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

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Part 1 of 2.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Piano Pod! To celebrate the start of the new season, we interviewed Jeffrey Biegel, the renowned concert pianist, Steinway artist, recording artist, composer, and arranger. Mr. Biegel has performed with many major orchestras throughout the world, such as the London Symphony, the BBC Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the National Symphony, among many others; and he is a professor of piano at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College. He is both a traditional virtuoso, and a dedicated champion of new music, having created more than a dozen commissioning projects. His recording of one of them, Kenneth Fuchs's Piano Concerto 'Spiritualist'; won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium. His own composition, "Three Reflections," will have its premiere with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra on October 7, 2021. He also has multiple new recordings coming out in the next few months, including the 1924 version of Rhapsody in Blue with the original orchestration, Islamey on the Steinway Label, and "A Planet's Odyssey" by Daniel Perttu.

BONUS OPPORTUNITY FOR TPP FANS!Mr. Biegel played so many excerpts during the interview, we couldn't keep up! 

• If you hear a melody you recognize, write the title of the piece in the comments on YouTube!
• Everyone who correctly identifies an excerpt will get a mention in the credits of a future episode!

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WE ARE BACK!!!! After a brief hiatus to rest and catch up on our own projects, The Piano Pod is ready to launch our second season! In this episode, we talk a bit about how we spent our summers, what we learned from our first season, and our plans for the new one, including our first three guests. Join us on YouTube for the premiere: https://youtu.be/u7yEBdZXE2s

We were also recently featured on two other podcasts:

🎙All Keyed Up, Episode 38: https://www.benkapilow.com/allkeyedup

🎙And If Love Remains, Episode 74: https://andifloveremains.podbean.com/e/episode-74-the-piano-pod/

We are very excited about this new season! Hope you will enjoy all the great content we have coming up!

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Part 2 of 2.

For our final episode of Season 1, TPP interviewed Ben Laude, Juilliard-trained pianist, and Head of Piano at tonebase.co, a premium video subscription platform for classical music education.

Tonebase revolutionizes music education by providing its users with a vast database of lessons, masterclasses, and interviews with some of the biggest names in performance and pedagogy - previously only accessible at elite institutions.  We picked Ben's brain on the subject of this great new platform for content distribution.  

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

Part 1 of 2.

For our final episode of Season 1, TPP interviewed Ben Laude, Juilliard-trained pianist, and Head of Piano at tonebase.co, a premium video subscription platform for classical music education.

Tonebase revolutionizes music education by providing its users with a vast database of lessons, masterclasses, and interviews with some of the biggest names in performance and pedagogy - previously only accessible at elite institutions.  We picked Ben's brain on the subject of this great new platform for content distribution.  

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 James Redcay: Senior Executive Overseeing Operations and Sales at MidAmerica Productions (https://www.midamerica-music.com/), the most prolific presenter of choral concerts in the history of Carnegie Hall.  James explained to us how a six-year diversion in Macau, China 🇲🇴 where he created and managed entertainment programs for the world's largest casino company - helped to shift his career path from the traditional one of a composer and classical pianist to a choir booking manager working closely with the famous venue 🎭.  Join us to hear his fun anecdotes from backstage, as well as learn how his company dealt with the sudden cancellation of all concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[James Redcay, composer/pianist/manager]

A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, James Redcay spent four years in New York City as an accomplished pianist, composer and teacher, performing and composing for numerous concerts and institutions. During this time Redcay also held the position of Composer-in-Residence at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. After graduating from NYU, Redcay moved abroad to Macao, where he taught music at the Conservatory of Macao and created and managed arts and entertainment programs for Sands China Ltd., a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands. After six fruitful years, Redcay relocated to the United States and now resides in New York City.  He joined MidAmerica Productions in April of 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/user/jredcay7

https://www.instagram.com/redcayjames/

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In this episode, Yukimi, Eric, and Clara abandon their roles as interviewers to return to their first love: playing the piano! This full-length recital was livestreamed and broadcast through Zoom over Youtube and Facebook.  See the full performance here: https://youtu.be/0XqObHdQe6g

Program:

Yukimi Song

Sonata in F minor, Op. 5 by J. Brahms

I. Allegro maestoso

III. Scherzo

IV.  Andante molto

V. Finale

Eric Hunter

Selected Preludes from Livres I and II by C. Debussy

I, 1: Danseuses de Delphes

I, 3: Le vent dans la plaine

I, 4: <>

II, 5: Bruyères

I, 5: Les collines d'Anacapri

I, 7: Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest

I, 10: La cathédrale engloutie

Clara Zhang

Sinfonia from Partita No. 2 BWV 826 by J.S. Bach

Danza De La Moza Donosa by A. Ginastera

Bulgarian Rhythms 1 & 2 by B. Bartok

Andante Sostenuto from Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 22 by C. Saint-Saens

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Part 2 of 2. 

For this episode, TPP interviewed Madeline Bruser: Founder of the Art of Practicing Institute and author of the highly acclaimed book "The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart." An authorized instructor of mindfulness meditation in the Buddhist tradition, Madeline has presented mindfulness in secular contexts for more than 30 years. She frequently teaches workshops on Mindfulness, Confidence & Performance at conservatories and college music departments, including the Juilliard School, Mannes School of Music, the University of British Columbia, and Northwestern University. 

Madeline has performed as a soloist with the San Francisco and Denver Symphony Orchestras and was featured on National Public Radio’s Performance Today in an interview and piano lesson broadcast in 200 cities. Inspired to help more musicians unleash their full potential, Madeline founded the Art of Practicing Institute, offering a weeklong summer program and online master classes throughout the year. The Institute provides training in mindfulness techniques, community support through discussion groups, in-depth musical work in master classes, and teacher training workshops. 

Please visit our YouTube channel if you are interested in watching the video version: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFJ7CoQokjjrCxs1VCS39Q

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

Part 1 of 2.

For this episode, TPP interviewed Madeline Bruser: Founder of the Art of Practicing Institute and author of the highly acclaimed book "The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart." An authorized instructor of mindfulness meditation in the Buddhist tradition, Madeline has presented mindfulness in secular contexts for more than 30 years. She frequently teaches workshops on Mindfulness, Confidence & Performance at conservatories and college music departments, including the Juilliard School, Mannes School of Music, the University of British Columbia, and Northwestern University.

Madeline has performed as a soloist with the San Francisco and Denver Symphony Orchestras and was featured on National Public Radio’s Performance Today in an interview and piano lesson broadcast in 200 cities. Inspired to help more musicians unleash their full potential, Madeline founded the Art of Practicing Institute, offering a weeklong summer program and online master classes throughout the year. The Institute provides training in mindfulness techniques, community support through discussion groups, in-depth musical work in master classes, and teacher training workshops.

Please visit our YouTube channel if you are interested in watching the video version: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmFJ7CoQokjjrCxs1VCS39Q

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

Part 2 of 2.

For Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), we had the privilege of interviewing Jim Ridl: jazz pianist, composer, recording artist, and educator. Jim shared with us his insights on improvisation and differences in approach between jazz and classical musicians. This interview rapidly evolved into more of a masterclass as he then demonstrated stylistic differences between blues and jazz, various improv techniques, and even his warm-up routines at the piano. We hope that this episode inspires you as much it did us!

About Jim Ridl:

Jim has released multiple critically acclaimed recordings, and performed across the globe with the Jim Ridl Trio and Quartet, the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Mingus Big Band,  and the Tim Horner Quintet.  Commissions as a composer/arranger have included the BMI New York Jazz Composers Orchestra, the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Lamont School of Music Chamber Orchestra, and the Off-Broadstreet Theatre. 

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

Part 1 of 2.

For Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), we had the privilege of interviewing Jim Ridl: jazz pianist, composer, recording artist, and educator. Jim shared with us his insights on improvisation and differences in approach between jazz and classical musicians. This interview rapidly evolved into more of a masterclass as he then demonstrated stylistic differences between blues and jazz, various improv techniques, and even his warm-up routines at the piano. We hope that this episode inspires you as much it did us!

About Jim Ridl:

Jim has released multiple critically acclaimed recordings, and performed across the globe with the Jim Ridl Trio and Quartet, the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Mingus Big Band,  and the Tim Horner Quintet.  Commissions as a composer/arranger have included the BMI New York Jazz Composers Orchestra, the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Lamont School of Music Chamber Orchestra, and the Off-Broadstreet Theatre.