Classical Conversations

Since she was a child, opera sensation Nadine Sierra has wanted to sing opera. Now well beyond her wildest dreams, Nadine stands at the top of the younger generation of star sopranos, as evidenced by her latest album Made for Opera from Deutsche Grammophon records. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Nadine recounts her family life growing up, the inspirations which fuel her personal and professional life, and how she identifies with each of the three women she portrays on the album: Verdi's Violetta, Donizetti's Lucia, and Gounod's Juliette. Nadine also talks about the modernized production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor which (at the time of this interview) she is singing at the Metropolitan Opera. Listeners will have the opportunity to see that production on Saturday May 21st, 2022, when it is broadcast to theaters as part of the Met in HD series.

The acclaimed Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes joins us to talk about the second album release in his Mozart Momentum project, which documents the genius of Wolfgang Mozart by focusing on touchstone years in the composer's life (in this case, 1786). Performing with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Leif Ove presents a beautiful portrait during the years in which Mozart's writing for the piano was at its most revolutionary, creative and game-changing (a creativity also evidenced by his landmark opera The Marriage of Figaro, which dates from the same year). Released by Sony Classical, the album includes Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 23 & 24, Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Piano Trio in B-flat major and Recitative and Aria Ch’io mi scordi di te? featuring Mozart specialist (and wonderful soprano) Christiane Karg.

In her latest album Reflections: Scott Joplin Reconsidered, pianist Lara Downes reframes the life and work of the pioneering composer and performer Scott Joplin. In this Classical Conversation with WGTE's Haley Taylor, Lara discusses her activities during the pandemic (including starting a record label and making recordings, hosting radio programs, and exploring the work of Black composers), and her new Scott Joplin album in general.

Violinist Abi Fayette of the Catalyst Quartet joins WGTE's Haley Taylor to chat about the quartet's latest album release in their "Uncovered" project, which explores the music of pioneering Black composers. This installment (the second in the series) focuses on the music of Florence Price, the first African-American woman to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra (The Chicago Symphony, in this case).

Allen Markowicz and Sylvia Neil are probably t he only siblings to simultanously chair the boards of two opera companies: Toledo Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, respectively. In this wide-ranging discussion, brother and sister talk about how their interest in opera was sparked (by the same opera, no less - albeit in separate cities). We also talk about how each company responded and adapted to the pandemic, and the role that great opera can play in bringing people together and sharing their experiences.

We spend time with the stars of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, which is being presented by Toledo Opera on Friday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. and at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 24 at the Valentine Theatre. International opera star and Toledo favorite Kathryn Lewek takes on the role of Violetta for the very first time, joined by her real-life husband, acclaimed tenor Zach Borichevsky as Alfredo. Rounding out the cast is dramatic baritone Malcolm MacKenzie, who plays Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont. We're also joined by the esteemed maestro Joseph Colaneri, Music Director of the Glimmerglass Festival in upstate New York, and frequent conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. Pictured L-R in the WGTE studios: Brad Cresswell; Joseph Colaneri; Zach Borichevsky; Kathryn Lewek; Malcom MacKenzie.

Multi-Grammy nominated cellist Matt Haimovitz joins WGTE's Brad Cresswell to talk about the second installment in The Primavera Project - an onoing series of 81 solo cello commissions for Matt. The project takes inspiration from two paintings: Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera and Charline von Heyl’s Primavera 2020. The album, taking its title (the rabbits) from Charline von Heyl, features 13 new works by living composers including Missy Mazzoli, Tomeka Reid, Nico Muhly, Gordon Getty, and Sky Macklay among others.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein joins us for a chat about her latest album, entitled Undersong. Beautiful, stately performances of works by Philip Glass, Robert Schumann, François Couperin and Erik Satie populate this disc, and those pieces share a common element: the refrain. Another theme which runs throughout is the global pandemic - this is the third album Simone has recorded at home in Brooklyn while waiting out Covid-19, and each of these works is a reflection on her quarantine experience.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta talks with Haley Taylor about the remarkable pianist Claudette Sorel. A child prodigy (and eventual "poet of the keyboard" according to Falletta), Sorel was also a champion of modern music as well as female musicians. In this commemorative 2-CD set, we hear a selection of lesser-known works as well as a collection of American piano concertos. Claudette Sorel founded the Elizabeth and Michel Sorel Charitable Organization in 1996, named for her parents, to help expand opportunities and stretch the boundaries for women in music. JoAnn Falletta was a founding member of the Sorel Organization’s Advisory Board in the 1990s and she is a current Trustee. You can learn more about Claudette Sorel at the organization's website: http://www.sorelmusic.org.

Haley Taylor chats with the uber-talented siblings Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, who have released their first album together. Entitled Muse, the recording (on the Decca Classics label) features the cello/piano sonatas of Samuel Barber and Sergei Rachmaninoff, plus some beautiful song transcriptions from both composers. As they tell us, their collaboration was partly inspired by the global pandemic, which led them to examine and explore their remarkable music-making together in an intimate setting.