Piano Whisperer

Countless artists would have sounded different without him. Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award-winning producer, pianist, and songwriter, Matt Rollings, has played on thousands of albums, produced monumental recordings, has been awarded ACM Best Pianist/Keyboardist ten times, and has influenced a plethora of pianists with his matchless artistry and inimitable approach to the piano. If that weren’t enough, he’s also a fabulous story-teller, as you’ll hear in this episode! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

As a teenager in a land far away from home, in a remote village in Spain, she heard the sound of piano playing emanating from a spare room in the local library. Though she didn't play herself, she was drawn to this old upright, and she found herself visiting it frequently to explore all it had to offer. This led miraculously to finding a teacher in this tiny village, who introduced her to Chopin. That's all it took for her to make a life decision to become a concert pianist, at 15! Several scholarships and degrees later, concert pianist Haley Myles has become a laureate of seven international competitions, produced three albums, written two editions of a book and has developed a prolific and captivating online presence. If you need some inspiration and motivation, this episode is for you! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

Tony DeSare did not follow the typical road to success. But he knew who he was, and he knew what he loved. He played and sang his way to Carnegie Hall, headlined with major symphony orchestras and has amassed four top ten Billboard jazz albums. He has been featured on major TV and Radio programs, has become an award-winning composer and film scorer and now has a huge online following. His authenticity shines through in this episode, as he shares candidly about his journey from the early years through Covid times and into the future. This episode flies by! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org

How does a lifelong performer and prolific recording artist keep his fans engaged during a time when live events aren't happening? Acclaimed concert pianist, Frederic Chiu, has reinvented the concert pianist life with his Friends Club, his Classical Smackdown program and by not limiting his performances to the pianos he's playing! How does that happen? Check out this episode! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

Internationally-acclaimed recording artist and performer, Ariel Pocock, began playing piano at a very early age. In fact, she doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t play. Her recording success and constant performance schedule came to a halt when Covid hit. Now she reflects on who she really is as an artist. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

The people who succeed in the music business use what they’ve been given. They usually don’t make themselves into someone they're not. Journeyman musician and engineer, Alex Lowe, has been true to his own path and has found his musical niche. Hundreds of recordings, movies and TV shows later, he talks about his journey and how each step led to the next in his career in the music business. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

Do you believe in fate? Sometimes there seem to be forces at work in our lives, forces that have us on a particular track, which seems inescapable. Katya Grineva's life is full of meant-to-be scenarios. We discussed growing up in Russia, her miraculous attendance of Horowitz's Return-to-Moscow concert, her studies with Pavel Messner, her ability to overcome out-of-tune pianos, and how the music unfolds during her performances. She has performed more times than any other solo female pianist in the history of Carnegie Hall, and now, during Covid, she continues to play amazingly intimate concerts on Zoom. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

If you get to know anyone well enough, you’ll discover a rich life story you couldn’t have imagined. But, the life of a concert pianist usually involves some unique twists and turns: crazy performance situations, international travel, life-changing mentors and personal relationships with pianos! In this episode, talented concert pianist, Shuann Chai, candidly shares her story of becoming who she is, the ups and downs of being a performer, her new recording “Kuhl, nicht Lau,” and her relationship with Mike, an 1820 Rosenberger piano. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

As Oscar Wilde famously said, "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Talented, dynamic and award-winning conductor, Lina Gonzalez-Granados, has made her mark in the music world by doing just that. Her resume is impressive, for sure, but her understanding of life and how to walk your own path in a competitive world is inspiring. Our conversation spanned everything from growing up during the Colombian Armed Conflict to becoming one of the leading proponents of Latin American composers to founding her own chamber orchestra, Unitas Ensemble. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.