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

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Happy Thanksgiving! In this bonus episode, I’m sharing something deeply personal — a part of my identity I’ve rarely spoken about publicly. I am a third-generation Zainichi Korean, born and raised in Japan, and I’m finally stepping into that history through a new creative initiative called The Zainichi Music Project, now sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts.

This episode marks the beginning of that journey — a project that will grow into a living archive of research, new music commissions, recordings, interviews, and documentary work.

In this episode, I talk about:

• What the word Zainichi actually means,
• How Japanese colonial rule — not immigration — brought our community into Japan,
• How postwar restructuring and the San Francisco Peace Treaty left Zainichi Koreans stateless,
• What it meant to be born and raised in a country that never fully recognized us as citizens,
• And why this project is my way of honoring our history, resilience, and creative legacy.

For those who want to go deeper, please read my Substack essay, “Behind the Mic: Reclaiming Voice Through Sound,” where I share more about my experience growing up Zainichi.

Thank you for listening — and for being part of The Piano Pod community. If you’d like to follow this new project, you can subscribe to Substack and follow @zainichimusicproject on Instagram and TikTok.

More soon, and thank you for supporting this next chapter.

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In this episode of The Piano Pod, I sit down with Elena Riu — pianist, groundbreaking recording artist, educator, and yoga/mindfulness teacher — whose work has reshaped how we think about artistry, embodiment, and the future of piano performance. Elena has long been a force of quiet revolution.

Long before conversations about inclusivity and expanded repertoire entered the mainstream, she was commissioning bold new works, centering Latin-American and women composers, and exploring how breath, movement, and somatic awareness can transform the way we play and teach music.

This conversation travels across the full spectrum of her artistry — from embodied performance to cultural identity, from the menstrual cycle as a source of creativity to breaking nineteenth-century norms about who pianists should be and what they should play. If you’ve ever wondered how breath shapes sound, how identity shapes expression, or how artists can create courageously beyond convention, this is a conversation you won’t forget.

[Explore Elena’s Work]

Salsa Nueva — Score (16-piece anthology):

• 📘 Purchase on Stretta
• 📘 Purchase on Presto Music

Salsa Nueva — Album (with Latin percussionist Wilmer Sifontes):

• 🎧 SOMM Recordings

Out of the Blues / R&B Collection — Score:

• 📘 Purchase on Presto Music

Piano Icons for the 21st Century (Linn Records):

• 🎧 Amazon

🌐 Elena’s Website

✨ If you enjoyed this episode…

• Please like, comment, and subscribe — it truly helps our community grow.
• Follow The Piano Pod on social media for more conversations at the intersection of creativity, connection, and the evolving world of classical music.
• 📝 My blog on Elena & her album Salsa Nueva:
• 🎵 Listen to our Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6 Playlist

Thank you for listening — and for supporting a space where artists can be fully themselves.

#ThePianoPod #Season6 #ElenaRiu #EmbodiedMusician #EmbodiedPianist #ClassicalMusic #Piano #SalsaNueva #MindfulnessForMusicians #Somatics #YogaForMusicians #NewMusic #LatinAmericanComposers #CreativeCourage #PianistLife

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

Get ready for our next episode of The Piano Pod: The Embodied Pianist with Elena Riu — pianist, groundbreaking recording artist, educator, and yoga/mindfulness teacher.

In this powerful conversation, we explore embodied performance, somatics, breath, creativity, cultural identity, and even the menstrual cycle as a source of artistic insight. Elena’s work challenges long-held assumptions about what pianists should play, how they should train, and how the body shapes sound.

In this episode, Elena and I talk about:

• ✅ Her journey from Venezuela to the UK — and how navigating multiple identities shaped her artistry
• ✅ The creation of Salsa Nueva and the importance of commissioning new works
• ✅ What it means to challenge 19th-century biases about repertoire and artistic identity
• ✅ Her work as an embodied pianist and how somatics, breath, and movement transform playing
• ✅ Collaboration with dancers, visual artists, poets, and composers
• ✅ Why she opens taboo conversations like creativity and the menstrual cycle among biologically female performers

🎬 Set a reminder for the premiere tomorrow at 8 pm ET: https://youtu.be/exIQxYGbQw8

🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to the audio episode (Spotify, Apple, Amazon & more) available tomorrow, November 18 at 8:00pm ET: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/

📝 Read my full review of Elena’s groundbreaking album Salsa Nueva on Substack

#ThePianoPod #Season6 #ElenaRiu #EmbodiedPianist #SalsaNueva #LatinAmericanMusic #NewMusic #ContemporaryPiano #SteinwayArtist #WomenInMusic #Somatics #MusiciansHealth #ClassicalMusicReimagined

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

🎶✨ What if jazz could be taught as naturally as language—where freedom, creativity, and collaboration drive learning?

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 5 of The Piano Pod, featuring Quentin Walston — pianist, composer, educator, and founder of This Is Jazz™. In this conversation, we explore how Quentin bridges performance, pedagogy, and entrepreneurship through his acclaimed book How to Teach Jazz & Improvisation and his growing online platform empowering educators worldwide.

In our talk, Quentin shares:

• ✅ His mission to make jazz approachable for every student
• ✅ How his book helps teachers with little or no jazz background start confidently
• ✅ Turning small classroom moments into creative breakthroughs
• ✅ Building a thriving online community for jazz educators
• ✅ Balancing artistry and business as a modern musician
• ✅ His personal journey — from discovering jazz as a child to releasing his album Retro Future

👉 Stay tuned until the end for rapid-fire fun and key insights on creativity, confidence, and cultivating joy through improvisation.

🎼 Explore Quentin’s Work

• 🌐 Website: quentinwalston.com
• 📘 Book: How to Teach Jazz & Improvisation
• 🎵 Platform: This Is Jazz
• 💿 Album: Retro Future

🎧 The Piano Pod 💖 Subscribe or unlock exclusive content: thepianopod.substack.com 🎵 Listen to our Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6 playlist: YouTube Playlist 📫 Join our newsletter: Sign Up

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

In this trailer, get a glimpse into my upcoming conversation with Quentin Walston — a pianist, composer, and educator known for his joyful fusion of jazz, improvisation, and storytelling. In this episode, we dive into creativity, connection, and the spirit of collaboration that defines his work and the evolving world of modern musicianship.

• ✨ Watch the YouTube Premiere: https://youtu.be/hYK86QGXxW0
• 🎧 Listen to the full audio episode: https://linktr.ee/ThePianoPodAudio
• 📰 Learn more about Quentin — read my latest blog on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-quentin-walston?r=2q1iy3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

🎹 The Piano Pod is an award-winning podcast and YouTube show reimagining classical and contemporary music through authentic conversations with artists, educators, and cultural innovators shaping the future of the art form.

#ThePianoPod #QuentinWalston #Jazz #Podcast #Season6 #CreativityAndConnection #Trailer

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The Piano Pod Live in Concert: A Bold New Chapter in Classical Music marked the first-ever live event for the award-winning podcast and YouTube show The Piano Pod, conceived and hosted by Executive Producer Yukimi Song. Presented in collaboration with Mannes Prep, a pre-college music program offering comprehensive and nurturing pre-professional training at The New School, this milestone concert brought the show’s signature format — music performance, interview, and panel discussion — from the digital space to the stage.

🎹 Featured Artists

• Dr. Jee-Hoon Krska — Prelude in G-sharp Minor, Op. 32 No. 12 by Sergei Rachmaninoff 🔗 https://www.keystosuccessnewark.org
• Eleonor Bindman — her transcription of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 for piano four hands (Secondo: Yukimi Song) 🔗 https://www.eleonorbindman.com
• Dr. Nnenna Ogwo — The Sun is Rising by Black American composer Consuela Lee 🔗 https://www.juneteenthlp.org
• Donna Weng Friedman ( @donnawengfriedman9968 ) — Fantasy on The Wizard of Oz by William Hirtz for piano four hands (Secondo: Yukimi Song) 🔗 https://www.donnawengfriedman.com

🎙️ About the Event Filmed live at Ernst C. Stiefel Hall at The New School, this 90-minute event blended world-class performances with an engaging interview session and audience panel discussion. The artists shared personal stories, insights on collaboration, and visions for keeping classical music vibrant and relevant today. 💬 Special Guests Caroline Sonett-Assor, Director of Mannes Prep, The New School Audience members and artists in conversation

• 🎥 Video by: Scott Chiu, Portable Recording Studio (https://www.portablerecordingstudio.com/)
• 📸 Photography by: Vin Carvalho (https://www.thephotoartstudio.com/)

✨ Presented by: The Piano Pod — Where tradition meets innovation. In Collaboration with: Mannes Prep, The New School Produced by: Yukimi Song Studio LLC

#ThePianoPod #MannesPrep #LiveConcert #ClassicalMusic #PianoPodcast #ConcertAndConversation #PanelDiscussion #CreativityAndConnection #DonnaWengFriedman #NnennaOgwo #EleonorBindman #JeeHoonKrska #YukimiSong #TheNewSchool

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🎶✨ How can nineteen tiny piano miniatures blossom into one of the most expansive, collaborative, and award-winning projects of our time?

Welcome to Season 6 Episode 3: The World of MICROVIDS — Composer & Advocate for Women in Music, Stefania de Kenessey. In this episode of The Piano Pod, I sit down with Stefania de Kenessey, a composer whose works have been heard at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, La MaMa, and around the world.

Her latest project, Microvids, began as nineteen piano miniatures written during the pandemic — and has since grown into a global tapestry of music, poetry, improvisation, orchestral performance, and film.

In our conversation, Stefania opens up about:

• ✅ The surprising origins of MICROVIDS and how “tiny nothings” became her richest work
• ✅ Collaborations with pianist Donna Weng Friedman, violinist Curtis Stewart, narrator Krystal Joy Brown, and the New Jersey Youth Symphony under Helen Cha-Pyo
• ✅ Award-winning films inspired by MICROVIDS, including Silent Cry
• ✅ How MICROVIDS can connect with youth orchestras and piano students around the world
• ✅ Her advocacy for women in music, her Hungarian roots, and her expansive multi-genre style — from opera to dance to provocative video works like Menstrual Rosary

👉 Stay tuned until the end for rapid-fire fun, candid reflections, and exclusive performance excerpts from MICROVIDS, Unorthodox, and Menstrual Rosary.

https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6751/

• 🌐 Stefania's Website
• 🎬 Watch Silent Cry (award-winning short film)
• 🎬 Watch Menstrual Rosary (winner of 33 film awards)

[The Piano Pod]

• 💖 Subscribe TPP on Substack to unlock exclusive content
• 🎵 Listen to our Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6 playlist
• 📫 Subscribe to our newsletter
• 🚨 Latest News: https://linktr.ee/thepianopod
• 🌐 Website: https://thepianopod.com

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

🎶✨ How can nineteen miniature piano pieces transform into a boundless world of music, poetry, collaboration, and film?

Season 6 of The Piano Pod continues with an extraordinary episode featuring composer Stefania de Kenessey and her latest project, Microvids. What began as small, intimate sketches during the pandemic has blossomed into her most expansive and personal work — brought to life through powerful collaborations across instruments, voices, ensembles, and even award-winning films.

In this conversation, Stefania shares:

• ✅ The surprising origins of Microvids and its evolution across multiple formats
• ✅ How collaboration turned tiny piano pieces into something vast and universal
• ✅ Why Microvids resonates with youth orchestras, students, and audiences worldwide
• ✅ The role of love, vulnerability, and connection in her music
• ✅ Her advocacy for women in music and her vision for the next generation

🎬 Don’t miss it! Watch the premiere on Tuesday, Oct 14 at 8:00 pm ET right here on our YouTube channel

🎧 Prefer audio? The episode will also drop everywhere you listen to podcasts at the same time!

Explore more:

• 🌐 Website: https://www.stefaniadekenessey.com/
• 🎼 Album: https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6751/

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

🔥 “Music isn’t just about playing the notes — it’s about living beyond the keys.”

🔥Welcome to the premiere of Encore Conversations — The Piano Pod’s new series, where past guests return for short, powerful conversations about their latest projects and evolving journeys.

To kick it off, I’m joined by Jeeyoon Kim — pianist, educator, podcaster, and now a two-time author. You may remember her from Season 3, when she shared her debut book, Whenever You’re Ready, and her bold mission to transform the concert experience.

Now she’s back with her new book Beyond the Keys and companion album Radiance — projects that dive even deeper into love, resilience, and the creative spirit.

🎶 The episode opens with Jeeyoon’s stunning performance of Piazzolla’s Libertango (arr. Kyoko Yamamoto), also featured on Radiance. From her unforgettable 2023 Carnegie Hall debut to the raw personal stories she reveals in Beyond the Keys, Jeeyoon shows us how music, writing, and life lessons intertwine to create something extraordinary.

• 📌 Explore More 🎶 Watch the full Libertango performance (from Radiance):
• 📖 Download 4 free chapters of Beyond the Keys
• 🛒 Order Beyond the Keys on Amazon: https://a.co/d/3DTUMik
• ✨ If you missed Jeeyoon’s first Piano Pod appearance (Season 3, Episode 14), go back and listen. You’ll see why her originality and authenticity continue to inspire this community.

👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more Encore Conversations and Season 6 episodes that celebrate Creativity & Connection.

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

• 💖 Subscribe to our Substack page for free or unlock exclusive materials with a paid subscription
• 🎵 Subscribe to our Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6
• 📫 Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/40kiukh Stay Connected:
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• 🌐 Website: https://thepianopod.com 📱

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

In this special premiere of Encore Conversations, The Piano Pod’s brand-new alumni series, I sit down with award-winning pianist, author, and educator Jeeyoon Kim. You may remember her from Season 3, where she inspired us with her originality, authenticity, and mission to make concerts deeply personal. Now she returns with her most intimate project yet — her second book Beyond the Keys and companion album Radiance.

In our Encore Conversation, Jeeyoon opens up about:

1. ✅ The inspiration behind Beyond the Keys
2. ✅ Why she chose to share her deepest challenges with her readers
3. ✅ What she discovered about herself through writing
4. ✅ How her new album Radiance expands on the book’s themes of love, resilience, and connection

🎬 Join the broadcast of this special Encore Conversation on September 9, 2025, at 8:00pm ET: https://youtu.be/0bpMQiBLkaY

[Jeeyoon Kim]

• 🎹 Watch Libertango from Radiance: https://youtu.be/LK3dnspkqEY?si=5Ml6VZcQ6_OPu8_R
• 📖 Free preview (4 chapters) of Beyond the Keys: https://dedicated-thinker-5780.kit.com/3ee9541685
• 🛒 Order the book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/3DTUMik
• 🌐 Website: https://www.jeeyoonkim.com

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

• 💖 Subscribe for free or unlock exclusive materials with a paid subscription: https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe
• 🎵 Subscribe to our Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa
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