Musici Chats

In this last episode of series 2, I was absolutely thrilled to talk to these two wonderful women who have accomplished so much, both individually as violinists and also together with their business "Intermission" which combines Yoga, breathing & mindfulness with Music.We had a fabulous chat about music education, the Benedetti Sessions and Melissa's Harlem String Quartet performing with the legendary Chick Corea and at the White House to President Obama. We also talked at length about race within the classical music world and how important it is for young people to see themselves represented on stage.I do hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did making it! Thanks for your continued support, be sure to subscribe wherever you normally listen so you don't miss series 3 as soon as it arrives in a few weeks time.Beth x

My guest this week is the British composer Deborah Pritchard. We had a wonderful chat about her synasthesia, which is where sound involuntarily evokes an experience of colour and how she has utilised that in her work and the gorgeous artwork that often accompanies her compositions.Here is a link to her piece for solo violin "Inside Colour" that we discuss and I highly recommend having a look!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk0NzyzccdU&feature=youtu.beYou can also see some of her visulisations and music maps on the Musici Ireland Facebook and Instagram pages.Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website http://musici.ie/Be sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest today is Greek Opera Director Rodula Gaitanou. We talk about early musical influences, her memories of Wexford Festival Opera and how becoming a parent changes your focus.I do hope you enjoy this chat!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website http://musici.ie/Be sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest today is the wonderful Cellist Guy Johnston. I am delighted to share this insightful conversation we had about Life, Music and the future. I must thank Guy for being so warm and open with me, this was a really special chat!We talked about Guys brother Rupert and the charityhttps://www.thedtgroup.org/brain-injurythrough that the Eyes Alight branch, which was set up by Guys' sister Izzy Judd Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website http://musici.ie/Be sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest this week is Sound Engineer Vinny Osborne. He works for Ireland's busy amateur Musical Theatre Scene. Having started his move into the theatre by touring with Riverdance for 5 years, he has enjoyed a busy and varied career since.You can find out more about Vinny at http://www.soundandmusicco.ie/Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website http://musici.ie/Be sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

This week I talk to Lucy Medlycott about the Circus and Street Arts area and how we could all do to look at how they use outdoor spaces to perform as we move forwards.This was such an interesting and informative chat for me as it is an area I really know nothing about! As the co-founder of the Irish Street Art, Circus and Spectacle Network (ISACS) Lucy was a fountain of knowledge and wonderful positivity!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

It was such a thrill to be able to talk to Leanne Cope about being a ballerina at Covent Garden, being chosen to star in Broadway Hit "An American in Paris", getting to meet with Leslie Caron and being nominated for a Tony Award...Phew! And then there is the incredibly romantic story of her engagement to fellow Ballet Dancer Paul Kay, this one is a very enjoyable listen indeed!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest to day is Production Manager Peter Jordan. We had a great conversation about safety in the Arts going forward and what it means to be a production manager. Peter has experience in this role with Macnas, the Dublin St Patrick's Day Parade, Irish National Opera and many more. He also made a pretty strong bid for Husband of the year near the end of this chat! Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest today is Vourneen Ryan, Flautist and Performance Psychologist. We have a lovely chat about our time at the Guildhall School Of Music and Drama and Vourneen talks to me about different techniques performers of all ages can adopt to help them perform better and feel more confident.We also discuss teaching with these techniques in mind. Truly a very informative discussion!Vourneen suggests some resources in our chat...here they are:Books - Tim Ferris - Tools of TitansThe Balanced Musician: Integrating Mind and Body for Peak Performanceby . Lesley Sisterhen McallisterPodcasts  Happy Place - Fearne CottonHow to Fail - Elizabeth DayUnlocking us - Brene BrownEsther Perel - How's WorkSuper Soul Conversations - Oprah WinfreyBlog - www.bulletproofmusician.comCaroline Goyder - Voice Coach - anything by her - podcasts and booksMusici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!Tom Creed-Opera and Theatre DirectorOpera and music theatre productions include The Tales of Hoffmann with Irish National Opera, Owen Wingrave with the Opéra national de Paris and Opera Collective Ireland, Irish tours of Acis and Galatea,  The Human Voice and Susanna’s Secret for Opera Theatre Company, Mavra and The Bear with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Die Zauberflöte, Suor Angelica, Mavra and Renard with the Royal Irish Academy of Music.World premieres of new work include The Hunger by Donnacha Dennehy at Opera Theatre of St Louis and the BAM Next Wave Festival in New York, Private View by Annelies van Parys, produced by Muziektheater TransparantPrivate View was awarded the FEDORA Rolf Liebermann Prize for Opera in 2014, Best Production at the Armel Opera Festival in Budapest in 2015, and was named by Music Theatre NOW 2015 as one of 14 notable productions “which are aesthetically innovative and reflect new developments in this genre” .He was an Opera Hub associate artist of Opera Theatre Company in Dublin from 2015 to 2017.He directed Vivaldi’s Griselda with Irish National Opera in Autumn 2019 and is developing a new opera with composer Michael Gallen for premiere in France and Ireland in 2021.TheatreHis extensive work as a theatre director includes productions with the Abbey Theatre, Gate Theatre, Rough Magic, Playgroup (which he co-founded in 2003) and a range of independent Irish companies, which have played in Ireland, the UK, Europe, the USA and Australia. He was nominated for Best Director at the Irish Times Theatre Awards in 2007.His productions of Watt by Samuel Beckett with acclaimed Irish actor Barry McGovern has been presented at the Dublin Theatre Festival, Galway Arts Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Perth International Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival, the Barbican Centre in London, the Public Theatre in New York and on tour in the USA.Tom is a member of the steering group of the National Campaign for the Arts

I was delighted to be able to chat with Gareth Reynolds this week. He and fellow comedian Dave Anthony are responsible for the hilarious and informative American History Podcast "The Dollop".We talked about Comedy as a career, the state of things in America and his famous cat JoseEnjoy!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest this week is the wonderful clarinetist Berginald Rash. Originally from America, he now lives in Ireland and performs all over Europe in both a Chamber music and Orchestral capacity. He is a member of the Chineke! Orchestra and I was very grateful to Berginald for providing the opportunity for me to find out more about how we can support diversity in Classical Music, something that will take every one of us to make positive change.You can find out more about his various projects at www.berginaldrash.comMusici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest today is Ireland's leading stuntwoman Eimear O'Grady. She has appeared in The Tudors, Vikings, Penny Dreadful, Moth Diaries, Ripper Street and Into the Badlands. She was Stunt Co-Ordinator for Normal People and Resistance.She is currently President of Stunt Guild IrelandMusici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest today is the wonderful pianist Ruth McGinley. In 1994 she shot to stardom as winner of the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition. This led to a successful playing career but also to uncertainty in her early 20s. She escaped an abusive relationship and overcame addiction to return to her playing. Mental health is a subject close to her heart and in this personal chat we discuss how being a performer can sometimes lead to problems on and offstage.PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of www.musici.ieTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest today is Melanie Carmichael. She is a costume supervisor for Film and TV including Game of Thrones, Carnival Row, Krypton and the Wheel of Time.Recorded on 3rd June 2020PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest today is American Conductor Timothy Myers. We talk about how America is dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic and how the Arts might come out of this stromger than ever.Recorded on 15th June 2020PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My Guest today is Actress/Singer Zoë Rainey who I met while working on the Musical Noël, written by Eoin Colfer and Liam Bates.Zoë's stage credits include; Lois in Kiss Me, Kate for Opera North & Welsh National Opera, Milo Davenport in An American in Paris at the Dominion Theatre, The Winter's Tale and Romeo & Juliet, both directed by Kenneth Branagh at the Garrick Theatre, She Stoops To Conquer at the National Theatre, Guys and Dolls and Parade both at the Donmar Warehouse.Recent film credits include Mr Holmes for Bill Condon and Walt Disney's live action remakes of Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast, directed by Kenneth Branagh and Bill Condon respectively.PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

My guest this week is Classical Music Photographer Fran Marshall. Recorded on 2nd June 2020 or #blackouttuesday we discuss the protests in America and the importance of white people speaking up in support of Black issues. We also discuss Fran's job as photographer to some of the biggest names in the Arts world. Find out more about her at https://marshalllightstudio.com/PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Musici Chats is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

In this episode I talk to Producer/Director Michael Beddoes and Scriptwriter Amy Clarke about the film and TV industry.PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Musici Chat is presented by Beth McNinch:Freelance violist living in Ireland.Artistic Director of Musici IrelandTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!

Welcome to Musici Chats! My first chat is with the World Renowned Violinist Helena Wood. We recorded this at the beginning of Lockdown in 2020 and Helena was exploring becoming an Interior Designer. We discuss this transition alongside music, violin and family.If you want to contact Helena for a violin lesson please email her on helenawoodviolin@gmail.comTo find out more about Musici Ireland please visit our website www.musici.ieBe sure to Subscribe and tell all you friends about us!!