Podium Time

Today we talk with conductor Kenneth Woods about expanding our understanding of Gustav Mahler by delving into the context and reactions to his world at Colorado Mahlerfest, why we must be more intentional in programming significant works from composers, and how we can gain a deeper understanding of a composers’ relationship to their music by how they revised it.

Kenneth is the Artistic Director of Colorado Mahlerfest, the English Symphony Orchestra, and the Elgar Festival. He sat down with us all the way back in 2019 in anticipation of the 2020 Mahlerfest, but as you can probably guess that never happened! So after holding onto this episode for a year and a half we’ve finally decided that it’s the right time to release it, and I’m so glad that we were able to.

We discuss:

• How the purpose of the Colorado MahlerFest has evolved as Mahler grew from an unknown voice to a staple of the symphonic repertoire (9:25)
• What’s special about MahlerFest, and why Ken flies halfway around the world to lead it each year (17:02)
• Creative fundraising, and how MahlerFest has developed from a local event to an International Festival (28:29)
• The best 2nd symphonies, and why classical music lists can be a great tool for attracting new audiences (35:49)
• The 21st Century Symphony Project and commissioning significant new works (45:09)
• How performing multiple symphonies by a single composer gives us an intimate view of their outlook on life (56:22)
• What we can learn from comparing how Schumann and Mahler revised their symphonies (1:03:00)
• Hans Gal: more than just the guy who edited the Brahms symphonies (1:13:11)
• Our job as conductors presenting unfamiliar composers to audiences (1:24:21)

Mentioned:

• Mahlerfest Schedule: https://mahlerfest.org/whats-on/
• ESO Digital: https://www.eso.co.uk/digital/
• Podium Time Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PodiumTimePod

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order. 

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How do we become better conductors? How do we become better people? And how can we be sure that we’re ready to make the most of every lucky chance that we get?

These are the questions we discuss and answer in this interview with conductor Kensho Watanabe. We talk about the most important lessons about music and life that Kensho learned from working under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and how to apply them to build the habits of excellence and connection in everything that we do. 

This week we discuss:

• Kensho’s path to becoming a conductor, and how having a solid support system is critical when you take the step into a career that’s not guaranteed (02:48)
• The “lucky breaks” that Kensho took advantage of and how his hard work helped introduce him to Yannick Nézet-Séguin (18:33)
• How Kensho came to play violin with the Philadelphia Orchestra before he was the assistant conductor, and how much you learn from playing under a conductor rather than just observing (30:15)
• Lessons about music and having the courage to make your concerts bloom, rather than just confirming the rehearsals (40:23)
• How Kensho learned from Yannick to be the most positive, encouraging, and supportive person in the room (45:11)
• How to become better at talking and connecting with people (53:30)
  Identifying the students that are worth investing in, and how to truly become a better conductor (1:08:25)
• Hidden Gem and Final Advice (1:24:09)
  • Viet Cuong: Extra(ordinarily) Fancy - Concerto for Two Oboes
• Kensho’s podcast, the Classical Gabfest (1:26:45)

Support the podcast, join our family, and get exclusive extra videos at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod.

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order.

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 Today we're talking with Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director of Chicago Sinfonietta, about enhancing your rehearsals with Rehearsal Language, how she led the orchestra to win a MacArthur Award for their Theatrical and Diverse Programming, and how her Project Inclusion Conducting Fellows learn and prepare for a professional conducting career.

This interview was originally recorded for the PT100 Livestream Extravaganza to raise money for the Conducting Fellowship through Chicago Sinfonietta. This is the full interview, including over 30 minutes that were cut from the livestream presentation. Please support Project Inclusion and learn more at https://www.chicagosinfonietta.org/education/project-inclusion. 

Today we discuss:

• Chicago Sinfonietta and the Project Inclusion Program (6:15)
• Who should apply to the Conducting Fellowship and what Mei-Ann is looking for in a conducting applicant (15:50)
• Rehearsal Language and Auditioning with confidence for Professional Orchestra (21:12)
• The most important lessons that Mei-Ann learned from her teachers, including Frank Battisti, Marin Alsop, Donald Runnicles, and Robert Spano (41:17)
• How Chicago Sinfonietta won a MacArthur Award for their theatrical and diverse programming (49:04)
• Project W and Mei-Ann’s Hidden Gem composers (55:36)
• Final Advice (1:08:50)

 Check out everything that Chicago Sinfonietta has to offer, including Project Inclusion, their virtual Membership, and their recordings for Project W on Spotify.

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order. 

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Welcome to the Podium Time Episode 100 Extravaganza! This episode was originally streamed through our Facebook page on February 20th to celebrate our 100th episode and to raise money for the Project Inclusion Freeman Conducting Fellowship through Chicago Sinfonietta.
 This episode features live QnA with Jeremy, Luke, and of our most popular guests, some of our earliest conducting clips, the history of Podium Time, and messages from the Podium Time family.

Please head to the Chicago Sinfonietta to make a donation in support of Project Inclusion:
https://www.chicagosinfonietta.org/donate/

This week we discuss:

• Clips, QnA, Conducting Videos, and History (8:10)
• Live Sessions with past favorites:
  • Thomas Taylor Dickey (59:11)
  • Kevin Noe (1:18:28)
  • Carolyn Watson (1:39:17)
  • The Podium Time Blues (by Mark Mandarano) (1:56:48)
  • Tito Muñoz (1:59:04)
  • Brett Mitchell (2:19:06)
• Final QnA (2:41:09)

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order. 

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Today we're talking with Ankush Kumar Bahl, Music Director Designate of the Omaha Symphony and founding member of EverythingConducting.com.

Ankush has been incredibly intentional with his career by being strategic in crafting a narrative and seeking out the teachers and opportunities to help him achieve a series of clear goals. Today we talk about his process for designing his career to be exceptional, and why he can never fail at it. We also talk about how to read the room to make sure that you're pursuing something you can excel at, and how to find the clear next steps on your journey to being a conductor at any level.

The PT100 Live-Stream Extravangaza is coming on February 20th, 2021. Join us at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on our Facebook Page. Use this form to submit questions and nominations for the top episodes of Podium Time: https://forms.gle/b8kA73cp66FJ9KeE9

Today we discuss:

• Ankush’s path to the podium and what drew him to conducting (1:13)
• How to design a career for success by discovering what is possible and being intentional with your next actions (5:56)
• The qualities that Ankush identified about almost all top-tier conductors, and how you can apply those lessons to critiquing your own videos (14:04)
• Why it’s important to “Read the Room” while designing your future why you should avoid paths that you won’t be great at. (20:56)
• Defining Success for yourself by getting objective feedback on your potential, and setting reasonable expectations and bottlenecks (32:06)
• How to reverse engineer any career to determine the concrete next steps towards success (45:01)
• Why you must “plant seeds” in every relationship, interaction, and opportunity you have (53:56)
• Why it’s critical to craft a narrative for your career (1:04:06)
• How Ankush and his colleagues are contributing to the field through EverythingConducting.com (1:19:20)

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order. 

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Today we’ve got a special episode with the conducting duo of Kevin Suetterlin and Mathias Elmer, Co-Music Directors of Sinfonietta Memphis. 

In this episode, we dive into how two conductors (and friends) can collaborate and learn together, plus how they founded the orchestra and create incredible engagement in their education programs. 

This episode also features some fascinating new information that changes how we should consider Beethoven's Metronome Markings and the story of how Kevin got a beer named after him!

The PT100 Extravaganza is coming on February 20th, 2021, so use this google form to sign up, submit your questions, and submit nominations for the BEST episode of Podium Time: https://forms.gle/PzLYvh1VqhYMtCbPA

Today we discuss:

• How Kevin and Mathias met in Switzerland and each found their way to studying and conducting together in the U.S. (3:28)
• How Kevin and Mathias founded Sinfonietta Memphis, a collaborative orchestra with two Music Directors focused on Classical Performance Practice (13:47)
• The simple change to education programs that makes them wildly more engaging and effective at connecting with your community (23:33)
• How Sinfonietta Memphis works like a family of musicians (27:48)
• The Sinfonietta Memphis Academy for Classical Performance Practice and new information that changes how we should consider Beethoven’s Metronome Markings (32:48)
• How Sinfonietta Memphis uses alternative venues and structures to connect with new symphony audiences (46:18)
• Leading an orchestra during COVID-19 and how chamber music can help you and your players (55:36)
• The Online Conducting Academy with Sinfonietta Memphis, Hidden Gems, and advice on creating a fulfilling career (1:00:19)

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order.

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Today we talk with Sarah Ioannides about how she founded Cascade Conducting to share her experiences and the lessons from her conducting teachers, how to create an effective collaboration, and how creating videos to accompany Symphony Tacoma's virtual concerts led her to a deeper appreciation of her orchestra and the music.

Today we discuss: 

• Sarah’s early experiences as a musician and how that led to her becoming a conductor (2:50)
• How Sarah shares the lessons she’s learned from great teachers with a new generation of students through Cascade Conducting (12:35)
• Using your repertoire list to help identify your niche as a performer, and Sarah walks us through her specific focuses (20:03)
• How Sarah started working with Tan Dun as his Assistant Conductor, and her process of commissioning both new music and new films to accompany existing pieces (25:43)
• The most important factors for working successfully with a symphony staff and orchestra, and why it’s our job to express why our music is important (33:37)
• Symphony Tacoma’s virtual schedule during COVID shutdown and how Sarah’s project of creating visuals for archived concerts has helped her connect more deeply with the piece and her orchestra (40:00)
• Advice Sarah received but regrets not following, Hidden Gems, and a Harry Potter quote for her Billboard (50:24)

Podium Time episode 100 is coming on February 20th, 2021! Sign up for the live stream and submit your questions here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeq5gI_Tens-1Q_Ipk5DitjyK8Cd0sjGYJFD67CdAyla9GzmQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Mentioned in this episode:

• Cascade Conducting
• Symphony Tacoma
  • Youtube Page
  • Fire Mountain and the Tabla Concerto
  • Rachmaninoff 3rd piano concerto

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order. 

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Tune in today for a special episode to recap 2020 on the podcast. Jeremy and Luke look at every episode we released this year and then share their top 3 of the season. Plus, fascinating stats about our download numbers and some sneak peeks into what 2021 will bring for the podcast.

And don't forget to check out the video version of this episode on youtube:  https://youtu.be/D1I7Ys9aNP0

Today we discuss:

• Some fascinating download stats from 2020 (1:28)
• A quick recap of every episode from this year (3:56)
• Our top 3 episodes of this season (24:21)
• Fun facts from this year and a peek at episode 100 (36:12)

Submit your questions, comments, nominations, and sign up for our episode 100 live stream here:  https://forms.gle/FtX8C23FWEDsc1j5A

Other links:

• PaGu Batons
• Sticky Notes Podcast
• Let's Talk Off The Podium
• Everything Conducting and the Upbeat Podcast
• The Daffodil Perspective

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order.

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Today we discuss:

• Why it’s not unusual to start studying to be a conductor as an undergraduate, and the benefits of learning to conduct from the beginning instead of waiting until grad school (2:59)
• Fundamental skills for conductors, and a curriculum for Miguel’s students (9:01)
• How Miguel and the Conducting Institute have embraced technology to continue teaching valuable skills over distance during COVID-19 (18:13)
• Why it’s important that we emphasize the fundamentals, and how our respect for the music extends through our preparation and to the audience (23:22)
• The ABCs of score study and score reading, and why Fixed-do is superior to Moveable-do for conductors (28:13)
• The attitudes critical to learning to become a successful conductor, and the marathon of preparation that was studying with Otto-Werner Mueller and Kurt Masur (36:26)
• The lessons of life brought to Miguel through having children and giving a shallow performance of The Planets (47:59)
• Why music is important, an unexpected hidden gem, and the power of a smile (56:31) 

Other Links:

• Miguel's Website
• University of Nebraska Omaha, School of Music
• The Conducting Institute
• Miguel's Conducting Program for High School Students

Find this and all other episodes at PodiumTimePod.com. Subscribe and download Podium Time on your favorite podcast player and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @PodiumTimePod. You can also join our Facebook Group, the Podium Time Inner Circle to ask questions and continue the conversation after every episode. Want to send us an email? Use the contact page on our website! If you’d like to support the podcast monetarily and get bonus content, consider joining our Patreon community at Patreon.com/PodiumTimePod. If you’re in the market for a new baton, use our promo code “PodiumTime” at Pagubatons.com for 20% off your first order. 

Support the show