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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. For this episode of “Obbligato,” a show dedicated to AAPI classical musicians, composers, and scholars, host Isabel Li interviews Indian American composer Reena Esmail, who blends Hindustani musical themes with western classical compositional styles. Music in this episode: – This Love Between Us “Prayers for Unity”: II. [Sikhism] – Lacrimosa (from Malhaar: a Requiem for Water) – Terra infirma: IV. roaming the ghost forest Transcript Isabel Li: I'm Isabel Li, here for a new edition of “Obbligato,” which explores the AAPI community in the classical music world. Today, we're featuring the Indian American composer Reena Esmail and her unique compositions that blend Hindustani music with Western classical styles and how she writes music about religion, spirituality, and even environmentalism. Welcome, Reena, to Apex Express. Reena Esmail: Hey! It's so great to be here. IL: My first question for you is one that's probably a little bit loaded, but how do you identify and what's your story? RE: I don't know, it's interesting because I work in many different situations, and I think I always identify as the thing that isn't whatever the dominant situation is that I work in. Right? So it's like when I'm in America, I identify as an Indian American. When I'm in India, I identify as an American. When I'm working in Western classical music, I'm the person who knows stuff about Hindustani music. When I'm working in Hindustani music, I'm the person who knows stuff about Western music. So really. Actually, I think of identity not as a fixed thing, but as how you, um, delineate yourself, how you're unique in the situation you're in. You know, it's interesting because especially in the case of Asian Americans, Asia is such a broad thing, right? There are so many more East Asians in Western classical music than there are South Asians. Certainly in my generation. You know, I was surrounded by Chinese, Korean, some Japanese people who were always, you know, playing the piano when I was playing the piano. And, um, there really was not many other Indian people. And, you know, I'll, I'll actually say that even within India, um, you know, if you look at me in America, I'm just Indian. If you look at me in India, I have a very unusual lineage, which is that my dad is from the region of Gujarat and his family is Muslim. My mom is from the region of Goa and her family is Catholic. And so because of that, when I was expressing interest in music, My mom was the one who had more of kind of a musical knowledge in her family, even though there's no professional musicians in her family. So because Goa was colonized by Portugal, there is this element of Western classical music in Goan culture. And so because of that, my mom was like, oh, let's give her guitar lessons, let's give her piano lessons. And so that's how I landed up in Western classical music as opposed to doing Indian classical music. Um, so yeah, I kind of went through the Western classical scene. I was very interested in being a pianist. And, you know, I'm glad that I'm glad I'm a failed pianist in all honesty, because I see what my colleagues who are real, you know, professional pianists have to go through. And I just don't think I have what it takes to do that. It's really an intense job. Um, but when I was in high school, um, one of my theory teachers kind of said, hey, you know, you might be a composer. It seems like you think like a composer thinks, why don't you try composing and why don't you try writing things down? and one thing led to another. And basically a year and a half to two years after studying, I got one of a very few spots in the undergrad program in composition at Juilliard. And that was a point where my parents kind of said, okay, you know, we don't know a lot about the music world, but it seems like if she got into Juilliard, she's probably like somewhat good at this. Maybe we should kind of see how this goes. And, you know, from there on, I pursued composition. IL: And when and why did you start to study Indian classical music, which is a big element in your compositions now? RE: Yeah, absolutely. So I think it's interesting because in every generation, I've seen so much change in how the diaspora views itself. And certainly when I was growing up, you know, I know this is hard to believe, but there were not if you were an Indian going to school, you were kind of the only one. If you were an Indian music, you were kind of the only one. So there was this element where when I went to Juilliard, um, there were I to my knowledge, two Indians in the entire school, me and an actress who had actually come from Calcutta. And so people were trying to, you know, make conversation with me and they'd be like, well, you know, do you do stuff with Indian classical music? And I would just be like, no, I'm trying so hard to even write music for orchestra and, you know, string quartet and all the things that my peers are trying to do. Like, is that not enough? Because I'm Indian, I also have to be doing all this other stuff. And so I resisted it for a long time because I was just trying so hard to do one thing well. But then, you know, I think what, what made me kind of unique is that, you know, I stood out, I was Indian and then, you know, when I was young, that felt really cool. The older I got, the more I thought, well, you know, I know I'm from this culture that has incredible music and I know it when I hear it, I know nothing about it, and maybe I should actually pursue it. And so I really separately kind of started meeting Indian musicians who lived in New York, and I would just ask them questions, and I got to know them. And I realized that while we didn't share a type of music, we did share a culture and we did share a love of music because it is interesting that the culture of Indian classical music is actually quite similar to the culture of Western classical music. You know, you study with a teacher over a really long period of time. You're practicing for hours a day. The kind of personality that would love Western classical music would also love Indian classical music. And so I just made friends with some of these Indian classical musicians. And of course, being a composer, I thought, why don't I put them in my music? You know, how do I do that? And so it was really just curiosity that led me down that path. And for many years, that path was very separate. Because again, I know it's very hard to believe now, but there was a time where people really did not want these cultures to be combined, and people just really looked down on cultures that were not, you know, the dominant Western European classical culture. And so I kept them really separate. And even when I started combining them, people were like, oh, that's sweet. She does stuff with Indian music, you know? And it was really not taken seriously. It's only really in the last decade that people have been embracing other musical cultures. And I mean, how glad I am that that's happening. But it was very, very hard fought and very separate at first. IL: And on that note, how do you navigate the unique challenges of composing with both these cultures in mind, but also being situated in the United States, where people come from all different backgrounds? And how do you as a composer approach that in this context? RE: I mean, I think it's interesting because first of all, I am musically bilingual now, so I can. I went to India, I studied Indian classical music. Seriously. I still work with Indian classical musicians very closely. And so, you know, I can be working on a piece that has Indian classical musicians in it, and I can turn to them and immediately speak in their language and their musical language. And then I can turn to the Western musicians and speak in their musical language. So every single piece I write, especially the ones that involve Indian classical musicians. There is a way through those pieces, both through the Western lens and through the Indian lens. And so I think I'm working in a position where I actually do know how to speak both those languages. And when you do speak both those languages, you know, just the way that if you speak any two, you know, verbal languages, you would know that there are sounds that are cognates. And so you're like, oh, I say the sound. So maybe and it means one thing in one culture and one thing in another culture. But you know that that sound is the same. And so with musical language, you can actually use those musical cognates to connect across cultures by saying, just listen for this thing. And when you listen for this thing, interpret it through the lens of your own culture. So that's certainly how I work. But, you know, I mean, again, I want to say that's not the only way to work. I don't think that you have to be, you know, I mean, again, there's probably most people who are listening to this probably have one musical culture and then maybe they know much less about the other musical culture. That is also fine. You know, you don't need to be an expert in order to want to explore and, and love a thing that's just, you know, where I am because it's the, the center of my musical practice. IL: Well, let's hear a selection from Reena Esmail's oratorio, “This Love Between Us.” This is the second movement titled Sikhism. David Hill conducts Juilliard415 with the Yale Schola Cantorum. [MUSIC: This Love Between Us “Prayers for Unity”: II. Sikhism] IL: That was Sikhism, the second movement from the oratorio This Love Between Us by Reena Esmail, who is here in conversation with me today on KPFA for APEX Express. Something that I really found interesting in especially your work — and I'm sure this has been asked many times, but This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity. This oratorio that you wrote, beautiful work where you use words from the seven major religions of India. And each movement of the choral work is also named after a different religion. In what ways did you adhere to or challenge norms of spiritual music? Because religion is so religion and music are so deeply tied together. How did you challenge those norms or how did you express those norms when you wrote this work? RE: You know, I think it's interesting because my own spiritual background is very kind of multi spiritual multi-faith. But like I said, my, my father is, is my father's side of the family is Muslim. My mom's side of the family is Catholic. My husband is Hindu. All of them grew up in a very singular practice in each of their religions. But for me, I grew up, you know, around my mom and my dad and then, you know, my husband later. And just there's a part of me that takes in the essence of each of these spiritual traditions. And, you know, I'm trying to kind of find what feels true to me in each of those places. And so to me, you know, this love between us is, is a place where I'm trying to essentially say, yes, we express things differently through whatever cultural, uh, history, that language or that that religion emerged through. And yet we're all trying to get at that same numinous thing. And, you know, I mean, I'm not saying, oh, all religions are the same. Definitely not. You know, there's, there's many different ways to practice things. And, you know, your unique way into your spirituality is your own. And that's, that's amazing. But also, we all kind of our cultures form religions for a certain reason, and it's because we want to try to understand things that are beyond ourselves. And so that's essentially what the piece is saying. So I know I'm sure there are purists who are like, you shouldn't be combining these things, but, you know, there's always going to be purists who do that and there's a role for that. But that's not really my role. So, I mean, I picked the pieces and I picked the religion specifically because of the numbers of people who practice that religion currently within India. And so it is like the largest, um, populations, you know, like Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, all, all of those things. And then there's one little tiny religion, Zoroastrianism. And while they are not, there's not many of them within India. They are the ones who are practicing Western classical music in India. So people like Zubin Mehta and all, they are Parsis that are Zoroastrians. So I thought, you know, it's important to include them too, because it's a piece that involves a lot of Western classical musicians. IL: I'm wondering now, as a composer who's working with music of different languages and religions and origins and also evoking a lot of these spiritual truths that are pretty universal in nature. What is your view on the function of music? There's the platitude that music is a universal language. Do you how to what extent do you agree with that? RE: You know, yeah, it's hard to, to, um, to think of music as a universal language. But I think sometimes we, how can I say this? It's such a broad question. When we are working in a form that isn't completely narrative, it gives us a little more chance to get at things that don't have to follow logically after one another. They're just feelings that we're able to feel. And I like working even when there are words, you know, there are certainly words in all of these, these, uh, pieces in this love between us. But I feel like sometimes we just feel something within us. And, you know, I experience this a lot when I have a piece performed, people will come up to me and say like, oh, this made me feel like this. And then the next person will come up to me and say, oh, this made me feel exactly the opposite thing. And I, I really love that we can have those experiences. And, you know, recently it's been really interesting because people have been asking these questions like interviewers, you know, before performances will be like, well, what do you want the audience to feel? And I'm like, oh, I don't want to answer that question. I want you to feel whatever you feel. There's nothing right to feel. And often, I mean, I'm not the one to ask. I'm so close to the music because when I'm listening, I'm thinking like, okay, was that C sharp in tune? Okay, you know, that's what I'm feeling. And I certainly don't want them to feel that. So I don't know. I think it's, it's just exciting to see how when we get out of these, what we should do this and this is the right thing to do. And this is the only way to do it. Um, how do we behave? And there are so few spaces left where if we don't say exactly the right words at the right time to the right people, you know, if we don't have exactly the right opinions that everyone around us has, We are so condemned and music might be one of the last places that we're allowed to feel whatever's inside of us. IL: Mhm. That's really interesting to think about. I think art in general is very beautiful because it allows people to interpret it in many different ways. I think for your music, you really draw on cultural specificity in terms of Hindustani music. What advice would you give to other young composers or also maybe artists of different mediums in creating that balance between specificity and universality? RE: Yeah, I think the thing is that the way into a deep practice is specificity. You know, I know people have asked me like, oh, you've done stuff with Indian music. Are you going to do stuff with other music? And I'm like, gosh, there's still so much to explore. I could have like three lifetimes and still not explore everything I want to explore just in the relationship between Indian and Western classical music. I mean, goodness knows I have four degrees in Western classical music, and I still am barely scratching the surface of it. Right. So I kind of feel like specificity is important because it allows you to access depth. And yet, you know, when you are specific about a certain thing, um, like for instance, like a scholar who only speaks Italian, I mean, they're going to know more than someone who maybe speaks five words of each language, right? So they can transfer over at a higher level and make more sophisticated points and understand the world with a more universal lens if they've gone really deep on one thing. So I would say, you know, to young composers, to young musicians, pick one practice and know it really, really well and deeply become go as far as you possibly can and then, you know, try to see if you can find relations between your primary practice and a different practice. Um, and I mean, some people, you know, I know in this generation that's coming up, that's like in their teens and twenties, there are South Asian, uh, kids who are here whose parents have come from India that are learning Indian and Western classical music side by side. And I think that's great. I mean, that's awesome. But I would also say make sure you don't just learn halfway. Both of those things, you know, if you're going to learn them, if at least with one thing, try to go as absolutely far as you can. IL: Let's hear another example of Reena Esmail's bilingual musicality with her work, Malhaar: A Requiem for Water, which was recorded fairly recently. The vocalist is Graycen Gardner with the choir conducted by Amy Fogerson. [MUSIC: Lacrimosa (from Malhaar: a Requiem for Water)] IL: Composer Reena Esmail used Indian classical instruments in that work, titled Malhaar: A Requiem for water. The vocalist was Graycen Gardner, with the choir conducted by Amy Fogerson. Percussionist was Rohit Panchakshari. I'm Isabel Li in conversation with composer Reena Esmail on this edition of Apex Express here on KPFA 94.1 FM. So when you integrate Hindustani classical Hindustani music, Indian classical music and those instruments into your scores, did you happen to did you have to develop a way to translate the notation of those notes in Western classical music notation, or vice versa? RE: Yeah, it it begs the greater question of what is notation for? Right? Because notation is essentially a way for Western musicians who read notation to look at a thing and be able to associate sounds with that thing. And so when I'm notating for Western classical musicians, I'm saying, okay, what is a cellist typically seeing and what are they doing based on what they're seeing? And then how can I take that language that they know really well that they play in Bach suites, that they play in Elgar, Cello Concerto, whatever it is, how can I take that language and just move it, you know, a couple degrees outward so that they're able to express different things, right? And so it's very much a psychological thing. You know, it's not a science the way that we think of it as and we learn it as this, oh, you know, eighths and sixteenths, and they divide this way. There's a lot you can do just to make someone feel a certain way with notation. On the other hand, if I'm writing for a sitar or tabla, the question is what? What is the role of the notation? Because the role of the notation for tabla player who has only Hindustani training and doesn't read music. It's certainly not for the tabla player that I'm doing the notation. Usually what I'll do is sit down with the tabla player in a, you know, more Hindustani style and say, hey, this is what I want. I want you to have like six overtones of teental. It should be at this tempo, blah, blah, blah. And they're like, oh, got it. I see what you want me to do. Right? And so all you need to figure out is the alignment points with the Western classical musicians. And so then the notation I put in the score is not really for them. It's for a conductor, for the Western musicians to be able to understand what they are doing and to be able to cue them in and help them kind of be in dialogue to one another. So it's interesting because, I mean, these days now I'm finding that there are tabla players who are both Indian and Western classical trained, and they want a part, but parts are not a thing. When I first wrote This Love Between Us, there were no parts for the tabla and sitar player. I actually had a cue sheet that I would actually point to as they were going, so that they knew, you know, what the different cues were because a part, you know, counting rests and stuff is not going to help them at all. So I think it's mostly trying to understand how is someone perceiving something and how can you give them the information they need in the most seamless way possible so that you can express what you want to express? IL: I love how technical that entire rundown was. I also wanted to talk a bit about your work, Terra Infirma, which is pretty recent. I had the honor of attending the premiere of Terra Infirma, a harp concerto that you composed based on your experiences with the Los Angeles fires in January of 2025. Um, it was such a wonderful work. I personally really loved hearing how you musically depicted the progression of a wildfire from despair to hope. It's also not the first environment based piece that you've written. YYou've written, for example, Earth Speaks in 2015. How do you approach composing works that are so rooted in environmentalism? And of course, have, have the undertones of speaking to the larger climate crisis at hand? RE: The thing that is interesting is, you know, someone was asking me about that piece, you know, you, you're, they're asking like, how do you kind of deal with activism in your work? And I was saying like, you know, I don't really think of myself as an activist because I think these issues are so fundamental to all of us, right? It's like you turn on your tap and you're just afraid that there's only going to be so long before water stops coming up. That's not, um, it doesn't feel like activism. It just feels like, you know, fear and it feels like we're tapping into these human emotions where people are so worried about what's going to happen. We don't really know what to do. And I think, you know, with anything, most people who have fear about things, you're going to just clam up if you feel that it's too, um, too much to deal with. And it is I mean, the environmental crisis is so huge that I think most people are just clamming up. And I guess, you know, what is our role as musicians? I think it's maybe to have some moments where we're not just like on our phones, seeing pictures of things burn down and freaking out where we can actually take some time to just reflect and be with one another. Because if we're going to solve this, it's going to be together and we need to come to some kind of like calm understanding of what is happening. And so a lot of my pieces are not accusatory. They're not, you know, pointing a finger. They're not supposed to rile people up. They're supposed to actually depict that experience of what it feels like to really sit with a hard thing for a long time and come to terms with it and then figure out how to move forward. And that's certainly the case with Terra Infirma and certainly the case with my Requiem. Certainly the case with curiosity, like you were saying, it's from Earth Speaks, which is many years ago. And that piece actually talks about the, the Pasadena institution's. It was actually for an organization called Pasadena Master Chorale. They commissioned the work many years ago. And what's so funny is I now live in Pasadena. I live in Altadena, up in the hills. So it's I wasn't living here at the time, but it is, you know, a place where many scientific institutions like the U.S. Geological Survey, you know, JPL, Caltech, all these places that are really exploring the environment in important ways are based. And so the piece kind of honors that and honors how we can interact positively with our environment. We can get data, we can find ways to do things that are, I mean, beyond my understanding, you'd have to ask a scientist, but but I just love that that we're in this place that sees the environment as something to understand more deeply instead of something that's just going to turn on us at a certain point. IL: Certainly. And I'm really curious, because Terra Infirma is also a work that was paired with multimedia animation and performance. Was there anything in your compositional process that differed when you're collaborating across these different mediums? RE: Yeah. So it's interesting because so the, there was, there were projections that were happening. And also in addition to that, it was a harp concerto, but a harp concerto where the harpist was also playing percussion. And so there were some elements that were so different than what would be typically like if harpist was like, I want a concerto. You would just be like, okay, you know, she sits there, she plays these notes. They're in that one position. That's all fine. Um, there was so much more, you're right with this piece than with, um, with my normal pieces. Um, and to me it's both, how can I say this? There's, there's such a different way I have to think about it, but I think that way starts with collaboration. So Yolanda Kondonassis, the incredible harp player, and Camilla Tassi, who was the production designer. These are people I know well and I've had multiyear relationships with. And so when you're thinking about how to build something, you're totally aware of what their work is like. I knew kind of the not even what Camilla's projections were going to look like, but the way that they interact with things. We've done projects together before. And so I pretty much had the sense of how she was going to respond. And I knew what she needed to know in order for her to do her work and make things kind of match up with one another. And then also with Yolanda, a lot of the stuff I put in that was like harp and percussion together. It wasn't something that I was making her do, right? It were things that we came up with together. We've spent so long workshopping things in percussion studios in, um, you know, we've met in all these different cities and we're basically like banging things against a harp and doing, you know, just so much experimentation. So for every technique you see in the concerto, you, um, you basically there's like ten things that we didn't do that didn't put in. So you're really only seeing the best of all the kind of crazy stuff that we tried. So I do think the thing is that when you're trying to invent something new and you're trying to invent new styles and new techniques, I mean, you can think of anything, but you're trying to find the things that A practically work and B allow the performers and the artists to really express themselves. So I found that I was actually choreographing the piece before I was composing it, um, that I had to figure out, okay, where are these percussion setups going to be? What are the instruments that I want? Okay. Are these chimes going to be like over her head? Or is she going to have to reach really far to get them? Are they going to be near the low end of the harp? Things like that that seem so practical. But the difference between having to reach out far and slowly versus having to like, quickly swat something near your ear, right? It makes a different choreography. And so I thought that way first. And then I kind of put the notes and rhythms and melodies and stuff in. IL: Let's now hear a selection from Reena Esmail's Terra Infirma. This is the fourth movement titled “Roaming the Ghost Forest.” Yolanda Kondonassis is the harpist with the Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra. [MUSIC: Terra infirma: IV. roaming the ghost forest] IL: The harpist was Yolanda Kondonassis with the Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra, playing the fourth movement of Terra Infirma by composer Reena Esmail. I'm Isabel Leigh, and in this episode of Apex Express, I'm joined by Reena Esmail, the composer, in conversation about her music and her approach to making art. Something else that I really was fascinated with on your on your Instagram account. You actually made a post a while back that I found to be very powerful. It's pinned as the letter to the young artists' immigrant parents. It's such an empathetic message that I also really relate to as a daughter of immigrants in the arts. And you kind of argue that these children's pursuit of the arts is a tribute to their parents immigrant struggles. Um, what motivated you to write this letter? RE: You know, I'm so glad you asked about that because so much has changed since I wrote that letter in a really good way. You know, first of all, I will say that when I wrote that letter, if you weren't a child of, you know, like Asian immigrant parents, you. And actually, I think this is true for most immigrant parents who, you know, have kind of given up everything to move to America so that their kids can explore all these opportunities they wouldn't get in their country of origin. When I first wrote this letter, it was really just, I felt like I was saying something really new. And now I think what's really interesting is that we have both parents who understand this and, um, kind of almost this parody way of seeing what Asian parents are like. Right. For me, one thing that I, that just makes my heart sing is the comedy of Zarna Garg. I don't know if you know who she is, but she is like an Indian American comic and she plays this role of being like this very typical Indian parent. And I will say, my parents weren't really like this because again, they were two different religions and married one another. So they were already quite open minded. But like 99% of Indian parents and even my parents, sometimes they have this thing of like, well, ‘why are you going into this?' Like you should make money, you should do this stuff. And I feel like, um, since Zarna's comedy came into the world, it's such an easy way to just point a finger at that and say, hey, this is what we're really dealing with as Indian immigrants. And, you know, we all just laugh at it. And I find that, you know, sometimes my friends who are just, you know, white Americans who have been in this family has been in this country for many generations. They don't get it. But like anyone who's a child of immigrant is like, oh yes, I completely understand what she's saying. So we have that. And I think that's really healthy and awesome. And she's very talented. Um, and on the other hand, I found that when I was first going into music and I mean, I, you know, when I was 18 and I was going to go to Juilliard, my parents were certainly supportive and curious and wanted me to do whatever they thought I might be good at enough to make a living and didn't want to optimize for, oh, you need to earn the most money or you need to, etc. but most other Indians around us were like, oh my God, she's so smart. Why is she like wasting her life doing music? You know, that was kind of the dominant narrative. And so I had to become very good at explaining why. And imagine my complete disbelief when I would go to conservatory and meet people whose parents had encouraged them to do music. I was like, what is happening? Like, we're like, there'd be four siblings and all of them would be in the arts. And I was like, oh wait, you're not the black sheep of your family. Like, I mean, half of my family, I don't think really knows what I do still even. Right? And so to me, it was so important to provide some kind of context. And like you said, it's like to, to come to this country and be an immigrant and to come with a lot of skills, but to have to just work in silence for so many years with no congratulation, with no one just constantly propping you up. That is what being an artist is. And you know, it's only maybe the past 10 years of my career that I've even been visible to people. Before that, it was just me doing my thing and like, no one cared about it. It was not not glamorous at all. And for me, that's what built the kind of strength in me to be able to sustain the career that I have now. And so I think if it had been a little too easy, I don't know that I would be able to handle, um, the, what I have now. So I think what's great though is that the Indian parents of kids who are teenagers and in their twenties nowadays are not coming to me being like, oh my God, what do I do with this kid who wants to be a musician? I've failed as a parent. Which again, for those of you who are not Asian, this is totally a true thing out there. They will come to me and say, hey, look, my, my child doesn't wants to be a musician. I want to help them. I can't tell like, are they good at this? Where should they be? Can you help me understand things? And that is really what my parents did. And I will, you know, kind of go further to say — PBS did a special on me a number of years ago, and I insisted on putting my parents in this special because I wanted people to see what it looked like to have really encouraging Indian parents who, again, they weren't going in blind. They were. They would go to my teachers and be like, well, I mean, is she good? Can she do this? We don't know what these answers are. Can you help us understand? And they really relied on the right people to be able to help me get to places that they couldn't get, but they also weren't just immediately dismissive of it. And that's what allowed me to kind of have a massive advantage, because I didn't have to also go back to school and do a medical degree. Or like most of my my peers of my age actually did. So I wanted to put them on that special to actually show that that is possible. And I'm seeing more and more that it is. There are many more parents like that now. And oh my goodness, I love every one of them. IL: That's wonderful. When you look back at your compositional career and how everything has changed since then, how do you think your work has evolved? RE: Oh, so you mean like since I began being a composer? IL: Yeah. Or maybe in the past ten years, even. RE: Yeah. It's interesting because I think one of the big inflection points in my work was when I did my Fulbright in India. So before that, I really didn't know very much about Indian classical music. And then the year before that, I really started to get deeper and started to integrate my Indian and Western classical world with one another. And then, you know, I from 2011 to 2012, I went to India and what was so different was actually seeing the music in its culture and actually getting to participate as an Indian in India, studying Indian classical music. Right. Because there's no filter. You're not going through a Western filter. You're just there in this culture. And I know that many of my Indian teachers, they kind of had this attitude of like, look, we don't know what kind of music you were doing before, but we're so glad you're here and studying your own music. And this is great. And so there wasn't this sense of having to go through another culture to get to their, their music. And to me, that really changed things because I don't see myself as writing music. That's one through the conduit of the other. I just see it as two streams that are equally incredible and equally independent, and they just meet each other in these interesting places. IL: And looking ahead into the future, is there an ensemble or an artist who you haven't worked with before that you'd love to work with? Ooh. It's interesting because, like, almost everyone who comes to mind is not a musician. Um, I've worked with so many. I mean, truly, I've been so lucky to work with musicians like Gil and Orli Shaham. Yolanda Kondonassis. I'm writing a piece for Hilary Hahn and Matthias Goerne right now. It's I mean, just like literally anyone who I could ever ask to work with, I have. I don't know. I mean, to me, it's like, gosh, someone like Misty Copeland would be amazing. Like, you know, there are so many actors like the world of Indian/South Asians in comedy and in drama and stuff like that is just incredible. People like Mindy Kaling who have done incredible things to me, people like that are just going outside of just music would be fascinating to me. IL: Absolutely. And I will put a link to your website, as well as the links to the music that will also be aired on this in this episode on KPFA.org, so our listeners can learn more about you and your wonderful work. Well, Reena, thank you so much for your time and thank you for talking to me today. RE: Absolutely. The post APEX Express – 8.06.26 – Obbligato – In Conversation with Composer Reena Esmail appeared first on KPFA.

Programa dedicado a explorar algunas de las composiciones más notables compuestas para dúos de instrumentistas de música clásica.  Producción y selección realizadas por Carolina Valdés con la locución de Sergio Morales. Martes a las 12:00 hrs en el 95.1 FM y www.radioudec.cl  

Sparks fly when 9-year-old pianist Alexander Zhou takes the keys. Orli Shaham hosts this episode where we also hear from a teenage violist performing Rebecca Clarke's beautiful viola Sonata.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Orli Shaham collaborates with a teenage pianist on a Mozart Sonata for four-hands. We also hear from a trumpeter who plays Gershwin and a 17-year-old violinist performing Beethoven.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,' pianist Orli Shaham collaborates with members of the Pacific Symphony on her latest chamber music recording: ‘American Tapestry.' Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

We're coming from Minnesota Public Radio in the Twin Cities with guest host Orli Shaham. We hear from a pianist/composer who performs a musical letter to his younger self, and an autodidactic teen violinist wows us with his journey.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Orli Shaham joins us from Minnesota Public Radio in the Twin Cities, a place bursting with talented young artists, including a teen from a long line of Florentine musicians performing Ravel, a quartet who bonded in a forest, and a multifaceted cellist whose interests range from tennis to quantum computing.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Orli Shaham is one of the brightest stars on the musical stage today. Not only a wonderful pianist and expressive performer, she is one of the sharpest music minds I know. I always learn from talking with her, and it's always fun!

Orli Shaham guest hosts with her brother violinist Gil Shaham on this episode dedicated to musical families. We'll meet a bunch of siblings, including Orli's own sons. We'll enjoy performances of Dvořák, Schumann, and a new work by a young composer.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's a family affair on this week's episode. Orli Shaham guest hosts with her brother violinist Gil Shaham. We meet a handful of siblings who share the joy of making musical memories together and hear performances of Tchaikovsky and Jessie Montgomery.⁠Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

John Forsyte has led Pacific Symphony since 1998, during which time it has emerged as the largest orchestral institution founded in the U.S. in the past 50 years. Under his leadership, the Symphony has grown in national and international stature. Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018 as one of two orchestras invited to perform in Philip Glass' 80th birthday celebration. That same year, the Symphony embarked on its first tour of China, performing in five major cities. The 2017-18 season culminated with the Symphony's first nationally televised appearance on PBS's Great Performances. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Forsyte spearheaded innovative community engagement efforts, including hundreds of video productions for schoolchildren and nonprofit partners. The Symphony also launched Symphony on the Go, a mobile stage concert series offering free performances in neighborhoods throughout the region. For its dedication to serving the community during this challenging time, Pacific Symphony was recognized as the Nonprofit of the Year for the Central/South Orange County region. Forsyte's decades-long collaboration with Music Director Carl St.Clair has pioneered new concert formats and audience engagement methods, helping build an audience base that better reflects the demographics of Orange County. These initiatives include semi-staged opera productions, annual children's offerings, the innovative Café Ludwig chamber music series with Orli Shaham and Pacific Symphony principal musicians. A major milestone in Forsyte's tenure was the creation of the American Composers Festival (ACF). The festival has featured thematic and contextual programs, world premieres, commissioned works, and performances of rarely heard pieces, highlighting the Symphony's commitment to innovative and compelling programming. Over the years, the ACF has garnered critical acclaim and featured prominent composers such as John Adams, Philip Glass, and William Bolcom, and has attracted a wide range of audiences, further solidifying Pacific Symphony's reputation as a leader in promoting American music. During Forsyte's tenure, Pacific Symphony became the only orchestra in California to receive a James Irvine Foundation New California Arts Fund Grant. This supported the creation of the Building Communities Concert Series, featuring cultural celebrations such as Lunar New Year, Nowruz, and a free family festival around the Lantern Festival, further expanding the Symphony's engagement with the region's diverse communities. Pacific Symphony has expanded its community engagement programs, creating transformative initiatives like arts-X-press (a middle school arts immersion camp), Heartstrings (a partnership with 47 nonprofit organizations), the free Lantern Festival, Strings for Generations in partnership with the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, and Santa Ana Strings. Under Forsyte's guidance, the Symphony's award-winning music education offering, the Freida Belinfante Class Act program, has grown from 7 to 30 schools. A strategic priority during Forsyte's tenure has been the expansion of the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles program. This initiative now includes four distinct groups: Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings, and Pacific Symphony Youth Concert Band. Together, these ensembles serve over three hundred students annually, offering exceptional training and performance opportunities for young musicians across Southern California. The program's transformative impact is demonstrated by the high rate of students accepted into leading music conservatories and universities. Under Forsyte's leadership, Pacific Symphony has maintained a balanced budget for more than two decades while significantly increasing its fundraising efforts. Contributed income has grown fivefold, and the organization has raised an additional $35 million for its endowment during this period. Forsyte's contributions to the arts have been widely recognized. He has been honored with the Helen M. Thompson Award from the American Symphony Orchestra League and the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award by Arts Orange County. He currently serves on the Chief Executive Roundtable at UC Irvine and the boards of Arts Orange County and Orange County Music and Dance. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County.

Ever had one of those “I'm a total failure, and I'm never going to be invited to play with these folks again” moments?In this month's chat, pianist Orli Shaham shares a deeply personal story about a performance at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, where rehearsals went so badly, that the piece she prepared was pulled from the program. It felt like a “complete failure” at the time, but the experience prompted her to evaluate her preparation process. Which eventually led to one of her career highlights - a performance of John Adams's first piano concerto, in Carnegie Hall, where Adams came onstage during the applause and gave her the greatest compliment she could have asked for, as he said “You got it. You really got it.”If you've ever struggled with feeling out of your depth, this episode is for you.Get all the nerdy details right here:Orli Shaham: On Overcoming Setbacks and Learning to Trust the Process* * *Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage? If you've been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances. It's 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you'll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure. Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

We're celebrating a musical Thanksgiving with guest host Orli Shaham. Get ready to gobble up some wonderful performances of Tchaikovsky and Chopin by some remarkable teens.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today, we're recognizing the gift of music to inspire and bring people together with guest host Orli Shaham. Settle in for some fantastic performances of Beethoven, Debussy, and more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A 17-year-old violist performs a moving Brahms Sonata with guest host Orli Shaham and we meet a talented teenage pianist who plays one of Liszt's great works for piano. More at: https://fromthetop.org/show/show-450/Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Pianist Orli Shaham meets an 11-year-old violinist who moved from Sydney to New York to pursue music and collaborates with a gifted teen on Rebecca Clarke's viola sonata. Finally, we meet a pianist who tells us about Chopin's mazurkas and life at his New England boarding school. More at: https://fromthetop.org/show/show-450/Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

If you've spent time in classical music circles, you've heard this discussion. It's about whether classical music is about the give up the ghost. But people have been asking that question for decades, at the very least, and the market share of classical music has been steady as long as that question's been around. Orli Shaham is a pianist who performs with major orchestras around the world. She teaches at Juilliard, and she's started multiple programs to introduce classical music to more general audiences. She's not worried, because, as she puts it, “As a species we look for meaning. We want to understanding something that is beyond us, or that speaks to our emotions in ways we can't articulate.” What we call “classical” music does that, and she believes people will continue to see it out. This week, WFIU Music Director Aaron Cain talks with Orli Shaham about helping people find their way toward classical music, music students' internalized pressure to get all the notes right, and how cassette tapes made music precious in a way that's maybe been lost in the days of streaming.

Paul Williamson is featured in this podcast, performing excerpts from Beethoven's Piano Sonatas 22-28. Named one of CBC Music's “30 under 30” Canadian classical musicians, Paul Williamson is a first prize winner of the piano category of the Canadian national music festival (2014), the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Association national piano competition (2017), and a prizewinner of the WMC McLellan Competition (2020) and the Shean Piano Competition (2022). As a soloist, he has appeared with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, and the Fraser Valley Symphony Orchestra. He has performed alongside Julian Pellicano, Alexander Mickelthwate, Aiyun Huang, Orli Shaham, and Jim Walker. He has appeared at Morningside Music Bridge, Orford, Kneisel Hall, Aspen, Hornby, Scotia, Agassiz, and has held residency at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute. Paul holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Music degree from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he continues to study with Fabio Bidini in the Artist Diploma program. Most recently, Paul returned to the University of Manitoba to serve on the faculty as a piano instructor for the 2022 Winter term. His other musical influences include David Moroz and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Paul is grateful for the support of the BC Arts Council. Over more than two decades, Mark Travis has served as a writer, producer, broadcaster, lecturer, podcaster, voiceover artist, multi-cam director, video editor, and audio engineer. Currently Director of Media Production for the New York Philharmonic, he has directed the Orchestra's broadcasts, hosted by Alec Baldwin, since 2003. The concert was recorded on October 26, 2022, at St Leo Auditorium in Bonita Springs, FL.

SynopsisOn today's date in 2011, the Saint Louis Symphony under David Robertson premiered a new piano concerto by the American composer Steven Mackey. The soloist was Orli Shaham, Robertson's wife, to whom the new work was dedicated.The new concerto had an odd title, “Stumble to Grace,” which Mackey explained:“There is a narrative running through the piece … the piano is all thumbs … as it stumbles in its first entrance, playing naïve and awkward plinks and plunks. By [the end], the piano plays sophisticated, virtuosic and, at times, graceful contrapuntal music—a fugue, in fact …“The inspiration … came from observing my now two-and-a-half year old toddler learning to become human … I wanted to open my compositional process to incorporate some of the whimsy and exuberance that he brings to his exploration of the world.”Mackey concludes, “A preoccupation with one's children is common among most new parents but this seemed particularly appropriate … for a piece written for Orli Shaham. She and her conductor husband, David Robertson, have twins less than a year older than my son and we've had play dates and shared narrations about new parenthood.”Music Played in Today's ProgramStephen Mackey (b. 1956) Stumble to Grace Orli Shaham, p; Los Angeles Philharmonic; David Robertson, cond. Canary Classics CC-11

Orli Shaham — Mozart: Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 & 3 (Canary Classics) Jump to giveaway form New Classical Tracks - Orli Shaham by “Through the course of this project, I got a taste of what it would have felt like to be Mozart,” pianist Orli Shaham said about recording all 18 of Mozart's piano sonatas. “It was probably exhausting because he had so many ideas running through his system all the time. It must have been a difficult brain to live in.” Continuing her Mozart project, Shaham has released the latest addition, Mozart: Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 & 3. Volumes four, five and six will come out later this year.  Why is it important for you to record all of Mozart's piano sonatas? “When I realized what the totality of the complete works signifies, a journey through his entire life, I was fascinated to see that journey. I've learned so much from this project that I would never have learned if I had just done a few sonatas.” What have you discovered about yourself during this project? “I'm from the school of classical piano. I play the notes that are on the page. That's how I was taught and raised. Then people talked about improvising. I never really understood what that meant. In doing 18 sonatas and adding a little ornamentation to every repeat, except for the ones that were already busy, I've gained so much experience. “It's completely transformed my way of looking at it. I feel informed by jazz musicians today who are always pushing boundaries and trying to figure out what fits without breaking the initial mold.” Can you talk about how Mozart brings the best out of performers? “Those first six sonatas have very different styles from each other. I didn't know this before, but they had been written as a set for his first big European tours. Something about the fourth one is intimate and simple, yet lyrical and beautiful. You can't help but be drawn toward the opening of the work. Once you're sucked in — he's got you.” How did you make these sonatas your own? “If I'm making a complete set, there should be at least one example of how to go wild. There's a deceptive quality to Sonata No.16. It's not as simple as it seems at first glance. The third movement is the precise repetition of the same simple idea. We know that Mozart would never have precisely repeated anything. But I just decided that if he were in a good mood at a party, he would not have held back.” What is interesting to you about Sonata No. 11? “I find the first movement of the sonata so special. It's very unusual when Mozart writes a siciliana in variations. The first movement is the only one in variation form where he can plummet into the depths of our humanity.” Watch now To hear the rest of my conversation, click on the extended interview above, or download the extended podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. More on Orli Shaham New Classical Tracks: Pianist Orli Shaham finds joy in Mozart amid pandemic New Classical Tracks: Orli Shaham, 'Brahms Inspired' Giveaway Time For Three New Classical Tracks Giveaway You must be 13 or older to submit any information to American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products and services. See Terms of Use and Privacy. This giveaway is subject to the Official Giveaway Rules. Resources Orli Shaham — Mozart: Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 & 3 (Amazon) Orli Shaham (official site)

Star harpist Yolanda Kondonassis celebrates the centennial of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera's birth with a new album, Ginastera: One Hundred. The recording features guest appearances by the violin/piano duo of Gil and Orli Shaham plus guitarist Jason Vieaux, as well as a centerpiece of Yolanda's repertoire over the years, Ginastera's Harp Concerto.

New Classical Tracks: Orli Shaham

Orli Shaham speaks about her Bach Yard series, as well as her experiences teaching at the Juilliard School.

This week The Times of Israel Podcast is bringing you a sneak peak at a new album, Mozart Complete Piano Sonatas Volume 1, recorded by Israeli-American performer, Orli Shaham. Shaham was born in Jerusalem, but following in the footsteps of her big brother, the violinist Gil Shaham, she quickly found her way to New York where she began training at the Juilliard School. Today she teaches the next generation of artists there, and performs internationally with major orchestras. Shaham recorded Mozart’s Complete Piano Sonatas during the coronavirus crisis lockdown, and is in the process of releasing five discs on the new Canary Classics label. Vol. 1 was released in October. We'll hear excerpts of the new album before and throughout our conversation. Stay tuned at the end of our interview for the final movement of Sonata No. 17. We’ll speak about Mozart the improvisor, being a musician during the coronavirus, and how to inspire the next generation to add to Classical music to their playlists.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is a favorite of many, and this week we have a brilliant performance of this work by two young marimba players. Listen also for a 14-year-old pianist performing Rachmaninoff, and a stunning performance of Brahms by a young violist. Guest Hosted by Orli Shaham.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is a favorite of many, and this week we have a brilliant performance of this work by two young marimba players. Listen also for a 14-year-old pianist performing Rachmaninoff, and a stunning performance of Brahms by a young violist. Guest Hosted by Orli Shaham.

Pianist Orli Shaham returns to host From the Top and shares her Mozart expertise with two young musicians. We also meet a 14-year-old violinist with dreams of going to space, a dazzling young pianist who performs Liszt, and a teenage flutist who discusses her passion for the Supreme Court.

Pianist Orli Shaham returns to host From the Top and shares her Mozart expertise with two young musicians. We also meet a 14-year-old violinist with dreams of going to space, a dazzling young pianist who performs Liszt, and a teenage flutist who discusses her passion for the Supreme Court.

On today’s date in 2011, the Saint Louis Symphony under David Robertson premiered a new piano concerto by the American composer Steven Mackey. The soloist was Orli Shaham, Robertson’s wife, to whom the new work was dedicated. The new concerto had an odd title, “Stumble to Grace,” which Mackey explained: “There is a narrative running through the piece … the piano is all thumbs … as it stumbles in its first entrance, playing naïve and awkward plinks and plunks. By [the end], the piano plays sophisticated, virtuosic and, at times, graceful contrapuntal music—a fugue, in fact … “The inspiration … came from observing my now two-and-a-half year old toddler learning to become human … I wanted to open my compositional process to incorporate some of the whimsy and exuberance that he brings to his exploration of the world.” Mackey concludes, “A preoccupation with one’s children is common among most new parents but this seemed particularly appropriate … for a piece written for Orli Shaham. She and her conductor husband, David Robertson, have twins less than a year older than my son and we’ve had play dates and shared narrations about new parenthood.”

On today’s date in 2011, the Saint Louis Symphony under David Robertson premiered a new piano concerto by the American composer Steven Mackey. The soloist was Orli Shaham, Robertson’s wife, to whom the new work was dedicated. The new concerto had an odd title, “Stumble to Grace,” which Mackey explained: “There is a narrative running through the piece … the piano is all thumbs … as it stumbles in its first entrance, playing naïve and awkward plinks and plunks. By [the end], the piano plays sophisticated, virtuosic and, at times, graceful contrapuntal music—a fugue, in fact … “The inspiration … came from observing my now two-and-a-half year old toddler learning to become human … I wanted to open my compositional process to incorporate some of the whimsy and exuberance that he brings to his exploration of the world.” Mackey concludes, “A preoccupation with one’s children is common among most new parents but this seemed particularly appropriate … for a piece written for Orli Shaham. She and her conductor husband, David Robertson, have twins less than a year older than my son and we’ve had play dates and shared narrations about new parenthood.”

It was last summer that Orli Shaham began recording the complete Mozart piano sonatas. The new album is still in the works, but ever since April, she’s been offering special sneak previews. Every Wednesday, you can hear a selection from the album - available for one week only. It’s called MidWeek Mozart, and Shaham’s hoping it brings just a little more beauty into the world. Usually she shares a single movement, but all throughout July, Shaham’s making an entire sonata available for free online listening. This week’s selection is Sonata No 3 in B-flat major, a piece that Mozart wrote when he was 19, traveling a lot and encountering all sorts of new musical styles and instruments. Orli Shaham’s recording of Mozart’s piano sonata no 3 is available for one week only. You can find a link at wqxr.org/Concerwatch.

The piano. A seemingly normal instrument. But where did it come from, and how did it get here? Is it a percussion or a string instrument? Is it safe for young people, or will it influence your child to become interested in (gasp!) music, like it did one Orli Shaham? In this episode, Shaham describes how she was helplessly lured by the piano, as well as how this instrument wound up in peoples' homes. She also talks about its repertoire, and how your child can start playing. Listen at your own peril.

durée : 01:57:57 - En pistes ! du mercredi 05 février 2020 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Au menu du jour également : Mozart, avec le 17ème Concerto pour piano par Orli Shaham et un arrangement du Quatuor n°15 pour le quintette à vent québécois Pentaèdre, la 4ème Symphonie de Mahler sous la baguette du finlandais Osmo Vänskä, un album Beethoven par les chambristes de la WDR de Cologne... - réalisé par : Olivier Guérin

durée : 01:57:57 - En pistes ! du mercredi 05 février 2020 - par : Emilie Munera, Rodolphe Bruneau Boulmier - Au menu du jour également : Mozart, avec le 17ème Concerto pour piano par Orli Shaham et un arrangement du Quatuor n°15 pour le quintette à vent québécois Pentaèdre, la 4ème Symphonie de Mahler sous la baguette du finlandais Osmo Vänskä, un album Beethoven par les chambristes de la WDR de Cologne... - réalisé par : Olivier Guérin

In our second 2019 episode from Portland, Maine, guest host, pianist Orli Shaham introduces us to a fantastic crew of young musicians

In our second 2019 episode from Portland, Maine, guest host, pianist Orli Shaham introduces us to a fantastic crew of young musicians

Pianist Orli Shaham hosts the first of two From the Top episodes in Portland, Maine.

Pianist Orli Shaham hosts the first of two From the Top episodes in Portland, Maine.

This week, your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes a new maestro and the return of a fan favorite. Conductor David Danzmayr and pianist Orli Shaham combine forces with the RPO for a concert of two temperamentally different symphonies and a songbird's concerto. Julia Figueras sat down in our studios to talk about the pieces, programming, and the power of music for our youngest listeners in Orli's Bach Yard.

Guest host Orli Shaham's complete break piece recorded during From the Top Episode 361, Brunswick, ME.

Guest host Orli Shaham's complete break piece recorded during From the Top Episode 361, Brunswick, ME.

Concert pianist Orli Shaham guest hosts this week's From the Top from Brunswick, Maine! We'll hear her talk shop with a superb teenage pianist who performs the music of Brahms, meet a violinist from Maine who happens to do serious biomedical research when he's not in the practice room, and a very young, very fun brother-sister guitar duo plays contemporary music from Brazil. *PERFORMERS* 16-year-old cellist Jiaxun "Caroline" Yao from Flushing, NY performing: I. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto from the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Claude Debussy with Orli Shaham, piano || Davisson Guitar Duo: Elle Davisson, 10, and Jack Davisson,13, from Palo Alto, CA performing: "Jongo" by Paulo Bellinati || 17-year-old bassoonist Aaron Brown from Shapleigh, ME performing: I. Vivace from the Sonata for Bassoon and Piano by William Hurlstone, with Orli Shaham, piano. || 17-year-old pianist Avery Gagliano from Philadelphia, PA performing: I. Intermezzo in A minor and III. Ballade in G minor from 6 Klavierstücke, Op.118 by Johannes Brahms || 17-year-old violinist Brandon Aponte from Blue Hill, ME performing: "Méditation" from Thaïs by Jules Massenet, with Orli Shaham, piano || Finale: All performers with Orli Shaham perform VI. Le Pas Espagnol from Dolly Suite, Op.56 by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), arr. by Simon Frisch

Concert pianist Orli Shaham guest hosts this week's From the Top from Brunswick, Maine! We'll hear her talk shop with a superb teenage pianist who performs the music of Brahms, meet a violinist from Maine who happens to do serious biomedical research when he's not in the practice room, and a very young, very fun brother-sister guitar duo plays contemporary music from Brazil. *PERFORMERS* 16-year-old cellist Jiaxun "Caroline" Yao from Flushing, NY performing: I. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto from the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Claude Debussy with Orli Shaham, piano || Davisson Guitar Duo: Elle Davisson, 10, and Jack Davisson,13, from Palo Alto, CA performing: "Jongo" by Paulo Bellinati || 17-year-old bassoonist Aaron Brown from Shapleigh, ME performing: I. Vivace from the Sonata for Bassoon and Piano by William Hurlstone, with Orli Shaham, piano. || 17-year-old pianist Avery Gagliano from Philadelphia, PA performing: I. Intermezzo in A minor and III. Ballade in G minor from 6 Klavierstücke, Op.118 by Johannes Brahms || 17-year-old violinist Brandon Aponte from Blue Hill, ME performing: "Méditation" from Thaïs by Jules Massenet, with Orli Shaham, piano || Finale: All performers with Orli Shaham perform VI. Le Pas Espagnol from Dolly Suite, Op.56 by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), arr. by Simon Frisch

Star harpist Yolanda Kondonassis celebrates the centennial of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera's birth with a new album, Ginastera: One Hundred. The recording features guest appearances by the violin/piano duo of Gil and Orli Shaham plus guitarist Jason Vieaux, as well as a centerpiece of Yolanda's repertoire over the years, Ginastera's Harp Concerto.

It’s summertime, and the classical musicians have all disappeared. No, it’s not a classical music-specific alien body snatching situation. It’s just that they’re all at music festivals! Because we miss them, we’ve decided to follow the musicians to a different fest each summer. This year, we head to the Aspen Music Festival! In our four-show miniseries, we’ll be interviewing festival leaders and musicians. In this, the second episode of our miniseries, we spoke with pianist and awesome person, Orli Shaham. We find out what she’s up to in Aspen, and she teaches us about music by living composers that is inspired by Brahms. Music in this episode (all from Orli Shaham’s CD, “Brahms Inspired”): – Johannes Brahms – Op. 118 (Intermezzo in A major) – Bruce Adolphe – My Inner Brahms (an intermezzo) – Avner Dorman – After Brahms (Allegro con molto appassionato) – Arnold Schoenberg – Six little piano pieces, Op. 19 – Brett Dean – Hommage a Brahms (Engelsflugel 1) – Johannes Brahms – Op. 119 (Intermezzo in B minor – Adagio) Orli Shaham. Photo by Christian Steiner. Courtesy of the artist’s website. Audio production by Todd “The Great Toddsby” Hulslander with green lights from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. For more about Orli Shaham: www.orlishaham.com For more about the Aspen Music Festival: www.aspenmusicfestival.com

Last week, Michael Tilson Thomas was conducting the New World Symphony in Miami when he stopped the concert in its tracks. A fidgety child and her mother were in his line of sight, and he reportedly asked them to change seats. Some details remain unclear but the mom and child did more than that – they left the hall. The incident caused quite a sensation on the Internet and raised questions: What is the appropriate age for kids to start attending grown-up concerts? And how do you prepare them for the experience? In this podcast, we get three views, from Orli Shaham, a pianist, mother of twins and artistic director of Baby Got Bach, a concert series intended for kids ages 3 to 6; Sedgwick Clark the editor of Musical America and a steadfast concert-goer around New York; and Susan Fox, a founder and publisher of the online forum Park Slope Parents. In the first part of the segment we ask whether young children should attend concerts: Clark says an affirmative "no." Fox contends that "you need to be willing to jump ship" if your child can no longer sit still through the music. And Shaham notes that concert-going requires careful preparation. Host Naomi Lewin also asks for tips for parents who are considering bringing their children to a concert. Responses include "find an aisle seat near a door," "give them some chewing gum," "start with shorter concerts" and simply, "teach them to sit with boredom." Listen to the full segment above and tell us in the comments box below: how do you prepare kids for a concert? Would you want to sit next to a young child at a concert? Orchestra Minimum Age Requirements | Create Infographics