Classical Post

Many classical musicians turn to art, architecture, or literature to inspire their creativity and inform their performances. But for others, it's all about the music. Grammy Award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux falls into that second category — especially when it comes to J.S. Bach.

"A Bach score has everything I need or want," Vieaux says in the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "He's the greatest. You could argue that there really hasn't been another composer who has surpassed him."

The bigwig of the German Baroque is the focus of Vieaux's new album, Bach Volume 2: Works for Violin. Released 13 years after his first volume, which explored Bach's music for solo lute, the new album gave the Cleveland-based guitarist plenty of opportunities to share with listeners everything he loves about the composer's work and legacy:

"The greatness, the all-knowingness, the comfort ... It can be so many things to so many people."

In this conversation, we discuss the new album, why meditation and scheduling rest have been so important throughout his career, and the drink special he craves when he visits his favorite New York City jazz club.

Listen to Bach Volume 2 on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you stream your music.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

Classical musicians are incredibly passionate about their work. But that doesn't mean they can't make room in their hectic lives for other passion projects. For harpist Yolanda Kondonassis — one of the world's greatest soloists and head of the harp departments at the Cleveland Institute and Oberlin Conservatory — earth conservation has been the focus of her activism for more than 20 years. And it's led her down some fascinating roads both inside and outside the music world.

In 2012 she published her first children's book, My Earth, My Home: A Kid's Book About Why Protecting Our Earth Matters. She also founded Earth at Heart — a nonprofit organization that serves to increase earth conservation awareness and action through the arts.

Yolanda's latest album, Five Minutes for Earth, is a perfect example of the way she connects her many passions. A collection of 15 five-minute works for solo harp she commissioned from some of today's most dynamic compositional voices, Five Minutes for Earth is more than an album, she explains in the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast: "It's a project with some long-reaching goals."

"Once all of these pieces are released and premiered, they'll be available to harpists all over the world. And for each verified performance — by any harpist, anywhere in the world — an automatic donation will be made to one of a list of really worthy, vetted earth conservation organizations through Earth at Heart."

In addition to prompting awareness and action about the climate crisis, Yolanda's project also looks to empower musicians to play a part in the earth's future, given that the financial constraints of an artist's life often make it difficult to donate monetarily.

"I wanted to explore the idea of giving musicians a way to contribute through their performance, through their service, when discretionary income may not permit them to write a check to a worthy organization for a very dire cause."

In this conversation, we learn more about Yolanda's album and activism, and hear why she defines success not only by what she's done but by how she's done it. Plus, she shares the homeopathic anti-inflammatory she can't live without, the ways visual arts inspire her music-making, as well as the New York City eateries she turns to when she's craving steak frites or the best lobster roll outside of Maine.

Listen to Five Minutes for Earth on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your music.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

For classical musicians, the process of exploring and learning new repertoire never ends. That's especially true for pianists, who have a titanic amount of literature available to them — from seminal keyboard works of the Baroque to the freshly inked compositions of today.

Climbing that mountain of music can be intimidating — but not for Orion Weiss.

Although his student days at Juilliard, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Pianofest in the Hamptons are well behind him, it's the piano's incredible wealth of literature that fuels his inspiration to create music.

"I have an insatiable hunger for discovering the musical literature," Weiss says in the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "It's endlessly enriching to have this repertoire to work through and try to understand and grow with ... I won't ever feel like I'm not a student anymore — I'm striving to achieve something I haven't yet."

Weiss's endless curiosity has served him well throughout his career, and it's the foundation for his latest album, Arc I. The first installment of an ambitious trilogy — what Weiss playfully refers to as his "Lord of the Rings of the piano" — the new album features piano works by Granados, Janacek, and Scriabin written during the frantic build-up to World War I, an unsettling time that sees many parallels to today.

"When I was recording the album, I was trying to understand feelings and the world today. It's hard to know what the future is, but connecting to periods where people were more stressed than normal and had reason to be, somehow makes me feel like the music can explain something to me — how to proceed, how to deal with it, how to understand emotionally what's going on."

In this conversation, we discuss future installments of the Arc trilogy, the ways Weiss sees music as a form of time travel, and how a career in classical music is a lot like climbing an endless Stairmaster. Plus, he shares more about his personal wellness and fitness routines, his favorite spots for the spiciest Szechuan food in New York City, and the power of dark chocolate when he can't muster the energy to practice.

Listen to Arc I on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you stream or download music.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

How does a storied summer music festival thrive in the 21st century? Especially one located in a town best known for its 19th-century gilded glamor and magnificent mansions?

For Newport Classical's executive director, Gillian Friedman Fox, it's all about finding ways to respect history and tradition while forging new paths for access and inclusion. "For Newport Classical, people are looking for a classical music and arts experience that you just can't find anywhere else," Friedman Fox says in the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast.

"On one hand, [Newport's] charm and glamor is a one-of-a-kind experience and is so glamorous. We feed into that, right? But on the other hand, I really want classical music to be welcoming and I want it to be accessible. We don't want people to feel deterred by what can feel like a really formal experience."

Beginning July 1, the 2022 edition of Newport Classical will showcase 32 artists and ensembles in 24 performances across 11 of the town's most beautiful venues, including the iconic Breakers, the "summer cottage" of the Gilded Age's famous Vanderbilt family.

But under Friedman Fox's leadership, Newport Classical isn't just about fabulous locations and big-name performers. It's about shining a light on underrepresented artists who deserve a wider audience. This summer's programming offers a strong focus on women and BIPOC composers, including works by more than 40 women and the world premiere of a new solo piano work from critically acclaimed composer Shawn Okpebholo, commissioned by Newport Classical.

According to Okpebholo, his new work looks to explore the long history of Black music not only in America, but in Newport specifically: "Black classical music matters, and it's not a new thing. It's been going on since this nation was created. We are part of the musical heritage of America."

In this conversation, we speak with both Friedman Fox and Okpebholo about what's in store for Newport audiences this summer. Gillian talks about what inspires her artistic leadership, how Newport's history and architecture inform the festival's programming, and she offers her recommendations for the best places to eat and drink in New York City and Newport. Then, we talk to Shawn about how he approached his Newport Classical commission and what he hopes audiences take away from the new work.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

Longevity and chamber music don't often go together. For every Emerson String Quartet that spends decades performing together, there are scores of chamber ensembles calling it quits every year. So when a group like the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet reaches its 40th anniversary, it's a cause for celebration.

So what's the secret to their continued longevity? For founding member William Kanengiser, it all comes down to a foundation of friendship and gratitude.

"It's really interesting that we were friends first, and then bandmates," Kanengiser says in the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "Like any group, we've had our trials and tribulations ... but we've left a legacy that we're proud of. We've had fun doing it and we've hopefully given people a little bit of joy and solace as we've gone along. We have a lot to be thankful for."

That sense of celebration and gratitude is at the heart of LAGQ's new album, Opalescent. The Grammy Award–winning ensemble's 14th album finds the quartet exploring ideas of light, color, and sound through a wide range of works by composers they've worked with throughout the years.

In this conversation, we discuss the new album, how the joys of human connection inspire William's music-making, and the important role wellness plays in his personal and professional life as a co-founder of the Thornton Musicians Wellness Committee at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music.

Plus, Bill muses on his favorite espresso and the central role coffee plays in the LAGQ, his passion for cooking as a creative outlet, and how New York City's restaurants served as his gateway to the world while growing up in suburban New Jersey.

Listen to Opalescent wherever you stream or download music.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

In the social media age, the life of a classical musician can appear glamorous — a steady stream of concerts across the globe, album releases, residencies, and black-tie receptions.

But what are the ups and downs we don't see once the cameras are gone? And what roles can wellness and community play in the life of a performing artist today?

Author Rebecca Fischer — who for 18 years performed as first violinist in the Chiara String Quartet — explores those questions and more in her new book, The Sound of Memory: Themes from a Violinist's Life.

"I'm hoping to share a really honest account of what a musician's life is like from the inside," Rebecca explains on the latest episode of the Classical Post Podcast. "I really wanted to expose my own vulnerabilities — as a human, as a mother, as a woman — and invite others to celebrate their own vulnerabilities."

A collection of essays written over two and a half years, The Sound of Memory sees Rebecca meditating on the life of a performing artist in the 21st century, growing up in a musical family, and how she balances wellness with the anxieties — and joys — that go into maintaining a classical performance career.

In this conversation, we discuss Rebecca's book, why her definition of "success" is always evolving, and get a host of great recommendations for places to eat, drink, and enjoy life in New York City.

She shares why she heads to the Bronx when it's time to enjoy a beer but stays in her Manhattan neighborhood for the perfect Negroni, as well as the German chocolate her family can't live without — and the importance of spontaneous living-room dance parties.

Grab your copy of Rebecca's book on Bookshop.org.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

The American conductor Ryan Bancroft joins us on the Classical Post podcast today, where we speak about his new appointment as the Chief Conductor Designate of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Beginning in the 23/24 season, it’s a very important role at one of Europe’s premier orchestras.

Growing up in California, Ryan made his way to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where he discovered conducting. He then shot into the spotlight in 2018 when he won the prestigious Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen. He was appointed Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in 2019, won the RPS Conductor Award in 2020, and now is appointed Chief Conductor Designate of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

Trio con Brio Copenhagen joins us on the Classical Post podcast today, which was recorded earlier this spring when they were on tour in the US. Right off the heels of winning the German Record Critics' Award, we spoke particularly at a time when many organizations had been grappling with presenting music written by Russian composers due to how their audience views the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Near the end of the episode we dive into this topic.

Trio con Brio Copenhagen are actually all related. The violinist and cellist are Korean sisters (Soo-Jin Hong and Soo-Kyung Hong), and the Danish pianist, Jens Elvekjaer, married the cellist. Now based in the gorgeous European city of Copenhagen, it’s a convivial family that plays a vital role in the cultural life of Denmark.

We hear of an excellent Korean restaurant in Manhattan you definitely should try out, and as in many of our episodes, more wine recommendations.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

Soprano Laura Strickling joins us on the Classical Post podcast to discuss her Grammy nominated album, Confessions. Calling the U.S. Virgin Islands home, she tells the story of managing a mammoth commissioning project from the Caribbean while in lockdown.

Before the pandemic began, she launched a large undertaking called “The 40@40 Project,” where she commissioned 40 composers to write 40 new works, celebrating her 40th birthday. Even though the pandemic hit right after the project began, creating these new works fed her soul artistically and kept her connected even while live venues were shut. Now, the project is ongoing. More commissions are happening and numerous albums will be released, the first one potentially in early 2023.

The fun takeaway from this episode, though, is how she’s become “classical music's finest rum runner” — according to her own labeling. As one of the Caribbean’s most loved exports, this is a humorous tangent.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.

It’s not everyday you hear about a vibraphonist, but today you will on the Classical Post podcast. Calling in from his home in Luxembourg, we spoke with the fascinating vibraphonist, composer, and producer Pascal Schumacher. He has a new album out on the Neue Meister label called LUNA. We dig into the background of creating this, including the accompanying gorgeous music videos.

We also explore his passion for wine from Luxembourg and Austria. He has several excellent recommendations, by the way. And, hear how wellness centers with lots of saunas have become popular in his country, and contribute to mental and physical wellness, taking a queue from Scandinavia.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.