Both can be found at hollywoodbowl.com/first100years. Follow him on IG @froznla. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The LA Phil's festival, “Power to the People!,” focuses on the role that artists play in advancing social change. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel says he wants people to be “united by the message of art.” LA's favorite cougar, P-22, has risen to fame over the last decade or so. Miguel Ordeñana first caught him on camera roaming Griffith Park in 2012.

The relationship between data and your message is an important one. If your message cannot reach the right people, what good is it? And how do mission-driven organizations ensure that their message is reaching the right audience? By carefully managing the data behind the people most important to your success. In this episode of Messaging on a Mission, we talk to Isaac Shalev about the kind of technology considerations nonprofits need to keep top of mind when developing both their messaging and their technology strategies.   Episode Guest(s): Isaac Shalev is the founder and President of Sage70, Inc., a boutique consultancy devoted to making data work for nonprofits. Isaac has over twenty years of experience in the nonprofit sector, where he has developed a reputation for helping organizations get clarity on their thorniest problems in data and technology. Sage70's past clients include the US Golf Association, The LA Phil, Mount Holyoke College, UJA-Federation of NY, The Trust for Public Land, and IEEE.      Key Takeaways: Email marketing platforms must connect that back to donor databases in order to segment correctly and create the best messages for the best person at the right time. (Some platforms do both.)   Consider all the other places integrations are needed, such as where the money comes into the organization (e.g., website forms).   Not all nonprofit organizations have the same needs. It's different by sector and there are bespoke tools and different vendors serving those different markets. It is a good idea to see what similar organizations are using.   When budgeting for your CRM, keep in mind how people's jobs may change as a result.   Consider reporting needs when selecting a system. Do the canned reports ask the questions you need to have answered? If not, is the customization or extra staff time worth it?   People want to be spoken to in a way that feels authentic to them. That's a big ask of a database. It's an even bigger ask at a policy level. What are our policies? You can't have database and database structures that have any consistency or do the job you want them to do without policy. To define that, to say, what are we trying to achieve?   One of the places from which organizations can start is by asking themselves about their process for updating biographical information.   Taxonomies of your crucial attributes are an important step in managing your contact data effectively.   The 80/20 rule for your work. What are those small number of attributes or data points or behaviors that are important to us to track because they explain 80% of why a person wants to support your organization?   “If you take an inefficient process and you automate it, you will magnify its inefficiency. If you take an efficient process and automate it, then you will get a lot more scale,” paraphrased from Bill Gates.   State laws apply to the residents of the state, not necessarily the sender's state.   Organizations must have a data breach policy in place.   It's not a great idea to collect a lot of data and have no clear way to use it. It's not a good idea from a data management perspective, but it's also not clear from a data privacy perspective that you'd want that.     Useful Links: Isaac Shalev isaac@sage70.com sage70.com  

Thank you for reading Broadway Drumming 101. This post is public, so feel free to share it.Born in Manhattan and raised in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, Clint de Ganon was six years old when he started drum lessons. Clint studied drumset with many great teachers in high school, including the great Sonny Igo and Gary Chester.After moving to NYC, Clint met bassist Gordon Edwards at a jam session at Mikell's. Gordon introduced Clint to Cornell Dupree. This meeting led to many opportunities to perform and record with an incredible list of artists; Cissy Houston, Brooke Benton, Jon Tropea, The Manhattan Transfer, The Fab Faux, Lloyd Price, Bob James, Chuck Loeb, Michael Franks, Will Lee, Hiram Bullock, Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Stuff, Tom Scott, Liza Minnelli, Phoebe Snow, Tony Conniff, Christopher Cross, The Blues Brothers, Take 6, Renée Fleming, Paula Cole, Donovan, Elvis Costello, Dionne Warwick, Jimmy Buffet and the great Billy Preston.Clint enjoys guesting every season with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and occasionally with the Houston Symphony. He has performed with dozens of orchestras over the years, including the Boston Pops, the National Symphony, the LA Phil, the Baltimore Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and many others.For several seasons now, Clint has played drums for the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He was recently cast to be on-camera, where he can be seen in several episodes of the show's fifth & final season. Other TV and movie appearances include Halston, Letterman, The View, Good Morning America, My Crazy Ex-GF, & Saturday Night Live.Clint was recently honored to be the drummer on the new Stephen Spielberg remake of “West Side Story and made a brief appearance in the movie too!Clint held the drum chair for 13 Broadway musicals; “Beautiful,” “Hairspray,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Footloose,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Rocky Horror Live,” and many others. He originated the drum books for 9 of these shows and played drums on the movie “Hairspray” and the tv show “Hairspray Live.”Clint proudly endorses Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Promark Drumsticks, & Attack drum heads.To continue producing the high-quality podcasts you're listening to, publishing engaging newsletter content, and posting YouTube videos, and we would appreciate any financial contributions you can make. At this time, we have no advertisers, and we'd like to keep it that way. Our staff is small but growing. We can only produce this show with listener contributions from people like you!There are a couple of ways you can do that:You can sign up to be a monthly or annual subscriber here:Contribute through PayPal at PayPal.Me/broadwaydrumming101Donate with Venmo: @broadwaydrumming101Or help keep us caffeinated by buying us a cup of coffee (or a week's worth) at buymeacoffee.com/BD101We appreciate any support you can give!Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and Newsletter. He has held the drum chair in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill and Ain't Too Proud.The Broadway Drumming 101 Instagram page: InstagramThe Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube page: YouTubeFor more about Clayton, click HERE Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews Robert DeMaine, principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. They talk about growing up into a musical family in Oklahoma City, his journey to the LA Phil, and he shares tales about his most memorable concert experiences over many decades of performances. For more information on Robert DeMaine, check out his website www.robertdemaine.com Bob's Beethoven recording will be released on July 8 through Leaf Music.If you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.comFollow us on twitter and instagram @theCello Sherpa

Born in Manhattan and raised in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, Clint de Ganon was six years old when he started drum lessons. Clint studied drumset with many great teachers in high school, including the great Sonny Igo and Gary Chester. After moving to NYC, Clint met bassist Gordon Edwards at a jam session at Mikell's. Gordon introduced Clint to Cornell Dupree. This meeting led to many opportunities to perform and record with an incredible list of artists; Cissy Houston, Brooke Benton, Jon Tropea, The Manhattan Transfer, The Fab Faux, Lloyd Price, Bob James, Chuck Loeb, Michael Franks, Will Lee, Hiram Bullock, Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Stuff, Tom Scott, Liza Minnelli, Phoebe Snow, Tony Conniff, Christopher Cross, The Blues Brothers, Take 6, Renée Fleming, Paula Cole, Donovan, Elvis Costello, Dionne Warwick, Jimmy Buffet and the great Billy Preston. Clint enjoys guesting every season with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and occasionally with the Houston Symphony. He has performed with dozens of orchestras over the years, including the Boston Pops, the National Symphony, the LA Phil, the Baltimore Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and many others.For several seasons now, Clint has played drums for the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He was recently cast to be on-camera, where he can be seen in several episodes of the show's fifth & final season. Other TV and movie appearances include Halston, Letterman, The View, Good Morning America, My Crazy Ex-GF, & Saturday Night Live.Clint was recently honored to be the drummer on the new Stephen Spielberg remake of “West Side Story and made a brief appearance in the actual movie too! Clint held the drum chair for 13 Broadway musicals; “Beautiful,” “Hairspray,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Footloose,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Rocky Horror Live,” and many others. He originated the drum books for 9 of these shows and played drums on the movie “Hairspray” and the tv show “Hairspray Live.”Clint proudly endorses Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Promark Drumsticks, & Attack drum heads.To continue the high-quality content flowing into your email inbox, we would appreciate any financial contributions you can make. If you'd like to become a voluntarily paid subscriber, click this red button and sign up to be a monthly or annual subscriber – or, if you are feeling super generous, be a Founding Member:You can also contribute ANY amount you wish by using these methods.* Buy me a cup of coffee (or a week's worth) by clicking here.* Check: send a simple email to broadwaydrumming101@substack.com and ask where you can send that glorious piece of paper.• PayPal. PayPal.Me/broadwaydrumming101• Venmo: @broadwaydrumming101I appreciate your support!Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and Newsletter. He has held the drum chair in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill and Ain't Too Proud.The Broadway Drumming 101 Instagram page: InstagramThe Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube page: YouTubeFor more about Clayton, click HERE Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Composer Nina Shekhar joins us to chat about her work exploring identity, vulnerability, love, and laughter in her work and her process for exploring such complex aspects of humanity in seemingly mundane experiences, such as the car horns on the streets of India. We talk about how she approaches the business side of a professional career in composition, and how her work as a flutist, saxophonist, and pianist has informed her comfort with a wide array of compositional styles. And we speak about how we can all be more mindful to empower and promote the agency of composers and performers from marginalized communities and avoid the risks of exploiting any individual's otherness. Nina Shekhar is a composer who explores the intersection of identity, vulnerability, love, and laughter to create bold and intensely personal works. Described as “tart and compelling” (New York Times), “vivid” (Washington Post), and “surprises and delights aplenty” (LA Times), her music has been commissioned and performed by leading artists including LA Philharmonic, Albany Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New World Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Eighth Blackbird, International Contemporary Ensemble, JACK Quartet, New York Youth Symphony, Alarm Will Sound, The Crossing, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, ETHEL, violinist Jennifer Koh, saxophonist Timothy McAllister, Ensemble Échappé, Music from Copland House, soprano Tony Arnold, Third Angle New Music, The New York Virtuoso Singers, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Lyris Quartet, Ray-Kallay Duo, New Music Detroit, and Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra. Her work has been featured by Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Walt Disney Concert Hall (LA Phil's Noon to Midnight), Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art, National Sawdust, National Flute Association, North American Saxophone Alliance, I Care If You Listen, WNYC/New Sounds (New York), WFMT (Chicago), and KUSC and KPFK (Los Angeles) radio, ScoreFollower, and New Music Detroit's Strange Beautiful Music. Upcoming events include performances by the New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic (joined by soloists Nathalie Joachim and Pamela Z), Minnesota Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and her Hollywood Bowl debut with the LA Philharmonic. Current projects include commissions for the Grand Rapids Symphony, 45th Parallel Universe Chamber Orchestra (sponsored by GLFCAM), and Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) (sponsored by LA Phil and New Music USA). Nina is the recipient of the 2021 Rudolf Nissim Prize, two ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards (2015 and 2019), and the 2018 ASCAP Foundation Leonard Bernstein Award, funded by the Bernstein family. The transcript for this episode can be found here. For more information about Nina Shekhar, please visit her website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Composer and conductor of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra Russell Steinberg discusses Argentine music and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. This talk was given at the first performance of Dudamel Conducts The Rite of Spring at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: Alex NANTE El Rió de Luz (world premiere, LA Phil commission) GINASTERA Estancia STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

KUSC's Brian Lauritzen discusses how the Divine Comedy inspired Adès' Dante. This talk was given at the first performance of Dudamel Leads Adès' Dante at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: Thomas ADÈS Dante (U.S. premiere; commissioned by the LA Phil and The Royal Ballet, with generous support from the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund) See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Composer and USC educator Veronika Krausas discusses the music and background of Generation X composers. This talk was given at the first performance of Voices of a Generation at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: Anna MEREDITH Nautilus (U.S. premiere) Felipe LARA Brutal Mirrors Veronika KRAUSAS Caryatids Francisco COLL Four Iberian Miniatures Thomas ADÈS Märchentänze (U.S. premiere) See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Film director Ted Braun joins us on the Classical Post podcast to discuss his new documentary ¡Viva Maestro! that chronicles two of the most challenging years in the life of Grammy-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel, famously known as the music director of the LA Phil. — Classical Post explores the intersection of classical music, lifestyle, and wellness, diving into meaningful conversations with leading artists in the world today. Based in New York City, Classical Post is a touchpoint for tastemakers. Visit our website for exclusive editorial and subscribe to our monthly newsletter to be notified of new content. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. Classical Post is an ambassador for NED, a wellness company. Get 15% off their products like CBD oil and many other health-based products by using our code CLASSICALPOST at checkout.

KUSC's Brian Lauritzen is joined by composers Ellen Reid and Nico Muhly for a conversation on creating music. This talk was given at the first performance of Pekka Kuusisto + Ellen Reid at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: Ellen REID Desiderium for solo violin (world premiere, LA Phil commission with generous support from Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting) Ellen REID Fear l Release Hannah KENDALL Verdala Ellen REID/Roxie PERKINS Lumee's Dream (world premiere arr., LA Phil commission) KiMani BRIDGES The Flower Missy MAZZOLI Vespers William KRAFT Encounters I: Soliloquy (In Memoriam, performed by Joseph Pereira, percussion) Meredith MONK (ARR. DAVID LANG) Double Fiesta Nico MUHLY Shrink (West Coast premiere) See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Chair of Music History at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, Kristi Brown-Montesano discusses Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio. This talk was given at the performance of Beethoven's Fidelio with Dudamel and Deaf West Theatre at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Piece discussed: BEETHOVEN Fidelio See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

“I am physically very fit at the moment,” says Michelle Yeoh, who's nearly age 60. She shares how she became an action movie star, and why her latest role is the heroine she's long waited for. Both Deaf and hearing performers will bring Beethoven's only opera, “Fidelio,” to life this week. The LA Phil is collaborating with Deaf West Theatre.  Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, 67, died on Tuesday of myotonic dystrophy. KCRW reairs an interview with him about the 2017 documentary “Gilbert.” More than a dozen LA gangs are targeting wealthy people wearing expensive watches, jewelry, and handbags in “follow-home robberies.” 

Associate Professor and Chair of the Music Performance department at Azusa Pacific University, Christopher Russell explores the last pieces of music by Bruckner and Berg. This talk was given at the first performance of Mehta Conducts Bruckner and Berg at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: BERG Violin Concerto BRUCKNER Symphony No. 9 See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Conductor Christian Campos discusses Mozart's stirring unfinished masterpiece, Great Mass in C minor. This talk was given at the performance of Mozart's Great Mass with Mehta at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Piece discussed: Great Mass in C minor See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Composer and conductor of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra Russell Steinberg delves into Mahler's Symphony No. 7 in E minor. This talk was given at the performance of Mahler's Seventh at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: MAHLER Symphony No. 7 in E minor See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Composer and conductor of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra Russell Steinberg explores music by Barber, Pärt and Dvořák. This talk was given at the performance of Hilary Hahn Plays Barber at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: Arvo PÄRT Silhouette BARBER Violin Concerto, Op. 14 DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Educator Rachel Iba and organist Monica Czausz Berney delve into music by Kapustin, Mendelssohn, Bach, Demessieux, Tchaikovsky and Naji Hakim. This talk was given at the first performance of Monica Czausz Berney at Walt Disney Concert Hall. KAPUSTIN (arr. Czausz Berney) Sinfonietta, Op. 49: Rondo MENDELSSOHN Allegro, Chorale and Fugue BACH Toccata and Fugue in D minor, “Dorian,” BWV 538 DEMESSIEUX Te Deum, Op. 11 Naji HAKIM Arabesques TCHAIKOVSKY (trans. Guillou/Czausz Berney) Scherzo from Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

Composer and USC educator Veronika Krausas discusses Shostakovich, Prokofiev and contemporary composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir. This talk was given at the first performance of Shostakovich and Prokofiev with Ludovic Morlot at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pieces discussed: Anna THORVALDSDÓTTIR Metacosmos PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 1, in D-flat major, Op. 10 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 10 See this year's Upbeat Live schedule at: laphil.com/ubl. Join us in person for our 2021/22 season! Get tickets: laphil.com/calendar.

My guest today is Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Trumpet, Tom Hooten. We're going to talk about the three rules that Tom applies to EVERYTHING when it comes to playing the trumpet. He's going to share the details with you, right here. Think a player like Tom just sits around thinking and reading about nothing but the trumpet all day? I am willing to bet that the book he is going to recommend is NOT on your current reading list. And stick around until the end, because Tom has just launched a really accessible and impactful video series called, “Studio Time with Tom” that you are going to want to check out. Enjoy and happy listening!  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Instagram: @tomhooten Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomHootenTrumpet/ Website: https://tomhooten.com/ Email: Trumpetmastery2020@gmail.com Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/s?me=AKME9HG4KQMU5&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER

My guest today is Los Angeles Philharmonic violist Mick Wetzel, who in addition to being a world class musician, is also the founder of The Viola Pro coaching for musicians on auditions, competitions and really tactical ideas on how to practice. We're going to talk about his own audition journey, how he learned to deal with performance anxiety and pressure, and exactly what Mick does in his OWN practice room to get ready to walk on stage at the Walt Disney Concert Hall week after week. Mick is also going to debunk a huge myth about whether or not talent has anything to do with being successful. What a great topic. I have to say, being a brass player and aiming my trumpet directly at the back of Mick's head in the LA Phil for the past decade and a half, the fact that we are still friends speaks to Mick's incredibly professional and friendly demeanor. And he's a pretty big dude too, so I'm really grateful we get along. Listen all the way to the end of this one, because The Viola Pro has some brand-new programs coming up that you are going to want to know about. Enjoy and happy listening!  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Mick Wetzel (Facebook) mick.wetzel (Instagram) theviolapro (Instagram) theviolapro.com (website)

My guest today is the Principal Percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, one of the most friendly musicians you could ever work with, my friend and colleague, Matt Howard. Sports, sports, and more sports…today's episode is a straight up masterclass on how being a professional musician is completely parallel to being a professional athlete.   Think your tenure process was tough? Make sure you listen all the way to the end for an unbelievable story about the types of hoops LA Phil musicians jump through to make our boss, Gustavo Dudamel happy. Worried that you got a “late start” in classical music? Wait until you hear the surprising success timeline for someone who later became one of the world's premiere orchestral players… He wasn't at all competitive Had never heard his hometown orchestra until he was a senior He mostly just played drums in a rock band Didn't practice Didn't take lessons And when he finally decided that we wanted to go to college for music, he only applied to one college, into which he did not get accepted. Sound like a roadmap to success? You might be surprised… Matt's going to share some amazing advice on how to prepare for an audition, how to effectively use a metronome, and we're even going to find out who he thinks is the greatest drummer of all time. You're even going to get a free percussion rudiments lesson from Matt, totally for free by listening to this podcast…you're welcome. Enjoy and happy listening!  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Matthew Howard, LA Phil Bio  

I just saw John Williams live for the first time! Here are some of the highlights, footage excerpts, and my analysis. Concert Details: John Williams: Maestro of the Movies Saturday, September 4, 2021 at the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, CA) David Newman and John Williams conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of film music selections Event link: https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/1276/2021-09-05/john-williams-maestro-of-the-movies References: "Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra" from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (John Williams) - https://youtu.be/1IFmRniWa0U "Scherzo for X-Wings" from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (John Williams) - https://youtu.be/xJzuanMUuS4 "Throne Room and End Title" from Star Wars Suite for Orchestra (John Williams) - https://youtu.be/_3AiYIxBwD0 (from Silfimur's channel) An even more dramatic tempo comparison: "Williams: The Throne Room - End Credits" - https://youtu.be/LH57BIdwMLg (from LA Phil's channel) "The Throne Room/End Title" from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (John Williams) - https://youtu.be/m1dXRe0Z1hw Frank Lehman's Complete Catalogue of the Musical Themes of Star Wars - https://franklehman.com/starwars Star Wars Music Minute: YouTube: /starwarsmusicminute Twitter: @StarWarsMusMin Instagram: @starwarsmusicminute TikTok: @StarWarsMusicMinute Email: podcast@starwarsmusicminute.com Want to submit an anonymous question or comment? Here's a quick form Merch: coming soon Xanthe: Twitter: @chrysanthetan Instagram: @chrysanthetan Spotify Artist Page: Chrysanthe Tan Website: chrysanthetan.com Patreon: patreon.com/chrysanthetan