There’s music on the page, where it’s preserved for later use, and then there’s music when it’s played, traveling through the air. On each end of that is a body, musician reaching out to listener and touching them via sound. For Augusta Read Thomas too, that’s where the music starts, in the body. Her method of composing—creating new material, shaping it and building it into larger structures and forms—is grounded in the physical sensations of music, especially singing and movement. Sounds from the body become elements in a larger mosaic. That is the subtle, but fundamental connection between her artistry and the subject of her new piece, MAGIC GARDENS, which the Rolston String Quartet will play in its American premiere May 1, at a concert celebrating the bicentennial of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.

The Gateways Music Festival Orchestra makes its Carnegie Hall debut this month led by Anthony Parnther. The concert features Jon Batiste, who just won five Grammys at this year’s ceremony, including the highly-coveted title, “Album of the Year”.

Elizabeth Sobol joins us on the Classical Post podcast to discuss the magic of synchronicity as a leader; how meditation in the morning and boxing at night helps to sustain well-being; and the important work of the Philadelphia Orchestra programming the works of Florence Price.

German composer Sven Helbig is part of a new generation of composers for whom there are no longer any barriers between the classical world of the orchestra, experimental art, and pop music.

Patrick Cassidy joins us on the Classical Post podcast today. You will certainly know his music from the Ridley Scott film, Hannibal, starring Anthony Hopkins. Patrick wrote the famous aria, “Vide cor Meum”, that was written as a “mini” opera for this film.

French conductor Chloé van Soeterstède is one of the very prestigious Dudamel Fellows this season with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She’s working with Gustavo Dudamel, but also with other conducting legends like Michael Tilson Thomas and Zubin Mehta. It’s quite an honor for a young conductor to have this experience and really helps set them up for future success as a music director of a major orchestra.

JoAnn Falletta, the internationally acclaimed musical conductor, director, and ambassador, serves as the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. A prolific recording artist for Naxos Records, she has led over 120 titles and received four GRAMMY Awards. Renowned as a “demonstrative, kinetic conductor” (The New York Times), Falletta has conducted over 100 orchestras across the world.

I had the pleasure of speaking with violinist Sean Lee and pianist Peter Dugan about their new digital EP featuring nine of the Paganini Caprices, each with accompanying music videos. It’s a really fantastic project and I hope you listen to it.

The name Jessie Montgomery is becoming more and more familiar to classical music lovers. The 40-year-old is making her mark as a composer with a unique voice. Her music reflects her own life as an African American woman, but also draws on various other cultures and influences, including Zimbabwean dance, swing and techno.

Cellist Laura van der Heijden won the BBC Young Musician competition at just 15 years old. She’s gone on to make a name for herself, graduating from Cambridge University, and now on to releasing her second album called Pohádka: Tales from Prague to Budapest, which explores the rich folk melodies of Janáček, Kodály and Dvořák.

Emily Levin, principal harp at Dallas Symphony Orchestra, is also the Artistic Director of Fine Arts Chamber Players in Dallas. The Bronze Medal Winner of the 9th USA International Harp Competition, Levin teaches as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Harp in Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. Charming and elfin in person, her playing is likewise ethereal–both grounded and soaring, creating new magical soundscapes to explore. Classical Recording Foundation named her their 2017 Young Artist of the Year after the release of her debut album Something Borrowed.

Iceland calls itself “The Land of Fire and Ice.” It’s an apt description. Although Iceland’s landscapes can be barren and austere, they’re also percolating with innumerable geothermal sites that continuously spew plumes of steam into the frosty air. And don’t forget the volcanoes with their glowing lava flows. Known for its natural beauty, Iceland is not as well known for its classical musicians. That is until now. Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has captivated the classical wold with his cerebral and sensitive performances. Ólafsson’s burgeoning Deutsche Grammophon discography ranges from the cool minimalism of Philip Glass to the intricacies of Bach and the Gallic elegance of Debussy and Rameau. His exquisitely chosen repertoire is evidence of a highly selective and creative artist.

Multi Grammy Award nominee violinist Philippe Quint is internationally recognized for his unique and insightful approach to standard repertoire, championing and rediscovering neglected repertoire and embarking on imaginative, exciting journeys of explorations and collaborations with artists of different genres.

When South Korean singer Psy released Gangnam Style in 2012, the world was introduced to the infectiously catchy sound of Korean pop music, or K-Pop, as it’s known. But the world is discovering another extremely popular Korean musician, Yiruma, one whose musical style is quite distinct from K-Pop.

When Timothy Chooi won the Grand Prize at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Standard Life Competition in 2010, he was one of the youngest award winners. Chooi has won numerous major awards in the decade that followed, including the International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition in Hanover, the Prix Yves Paternot at Switzerland’s Verbier Festival, first prize at the Schadt Violin Competition in the United States, and second prize of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium.

Jocelyn Lightfoot recently took the helm of the London Chamber Orchestra, the UK’s oldest chamber orchestra. We spoke about her route into management, plans for the orchestra's 100th anniversary season, and her commitment to equality, inclusivity and diversity within the orchestra.

The rich legacy of the New York Philharmonic continues to this day under its current music director, Jaap van Zweden. As it emerges from the dark days of the pandemic, the orchestra’s commitment to making music of the highest quality is stronger than ever, as can be seen by its extraordinary schedule of concerts planned for the first half of 2022.

Isabel Leonard is a heralded regular at The Metropolitan Opera, one of the most in-demand opera singers with a string of accolades and awards. Here’s how she prepares for her leading roles at the world’s great opera houses.

My guest today on the Classical Post podcast is singer, cellist, and composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson who makes her debut at Madison Square Garden as part of Andrea Bocelli's US tour this December. I'm sure you realize the significance of someone debuting in front of a crowd that could be upwards of 20,000 people. It's an incredible feat.

“The flute is the true magical rod that changes all it touches in the inward world; an enchanter's wand at which the secret depths of the soul open,” so wrote the German Romantic author Jean Paul. As a child, Beomjae Kim fell under the flute’s spell, and like one of the children of Hamelin, he followed the instrument’s charming sound where it would lead. From his homeland of Korea to the United States, Kim has pursued his love of the flute, and, along the way, discovered another talent, painting. Now he is devoting more of his time to the visual arts, while keeping up a successful and rewarding career in music.