The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music

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The Piano Pod team had a wonderful conversation with the musical power couple, Juhi Bansal & Nic Gerpe, from L.A.! 

📝 Juhi Bansal (composer/conductor): "Radiant and transcendent," the music of Juhi Bansal weaves together themes celebrating musical and cultural diversity, nature and the environment, and strong female role models. Her music draws upon elements from Hindustani music, the spectralists, progressive metal, musical theatre, and choral traditions to create deeply expressive sound-worlds. 

As an Indian composer brought up in Hong Kong, her work draws upon both those traditions with the gestures of western classical music. Recent seasons have included commissions from the Los Angels Philharmonic Association, Beth Morrison Projects, New York Virtuoso Singers, and more. Her music is regularly performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia and is available on the Naxos, Albany, and Roven Records labels. She currently serves as a music faculty member at Pasadena City College. 

🎹 Nic Gerpe (pianist): Hailed as magnetic by Dan Johnson from L.A. Downtown News. L.A. Times music critic Mark Swed described his playing as "wonderfully illuminating… his tone is crystalline. His technique is dazzlingly fluid." A dedicated proponent of new music, Nic has worked with composers such as Steve Reich, Gernot Wolfgang, and Anne LeBaron, and has given numerous world premieres in the Los Angeles area and abroad. Nic has performed in such venues as Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. 

As one of four young pianists featured on L.A.-based Piano Spheres’ new Satellite Series, he recently performed a critically-acclaimed solo recital at the Roy And Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater.  Nic is also a dedicated educator and has been on the Piano Faculty of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music since 2006. 

In this interview, we covered topics including: 

• ✅ Juhi's latest projects include "Waves of Change" and "Edge of a Dream. 
• ✅ Nic's latest project, "Macrokosmos 50" 
• ✅ Promoting contemporary piano music through their collaboration of writing late-intermediate piano pieces, "Travels."

 ...and so much more! 

[Links] 

• 🌐Juhi Bansal: https://juhibansal.com/ 
• 🌐Nic Grepe: http://www.nicgerpe.com/ 

[Resources for Contemporary Music] 

Playlists on YouTube: 

• - Juhi Bansal: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7p8... 
• - George Gianopoulos: https://www.youtube.com/c/GNGianopoul... 

FB groups: 

• - Los Angeles Contemporary Music Enthusiasts: https://www.facebook.com/groups/50943...

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

The guests for Season 2 Episode 14 are the TPP team-- Yukimi Song & Clara Zhang 🎉🥳

In this episode, we are going to introduce ourselves to our listeners and viewers by sharing some fun and personal stories.

㊙️We will also reveal 5 EASY steps to start a podcast show!🤩 So, if you are hoping to launch your own podcast show, you don’t wanna miss this opportunity!

🎹 Yukimi Song: https://linktr.ee/yukimisong

🎹 Clara Zhang: https://www.rationalmusic.com/

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

The Piano Pod team had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Marilyn Nonken--concert pianist, recording artist, Steinway Artist, musicologist, author, and educator.

Dr. Nonken is one of the most celebrated champions of the modern repertoire of her generation, known for performances that explore transcendent virtuosity and extremes of musical expression. Upon her 1993 New York debut, she was heralded as “a determined protector of important music" (New York Times). Recognized as “one of the greatest interpreters of new music" (American Record Guide), she has been named “Best of the Year" by some of the nation's leading critics.

Dr. Nonken has performed at the world's most prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim Museum, the Theátre Bouffe du Nord in Paris, and the Chicago Symphony Center. The composers, who have written music for her, include Michael Byron, Richard Carrick, Victoria Cheah, Jason Eckardt, and many others.

Dr. Nonken is the author of The Spectral Piano(Cambridge, 2015) and Identity and Diversity in New Music(Routledge, 2019). In addition, she has recorded more than 30 discs and has published articles on various topics regarding 20th-century music.

Since 2006, Dr. Nonken has been Director of Piano Studies at NYU's Steinhardt School, where she is a Professor of Music.

In Part 2 of this episode, we focused on topics including:

• Her insight about never-ending challenges for all pianists: access, self-preservation, education, and engagement with other artists and communities
• Her latest album, Syncopated Musings, pieces by Scott Joplin and his collaborators

…and so much more!

🌐 Please visit Dr. Nonken’s website for her bio, recordings, books, and latest news: http://www.marilynnonken.com/

📰 The article/essay written by Dr. Nonken and mentioned during the interview: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/ZQQJQWCIRJIEVEKSYRVP/full?target=10.1080%2F07494467.2022.2033572&fbclid=IwAR3GLKfj9dWICKVnxLs6HduI8BuFJTa-qmu0oLZQpyozec3h0WZcs048Lok  

👉 Be sure to check out Part 1 of this episode: https://thepianopodnyc.simplecast.com/episodes/the-piano-pod-season-2-episode-13-part-1-dr-marilyn-nonken-concert-pianist-steinway-artist-musicologist-educator

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Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

The Piano Pod team had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Marilyn Nonken--concert pianist, recording artist, Steinway Artist, musicologist, author, and educator. 

Dr. Nonken is one of the most celebrated champions of the modern repertoire of her generation, known for performances that explore transcendent virtuosity and extremes of musical expression. Upon her 1993 New York debut, she was heralded as “a determined protector of important music" (New York Times). Recognized as “one of the greatest interpreters of new music" (American Record Guide), she has been named “Best of the Year" by some of the nation's leading critics.

Dr. Nonken has performed at the world's most prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim Museum, the Theátre Bouffe du Nord in Paris, and the Chicago Symphony Center. The composers, who have written music for her, include Michael Byron, Richard Carrick, Victoria Cheah, Jason Eckardt, and many others.

Dr. Nonken is the author of The Spectral Piano(Cambridge, 2015) and Identity and Diversity in New Music(Routledge, 2019). In addition, she has recorded more than 30 discs and has published articles on various topics regarding 20th-century music.

Since 2006, Dr. Nonken has been Director of Piano Studies at NYU's Steinhardt School, where she is a Professor of Music.

In Part 1 of this episode, we focused on topics including:

• Dr. Nonken's incredible career as a pianist, recording artist, and musicologist
• Latest news from NYU Steinhardt School.

…and so much more!

🌐 Please visit Dr. Nonken’s website for her bio, recordings, books, and latest news: http://www.marilynnonken.com/

📰 The article/essay written by Dr. Nonken and mentioned during the interview: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/ZQQJQWCIRJIEVEKSYRVP/full?target=10.1080%2F07494467.2022.2033572&fbclid=IwAR3GLKfj9dWICKVnxLs6HduI8BuFJTa-qmu0oLZQpyozec3h0WZcs048Lok

📆 Part 2 of this episode will be available on Monday, April 11, at 8:00 pm EDT! 

[The Piano Pod 🎙] 

🌐 https://thepianopod.com 

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

The Piano Pod team had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Claudio Constantini, an internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist: piano🎹 and bandoneon🪗, and a composer✍🏼 in demand from Madrid🇪🇸. 

During the interview, we covered topics including Mr. Constantini's upbringing, his career as a classical pianist and bandoneonist, and his latest projects, such as his brand new composition, Genesis, recording of complete works by Debussy, and so much more!

[Claudio Constantini—Concert Pianist/Bandoneonist/Composer]

Born and raised in Lima (Peru) into a musical family, his unique style is defined by its solid classical roots paired with a passion for popular music genres, among which Latin American music and improvisation play a key role.

Mr. Constantini has performed worldwide in top venues such as Amsterdam's Concértgebouw, The Berliner Philharmonie, and The Los Angeles Opera House, among many others. 

Next season, Mr. Constantini will appear as a soloist with distinguished orchestras such as the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne and the Robert Schumann Philharmonie. He will also premiere his composition, Concerto for Bandoneón & Orchestra, commissioned to commemorate Astor Piazzolla's birth centenary and perform Rhapsody in Blue with the Tacoma Symphony in Seattle.

Mr. Constantini has released six CD albums; one of them, titled AMERICA, has earned him a nomination for a LATIN GRAMMY award in 2019 in the "Best Classical Album" category. In addition, he has been working on the complete piano works by Claude Debussy, of which he has already released two albums. And the first volume was selected among the ten best albums of the year 2015 by Fanfare magazine, USA. 

Mr. Constantini recently released two singles, Genesis and Alone, which precede his upcoming new album to be released in spring 2022. 

[Claudio Constantini Links]

• 🌐Website
• 📺YouTube
• 💿Spotify
• 🤳Instagram: @ constantinimusic  

[Watch Claudio’s Performances]

• 🪗Concerto for Bandoneon & Orchestra (written/performed by Constantini):
• 🔥Genesis
• 🪗🎹 Simultaneously

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

TPP team had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Lee D. Stockner, Educator/Author/Creator of a New Language of Music, for Season 2 Episode 11.

Mr. Stockner is the author of Occupational Octaves Piano™, a series of piano method books, which hundreds of music instructors across the nation have used to teach piano lessons to special needs in the past decade. He is also the creator of the new and user-friendly language of music/ featured in Occupational Octaves™, which was invented for anyone with basic color and letter matching skills. Using this language allows students, including those with high support needs, can play challenging music such as Fur Elise or exercises like 4-oct scales in parallel.

We covered topics including Mr. Stockner’s experiences of teaching special-needs students, the creation of a New Language of music, the science behind optimal flow experiences at the piano, Mr. Stockner’s entrepreneurial journey. 

[Lee D. Stockner]

Lee D. Stockner is the creator of Occupational Octaves™, which features the most user-friendly language of music available. He is a classical pianist, self-made entrepreneur, music educator, special educator, inventor, publisher, instructor trainer, author, and more. 

Having been diagnosed with attention deficit while also a classical pianist made for an interesting pathway, which led Lee to write and publish the original 8-book Occupational Octaves Piano™ curriculum (through his music publishing company, Music Lee Inclined Guy, Inc.). Having first begun developing the method at age 25, his original purpose was to print, teach, and empower other teachers with the same type of curriculum he used as a 10-year classical piano teacher however, this would be in an entirely new language based on letters and colors. These initial goals have been successful beyond initial imagination. Since then, Occupational Octaves™ has been part of several progressions:

2016 –Newsday: Occupational Octaves presents a recital by special needs kids & Fox 5 NY airs "Playing piano brings focus and joy to Long Island man with autism"

2017 – Launches Occupational Octaves™ in the Cloud on UnitusTI, to bring Occupational Octaves directly into multiple therapeutic and educational environments (press release)

2018 – Public Speaking Event - Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine hosts “Autism and Music.” Student Performance & Panel Discussion 

• Foundation of Special Education Guest Lecture @ Queens College, NY

2019 – “Occupational Octaves” the documentary, is released and nominated for an award at the 2020 Pasadena International Film Festival.

2020 - Manhattan Children's Conference Presenter - Transitions for Young People with Autism

• Lee authors Classical Piano as a Pathway to Flow States for Learners with Disabilities, published in the April 2020 Traditional Medicine Research journal’s special issue on brain science.

2021 – Music Lee Inclined Guy, Inc. publishes “The Stockner Method,” to teach the fundamentals of traditional music notation to people with and without experience using Occupationa

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

TPP team had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Ching-Wen Hsiao and Dr. Konstantinos Valianatos—Concert Pianists, Valianatos-Hsiao Piano Duo, & Faculty Members at the Tianjin Juilliard School—for Season 2 Episode 10!

During the interview session which took place a few days before Chine New Year 2022, we got to hear:

• Ching-Wen and Konstantinos’ exciting careers as solo and duo pianists.
• The time when they were students at the Juilliard School in the U.S.
• The inside scoop of The Tianjin Juilliard School
• What’s like to live in China during/after the pandemic

🤩 Did you know that Juilliard opened its first overseas campus in Tianjin, China, in the fall of 2021!?

🧐 Where is Tianjin—how far from Beijing?

🤓 What programs do they offer at TJS?

[Dr. Ching-Wen Hsiao: Steinway Artist]

Dr. Hsiao has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia in venues including Carnegie’s Issac Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Rubinstein-Saal at Munich Steinway Haus, and Taiwan Concert Hall. She made her concerto debut at the age of 16 with the Cebu Youth Symphony in the Philippines with four performances of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. She was the first prize winner at the Taiwan Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, Steinway's Solo Piano, and Concerto Competitions. Dr. Hsiao also received an “Outstanding Scholarship” Award from Southeastern University, a Big 12 Faculty Fellowship from West Virginia University, and the “Rising Star Award” in Taiwan. She currently serves as an ensemble coach in graduate studies and piano faculty at a pre-college division at The Tianjin Juilliard School.
 

🌐 Dr. Hsiao’s Website: https://www.chingwenhsiao.com/

👩‍🏫 Dr. Hsiao’s Profile on TJS website: https://www.tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn/index.php/faculty/ching-wen-hsiao

🎹 Ching-Wen and Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble: https://youtu.be/sTSEiChoLiE
 

[Dr. Konstantinos Valianatos: Soloist & Chamber Musician]

As an award-winning musician, Dr. Valianatos won first prizes at the International Seiler Piano Competition, the International Ibiza Piano Competition, the Senigallia International Piano Competition, the San Gemini International Piano Competition, and the Aspen Music Festival Competition, among others. As an advocate for new music, Dr. Valianatos works with living composers and has premiered their works, such as Christos Hatzis’s piano work, Face to Face. He has also collaborated with numerous orchestras and performed in venues such as the White House, Salle Cortot in Paris, Carnegie Halls, Benedict Music Tent, and Harris Concert Hall in Aspen. He was honored by the President of Greece, Kostis Stefanôpoulos, with the highest accolade from the Academy of Athens in Greece for his work and artistic integrity. Dr. Valianatos currently serves as a piano faculty member and ensemble coach at a pre-college division at The Tianjin Juilliard School.
 

👨‍🏫 Dr. Valianatos’ profile on TJS website: https://www.tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn/faculty/konstantinos-valianatos

🎹 Konstantinos, Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble, and Shenyang at Tianjin Grand Theater: 

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

TPP team had a wonderful conversation with Mr. David A. Jones, film composer and educator. He is also co-creator/composer/music producer of the new Musical Animated Edutainment TV series, Rhythm Warriors, produced by Emofront and Presto Music in association with Sparky Animation Studios for this fun episode.  

Mr. Jones recently launched a new piano/music theory course for young students called “Rhythm Warriors Piano Zone,” which presented at a 3-day online event called the Ultimate Music Business Summit, which took place a few weeks ago. The summit is an annual online event for music entrepreneurs to gain cutting-edge ideas and information. 

Mr. Jones is also the director of the UK-based music production company, Presto Music Production, and Presto Music School, the largest independent music school in the U.K. 

What if there were adorable animated characters 🦸‍♀️🦹‍♀️🦸to coach your students/children during their daily piano practice through your digital devices?  Start watching this episode to find out more about David’s latest piano/theory course, Rhythm Warriors Piano Zone!   

[David A. Jones] 

https://prestomusicproduction.com/styles.html 

[Links] 

Rhythm Warriors: 

• FB: https://www.facebook.com/Rhythm-Warriors-106531494862865 
• Web: http://www.rhythmwarriors.com/ 

Presto Music Production: 

• Website: Prestomusicproduction.com 
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/prestomusicproduction 

Presto Music School: 

• Website: https://www.prestomusicschool.co.uk/ 
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/PrestoMusicUK 
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/prestomusicschool/ 

Music School Business Builder: 

• Website: https://online.prestomusicschool.co.uk/businessbuilder 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6YiWr2BMkQ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicschoolbusinessbuilder

[The Piano Pod] thepianopod.com

Hi 🎹 lovers out there! We are The Piano Pod, a bi-monthly podcast🎙 show, hosted by Yukimi Song and Clara Zhang--classical pianists & educators from NYC. Our podcast show is for anyone who plays the piano for fun, loves listening to the piano music, is currently pursuing a career in piano or works professionally in the music industry, or someone curious about the world of piano music!

Twice a month, we interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the music industry. Started during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to adjust to the new musical reality, the goals of The Piano Pod are to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era. 

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

TPP had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Lowell Liebermann, one of America's most frequently performed and recorded composers, and a multiple-award recipient. He has written over 140 works in all genres, several of which have become standard repertoires, such as Sonata for Flute and Piano, and Gargoyles for solo piano.

Dr. Liebermann has been commissioned by many ensembles and instrumentalists, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Emerson String Quartet, and flutist Sir James Galway.  Dr. Liebermann is a Steinway Artist, who has also written an extensive amount of piano solo and ensemble music. Last year, he released his debut solo-piano album, Personal Demons (https://www.steinway.com/music-and-artists/label/personal-demons-lowell-liebermann), under the Steinway & Sons label—the repertoire includes his compositions and works by Busoni, Liszt, and (Czech composer,) Kabelach.  

Dr. Liebermann currently serves as a distinguished composition faculty member and the head of the composition department at Mannes School of Music, where he founded the Mannes American Composers Ensemble, devoted to performing works of living American composers.

His latest project, a solo-piano album of world premiere recordings by contemporary British composer David Hackbridge Johnson, “The Devil’s Lyre,” will be released on February 4, 2022, under the Steinway & Sons label. This recording will be available on all music streaming services and CDs. For more information, please visit https://www.lowellliebermann.com/.

[Dr. Lowell Liebermann]

👩🏻‍💻https://www.lowellliebermann.com/

🎼 https://www.lowellliebermann.com/works-by-dateL

💿 https://www.lowellliebermann.com/cds-and-downloads-new

😄 https://www.facebook.com/Liebermanncomposer

😁 https://www.facebook.com/Liebermannmusic

🤳@ liebermannmusic

🐦 @ liebermannmusic

[The Piano Pod]

Hi 🎹 lovers out there! We are The Piano Pod, a bi-monthly podcast🎙 show, hosted by Yukimi Song and Clara Zhang--classical pianists & educators from NYC. Our podcast show is for anyone who plays the piano for fun, loves listening to the piano music, is currently pursuing a career in piano or works professionally in the music industry, or someone curious about the world of piano music!​

Twice a month, we interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the music industry. Started during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to adjust to the new musical reality, the goals of The Piano Pod are to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era.

Follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/thepianopodnyc

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

We had the great fun and honor interviewing Mr. BLKBOK https://www.youtube.com/c/BLKBOK —a neo-classical pianist, composer, and Yamaha Artist who had worked as a lead pianist and musical director with A-list pop singers such as 

☑️ Rihanna ☑️ Justin Timberlake ☑️ Demi Lavato ☑️ John Mayer 

💿 BOK (😁 yup, now we get to call him that way!) recently released a new album “Black Book”, a compilation of his original piano pieces, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2018 film, Green Book. 

📼 Besides his debut album, His first Mixtape release, CVRART, and current Mixtape project, Angels Watching Over Me, with world-renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee, illustrate the innovative and disruptive musical landscape.  

🎹 He was recently named a Yamaha Artist and added to their classical piano roster, of which only 125 worldwide🌏. 

We also invited Mr. Ray Mak, YouTube Star, https://www.youtube.com/c/RayMak (do you remember Ray? He was our guest of Season 1 Episode 5: https://thepianopodnyc.simplecast.com/episodes/the-piano-pod-season-1-episode-5-ray-mak-youtube-star-and-digital-entrepreneur) as the guest co-host of the episode! 

Wanna hear him perform live? 🎟Book BOKBOK's tour in 2022 

👇👇👇 

https://www.blkbok.com/events

😎😎😎

[BLKBOK—guest of Episode 7] Neo-classical Pianist, Composer, and Yamaha Artist 

🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/blkbok  🤳IG: https://www.instagram.com/blkbok  📺YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/BLKBOK