a mic on the podium

Young American conductor, Ryan Bancroft, shot to fame after winning the 2018 Malko Competition and is soon to become Chief Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. I find out why the Mozart Requiem means so much to him, what it was like being taught by Jac van Steen and about his time dancing to Ghanaian music!

In a chat full of charm and laughter, Christopher Seaman tells us how he went from being Assistant Triangle with the NYO to being Chief Conductor of a BBC orchestra. He also tells me why making friends with the timpanist of an orchestra is not a bad idea and why wearing spectacles can sometimes be fraught with danger! A great chat with a lovely man.

Wayne Marshall has a multi-faceted career as a conductor, pianist and organist all over the world. I found out how his journey to the podium started at Glyndebourne, how Stevie Wonder influenced him in his early years and why it is best to avoid him during a thunder storm!

In this special "feature-length" episode, I chat with Barbara Hannigan - conductor, mentor, soprano and all-round musical polymath. I find out how she first started to conduct, how working with the greatest conductors in the world has helped her and that both of our lives have been influenced by meeting the "Yoda" of the conducting world! This was a real joy and an honour to chat with her.

We had too much to talk about so here is the second half of my chat with Daniel Harding. I find out what his early years as a conductor were like, why conductors should be more like Sir Anthony Hopkins and why his life is reaching new stratospheric heights. 

This really was a fun way to spend two hours!  In a special two-part episode, I have a very frank and open chat with Daniel Harding.  In Part One, I find out the differences between his two mentors (Claudio Abbado and Simon Rattle), how he first got to meet Simon Rattle and why conductors should be more like Tiger Woods.  Part 2 will follow very soon..

After nearly 30 years of knowing Simon Halsey, it was lovely to just sit and chat about all things music and conducting.  I found out which famous family had a hand in his musical history, how a conversation with Simon Rattle changed his life and why conducting lessons with one teacher in particular could be very revealing!

Chatting with John Wilson is always a delight! In this episode, I find out how his orchestra came to be born, why he loves recording so much and I briefly get to discuss one of my other passions with him, wristwatches.

I first met Martyn Brabbins thirty years ago and have always loved chatting to him. I find out what studying in Soviet Russia was like, what differences there are in approach between orchestras in Europe and Japan and what conducting 990 performers was like. A very interesting journey and true gentleman! 

The young British conductor, Alpesh Chauhan, was born and raised in Birmingham where he was first spotted and nurtured by the CBSO. I find out how those early days shaped his career, what he learned from talking to orchestral players and why rehearsing in a second language can sometimes be rather embarrassing!