Podcasts about Yehudi Menuhin School

This week's guest is British composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad, who talks to Composing Myself hosts Wise Music CEO and Creative Director Dave Holley and Gill Graham about her fascinating life in and out of music. Starting with her formative years leading to her getting a place as a cellist at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Cheryl talks about being a shy child and how finding composition at an early age gave her a voice she might otherwise not have discovered. We also learn about her work with young performers and in particular the I Am You, Brave and Strong project, built to ensure young creatives of all persuasions and skill levels “feel part of that bigger thing, making that great sound”. In addition: the strange connection between the cello and the swift, and the life advice Dave is going to pass to his son!https://www.cherylfranceshoad.co.uk/Admired for her originality, fluency and professionalism, Cheryl Frances-Hoad has been composing to commission since she was fifteen. Classical tradition (she trained as a cellist and pianist at the Menuhin School before going on to Cambridge and King's College, London) along with diverse contemporary inspirations including literature, painting and dance, have contributed to a creative presence provocatively her own.Intricate in argument, sometimes impassioned, sometimes mercurial, always compelling in its authority (Robin Holloway, The Spectator), her output - widely premiered, broadcast and commercially recorded, reaching audiences from the Proms to outreach workshops - addresses all genres from opera, ballet and concerto to song, chamber and solo music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Violinist Tatianna Berman introduces The Power of Sound and how music affects our emotions, behavior, and shapes our reality.Tatiana Berman is a violinist, artist, and cultural entrepreneur who finds fresh ways of connecting classical music and fine arts with a broader audience. Tatiana is the founder of Constella Arts, creator of The Power of Sound project, co-creator of Not So Classical, and star of the documentary Forte available internationally. During the 2020 pandemic, in partnership with Culturenet Tatiana became an online sensation generating hundreds of thousands of views for her virtual solo performances.Tatiana's unique projects brought her to venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Chicago Contemporary Art Museum, Santa Fe Symphony, and the Lafon Performing Arts Center. The Not So Classical album is available on all digital platforms, and the accompanying visual experience is available on Culturenet. The original performance concept Not So Classical has been praised by Forbes, NPR, and Playbill for its innovative approach to presenting a classical music experience. As founder and artistic director of the Constella Arts, Tatiana facilitated the presentations of over 70 world premieres and brought music to schools where arts funding has been cut. Tatiana's music video Vitali Variations and other projects can be experienced on NRK, Culturenet, CmusicTV, Sky, and Apple TV. Tatiana is a producer of documentaries Maestro (maestromovie.com) and Nordic Pulse (nordicpulsefilm.com).Tatiana studied violin at the Yehudi Menuhin School, and the Royal College of Music in London, earning full scholarships and international awards along the way. Throughout her international career as a concert violinist, Tatiana has collaborated with renowned musicians including Ksenia Bashmet, Joshua Bell, Jeremy Denk, Bryce Dessner, Ivry Gitlis, Steven Isserlis, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Anthony McGill, Nico Muhly, and Simon Trpceski. She has worked with conductors Paavo Jarvi, Sarah Ioannides, Tito Muños, Jose Luis Gomez, François López-Ferrer, and the late Yehudi Menuhin, appearing with both European and U.S. orchestras. London's The Strad described Tatiana as “a violinist with a mature, compelling musical personality.” She is an ardent performer of new music, commissioning and collaborating with dancers and digital artists. Notable performances include world premieres of Violin Concertos by Charles Coleman and Michael Csányi-Wills. Tatiana was Arts Ambassador and a Tedx Talk speaker. Her paintings are sought after by collectors from around the world, to see her visual art, go to the Art Gallery.Currently, Tatiana is recording her next Not So Classical album, touring The Power of Sound project, and directing a documentary by the same name. She also leads various workshops and appears at a limited number of speaking engagements on topics including the power of music, music education, and culture.www.tatianaberman.comHost Bonnie Burkert melds the worlds of media and higher consciousness, sharing tools for transformation for wellbeing and spiritual awakening . www.instagram.com/yogi_bon

I am back after a 3-week hiatus with superstar guitarist, Kevin Loh. Kevin was spotted at the age of 12 by the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK through his YouTube channel which he still keeps up to date till this day with over 300 videos and over 4 million views! He has since went on to win competitions, premiered concertos and has garnered international repute within guitar scene. Kevin is currently a student at the University of Cambridge is one of the leading young guitarist in the international guitar scene. He was generous enough to take time out to speak with me and in this episode we spoke about:1.       Performing for a learned audience and revisiting Concierto de Aranjuez 2.       Moving to the UK at the age of 12 to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School3.       Defining family support in his early musical developments and how music became a family bonding activity.4.       The importance of consistency and compounding progress.5.       Performing alongside his father and how it helped to working through his performance anxiety.6.       His time spent in the refugee camp in Calais, France and the profound impact music has on people and different communities.7.       His quote “There is more to life than Music” and how it has informed him on his decision making.8.       His hopes for future contribution towards the Singapore guitar development.9.       How we are fortunate to be working as musicians.10.   Identifying the motivation behind music.Find out more about Kevin's workWebsiteFacebookInstagramYouTubeThank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast! You can get in touch with me through https://www.youplayawhat.com . Subscribe and share this podcast with your friends if you enjoyed the episode. Feel free to leave a rating and review on which ever platform you choose to listen to your podcast!

Rare français à avoir étudié à la Yehudi-Menuhin School, période pendant laquelle il eut pour compagnon de chambre un certain Nigel Kennedy, Jean-Marc Luisada est bien plus qu'un pianiste virtuose. Le musicien, concertiste renommé, s'avère un esthète dont chaque note se mue en une parfaite identité sonore qui marque chacune de ses interprétations. Lauréat du concours Chopin, Jean-Marc Luisada est passé maître dans l'art de transcrire au plus près toute l'émotion romantique inhérente aux œuvres du compositeur polonais. Laissez-vous allez, c'est une valse !

Parlem amb Pau Codina, jove violoncel

3ª parte da entrevista do pianista e compositor Amaral Vieira a Alexandre Dias, abordando a continuação de sua carreira a partir de sua ida à Inglaterra, e seu contato com o grande pianista Louis Kentner, primeiramente como aluno, e depois como assistente. Mencionou os concertos a que assistiu quando residia em Londres, e falou sobre uma perda irreparável que teve de boa parte de suas composições até aquele momento. Também comentou sobre sua decisão de voltar ao Brasil, mesmo tendo recebido um convite praticamente irrecusável, para se tornar diretor do departamento de piano da Yehudi Menuhin School.Trilha sonora: CD Caminhos Barrocos, com obras de Handel, Rameau e J. S. Bach, interpretadas por Amaral VieiraFoto: Amaral Vieira.Apoie o IPB: https://www.catarse.me/InstitutoPianoBrasileiro

“I was saddened that as a Jewish musician I wasn’t familiar with these composers and these works” Brundibár Arts Festival's Artistic Director, Alexandra Raikhlina, launched the UK event in 2015. Taking place annually in Newcastle, the festival is dedicated to music and arts of the Holocaust and takes its name from Hans Krása's children's opera Brundibár (Bumblebee), which was performed in Terezin concentration camp. Raikhlina, a hugely talented violinist and graduate of the Yehudi Menuhin School, reveals the inspirations that led her to found the festival and tells us about her own background. She also highlights some key events of the 2020 festival, which opens on National Holocaust Day.By Judi HermanBrundibár Arts Festival runs Monday 27 January – Tuesday 4 February. Various times, prices and venues in Newcastle and Gateshead. www.brundibarartsfestival.comRead more about Brundibár Arts Festival and Karel Švenk’s play The Last Cyclist, which will be performed at the festival, in the Jan 2020 issue of JR.

I'm so happy to introduce my guest today, Concert Pianist, Researcher, and Teacher, Professor David Dolan! In his solo and chamber music performances, he incorporates improvisation into the relevant concert repertoire in repeats, cadenzas, as well as in preludes, fantasias, and improvises on themes provided by the audience. In addition to performing worldwide, He is the Professor of Classical Improvisation and its various applications to solo and ensemble performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, David has been heading the Centre for Creative Performance & Classical Improvisation since 2005. He also teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School. Since 2011 David is running a programme of classical improvisation applied to performance at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in Melbourne based on annual intensive residencies. ----- 1:46 what's your musical background? 2:14 When did you start playing the piano? 2:48 What were you improvising when young, what kind of music was in the house at the time? 3:06 Did your parents improvise? 3:25 Did your first teacher teach you the basics of playing the piano? 4:37 Do you have Absolute or Perfect pitch? 4:54 Did you still maintain your improvisation while doing your standard piano training? 6:02 Did you listen to traditional Israeli or Arabic music growing up? 7:04 What style of Classical music did you predominantly play in your training? 8:12 Were you the only one growing up that could improvise among your teachers and peers? 9:00 Did Haim Alexander hear you improvise? 10:40 What materials did Haim Alexander use to teach you? 11:20 What was a typical lesson with Haim Alexander look like? 13:24 Was his music theory conventional or did he have his own method? 14:13 Was the ear training Fixed Do or Moveable Do 14:52 What were your Masters and PhD studies about? 17:08 How would describe angry speech in music? 19:01 What year was this research? 19:22 Did you have peers or colleagues that you could relate to and talk to regarding improvisation as a professional, or were you alone? 20:01 Do you know Robert Levin? 20:15 What was it like meeting Robert Levin for the first time? 20:40 Is it very rare to meet another improvising musician? 21:39 Is the scene much different from what it used to be? 22:00 The reason that you're in the UK is because of Yehudi Menuhin? 22:47 What did you play at that concert, that Yehudi Menuhin watched? 23:54 What did Yehudi Menuhin mean by,”Survive this quartet”? 24:37 What did you make the quartet do, to teach them to improvise? 25:33 Given that you had been teaching classical improvisation since 1990, were you ready for any ensemble teaching situation? 26:41 Do you have set Classical forms or harmonic progressions to get students to improvise with? 27:34 What is a periodic structure? 28:38 How do you tell your students what notes to choose in the response portion of “Call and response”? 29:20 What do you mean by wrong notes? 30:00 Are the bass lines fixed or do you ask them to come up with their own? 31:03 Is this connected with basso continuo? 31:54 Is that how a string player can learn to improvise, by having the bass in their ear or mind? 32:39 Does that enable you to have multiple musicians performing at the same time? 33:34 How would a brand new student, who's never improvised before, learn to improvise in their first year of Guildhall? 35:07 Let's say they have no fear in improvising, what would they work on? 38:00 Is this all ensemble or solo? 38:34 Is the singing in solfege? 39:23 How do you distinguish between improvisation and composition? 40:42 What are some differences among the different classical eras? 43:02 So that is a lot of vocabulary to internalize? 44:15 Do you incorporate teaching other non-classical styles of music? 46:54 Has music changed and become more difficult from earlier eras, harmonically? 47:59 As an example, is Messiaen more complex than earlier music? 48:47 What are some common mistakes to learning classical improvisation? 51:38 If a parent is about to start their child learning music, how should they start? 52:52 What would you say to the thousands of children who are practicing for their graded music exams about the pieces they are playing? 54:40 Are there other things culturally that have changed in the music culture compared to previous eras? 56:55 What classical improvisation resources can you recommend for interested people? 58:43 If you could reform music education around the world, what would you do? 1:00:41 Wrapping Up

In this episode, I’m speaking with London-based guitarist and composer Laura Snowden.Hailed a ‘string sensation’ by BBC Music Magazine, British-French guitarist and composer Laura Snowden is acclaimed for her ‘poise and intensity’ (Guardian) and playing of ‘extraordinary depth’ (Strings, Classical Music Magazine). The first guitarist to graduate from the Yehudi Menuhin School, made possible by the Rolling Stones, she was invited by guitarist Julian Bream to premiere his latest commissions at Wigmore Hall in 2015 and 2017. Laura’s international appearances have since built rapidly, with festival debuts across Europe, China and the US, as well as concerto debuts with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Münchener Kammerorchester, and a recording of Lisa Streich’s guitar concerto Augenlider with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester.Described by Classical Guitar Magazine as ‘linking guitar’s past, present and future’, Laura’s eclectic musical output has ranged from producing arrangements for Noah and the Whale frontman Charlie Fink to giving dozens of world premieres by composers including Julian Anderson, Errollyn Wallen and Olli Mustonen. She has also collaborated closely with her folk band Tir Eolas, appearing with them at Shakespeare’s Globe at the invitation of guitarist John Williams. As a composer, Laura’s music has been performed at Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and Sadlers Wells, commissioned by the Park Lane Group, Birmingham Symphony Hall and International Guitar Foundation, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and Hong Kong Radio 4.Laura currently teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School and has given classes alongside performances at venues including the Royal College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Birmingham Conservatoire, Brussels Conservatoire, Uppsala International Guitar Festival, Altamira Hong Kong International Guitar Symposium, the Volterra Project in Italy and the Guitar and Lute Festival in Sweden.Laura’s principal teachers were Julian Bream, Richard Wright (Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School) and Gary Ryan (Royal College of Music).Laura and I cover a lot of topics. We talk about her history, working with Bream, composing, teaching, we get into the topic of expression and interpreting music, how she handles challenging things like self-doubt and those pesky existential questions like “what am I doing?”, and so much more. We had a great time over these two different interviews and I hope you enjoy. Featured clip from her composition titled Light Perpetuum, which was commissioned by VIDA Guitar Quartet, performed by them and saxophonist Amy Green, and appears on their latest album Bachianas.https://www.vidagq.com/http://www.laurasnowden.co.uk/

I'm really happy to continue this series on the pedagogues that shaped me as a violinist with a discussion about another giant in musical journey, Zvi Zeitlin. Unfortunately, Professor Zeitlin passed away in 2012, but I had a wonderful time talking about him with Michael Klotz, violist with the Amernet Quartet and Senior Instructor at Florida International University in Miami. Michael and I were colleagues in the Zeitlin studio at both Eastman and at the Music Academy of the West and, in this episode. we discuss our experience studying with Mr. Zeitlin and his lasting influence on our lives. It was a true pleasure for me to talk with Michael and I think you'll enjoy our chat!   More about Michael Klotz   Website: http://michaelklotzmusic.com/ Amernet String Quartet: http://amernetquartet.com/ Florida International University: http://carta.fiu.edu/music/ Heifetz International Music Institute: https://www.heifetzinstitute.org/   Biography Born in 1978 in Rochester, NY, Michael Klotz made his solo debut with the Rochester Philharmonic at the age of 17 and has since then appeared as soloist with orchestra, recitalist, and chamber musician, and orchestra principal worldwide. After a performance of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 with violist Roberto Diaz, the Portland Press-Herald proclaimed, “this concert squelched all viola jokes, now and forever, due to the talents of Diaz and Klotz”. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently proclaimed Michael Klotz to be “a superb violist, impressive, with an exceptionally attractive sound,” and the Miami Herald has consistently lauded his “burnished, glowing tone and nuanced presence.”   Michael Klotz joined the Amernet String Quartet in 2002 and has toured and recorded commercially with the ensemble throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Romania, Colombia, Belgium, and Spain. Klotz has performed at some of New York's most important venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, MoMA, Bargemusic, and the Kosciuzsko Foundation. His festival appearances have included Seattle, Newport, Caramoor, ChamberFest Cleveland, Festival Mozaic, Great Lakes, Cervantino, Festival Baltimore, Piccolo Spoleto, Sunflower, Martha's Vineyard, Skaneateles, Virginia Tech Vocal Arts and Music Festival, San Miguel de Allende, Beverly Hills, Music Mountain, Bowdoin, Madeline Island, Sarasota, Music Academy of the West, and Miami Mainly Mozart. Passionately dedicated to chamber music, Klotz regularly performs with many of today's most esteemed artists, having appeared as guest violist with the Shanghai, Ying, and Borromeo String Quartets, the Manhattan Piano Trio, and collaborated with artists such as Shmuel Ashkenasi, Arnold Steinhardt, James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, Vadim Gluzman, Gary Hoffman, Carter Brey, Michael Tree, Robert DeMaine, Andres Diaz, Roberto Diaz, Joseph Kalichstein, Franklin Cohen, and Alexander Fiterstein, as well as with many principal players from major U.S. and European orchestras. In 2015 he was named a Charter Member of the Ensemble with the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth and regularly appears on this series. In 2002 and 2009, he was was invited by Maestro Jaime Laredo to perform with distinguished alumni at anniversary concerts of the New York String Orchestra Seminar in Carnegie Hall. Michael Klotz is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded the Performer's Certificate. In 2002 he became one of the few individuals to be awarded a double Master's Degree in violin and viola from the Juilliard School. At Juilliard, he was the recipient of the Tokyo Foundation and Gluck Fellowships. His principle teachers and influences include Zvi Zeitlin, Lynn Blakeslee, Lewis Kaplan, Toby Appel, Peter Kamnitzer, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. Michael Klotz is a dedicated teacher and serves as Senior Instructor and Artist-in-Residence at Florida International University in Miami, where he teaches viola and chamber music. Klotz has recently presented highly acclaimed master classes at the New World Symphony, Cincinnati Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Michigan, Penn State University, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, Ithaca College, Texas Christian University, and West Virginia University. He is currently a member of the faculty of The Heifetz Institute and a viola coach at the New World Symphony. His former students currently attend and are graduates of prestigious conservatories, including the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, Indiana University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music and are already achieving leading roles in the music world. Michael was featured in the November 2013 issue of the “Alumni Spotlight” in the Juilliard Journal and as the subject of Strad Magazine's “Ask the Teacher” column in the November 2013 issue. Michael Klotz resides in Hallandale Beach, FL with his wife Kelly and sons Jacob and Natan, as well as two dogs and a cat.     ZVI ZEITLIN (1922-2012) A faculty member at Eastman from 1967 to 2012, Zvi Zeitlin (1922-2012) was revered for decades as a violinist, pedagogue, chamber musician, and champion of contemporary music. Born in Dubrovna, Belarus, Zvi Zeitlin was raised and educated in Israel. At age 11, he became the youngest scholarship student in the history of the Juilliard School, studying with Sascha Jacobsen, Louis Persinger, and Ivan Galamian. He served in the RAF (1943-46) and concertized for troops throughout the Middle East and Greece. He made concerto appearances with such great conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Antal Dorati, Jascha Horenstein, and Christoph von Dohnanyi, and gave frequent tours of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Central and South America. One of Zeitlin's signature pieces was Arnold Schoenberg's fiendishly difficult, seldom performed Violin Concerto; his 1971 Deutsche Grammophon recording of this work with conductor Rafael Kubelik set the standard, and is still available. Zeitlin also premiered concertos by Gunther Schuller, Carlos Surinach, and Paul Ben-Haim, besides performing and recording a wealth of other repertoire in his long career; the Toronto Star called him “one of the violin world's grand old men, a true musical Methuselah.” Along with his solo appearances, he was a founding member of the Eastman Trio (1976-1982). Zeitlin taught annual master classes at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Yehudi Menuhin School. He was a faculty member at the Music Academy of the West since 1973, and a visiting professor at Chetham's School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, England) since 1992. Zeitlin was named Eastman's first Kilbourn Professor in 1976 and Distinguished Professor in 1998. In 2004, he received the University of Rochester's Edward Curtis Peck Award for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduates. Zeitlin's students occupy leading positions in major orchestras in the United States and throughout the world; hold important positions in universities and music schools worldwide; and are major prizewinners in international and regional competitions. Zvi Zeitlin died on May 2, 2012 in Rochester, at the age of 90.   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. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/

Today, we take a look at the remarkable impact that Paul Ellison has had on the double bass world as a teacher.  This episode includes our original interview with Paul from 2016 as well as thoughts on Paul as a teacher from five former students: Kaitlyn Kamminga Nina DeCesare Peter Seymour Nicholas Walker Jory Herman About Paul Ellison Performing solo and ensemble concerts as well as giving master classes on the double bass and period instruments on four continents, Paul Ellison is the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Double Bass and chair of strings at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Visiting Artist-Faculty University of Southern California and guest tutor at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal College of Music, and Bass Club, England. Current summer positions include principal bass at the Grand Teton Music Festival, faculty/performer at the Sarasota Music Festival and faculty/performer at Festival Domaine Forget, Quebec. Former students hold titled positions in major ensembles and institutions of higher learning on five continents. Previous positions include principal bass of Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Aspen Festival Orchestras (also faculty), professor of double bass and chair of strings at the University of Southern California, and president of the International Society of Bassists. Ellison was the first to receive both the diploma and teaching certificate from Institut International Rabbath, Paris. Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: D’Addario Strings Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. The Bass Violin Shop The Bass Violin Shop offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! A440 Violin Shop An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

I'm thrilled to be chatting today with Alexandra Scott!  Alexandra plays bass in the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, and she was a headliner for the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention. More About Alexandra: Born in Somerset, England, Alexandra Scott began her studies at the Yehudi Menuhin School in London. Later, whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music, she became a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Mahler Youth Orchestra and the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra. She completed her bachelor of music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with “First-Class Honours” under Rinat Ibragimov. In 2005 Alexandra moved to Berlin where she held a scholarship from the Berlin Philharmonic Karajan Academy. Among her teachers at this time were Klaus Stoll, Janne Saksala and Esko Laine. At the age of 23 she was appointed Principal Double Bass with the NRD Radio Philharmonic in Hanover. Alexandra is a dedicated chamber musician and appears regularly at leading international festivals in collaboration with artists such as Lisa Batiashvili, Gautier Capuçon, Reinhold Friedrich, Francois Leleux, Vilde Frang, Valeriy Sokolov, Eduard Brunner, Sergio Azzolini und Harriet Krijgh. She often plays with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Amsterdam Sinfonietta, and is a founding member of the period instrument ensemble, L’accademia giocosa. Since May 2007, Alexandra holds the position of Sub-Principal Double Bass with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, with whom she played as a soloist under Maris Jansons in 2015. Alexandra is also a passionate teacher. Since 2012 she has been Professor for Double Bass at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. Alongside teaching the members of the Academy of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, she also coaches the Gustav Mahler Academy, the German Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Links to Check Out: Alexandra's Website Interview (in German) with Alexandra Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut. The Upton Bass String Instrument Company.  Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr.  Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! The Bass Violin Shop, which  offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

How do you get a student excited to play the bass? What does it mean to go slow now so that you can go twice as fast later? Why is learning like a spiral?  We answer these questions and much more on this episode featuring Caroline Emery. Caroline is a Professor at the Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School. She’s the author of Bass is Best!, which I’ve had in my library for decades. And she just came out with a new book called Bow Works. Here's the flow for the episode: Part 1 - Bass is Best and Bow Works Part 2 - go slow now to go twice as fast later Part 3 - how to hook students from the beginning Links to check out: Bass Is Best! by Caroline Emery Bow Works by Caroline Emery Bass Club Will Duerden and Ketan Curtis performing for 30th Anniversary Bass Club Concert International Society of Bassists: A Historical Look Mind Mapping Tutorial Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company.  Upton's Concord model is the first truly authentic New England double bass that they’ve made. Beautiful sloping shoulders (the same upper bouts as their Gary Karr Upton Double Bass), Busetto corners, Prescott ff-holes, flat maple back and sides (many grades available) with deep ribs (lined outside) and a deluxe spruce top combined with a finely detailed scroll, button and hand-cut tuners that pay homage to Prescott while keeping with their own highly-revered and uniquely New England tradition of instrument building. A440 Violin Shop - An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Bass Violin Shop -  Offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!  

Libby Purves meets illustrator and author Liz Pichon; pianist Melvyn Tan; travel writer Dan Richards and food writer Meera Sodha. Dan Richards is a travel writer. In his book Climbing Days, he is on the trail of his great-great aunt, Dorothy Pilley, a pioneering mountaineer of the early twentieth century. Using Dorothy's 1935 memoir Climbing Days as a guide, Dan begins to travel and climb across Europe, ending up at the serrate pinnacle of his aunt's climbing life, the mighty Dent Blanche in the high Alps of Valais. Climbing Days is published by Faber. Meera Sodha is a food writer and cook. In her book Fresh India she celebrates Indian vegetarian dishes. Many of the recipes were passed down through her family, her mother in particular who was brought up in Uganda but came to the UK after Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of the Asian minority in 1972. The recipes in Fresh India are inspired by Meera's childhood in Lincolnshire: by the rainbow chard that her aunt and uncle used to grow on their allotment, the cabbage that grew in fields behind her house and the mushrooms that were plentiful in her garden. Fresh India is published by Penguin. Melvyn Tan is British Singaporean-born pianist. To celebrate his 60th birthday this year he is exploring a new spectrum of compositions including a new score written for him by Jonathan Dove which he is including in his Cheltenham Music Festival recital. Born in Singapore, Melvyn came to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School at 12. In 1980 he made the decision to specialise in fortepiano and more recently began exploring works on the modern concert grand piano. Melvyn is performing at the Cheltenham Music Festival. Liz Pichon is an illustrator and author. Her 10th book in the Tom Gates series, Super Good Skills (Almost...), is a colourful doodle-your-own extravaganza. After studying graphic design Liz started her career in the music industry, working as an art director before turning her hand to the world of children's books. She later went on to create the bestselling Tom Gates series which has sold over 2m books in the UK alone and has been translated into more than 40 languages. Super Good Skills (Almost...) is published by Scholastic Children's Books. Producer: Paula McGinley.

John Wilson concludes the current series of the programme where he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Antonio Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' with Nigel Kennedy. Having trained at both the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music and the Juilliard School in New York, Nigel Kennedy has developed into one of the most popular classical musicians of his generation. This in no small part is due to the phenomenal success of his recording of The Four Seasons in 1989. At the time he explained that he set out to use "every kind of technique I know" to communicate his feeling for the music to his listeners. Kennedy's passion for non-classical music has seen him play alongside The Who and Kate Bush, record violin-based versions of songs by The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, and release an album for the jazz label Blue Note Sessions. However, The Four Seasons retains a special place in his repertoire, and in 2015 he released a completely fresh take on Vivaldi's violin concertos. In front of an audience at the BBC Studios in Maida Vale, Nigel Kennedy talks about the album that earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling classical work of all time, and performs exclusive excerpts from the concertos that helped make him famous. Producers: Paul Kobrak.

It is our pleasure to bring you this interview with Paul Ellison. Paul is chair of strings and professor of double bass at Rice University, where he has taught for the past four decades. He is the former principal bass of the Houston Symphony, former president of the International Society of Bassists, and has had a significant impact on the double bass world.  In this interview, we discuss Paul’s early background, his encounters with François Rabbath, being a musical athlete on the bass, gut strings and the adoption of steel strings, the undergraduate experience at Rice University, and many other topics.  Enjoy! About Paul: Performing solo and ensemble concerts as well as giving master classes on the double bass and period instruments on four continents, Paul Ellison is the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of Double Bass and chair of strings at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Visiting Artist-Faculty University of Southern California and guest tutor at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal College of Music, and Bass Club, England. Current summer positions include principal bass at the Grand Teton Music Festival, faculty/performer at the Sarasota Music Festival and faculty/performer at Festival Domaine Forget, Quebec. Former students hold titled positions in major ensembles and institutions of higher learning on five continents. Previous positions include principal bass of Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Aspen Festival Orchestras (also faculty), professor of double bass and chair of strings at the University of Southern California, and president of the International Society of Bassists. Ellison was the first to receive both the diploma and teaching certificate from Institut International Rabbath, Paris.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the violinist, Nicola Benedetti. She had her first violin lesson at the age of four, and by the age of eight, she was leading the National Children's Orchestra of Scotland. By the grand old age of ten she was boarding at the Yehudi Menuhin School and receiving lessons from the great man himself. Her big break came when she won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition - the first Scot to win it. Lucrative recording contracts followed together with a hectic programme of concerts. Still only 26, she is now world-renowned as a soloist and chamber musician. Of Italian descent, her family wasn't particularly musical though the qualities of discipline, hard work and perseverance meant that fun & freedom came after music practice. Passionate about the importance of classical music in education, she walks the talk, committed to developing young musical talent through charity work and masterclasses & she received an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen for these services in 2013. She says, "when I teach seven year olds and they can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I say 'that's amazing! Well Done!' And then occasionally Mum would remind me "do you remember what you were playing at that age?" Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the violinist, Nicola Benedetti. She had her first violin lesson at the age of four, and by the age of eight, she was leading the National Children's Orchestra of Scotland. By the grand old age of ten she was boarding at the Yehudi Menuhin School and receiving lessons from the great man himself. Her big break came when she won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition - the first Scot to win it. Lucrative recording contracts followed together with a hectic programme of concerts. Still only 26, she is now world-renowned as a soloist and chamber musician. Of Italian descent, her family wasn't particularly musical though the qualities of discipline, hard work and perseverance meant that fun & freedom came after music practice. Passionate about the importance of classical music in education, she walks the talk, committed to developing young musical talent through charity work and masterclasses & she received an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen for these services in 2013. She says, "when I teach seven year olds and they can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I say 'that's amazing! Well Done!' And then occasionally Mum would remind me "do you remember what you were playing at that age?" Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

We're bringing you an interview with double bassist Charles DeRamus on Contrabass Conversations this week. Charles is a member of the Gothenburg Symphony and has worked extensively in both Europe and the United States during his professional career. Charles has recently written a children's concert for double bass quartet and narrator called "Greta's Dream" which has been performed at many venues in the United States and Sweden. This piece will be performed at the 2011 International Society of Bassists Convention in San Francisco, so be sure to check out their session if you can attend the convention. Following the interview, we feature two excerpts from a live performance of Greta's Dream (right around the 57 minute point in the podcast if you want to jump right to them), and more information about this piece will be provided in the coming months. Be sure to check out the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Bass Quartet on Facebook--they've got a great page!   About Charles:  Charles DeRamus has a career that spans from North America to Scandinavia, where he is currently a member of the Gothenburg Symphony and has worked extensively with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Malmo? Symphony Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. In the United States he has performed, recorded and toured with the Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Virginia Symphony, and the Colorado Music Festival. His studies include degrees from Indiana University and Rice University, after which he was a member of the New World Symphony and participated in numerous summer festivals including Tanglewood, Schleswig-Holstein, National Repertory Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival, and the National Orchestral Institute. Equally at home in various musical venues, Charles has performed with the Houston Grand Opera, Atlanta Opera, Ohio Light Opera, NorrlandsOperan, Malmo? Opera, as well as the Dayton Bach Society, the contemporary ensemble “Black Box Band”, Sweden’s acclaimed new music ensemble Gageego, and the Persian/European influenced Rumi Ensemble. Recent solo engagements include a unique performance with the National Orchestra of Sweden for a concert celebrating newly naturalized Swedish citizens, as well as performances of Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango and Beethoven’s F Major Romance with the Eureka Symphony in the United States. Charles is a dedicated teacher and currently serves on the faculties of the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Festival Programs. Previously he has served on the All-State at Interlochen and University of Michigan Summer Arts Institute faculties, as well as given masterclasses in Norway, Sweden, the United States, and at the Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School in England. As a composer/arranger, in the 2010/11 season Charles will celebrate the premier performances of “Greta’s Dream”, his newly written children’s concert for Double Bass Quartet and narrator. Following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, Charles is the third generation bassist in his family.

Celia's guest this week is Nicolas Chisholm, who was headmaster of The Yehudi Menuhin School in Stoke d'Abernon for the past 22 years, having retired in August 2010. He talks about his memories of the school and his forthcoming MBE investiture.

This week's guest is Thomas Carroll, local cellist and major prize winner in international competitions. He is a teacher at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal Academy, and is taking up the challenge of conducting. Presented by Celia Jones.

This week's guest is Nicolas Chisholm, who has been Headmaster of the Yehudi Menuhin School, in Cobham, for the last 22 years. Presented by Celia Jones.

The castaway in this week's edition of Desert Island Discs is Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent. After a lifelong devotion to music, she will be whittling down her choice of eight records with great difficulty. Now Patron of the Leeds Piano Competition and the Yehudi Menuhin School, as well as President of the Royal Northern College of Music, the Duchess of Kent studied music herself until she was twenty-five. Her Royal Highness will be talking to Sue Lawley about her love of music, her Yorkshire childhood and her prolific work for charity. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Ave Verum Corpus by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: A do-it-yourself manual Luxury: Lamp with solar batteries

The castaway in this week's edition of Desert Island Discs is Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent. After a lifelong devotion to music, she will be whittling down her choice of eight records with great difficulty. Now Patron of the Leeds Piano Competition and the Yehudi Menuhin School, as well as President of the Royal Northern College of Music, the Duchess of Kent studied music herself until she was twenty-five. Her Royal Highness will be talking to Sue Lawley about her love of music, her Yorkshire childhood and her prolific work for charity.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Ave Verum Corpus by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: A do-it-yourself manual Luxury: Lamp with solar batteries