Deutsche Grammophon Podcast

For the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah Willis hosts two special guests live in the DG podcast studio: pianist Hania Rani and cellist Dobrawa Czocher, who have just released their Deutsche Grammophon debut “Inner Symphonies”. In the episode, the composer duo talks about the making of their new album, their close friendship and the diverse musical and cultural influences found in their music. Tune in!

Listen to Hania Rani's and Dobrawa Czocher's album now:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/inner-symphonies/1574935579

This episode’s guest has been described as an event, and podcast host Sarah Willis can only agree: the first time she heard Daniil Trifonov play live, it was just that - he was an incredible event. In conversation with Sarah, the pianist reveals many exciting details about the making of his new album "Bach: The Art of Life"; how many hours a day he had to practice the piano in preparation for this album and why performing Bach means going back to the roots of music-making.

Listen to Daniil Trifonow's album now:

https://music.apple.com/de/album/bach-the-art-of-life/1577776877

Peter Gregson is truly a multifaceted musician. He has written music for stage, screen and video games, and as a cellist he has performed all around the world. In this new podcast episode, Peter gives insights about his latest album "Patina" that presents works for solo cello, analogue synthesizers, piano and string orchestra. In conversation with Sarah Willis he also talks about what the album title Patina means, why he treats his cello like a voice and how he experienced recording the album in Dolby Atmos.

Listen to Peter Gregson's album now:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/patina/1567634882

In this episode, Sarah's guest is none other than the fabulous Alice Sara Ott. The German-Japanese pianist has just released her tenth album for DG, called "Echoes Of Life", which features Chopin's 24 Preludes beside contemporary works by various composers. Tune in to find out what this particular choice of repertoire is about, the story behind the dress she's wearing on the cover, and the positive things Alice has realized for herself as a result of the pandemic.

How does a famous conductor practice before recording his solo piano album? And what kind of repertoire do you choose when you venture to the keys as a conductor? In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode, Sarah Willis meets her friend and colleague Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Although his work as one of the world's leading conductors keeps him very busy, Yannick found time during the pandemic to release his first piano album. He explains that the piano gives him the opportunities to make chamber music, accompany singers, and to always take different angles on the music.

In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode, Sarah’s guest is Dustin O´Halloran, the Oscar-nominated pianist and composer. His new album “Silfur” was recorded in Iceland and in this podcast, Dustin talks to Sarah about his love for the piano as a truly expressive instrument, how he writes music and how the landscapes of Iceland influenced this album.

Deutsche Grammophon podcast host Sarah Willis loves to learn more about different musical genres. In this new episode, Sarah has the opportunity to interview the legendary American musician Moby about the making of his new album "Reprise", which required a completely new way of working from the artist: unlike usual, Moby did not work alone on his music, but together with many different artists and even an orchestra. Tune in and listen to the likeable and uncomplicated musician, who talks about his musical roots, his sources of inspiration and his work processes.

Deutsche Grammophon Podcast host Sarah Willis welcomes baritone Andrè Schuen to this episode. She is impressed by the voice, the articulation and the versatility of the young baritone who was born in South Tyrol speaking three languages as his mother tongue: German, Italian and Ladin. They talk about his impressive DG debut album of Schubert’s song cycle „Die schöne Müllerin“ - accompanied by Daniel Heide - art songs, the programming of recitals and many more fascinating aspects.

In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode Sarah Willis explores the world of electronic music with conceptual artist and composer Christian Löffler who reworked tracks by some of the greatest composers who ever lived, including J.S. Bach, Beethoven and Chopin. Löffler explains how he achieved the right balance between paying tribute to these illustrious composers but also re-inserting their music into contemporary discourse.

Podcast host and Berlin Philharmonic horn player Sarah Willis admires violinist Hilary Hahn for her fantastic playing and the way she communicates her passion for what she does. In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode Hilary explains why her upcoming album is called “Paris”, why she initiated her #100daysofpractice challenge and how to hulahoop while playing the violin.