In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Scott Catey speaks with internationally performing concert pianist Daria Vasileva for a wide-ranging conversation on musical transformation, artistic freedom, and the power of storytelling in performance.

From her early training in Russia’s rigorous conservatory system to her artistic awakening in Switzerland, Daria reflects on how different cultural approaches to music shaped her voice as an artist. At the center of the discussion is the music of Alexander Scriabin—its mysticism, emotional intensity, and transformative potential for both performer and audience.

They explore what it means to play from memory, why risk is essential to live performance, how to build a concert program as a narrative journey, and how classical musicians can reach new audiences in a digital age.

Daria also shares insights from her Feminine Power Project, her work championing overlooked composers, and her upcoming debut album Elements.

Some highlights from the conversation:

• Music as Transformation
  A formative moment hearing Tchaikovsky shifted Daria from passive talent to intentional artistry 
• Freedom vs. Discipline
  How do technical precision, individuality, expression, and exploration meet in classical training and performance?
• Scriabin’s Philosophy of Sound
  Music as “ecstatic freedom,” the will of power, and spiritual blossoming 
• Memory vs. Safety in Performance
  Playing from memory creates risk and deepens immersion and intensity 
• Concert Programming as Storytelling
  Programs should follow emotional logic, not chronology or genre sequence; how can the program help to guide an audience through the performer’s vision?
• Reaching New Audiences
  Social media as a powerful tool to bring younger listeners into classical music 
• Expanding the Canon
  The Feminine Power Project highlights overlooked women composers and forgotten voices 
• Art in Uncertain Times
  The role of the artist as a source of light, hope, joy 

Throughout the conversation, Daria situates her artistry within a lineage of composers and performers who push the boundaries of musical language and expression. Central, of course, is Alexander Scriabin, whose evolution from late-Romantic lyricism into mysticism and near-atonality becomes a kind of philosophical anchor for her work. We also hear echoes of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose symphonic power first awakened her artistic seriousness as a teenager, and Robert Schumann, whose deeply subjective musical voice raises questions about individuality and interpretation. Daria also references lesser-known but compelling figures like Varvara Gaigerova, whose rediscovery reflects her commitment to expanding the canon, as well as pianistic traditions shaped by figures like Anton Rubinstein. Even iconic interpreters such as Vladimir Ashkenazy appear in the background, reminding us that performance itself is a living, evolving conversation across generations, and how new interpretations of familiar music can reawaken a fire within us. 

Several unexpected moments stand out in the conversation, from Daria’s candid relationship with inspiration to finding transformation in performance. Equally striking is her view that technical imperfection may sometimes be worth the trade if it allows for deeper expressive truth. Perhaps most surprising of all is her framing of classical performance as an act of risk: by choosing to play from memory, she deliberately removes safety nets in order to heighten presence, vulnerability, and connection with the audience.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

Composers, Pianists, Performers

·       Alexander Scriabin

·       Varvara Gaigerova

·       Anton Rubenstein

·       Vladimir Ashkenazy 

Organizations

·       Kazan State Conservatory https://kazanconservatoire.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=286 

·       Union Square Soiree, Baltimore, Maryland: https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 

About the Guest
Daria Vasileva is an internationally performing concert pianist known for her expressive depth, intellectual rigor, and commitment to musical storytelling. Originally from Kazan, Russia, she trained in the Russian conservatory tradition before continuing her studies in Switzerland. Her work centers on the music of Alexander Scriabin and includes the Feminine Power Project, an initiative dedicated to amplifying women composers. 

Websites & other links

·       https://dariapianist.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/@pianistdariavasileva 

·       https://www.instagram.com/daria.pianist/ 

Music featured in this episode:

Sonata Op. 30 No. 4 by Alexander Scriabin
Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

Skizzen by Varvara Gaigerova 

Performed by Daria Vasileva
Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflective podcast centered on working musicians and adjacent professionals whose craft creates meaning, community, and cultural impact. The show prioritizes listening, craft, and the lived experience of making, sharing, and loving all things music.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it—or carrying something from it into your own listening and creative life. And most of all, thank you for listening!

Host Links

Website
The Sum of All Wisdom Newsletter on Substack
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram 

Episode 2 

Union Square Soirée: Catharsis and the Human Experience of Listening 

with Dr. Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders

Episode Description

When world-class musicians meet audience and community in the intimate setting of an historic Baltimore townhome, exceptional things happen. 

In this episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, host Scott Catey speaks with Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, founders of Union Square Soirée, a Baltimore-based salon concert series reviving the historic tradition of intimate house concerts.

Hosted in a beautifully restored 1872 Baltimore rowhouse, Union Square Soirée brings together classical musicians, jazz artists, and emerging performers for concerts where audiences sit just feet from the performers—close enough to see the physical artistry behind the music.

Scott and his guests explore:

·       the revival of the salon concert tradition

·       how intimacy changes the experience of live music

·       the importance of supporting young musicians

·       how salon concerts create community and cultural conversation

·       why audiences are rediscovering small-scale live music in a digital age

·       art for audiences versus art for art’s sake 

·       music, artists, food, wine, and… coffee!

The conversation also touches on Baltimore’s musical culture, the role of conservatories like Peabody Institute, and the power of music performed in human spaces rather than on distant stages.

Juan also reveals a little known secret about Vivaldi’s compositional technique and his musical innovations. 

If you love classical music, live performance, music history, intimate concert experiences, and how each of these can help contribute to the revitalization of a great American city, this episode offers a fascinating look at how a centuries-old tradition is finding new life today.

Names, Locations, and Organizations, Mentioned in this Episode

People

·       Daria Vasileva, https://dariapianist.com/

o   NB: Daraa will be a guest on the podcast in a few weeks!

·       Jackson “Jackie” Wu, https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/jackie-wu

·       Tristan Latchford, UK Composer (https://www.tristanlatchford.com/about.php) 

·       Daniel Crozier, Composer (Rollins College, Florida, nephew of Fred Rogers) https://www.danielcrozier.com/bio/ 

·       Barbara Mikulski (https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_Mikulski.htm) 

·       Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars (https://www.sallybabyssilverdollars.com/)

·       Jonathan DePeri (https://www.gcinschool.com/artist/jonathan-deperi) 

Places

·       Union Square neighborhood, https://livebaltimore.com/neighborhoods/union-square/

·       Fells Point (Neighborhood in Baltimore, https://baltimore.org/neighborhoods/fells-point/) 

Organizations

·       Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, https://peabody.jhu.edu/ 

·       Creative Alliance in Baltimore (https://creativealliance.org/) 

About the Guests

This episode features Ramilya Saubanova and Juan Gonzalez, the founders of the Union Square Soirée salon concert series in Baltimore, Maryland. Union Square Soirée is a unique initiative that brings together emerging and established artists to create intimate, memorable musical experiences that connect talent with the community. 

Guest Information

Dr. Ramilya Saubanova is the founder and president of the Union Square Soirée, as well as a concert pianist with over 23 years of experience performing in prestigious venues across Russia, Europe, and the U.S. She holds Specialist, Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Kazan State Conservatory and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. In addition to her work with the Soirée, she founded the Tatar Music Concert Series in the U.S., blending music, history, and art to offer one-of-a-kind cultural experiences. Ramilya is also a passionate educator and mentor to young musicians. Her debut solo CD will be released in 2026, featuring works by Brahms, Medtner, Latchford, and Crozier.

Juan Gonzalez is founder and vice-president of the Union Square Soirée, where he combines his love for classical music and history with his passion for community engagement. His goal is to foster an appreciation of classical music while connecting local musicians with a wider audience, creating a platform where both emerging and established artists can shine. Juan brings a rich background to the initiative, with over 20 years of experience as educator, advocate, and patron of the arts. 

Websites & other links

Union Square Soiree

·       https://www.unionsquaresoiree.com/ 

·       https://www.instagram.com/unionsquaresoiree/ 

Ramilya Saubanova

·       https://ramilyasaubanova.com/ 

·       https://www.youtube.com/c/RamilyaSaubanova 

·       https://www.instagram.com/ramilya_saubanova/ 

Music featured in this episode:

Ballade No. 4 by Frédéric Chopin
Used with permission.
Artist-preferred link

Étude Tableaux in E flat minor, Op.39, No.5: Appassionato by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Used with permission.

About the Show & Production Notes

Written, produced, and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form, reflect...

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning

Episode 1: Andre Floyd: The Deep Wisdom of a Working Musician

Episode Summary

In this inaugural episode of The Sum of All Wisdom, Dr. Scott Catey sits down with longtime friend and musician Andre Floyd, to discuss his life, career, and philosophy. 

We talk about the stories we carry, how meaning evolves, and how lives are sometimes unexpectedly intertwined. Andre looks back over a life and career lived as a musical “cobbler,” and he talks about resilience, amplifying marginalized voices, uplifting community, and creating opportunities for self-determination and self-respect among young people from cultures that often get erased or misrepresented. He also remembers the ways he has used music for good throughout his life, teaching Montessori, providing music therapy, and the importance of sharing music, especially in difficult times. 

What unfolds is not just a conversation about gigs and bands, but about pivot points—those moments when life gets turned over, takes a new direction, or transforms. From singing the National Anthem at Wrigley Field in 1982, to playing pool with Seamus Heaney, to performing at Luke’s alongside Montana icon Jay Rummel and others, Andre reflects on what it means to build a life by “cobbling together” community, opportunity, talent, and instinct.

Music as life is full of both possibility and responsibility, and Andre shares his wisdom on both, and more. 

In This Conversation

• Growing up in an Air Force family and finding the guitar at age 11 
• Cubs vs. Expos: Singing the American and Canadian national anthems at Wrigley Field—and in the wrong key 
• The Chicago years: mentorship, management, and cultural education 
• The Missoula barstool literary scene
• Jay Rummel: brilliance, anger, and artistic obsession 
• Mood Iguana, Tapas Records, and the sociology of collaborative music-making
• Religion, separation, and community fracture 
• America’s unresolved racial history and its cultural consequences 
• Teaching and mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana

About Andre Floyd

Andre Floyd is a Montana-based musician whose career spans decades of performance, recording, collaboration, and community-building. The son of an Air Force Tech Sergeant, Andre’s early life moved from Alabama to Kansas, Maine, Panama (where he kept an ocelot as a pet and dated Tata Vega), and eventually Montana.

He has performed across the country and around the globe, with some of world’s most storied artists. His band Mood Iguana was a staple of the regional scene before he dissolved it rather than allow it to become less than his original vision.

Today, his work increasingly centers on mentoring Native youth in Arlee, Montana—offering tools for self-definition and nontraditional success.

Links

Facebook

Spotify

Music Featured

“Your Garden” by Andre Floyd

“Found True Love” by Andre Floyd

Used with permission.

About the Show

The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, and Meaning is a long-form podcast exploring the lived experience of working musicians and music-adjacent creatives whose work shapes communities in visible and invisible ways.

Written and hosted by Dr. Scott Catey, produced by Ravenna Studios.

The Sum of All Wisdom is a podcast about how music is made—and what it makes possible.
Host Scott Catey speaks with musicians, producers, engineers, and other creative makers about craft, process, and meaning. This short trailer introduces the spirit of the series and the conversations to come.