Latest News: Classical, Interview
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Interview,
Antonio Pappano on the London Symphony Orchestra 11th September 2024
Ahead of the opening concert of his first season as Chief Conductor of the LSO at the Barbican tonight, Sir Antonio Pappano talks about his history with the orchestra as well as his future plans with them, including his commitment to English music and new commissions.
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Interview,
Carlos Simon on art and activism 10th September 2024
GRAMMY-nominated composer, activist and curator Carlos Simon has just released an album of orchestral works with the National Symphony Orchestra (where he's been Composer-in-Residence since 2021), and has a new commission being premiered at the 2024 Last Night of the Proms, on 14th September.
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Interview,
James Heather on Pulse Music 28th August 2024Ahead of his performance at Presto Music tonight, the British composer-pianist talks to us about forging his own creative path, how a near-death experience affected his relationship with the piano, and his musical inspirations (ranging from Nirvana to Michael Nyman).
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Interview,
Lahav Shani on Prokofiev, Bruckner and Rotterdam 22nd August 2024
Ahead of his performance of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic at the BBC Proms tomorrow, the conductor and pianist discusses his dual career, musical upbringing and mentors.
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Interview,
George Li on Movements 15th August 2024
The American pianist discusses his new album Movements, released on Warner last month and featuring Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze, Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales, and Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka.
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Interview,
Catriona Morison on Mahler, music education and mental health in the music industry 6th August 2024
Ahead of her performance of Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen at the Edinburgh Festival tonight, the Scottish mezzo talks about navigating the 'overwhelming' impact of winning Cardiff Singer of the World in 2017, and her new album Echoes (with Katharina Konradi and Ammiel Bushakevitz).
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Interview,
Aigul Akhmetshina on 'Fifty Shades of Carmen' 5th August 2024
The Bashkir mezzo talks about tapping into Carmen's vulnerability in Damiano Michieletto's recent production at Covent Garden, how she recharges between performances of such an emotionally-demanding role - and why she wishes casting-directors would give her more opportunities to quite literally wear the trousers...
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Interview,
Jaime Martín and Sophie Galaise on the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 1st August 2024
The Chief Conductor and the Managing Director of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra discuss how their associations with the orchestra first came about, the reasons behind setting up their own record label, and the importance of the touring work that the orchestra undertakes.
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Interview,
Anna Clyne on SHORTHAND and Augmented Orchestra 30th July 2024
Ahead of the world premiere of her new work The Gorgeous Nothings at the BBC Proms tonight, the British composer discusses the Augmented Orchestra technology involved in the piece - and her forthcoming album SHORTHAND, out on Sony next month and featuring Avi Avital, Yo-Yo Ma and The Knights.
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Interview,
Andrew Nethsingha on his Magnificat series 24th July 2024
The conductor discusses his acclaimed series of canticle recordings with the Choir of St John's College Cambridge on Signum Classics, and reflects on his recent move to Westminster Abbey (where he has served as Organist and Master of the Choristers since the beginning of last year).
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Interview,
Mishka Rushdie Momen 23rd July 2024
Choosing to play Renaissance keyboard repertoire on the piano is a brave choice - especially for an emerging talent making their debut on Hyperion, a label famed for having a roster of fine pianists. Mishka Rushdie Momen discusses why she did exactly this, and some of the things that shape her as a musician.
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Interview,
Aziz Shokhakimov on Prokofiev (and Strasbourg) 16th July 2024
Now firmly settled in his role as Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the young Uzbek conductor reflects on the challenges and rewards involved in building a relationship with a new orchestra - and their recent recording of Prokofiev (released last month on Warner Classics last month).
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Interview,
Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy on Piano Duos by Schubert and Desyatnikov 11th July 2024
The piano duo explore the 'hall of mirrors' created by Schubert's Divertissement à la hongroise and Fantasie, and Desyatnikov's Trompe-l'œil inspired by both works.
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Interview,
Guy James on Queen of Hearts 10th July 2024
Countertenor and musicologist Guy James of the Gesualdo Six talks about the vocal group's new album of early-Renaissance works dedicated to the Virgin Mary as 'Queen of Heaven', as well as to earthly queens compared to her during their lifetimes and beyond.
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Interview,
Kirill Gerstein on Music in Time of War 8th July 2024
The Russian-American pianist discusses his new album of music which Debussy and Komitas composed in the wake of the outbreak of World War One and the Armenian genocide respectively - exploring why music written in dark times so often contains 'an incredible amount of exuberance, kaleidoscopic colour and life-affirmation'.
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Interview,
Johannes Pramsohler and Philippe Grisvard on Berlin Harpsichord Concertos 3rd July 2024
The director and harpsichordist of pioneering early music group Ensemble Diderot talk about their new album of works from the time of Frederick the Great.
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Interview,
Rory Macdonald on Our Gilded Veins 1st July 2024
The conductor discusses his new album of contemporary orchestral works with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, released last month on Linn and featuring music by Anna Clyne, Sir James MacMillan, Martin Suckling & Jay Capperauld.
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Interview,
Golda Schultz on Mozart's Women 27th June 2024
The South African soprano (who is currently singing Fiordiligi at Covent Garden) discusses her new Mozart album on Alpha Classics, why the three Da Ponte operas feel 'more relevant than ever' today, and the role which 'changed her as a person' - even though she never wants to sing it again...
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Interview,
Robin Tritschler on Songs for Peter Pears 18th June 2024
The Irish tenor discusses his tribute to Peter Pears (released last Friday on Signum Classics), which includes song-cycles by Lennox Berkeley, Geoffrey Bush, Arthur Oldham, and of course Pears's life-partner Benjamin Britten.
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Interview,
Paul Wee on his dual career 12th June 2024
Ahead of his Wigmore Hall debut (playing Alkan's formidable Concerto for Solo Piano) this Saturday, the pianist and barrister talks about transferrable skills, the joys of making music with friends and colleagues, and his new recording of concertos by Henselt and Bronsart...
