Talking Classical Podcast

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.*  Series 2 of the Talking Classical Podcast starts with this interview with British concert pianist James Lisney. We discussed his upcoming concert series Endgame, which explores the idea of ‘Late Style’ through the piano works of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin. He also shared some very interesting and thought-provoking insights into pianism, the performance aesthetics of the Late repertoire (challenging pre-conceived notions of how it should be interpreted), the music profession and the music educational system. Many thanks to James and Frances Wilson (The Cross-Eyed Pianist) for facilitating this interview! Interview recorded on 23rd September 2019 at James' house. Podcast released on 26th September 2019. Find out more about James and his Endgame concerts at www.jameslisney.com. James Lisney enjoys a rich musical life, moving seamlessly from concerto and recital soloist to chamber musician, song accompanist and pianist director. Initiatives, such as his Schubertreise series at London`s Southbank Centre, his extensive Beethoven Project or the recording company Woodhouse Editions, provide a platform for his wide-ranging musical sympathies. James Lisney made his Wigmore Hall debut in 1986 and early representation by the Young Concert Artists Trust in London led to a career that has taken him to many prestigious venues and gained invitations to appear with major orchestras. Highlights include residencies at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Carnegie Recital Hall in New York. His recordings (on Naxos, Bis, Somm, Olympia and Carlton) have gained the highest recommendations. Recent months have seen him performing Schubert cycles in the Oxford International Piano Series, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the first Schubert piano sonata cycles on the Indian subcontinent and his recital debut at the Prague Rudolfinum. Endgame launches in autumn 2019 at: 1 October - Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham 13 October - St George’s, Bristol 16 October - West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge (in support of The Amber Trust) And continues throughout 2020. 

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* In this episode, we're exploring the wonderful world of video game music with Dr Tim Summers, Lecturer in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London. Tim specialises in the academic study of video game music and ludomusicology, the study of music via games and play. In this interview, we discussed many different facets of video game music including: - the role of music in game design and production. - the mechanics of gaming for the player but also the idea of the player as a listener. - the challenges of categorising game music as high art versus low art, terms that are problematic in themselves. - the influence of classical music and opera on video games. - how one analyses video game music from, for instance, the perspective of a gamer, a music analyst, and a ludomusicologist. - the influence of video games on musical interfaces. Listen to BBC Radio 3's Afternoon Concert of video game music (available for a limited time on iPlayer) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006fkj. A link to the "Seaboard" and musical software from ROLI I referred to towards the end of the interview - https://roli.com/. Podcast published on 30 July 2019. Interview recorded on 3 July 2019 at the Royal Opera House, London. Facebook - @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter - @tc_podcasts YouTube - bit.ly/2WF4duy Blog - talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group is one of the world's foremost new music ensembles. Earlier this year, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to visit its offices to interview Nancy Evans, the Director of Learning and Participation, and Stephan Meier, the Artistic Director. It was refreshing to talk to them about a wide range of topics within the sphere of new music such as: - what it looks like to teach young people about contemporary classical music, particularly, music composition, and how this translates into institutional and extra-curricular settings. - the challenges and logistics of managing a world-leading new music organisation. - the broader implications of BCMG's work for culture and society, including the idea of a "global village" and facilitating cultural meeting points. Many thanks to: Victoria Taylor and Seb Huckle, the BCMG's Executive Director, for arranging this opportunity. Nancy and Stephan for taking the time out of their busy schedules to talk to me for the podcast. Podcast published on 26 July 2019. Interviews recorded on 29 April 2019 at the CBSO Centre, Birmingham, UK. Find out more about the BCMG at https://www.bcmg.org.uk. Facebook - @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter - @tc_podcasts YouTube - bit.ly/2WF4duy Blog - talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud redirected to Anchor.* I'm delighted to share this interview with Thomas Guthrie. This was a fascinating opportunity to learn about what being a director entails, particularly, in music theatre and opera. We talked about how one manages and interacts with not only the creatives and production team but one's fellow singers - Tom is a singer himself and very much comes from directing at a performer's perspective. However, we do discuss being "on the other side of the fence", to so speak. Tom was also keen to advocate the importance of previews in opera, commonplace in other art forms such as musicals. Additionally, Tom highlighted the act of taking ownership of a role on stage; this process is aided by the support of the other singers around. We talked about humour and comic timing in productions; that it is naturally tempting for performers and directors to get laughs as it shows that the audience is engaged. But to bring about sorrow and tears is just, if not more, moving. A good example lies in Mozart's operas. We also discussed the role of instrumentalists in staged performances, for example, the revival of dramatising the Bach Passions and a recent production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas Tom directed in Norway. Many thanks to: Kathryn Hare at Orchid Media for arranging this interview on the day and Tom for taking the time before his concert to talk to me! Podcast published 22 July 2019. Interview recorded 18 July 2019 in the gardens of the Inner Temple, London. Thomas Guthrie is an innovative and award-winning British director and musician working in theatre and music to tell stories in vivid, new and direct ways. A former Jette Parker Young Artist Stage Director at the Royal Opera House in London, his revival of David McVicar’s Die Zauberflöte there won What’s On Stage Best Revival 2018. His own critically acclaimed productions of Le Nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberflöte at Longborough Festival Opera led to an invitation to direct Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer there in 2018 (subsequently called ‘one of the best productions at this venue I have seen’, Rupert Christiansen, Telegraph). With a reputation for stylish, unfussy, energetic, physical, theatrical and sometimes controversial work, the clarity of the storytelling, the commitment of the performers and a pre-eminence of musical values are at the heart of his productions. In his own words, ‘great theatre depends more on engaging and inspiring the imagination of the audience than on telling them what to think’ (from a recent Q and A at Princeton University). Tom also works with non-professionals of all ages and backgrounds. Some of his most thrilling projects have been in this field, including work with Streetwise Opera, the Prison Choir Project, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, and the Royal Opera House, through whom he has inspired hundreds to connect with their inner Caruso and raise the roof. His production of Ludd and Isis, a new opera commissioned to launch the ROH’s new Production Park in Thurrock, involving a cast of hundreds, including professionals and amateurs of all ages, was acclaimed as ‘one of the Royal Opera House’s grandest achievements’ (Opera). Thomas is the founder and artistic director of the charity Music and Theatre for All, Guest Artistic Advisor to the York Early Music Festival, was Belknap Fellow at Princeton University, New Jersey in 2017, and is proud to sing and play with Bjarte Eike’s Alehouse Boys. 

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* The new album from the international, award-winning British vocal ensemble Apollo5 is released today! Here's an interview with Clare Stewart from the quintet, in which we discuss the album, Apollo5's extensive educational and outreach work, Clare's insights as a singer, and into the rehearsal and performance process of a world-class a capella vocal group. Special thanks to: George Percy at WildKat PR for arranging and coming to the interview, and Clare for talking to me! Published on 31 May 2019. Interview recorded on 13 May 2019 at the Gresham Centre, St Anne and St Agnes Church, London. The British vocal ensemble Apollo5 delights audiences with versatile and engaging performances, singing repertoire ranging from renaissance, classical and contemporary choral music to folk, jazz and pop. Frequently performing at the Gresham Centre, their home in London, they have also sung in London at the Royal Albert Hall, Kings Place (for the London A Cappella Festival), the Barbican, the Houses of Parliament and Wembley Arena. Over the last two years they have given performances in Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Poland, Estonia and the USA. This season they return to the USA as well as sing frequently in the UK, Germany and France. Apollo5 is part of the VCM Foundation, and leads its innovative education programme aiming to inspire creativity through music. Working alongside vocal ensemble VOCES8 and Paul Smith the programme reaches 40,000 young people annually across the world. Apollo5 has released albums with VCM Records, including their latest release “O Radiant Dawn”, released in May 2019. The Spirit Like a Dove”, is a recital of music by Josquin des Prez performed with the Ingenium Ensemble; “With a Song in my Heart” is an album of folk, jazz and pop; “Journey” on the Edition Peters Sounds label features the group with former King’s Singer Paul Phoenix. www.apollo5.co.uk

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.*  It was wonderful to record a podcast with Toby Spence, one of the world's most sought-after tenors, on his fiftieth birthday. In this special interview, we discuss: his early musical training and influences, his formative years at English National Opera, starring as Captain Vere in Deborah Warner's recent production of Britten's opera Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House, the challenges of being a performer, identity as a singer, and his desert island items. Special thanks to: Natasha Worsley for very kindly arranging this interview and Toby for coming especially to meet me and record on his birthday! Originally published on 28 May 2019. Interview recorded on 22 May 2019 at Askonas Holt, London. An honours graduate and choral scholar from New College, Oxford, Toby Spence studied at the Opera School of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was the winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society 2011 Singer of the Year award. In concert Toby has sung with the Cleveland Orchestra under von Dohnanyi, Berliner Philharmoniker and the Wiener Philharmoniker under Rattle; San Francisco Symphony under Tilson Thomas; the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Pappano; Rotterdam Philharmonic under Gergiev; LSO under Davis; London Philharmonic Orchestra under Nézet-Séguin; Los Angeles Philharmonic under Dudamel; Bayerischer Rundfunk under Gardiner and at the Osterfestspiele Salzburg and Edinburgh International Festival under Norrington and Mackerras. Recent appearances include The Seasons with the Philharmonie de Paris, Bruckner F minor Mass with the Sinfonieorchester Basel; The Creation with the Houston Symphony Orchestra; Messiah, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Haydn’s Nelson Mass with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in Mumbai and Missa Solemnis with the LSO under Tilson Thomas. Recent opera engagements include Ghandi Satyagraha at English National Opera; Captain Vere Billy Budd for Teatro Real and Opera di Roma; Anatol Vanessa for Frankfurt Opera; Don Ottavio at the Liceu Barcelona; Eisenstein Die Fledermaus and Antonio The Tempest for the Metropolitan Opera; Don Ottavio and Tito for the Wiener Staatsoper; Essex Gloriana and Tamino Die Zauberflöte for the Royal Opera House, where his previous roles have also included Ferdinand The Tempest, David Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Count Almaviva Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Ramiro and Tom Rakewell; Tamino, Candide, Paris La Belle Hélène, Lensky and Faust for English National Opera; Madwoman Curlew River for the Edinburgh Festival; Tito, Tamino and Henry Morosus Die Schweigsame Frau for the Bayerische Staatsoper; and Tom Rakewell and David Die Meistersinger at Opéra de Paris. Engagements in the 2018-19 season include Dvorak Stabat Mater with Houston Symphony Orchestra; Britten War Requiem with Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Szymanowski’s 3rd Symphony for the Gulbenkian Foundation and Orff’s Carmina Burana in Shanghai and Beijing with Long Yu and Aida Garifullina for Deutsche Grammophon’s 120’s anniversary. Opera engagements include Captain Vere Billy Budd for the Royal Opera House and a staged version of Britten Les Illuminations for Teatro Real Madrid.

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* 13-19 May 2019 is Mental Health Awareness Week, a week organised by UK charity the Mental Health Foundation that aims to get the nation talking about mental health. Mental health has been particularly prevalent in discussions within the classical music sector and I felt that it was very important to reflect on these for Mental Health Awareness Week. I met with Lucy Thraves, Editor of Classical Music Magazine, to talk about the magazine's year-long strategy to address mental health, through its campaign Harmony in Mind. Visit www.harmonyinmind.co.uk to read about the campaign. Mental Health Awareness Week: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week #HarmonyinMind #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #BeBodyKind Originally published on 16 May 2019. Interview recorded at the Royal Opera House on 10 May 2019. If you are affected by any of the issues in this podcast, please contact the following helplines: Mind Infoline open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays). 0300 123 3393 info@mind.org.uk Text: 86463 Samaritans Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 116 123 anytime for free. jo@samaritans.org - Response time of 24 hours Papyrus UK, Suicide Prevention Charity Opening hours: 10am–10pm weekdays, 2pm–10pm weekends, 2pm–10pm bank holidays. Hopeline UK: 0800 068 4141 pat@papyrus-uk.org Text: 07786209697 CALM Open 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year Nationwide helpline: 0800 58 58 58 London helpline: 0808 802 58 58 Webchat: https://www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* For the tenth episode of Talking Classical, I thought it would be fun to do something a little different and relive one of my archive interviews I recorded when I was a student. In 2013, I was very lucky to interview the British composer, broadcaster and writer Howard Goodall. Due to Howard's incredibly busy schedule, we met during the interval of a concert his daughter was performing in at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford - we recorded in a rather cozy and small space underneath the theatre itself! In this interview, you'll hear about Howard's experiences of Oxford and his television series The Story of Music, which was being shown on the BBC at the time. Special thanks to: Emily Rees Jones at PBJ Management for kindly arranging the interview. Howard for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to talk to me. Visit Howard's website: www.howardgoodall.co.uk. Watch The Story of Music here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Y6NPahlDE&list=PLQNuUaKJvEpoP4OTYb2NQ8lihO--M1J99. Howard is an EMMY, BRIT and BAFTA award-winning composer of choral music, stage musicals, film and TV scores. He is a distinguished music historian and broadcaster. In recent years he has been England’s first ever National Ambassador for Singing, the Classical Brit Composer of the Year and was Classic FM’s Composer-in-Residence for 6 years. In the 2011 New Year Honours he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to music education. SoundCloud – @talkingclassicalpodcast Facebook – @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter – @tc_podcasts YouTube – bit.ly/2WF4duy Blog – talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* I was very lucky to meet Nathan while starring in English National Opera's production of Lehár's classic operetta The Merry Widow. In this interview, we discuss his career and collegial friendships formed in London and the UK, his delightful but fully committed Wigmore Hall recital presented while in London, and his thoughts and approaches to singing and performance - and when Mandy Patinkin sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to him in Yiddish during their two-man show in front of 10,000 people.   Special thanks to: Staci Levine at Groundswell Theatricals for arranging the interview, and Nathan for additional arrangements - this interview was organised with two days' notice! Originally published on 30th March 2019. Interview recorded on 28th March 2019. Baritone Nathan Gunn has sung leading lyric baritone roles and appeared in several world premieres in many of the most renowned opera houses of the world including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Royal Opera House, Paris Opera, and Bayerische Staatsoper. Also a distinguished concert performer, Mr. Gunn has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra, and has been presented in recitals in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, London, and Brussels.  His discography includes Billy Budd (Virgin Classics), Rogers & Hammerstein’s Allegro (Sony Masterworks Broadway), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (SONY Classics), and his solo albums Just Before Sunrise (Sony/BMG Masterworks) and American Anthem (EMI). Mr. Gunn recently ventured outside the standard opera repertoire with performances of the title role in Sweeney Todd at the Houston Grand Opera, Camelot and Carousel with the New York Philharmonic, Show Boat at Carnegie Hall and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Wonderful Town with the London Symphony Orchestra.  Mr. Gunn is a professor of voice at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and General Director of the Lyric Theater @ Illinois. SoundCloud – @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter – @tc_podcasts Facebook – @talkingclassicalpodcast YouTube - https://bit.ly/2WF4duy Blog – talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* Last month, I was very lucky to see the first preview of the National Theatre's revival of Stephen Sondheim's classic musical Follies. As well as starring rising young talents and the cream of British musical theatre, the wonderful soprano Alison Langer plays the role of Young Heidi Schiller (an opera singer), with Heidi Schiller currently being played by Dame Felicity Lott, one of the finest sopranos of our time.* I met Alison between a two-show day to talk about her experiences of playing Young Heidi Schiller, as well as musical theatre, opera, and of course, singing Sondheim's amazing music in the stunning setting of the Olivier Theatre. Originally published on 13th March 2019. Interview recorded on 9th March 2019. *The equally fine Dame Josephine Barstow will take over the role of Heidi Schiller later in the run. British Soprano Alison Langer is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her most recent and future engagements include Oscar Un ballo in maschera (Opera Holland Park)‚ Violetta La Traviata for Opera Holland Park’s Christine Collins Performance‚ a Whistlestop tour for Opera North‚ Musetta La Boheme with Iford Arts‚ Bridesmaid Le Nozze di Figaro at Glyndebourne and Young Heidi Follies at the National Theatre. Alison is grateful to be the recipient of a Richard Angas Memorial Award. Alison made her professional debut as Lisette La Rondine (Opera in the Open‚ Dublin)‚ since when she has appeared as Edith The Pirates of Penzance (Opera Holland Park)‚ Norina I Pazzi per Progetto‚ title role Erodiade‚ The Countess The Cunning Peasant and the New Queen in the world premiere of Snow in an inaugural production by The Opera Story. On the concert platform‚ she has sung most recently in Mozart’s Requiem at St Martin in the Fields‚ with other concert venues including Buxton Opera House‚ Barbican Centre‚ Birmingham Symphony Hall‚ Queen Elizabeth Hall‚ Royal Albert Hall‚ The House of Lords and The Ritz. Book your tickets to see Follies at the National Theatre: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/follies. SoundCloud – @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter – @tc_podcasts Facebook – @talkingclassicalpodcast Blog – talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* In this episode, I am talking about the influence of classical music in China with Dr Shzr Ee Tan, Senior Lecturer and an ethnomusicologist at Royal Holloway, University of London. China is a country, which has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the classical music industry in many ways, and very much continues to impact the classical sector. I am British-born Chinese myself, and this interview was recorded a few days after Chinese New Year officially finished so I thought it would be rather pertinent to make an episode on the role of Western classical music in China. This varied interview certainly challenges many of the common stereotypes of how classical music is viewed in China. It includes topics such as the history of Western art music in China, political influences, transnationalism, cultural flows and the multiplicities of classical music activities in China today. We also discuss the identities of Chinese classical musicians such as Lang Lang, Yuja Wang and Zhu Xiao-Mei, and how classical music is impacting the younger generation of Chinese musicians, for example, in conservatoires both in China and overseas. Finally, we consider what the future of classical music in China might look like. The main point to emphasise is that the idea of “Chineseness” in classical music should not be seen as one-way or monolithic but in terms of multiple identities and exchanges. Originally published on 8th March 2019. Interview recorded on 22nd February 2019 at 11 Bedford Square. Shzr Ee's bio - https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/shzr-tan_ad70e394-5ecb-4805-bdd3-5f0db9655199.html SoundCloud – @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter – @tc_podcasts Facebook – @talkingclassicalpodcast Blog – talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* This episode is a little different to the previous ones. If anyone can talk better about the connections between music and dance, it surely has to be the dancers themselves because they have direct experience of the music, by internalising and emoting it through their amazing movements and physiques. I recorded a conversation with one of Britain’s former leading ballet dancers. In this podcast, Victoria and I talk about her formative training at the world-renowned Elmhurst School for Dance and the Royal Ballet School. We also discuss her experiences of working with live musicians, rehearsal pianists and the orchestra, and the need for ballet dancers to be musical, perhaps to have some musical training. It was so intriguing to talk to someone working in another art form and almost share something of a common language. Enjoy this conversation, occasionally interspersed with the delightful noises of Victoria’s seven-month old! Originally published on 19th February 2019. Conversation recorded on 8th February 2019 via Vidyo. Victoria trained at Elmhurst School for Dance and the Royal Ballet School before being asked by Birmingham Royal Ballet Director David Bintley to join the company in 1996. There she quickly rose through the ranks to First Soloist and during her, 17 year career danced lead roles in a wide variety of the companies repertoire the world over. Victoria has worked with some of the most renowned directors and choreographers in both classic and modern works - from Sir Peter Wright's Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and ever-popular Nutcracker to Bintley's Carmina Burana, Van Mannen's Grosse Fuge and Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room. After a final performance of Giselle in 2013 Victoria retired from full time performing to set up her own online ballet fitness business sleektechnique.com with fellow dancer Flik Swan. The Sleek method (an accessible, fun and effective blend of authentic ballet technique and fitness) has quickly caught on and after glowing reviews in publications such as Vogue, Women's Fitness and Elle Magazine, there are now women joining Sleek classes online from over 45 different countries. "Doing something that stuck close to my classical roots has always been the aim with Sleek. I still get to dance, be creative and spread the mind and body benefits of dance to an even wider audience"

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* It was a delight to talk to the celebrated British baritone and composer Roderick Williams earlier this week about his musical training at school, university and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, thought processes when singing and performing, technical aspects of singing, and his methods in front of a live audience. Special thanks to: Roddy for additional arrangements and taking the time out of his busy schedule to talk to me. Francesco Bastanzetti at Groves Artists for practical arrangements. Helen Beardsley at English National Opera for organising a room to record at short notice. Published on 18th January 2019. Conversation recorded at the Ellis Room, English National Opera, London on 15th January 2019. Roderick Williams is one of the most sought after baritones of his generation with a wide repertoire spanning baroque to contemporary music in the opera house and on the concert platform and is also in demand as a recitalist worldwide. He enjoys relationships with all the major UK opera houses and has sung opera world premières by David Sawer, Sally Beamish, Michel van der Aa, Robert Saxton and Alexander Knaifel. He performs regularly with leading conductors and orchestras throughout the UK, Europe, North America and Australia, and his many festival appearances include the BBC Proms, Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Aldeburgh and Melbourne. As a composer he has had works premièred at Wigmore Hall, the Barbican, the Purcell Room and on national radio. In December 2016 he won the prize for Best Choral Composition at the British Composer Awards. Roderick Williams was awarded an OBE in June 2017 and was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Opera in the 2018 Olivier Awards for his performance in the title role of the Royal Opera House production of Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria. A photo of the Ellis Room, which Roddy describes towards the end of the podcast. https://www.venuescanner.com/london/london-coliseum/ellis-room This episode is the second in a two-part series on being a singer today. Listen to the first instalment with Professor Richard Wistreich - in Episode 4 of the Talking Classical Podcast. SoundCloud – @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter – @tc_podcasts Facebook – bit.ly/2CvJ7rD Blog – talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* Happy New Year everyone! We're starting 2019 with a two-part series on singing in the 21st century. In this episode, we're exploring vocality from pedagogical, philosophical and physiological perspectives. and what some of the implications are for singing today such as amplification in opera houses and the way one places the voice to create different sonorities. To help us understand this most mysterious of art forms, I'm talking to Professor Richard Wistreich, who is currently the Director of Research at the world-famous Royal College of Music in London. Professor Wistreich is a scholar and teacher, who enjoyed great success as a professional singer, particularly, within the early music movement and in contemporary music. He now maintains an illustrious academic career, having held teaching and directorial positions at some of the world's leading universities and conservatoires. Interview recorded on 18 December 2018 at the Royal College of Music, London. SoundCloud - @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter - twitter.com/tc_podcasts Facebook - bit.ly/2CvJ7rD Blog - talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* In this episode, we're exploring the fascinating area of classical music marketing and PR with Dr Marius Carboni. He was formerly the Press and Promotions Manager at EMI Classics and the Press Manager at Decca Classics, and now runs his own independent PR and marketing consultancy Carboni Classical Media. He has worked with a number of leading artists and organisations, including Bernard Haitink, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Radio 3 and the BBC Proms. He was awarded a PhD in 2010 from the University of Hertfordshire, examining the changes in business models and marketing techniques in the classical music industry over twenty years from 1989. He currently leads a course in Music Business at the University of Hertfordshire, and teaches at City University London. Originally published on 22 December 2018. Conversation recorded on 18 December 2018 at 11 Bedford Square (the Central London base for Royal Holloway, University of London).  SoundCloud - soundcloud.com/talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter - twitter.com/tc_podcasts Facebook - @talkingclassicalpodcast Blog - talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.* A fascinating conversation with professional flautist, teacher and early music specialist Elizabeth Walker. We talked about her experiences and the precautions of teaching young musicians, and what it was like being involved in the early stages of the historical performance movement at this exciting and vibrant time. She also brought up some of the realities of being a professional musician but reminds us that one needs to have a reawakening to realise how special the music they play is. Originally published on 1 December 2018. Conversation recorded on 31 November 2018. Links  Elizabeth's bio: http://www.lizwalker.co.uk/bio/. Ian Bostridge sings the role of the Shepherd on a recording of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde with the Royal Opera House Orchestra and Antonio Pappano: https://open.spotify.com/album/07s7zp3Ww37RKMNd1apIRU.  SoundCloud - @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter - twitter.com/tc_podcasts Facebook - bit.ly/2CvJ7rD Blog - talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

*All podcasts formerly on SoundCloud have now been redirected to Anchor.*  Welcome to the first episode of the Talking Classical Podcast! In this podcast, we'll be hearing from Dr Mark Berry, Reader in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London. It's a fascinating conversation about his work as a music critic and writer. *UPDATED 10 AUGUST 2020* Since this podcast, Mark has been appointed Head of the Department of Music at RHUL - many congratulations to him on this brilliant achievement! Podcast published on 18 November 2018; interview recorded on 13 November 2018. Mark's "Boulezian" blog: http://boulezian.blogspot.com Mark's bio: https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/mark-berry(7bb2b829-21d5-4e5f-b0dd-e0f41354a3b4).html  SoundCloud - @talkingclassicalpodcast Twitter - twitter.com/tc_podcasts Facebook - bit.ly/2CvJ7rD Blog - talkingclassicalpodcast.wordpress.com

Camilla is a BRIT nominated English opera singer, who was the first signing to Gary Barlow’s Universal label, Future Records. She’s performed in arenas and stadiums all over the world, and recently made the transition from having a hugely successful career as a classical crossover artist to opera singer, recently performing for the Royal Opera House and English National Opera as their first Associate Artist. We met at the Royal Opera House over the October half term where we discussed everything from what it was like to have a high profile career as a classical crossover artist, making the transition to opera singer, training and preparation, and juggling motherhood with performing and auditioning. And you may have seen Camilla’s husband Chris Robshaw, former captain of the England rugby team, on your TV recently as he was a contestant on the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing (the British version of Dancing With The Stars). Of course, we had to talk about what that whole process was like particularly with having young children and an elderly dog!Thank you to Romany Anderson and Amelia Elgey at the Royal Opera House for setting us up with a room and allowing us to come there for the recording; Emily Ball for helping to organise the interview; Camilla for your patience and giving up your time so generously, coming in especially to do this despite having very little sleep the night before looking after a baby, the rain, and a half-hour delay starting the interview. -https://musicpartnership.co.uk/camilla-kerslakehttps://kerslakerobshawfoundation.com-Janáček's The Makropulos Case runs until 21 November 2025 at the Royal Opera House. Tickets from £10! Handel's Ariodante runs from 9-21 December 2025 at the Royal Opera House.

Seb Philpott is a multi-faceted freelance trumpeter who has played in a variety of ensembles such as orchestras, period instrument groups, jazz bands and West End pit bands. Seb is also a presenter of the hugely popular Three in a Bar podcast, which features interviews with a wide range of people from across the music and performing arts industry. I interviewed Seb's co-host Verity Simmons so I thought it would be a lovely idea to hear from the other side. Seb and I met last year at Blackheath Halls during the annual London International Festival of Early Music.  I was excited to meet Seb as I had listened to his podcast for a while and was excited to hear more about the process of putting together a music podcast. We had an enjoyable hour or so talking about topics such as the process of putting together a music podcast, performing in different musical contexts and styles, singing, memorable performances, confidence, and growing up on the Les Misérables soundtrack. -sebphilpott.com threeinabar.com-Seb plays the trumpet with the European Union Baroque Orchestra in Bach's Cantata "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen," BWV 51.

 I'm so pleased to share a conversation I recorded back in September with Iestyn Davies. Iestyn is one of the world's most sought after countertenors. A noted interpreter of Handel, his repertoire also extends beyond the traditional confines of the Baroque repertoire, having recently released a disc of English song, and relishing the challenges of contemporary music, as you'll hear later in this conversation. Iestyn and I talked about a range of topics, including his favourite Handel roles, his thoughts on Baroque ornamentation, acting, what it was like working with Sir Mark Rylance, the countertenor repertoire, and maintaining a career in the classical music industry, including some of his thoughts about the advantages and disadvantages of competitions and the music college system. I'd seen Iestyn a few months before in a concert performance of Handel's opera Orlando back in the summer with the Academy of Ancient Music at the Barbican; a terrific afternoon of music. We spent the first part talking about this concert, leading into a discussion about some of the more cumbersome aspects of Handel's writing and in concert performances. Thank you very much Iestyn for your time, as well as your patience, your good humour and wise words throughout the hour or so we spent talking!