Classical Conversations

Pianist Liza Stepanova discusses her latest release, Tones & Colors - which pairs evocative pieces of music with rich examples of visual art.

We welcome two cast members of Toledo Opera's upcoming production of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, soprano Magali Simard Galdès and baritone Anooshah Golesorkhi, along with conductor James Meena and stage director Jordan Braun. Included: performances in our studio from Ms. Simard Galdès and tenor Raffaele Abete, with pianist Kevin Bylsma. Hosted by Brad Cresswell.

Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo joins us to preview his lovely holiday album Winter Songs, from Decca Classics.

Conductor, pianist, clarinetist, composer, and Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra Teddy Abrams tells us all about his album All In from the Louisville Orchestra, which features his music as well as his clarinet stylings (and a few other treats to boot!).

Grammy-nominated cellist, conductor, and pedagogue Amit Peled joins us to talk about his first recording with the Peabody Peled Cello Gang, composed of students from his studio at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

Brad Pierson, director of the University of Toledo Concert Chorale, joins us for a preview of their season, including an in-studio performance from members of the ensemble.

Opera conductor, coach and University of Michigan faculty member Kathy Kelly joins us for a tribute to the late Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and to preview the upcoming SongSLAM event at Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, where she is Artistic Director.

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers previews her 35th album, entitled Fantasia – the centerpiece of which is a work she commissioned from the revered Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, which turned out to be his final masterpiece completed before his death last year at age 87.

In advance of her Toledo Symphony debut this weekend, star violinist Rachel Barton Pine tells us about her magnificent Guarnieri violin, the "ex-Bazzini, ex-Soldat" which was personally selected by Johannes Brahms for one of his protégés. Rachel also discusses American music in general, tying in to our Toledo SymphonyLab podcast episode "Dvořák's New World."

Pianist (and From The Top host) Christopher O'Riley joins forces with cellist Matt Haimovitz for their latest collaboration: TROIKA – a portrait of artistic rebellion in the face of political suppression. The two sat down with WGTE's Brad Cresswell to talk about the album, which pairs works by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Shostakovich with modern protest songs by Viktor Tsoi, Pussy Riot, and the Beatles.