Three-time Grammy Award-winning pianist and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin is the Music and Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain, and Music Director (aka David's boss) at The Metropolitan Opera where he's just the third person to hold this position in the company's long 140-year history. In the episode—recorded backstage at Carnegie Hall—Yannick discusses the primary role of a conductor, his calm and friendly demeanor while on the podium (spoiler: he doesn't know how to be mean!), how he became inspired to conduct at age 10, and why he reclaimed his love for the piano during the pandemic. Yannick shares the importance of taking every opportunity to perform seriously and his deep belief that music can connect and transform anyone who listens.

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Photograph of Yannick by George Etheredge.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

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