This Classical Life

Jess Gillam is joined by Italian-American violinist Francesca Dego to swap some of their favourite music. Francesca has played everywhere from Wigmore Hall to Lincoln Centre New York, and her latest recording of Brahms and Busoni violin concertos with BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Dalia Stasevska is out now via Chandos.

PLAYLIST:

GIOACHINO ROSSINI – ‘Una voce poco fa’ (Il barbiere di Siviglia: Act 1) [Teresa Berganza (mezzo soprano), London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson (conductor)]

Produced by Rachel Gill.

Jess Gillam and tenor Alessandro Fisher share the music they love.

Alessandro Fisher is a former member of the BBC New Generation Artist scheme, and a Kathleen Ferrier award winner: a versatile performer equally at home in baroque and romantic opera, or song. His choices today include barbershop quartet, brass band music, and the voice of Fritz Wunderlich. Jess has chosen music by Coleman Hawkins and multi-BRIT Award winner Raye.

Playlist:

Jess Gillam swaps music with pianist James Baillieu, including works by Mozart, Bach, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Pianist James Baillieu has worked with musicians including Lise Davidsen, Timothy Ridout and Pretty Yende, and has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Vienna Musikverein. He is also Senior Professor of Ensemble Piano and a Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He’s brought Martha Argerich playing Schumann and a classic Bob Dylan song, while Jess's choices include Mahler and Goldfrapp.

PLAYLIST:

Produced by Rachel Gill.

Jess Gillam and soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha share their favourite tracks.

South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha was the winner of the Song Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2021 and is a current BBC New Generation Artist. She’s brought a track from iconic South African artist Miriam Makeba and Maria Callas singing a prayer from Verdi’s Otello, and Jess has picked a dance of death from Saint-Saens and jazz from Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker.

PLAYLIST:

Produced by Rachel Gill

Jess Gillam swaps favourite music with pianist Keelan Carew, and between them they put together a boundary-pushing playlist with songs by Kurt Weill and Nat King Cole - pianistic fireworks by Busoni and Chopin, orchestral fireworks by Shostakovich and some classic Japanese jazz fusion by Casiopea.

Playlist:

Jess Gillam meets violist Jordan Bak to share some of their favourite music.

Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak is a proud new music advocate – he’s performed world premieres of works by composers including Kaija Saariaho and Augusta Read Thomas. His debut album IMPULSE was released in 2022 and he’s performed with orchestras including London Mozart Players. His musical picks include works by Florence Price, reggae singer Koffee, and Benjamin Britten, whilst Jess has chosen a classic Radiohead track and Stokowski’s take on Bach.

PLAYLIST:

FLORENCE PRICE – String Quartet No 2 in A minor (3rd mvt, Juba) [Catalyst Quartet]

Jess's guest this week is the composer Kate Whitley.

Kate is an award-winning composer and pianist, who also runs the Multi-Story Orchestra. The orchestra was born in a multi-story car park in Peckham, and perform in car parks around the country, as they wanted to take classical music out of formal concert halls. They also create hugely powerful musical projects like the RPS Award-winning The Endz that involve the local community and young people in their music making.

Kate and Jess settle in for a listening party of the music they love including a beautiful work by Caroline Shaw and Bjork, the biggest of brass by Mussorgsky, bluegrass courtesy of the Goat Rodeo and a contender for greatest ever cover version by the Pet Shop Boys.

Playlist:

CAROLINE SHAW – Partita for 8 Singers: 2. Sarabande [Roomful of Teeth]

Jess Gillam meets Swedish-Norwegian violinist Johan Dalene to swap some of their favourite music.

At 23 years old, Swedish-Norwegian violinist Johan Dalene is already the winner of several awards, including the prestigious Carl Nielsen Competition in 2019, the Gramophone Young Artist of the Year Award in 2022, and a Swedish Grammy in 2023. His music choices include a squelchy bassline from Thundercat, a Swedish Eurovision classic, and a virtuosic violin concerto that’s close to his heart. Jess's choices include Bernstein conducting a favourite Mozart symphony, and music from the saxophonist Branford Marsalis.

PLAYLIST:

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN – Sonata for Violin and Piano No 8 in G major, Op 30 No 3 (3rd mvt) [Gidon Kremer, Martha Argerich]

Jess Gillam and conductor Robert Ames share some of the tunes they love, with music by Philip Glass, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Makaya McCraven, Pauline Oliveros and J.S. Bach.

Playlist:

Jess Gillam meets mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron to swap some of their favourite music.

Singaporean-British mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron sings everything from opera to chamber music, from the baroque to the contemporary. She is mentored by Barbara Hannigan and has performed with LSO, Czech Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony. She joins Jess ahead of performing Freya Waley-Cohen's Spell Book with Manchester Collective in London. Her music choices include a contralto version of Schubert's Winterreise, a traditional Uyghur folk song, and a toe-tapping melody from the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Jess brings along 'stadium jazz' from saxophonist Donny McCaslin, elegant incidental music from Purcell, and a joyful explosion of sound from indie band Villagers.

PLAYLIST: