Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2026: The Winners

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

In this special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, we explore the full list of winners from this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Editor Martin Cullingford, Deputy Editor Tim Parry, Reviews Editor Gavin Dixon and Editor of Opera Now and Choir & Organ Hattie Butterworth talk through the Category Winners, the Special Awards, and of course the new Recording of the Year – complete with excerpts of every album.

Explore the awards issue available now.

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Apollo 5 on their new album 'Crossings'

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:46:37 +0000

Gus and Lily from Apollo 5 join Hattie in the Gramophone studio to discuss their new album, Crossings, out now on the Voces8 label. Mapping a musical journey across the centuries and ancient pilgrimage trail the Via Francigena, the album takes us from Morley's English madrigals to Italian Renaissance polyphony and new commissions from Francis Pott and Apollo 5 soprano, Penelope Appleyard.

This week's podcast is sponsored by Concerto Budapest. On 11 October at 19.30, you can watch Concerto Budapest live on Gramophone.co.uk from Budapest’s historic Liszt Academy, in a special concert celebrating György Kurtág in his centenary year. Conducted by András Keller, a former student and close musical collaborator of Kurtág, the concert pays tribute to one of Hungary’s greatest living composers.

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The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:11:15 +0000

In a special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford travelled to Bergen to spend time with our current Orchestra of the Year, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, as they come to end of their year as holder of that title. He talks to Chief Executive and Managing Director Sigurd Sverdrup Sandmo about the orchestra’s history and its place in regional and national life, and then meets its newly named Chief Conductor Designate, Tabita Berglund. Throughout you can enjoy music taken from the Orchestra’s acclaimed recordings on the Chandos and Lawo labels, as well as from their opening concert of the new season.

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Lukáš Vasilek on Honegger's Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:52:19 +0000

For this week's Gramophone Podcast, conductor Lukáš Vasilek joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his fascinating new recording with the Czech Philharmonic of Honegger's Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher - Joan of Arc at the Stake – newly released on the Animal Music label.

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Cellist Ben Michaels on commissioning music for cello

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Cellist Ben Michaels speaks to Hattie Butterworth about his new album on Delphian, 'for cello, by cellists'. Michaels speaks about commissioning cellist-composers, carving out a less typical career as a musician and the versatile identity of the cello.

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Roxanna Panufnik on 'Love Songs & Lullabies'

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:28:23 +0000

Roxanna Panufnik talks to Editor Martin Cullingford about her fascinating and moving new album of Love Songs and Lullabies, released on the Signum label, as well as about her approach to composing and creativity more widely.

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Conductor Philipp von Steinaecker on historically informed Mahler performance

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:24:45 +0000

The conductor Philipp von Steinaecker and the Mahler Academy Orchestra recorded Mahler’s Ninth Symphony in 2024 for Alpha Classics using instruments contemporary with the composer and employing historically informed performance practices. The recording attracted much attention and engaged a lot of music lovers’ imaginations. Now, the same performers have turned to the Fifth Symphony.

Gramophone’s James Jolly talked to Philipp von Steinaecker about his history with Mahler’s music and how the Mahler Academy Orchestra created its ‘Mahler sound’ both from its instruments and its pursuit of a performance practice that the composer might have recognised. (Conductor and orchestra are bringing Mahler’s Ninth Symphony to the BBC Proms on September 11.)

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The Gramophone Listening Room – Episode 4, with Freddie De Tommaso & Charlie Lovell-Jones

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:59:10 +0000

In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS Audio, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes tenor Freddie De Tommaso and violinist Charlie Lovell-Jones to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings.

Freddie De Tommaso is a familiar presence on the world's opera stages, not least London's Covent Garden. Known for his verismo roles, he is an exclusive recording artist with Decca Classics. Charlie Lovell-Jones is a violinist who, beyond his soloist career, is concertmaster of John Wilson's Sinfonia of London.

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Joby Talbot and Craig Hella Johnson on setting Octavio Paz’s poem ‘Piedra de sol’

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:58:29 +0000

In the latest edition of the Gramophone Podcast, composer Joby Talbot and the conductor of vocal ensemble Conspirare Craig Hella Johnson join Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about their fascinating collaboration: a setting of Mexican poet Octavio Paz's epic work, Piedra de sol, newly released on the Divine Art label.

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From the Archive: Charles Villiers Stanford – Exploring the composer's music with Jeremy Dibble

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:35:49 +0000

For this week’s Gramophone Podcast we dip into the archives and offer you another opportunity to hear a fascinating conversation about Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, the Anglo-Irish composer, teacher and conductor, the centenary of whose death fell in 2024.

The leading expert on the composer, Jeremy Dibble, joins Editor Martin Cullingford to mark the centenary year of Stanford's death. Though arguably still best known today for his church music, we discuss the full breadth of Stanford's works, including his symphonies, songs, chamber music and his operas – the latter a genre he was devoted to throughout his life.

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Pianist Bruce Liu on his moon-themes recital 'Lunaris'

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:15:24 +0000

Pianist Bruce Liu’s new album ‘Lunaris’ is just out from Deutsche Grammophon – it explores the cosmos, the moon and the stars through music, taking in music by Chopin, Beethoven, Scriabin, Mompou, Agnes Obel and others.

Gramophone’s James Jolly caught up with Bruce Liu in Canada earlier this year and, as well as talking about ‘Lunaris’, they discussed the aftermath of Bruce’s Chopin Competition win, and which of the Tchaikovsky piano concertos is his favourite.

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Gavin Higgins and Grace-Evangeline Mason on the Three Choirs Festival

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:39:56 +0000

Hattie Butterworth is joined by composers Gavin Higgins and Grace-Evangeline Mason to discuss the Three Choirs Associate Composer programme, the realities to life as a composer and writing choral music.

Explore the Three Choirs Festival here.

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The Gramophone Listening Room – Episode 3, with Thomas Dunford & Lucine Musaelian

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:03:26 +0000

In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS Audio, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes lutenist Thomas Dunford and viola da gamba player, singer and composer Lucine Musaelian to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings.

Thomas Dunford can only be described as prolific in the recording studio, whether it's with Les Arts Florissants or his own Jupiter ensemble, and Lucine Musaelian is a member of the Bellot Ensemble and Intesa duo, her debut album with the Bellot Ensemble, 'Cupid's Ground Bass', was described by William Yeoman in Gramophone as: 'an intimate theatre where all the colour and splendour of the Venetian opera is played out in microcosm.'

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Conductor Dalia Stasevska on her Ukrainian mixtape and the First Night of the Proms

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:39:46 +0000

This week’s guest is the Finnish-Ukrainian conductor Dalia Stasevska. Her new ‘Ukrainian Mixtape’, just out from Platoon, showcases four Ukrainian composers – Levko Kolodub, Borys Liatoshynsky, Fedir Yakymenko and Mykola Lysenko – for which she’s joined by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, of which she’s Principal Guest Conductor.

James Jolly spoke to her last week by Zoom from her home in Finland about the new album, but also about the First Night of the BBC Proms which finds her and the BBC Symphony Orchestra on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall.

You can catch Dalia Stasevska, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, at the First Night of the Proms in all the usual places – live at the Royal Albert Hall, and also on BBC Radio 3, BBC 2 TV and on the BBC iPlayer at 7pm on July 17.

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George Fu on Schubert and grief

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Pianist George Fu joins Hattie Butterworth to speak about his new album of Schubert and how the composer helped him through the loss of his father. They speak about the late sonatas and their complexities, as well as the emotions around recording well-known works. Elsewhere, Fu speaks about his collaboration with the soprano Lotte Betts Dean and the rewarding experience of coming together to record Einsamkeit.

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Peter Jablonski and Bomsori Kim on the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:22:09 +0000

The music of the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz is undergoing a long-overdue renaissance. Her output was extensive and extraordinarily rich, as both the pianist Peter Jablonski and the violinist Bomsori Kim have proved in their explorations of her work. To celebrate not only Bacewicz’s music but Polish music in general, Gramophone’s James Jolly spoke to Jablonski and Kim about their individual journeys through Poland's music.

The podcast episode it presented in association with the Polish Cultural Institute and PWM Edition, since 1945 Poland’s leading music publisher whose catalogue includes the complete works of Fryderyk Chopin, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Stanisław Moniuszko and Karol Szymanowski. It’s the house that published the first works of prominent Polish composers, Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutosławski and Henryk Górecki, and it’s home to many scores by Grażyna Bacewicz, Tadeusz Baird, Wojciech Kilar, and many composers of a younger generation.

Peter Jablonski, who records for Ondine, and Bomsori Kim, a DG artist, are PWM ambassadors.

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Conductor Teddy Abrams on championing new music in Louisville

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Back in 2012 Gramophone gave an award to a wonderful documentary called Music makes a City which tells the story of the Louisville Orchestra, its creation, and its early philosophy. This week’s guest, the conductor Teddy Abrams has been Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra since 2014 and has continued this fabled ensemble’s commitment to championing new music. To coincide with the release of new Pentatone album of music by Andrew Norman and Christopher Cerrone, Gramophone’s James Jolly spoke to Teddy Abrams about the orchestra and its unique history.

The new album contains Split, a piano concerto by Andrew Norman, for which the soloist is Jeffrey Kahane for whom the work was written and which he premiered with the New York Philharmonic back in 2015. Its partner, which also gives its name to the album is The Year of Silence by Christopher Cerrone, recorded here with Dashon Burton as narrator.

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Matilda Lloyd and Timothy Ridout: The Gramophone Listening Room, Episode 2

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:16:48 +0000

In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes trumpeter Matilda Lloyd and viola player Timothy Ridout to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings.

Timothy Ridout is a multiple Gramophone Award-winner whose recent album 'Alto Appassionato' (with pianist Jonathan Ware) was an Editor's Choice in the June issue of Gramophone. Matilda Lloyd is the Royal Philharmonic Society's Young Artist of the Year for 2026.

This podcast was made in partnership with dCS Audio

Explore the featured recordings on our website

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Mahan Esfahani on Bach's Keyboard Concertos

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:43:16 +0000

In this week's edition of the Gramophone Podcast, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani talks about his new recording of Bach's Complete Keyboard Concertos, newly released on the Hyperion label. Why were these pivotal works in the instrument's development written, and how might they have been performed? Esfahani explores these questions, along with many other fascinating topics surrounding the instrument, its repertoire and his own career, in the company of Editor Martin Cullingford.

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Klaus Tennstedt at 100: Edward Seckerson recalls a great conductor

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:45:00 +0000

The conductor Klaus Tennstedt was born on June 6, 1926. After his arrival from East Germany to the West, he held chief conductor posts with the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg (1979-81), and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (1983-87), with whom he recorded extensively, including a Mahler symphony cycle (of which No 8 won a Gramophone Award back in 1987).

To mark the anniversary Warner Classics has issued a 41-CD set of all of the conductor's EMI recordings. Additionally, there is a substantial Tennstedt catalogue on the LPO's own label as well as numerous off-air performances on YouTube and various other record labels.

A century on, we celebrate Tennstedt's artistry with a special Gramophone podcast in which the critic and broadcaster Edward Seckerson – who interviewed the conductor, attended recording sessions and heard him live many time – talks to James Jolly about what made him such an admired musician.

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Colin Matthews on his new album, 'Sea Scapes'

Fri, 29 May 2026 11:28:00 +0000

In this week's episode of the Gramophone podcast, the composer Colin Matthews joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new album of works for voice and ensemble, Sea Scapes, release on the Onyx label. They discuss the challenge of setting poetry, as well as the joy of working with such collaborators as soprano Claire Booth and conductor Jessica Cottis.

This podcast is in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Violinist Hugo Ticciati on O/Modernt's 'Milestones'

Fri, 22 May 2026 12:10:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast, Hugo Ticciati talks to Editor Martin Cullingford about the fascinating new album from his ensemble O/Modernt, released on the Signum label. Called Milestones, it marks 500 years since the death of Josquin, 50 since the death of Stravinsky, and 30 since that of Miles Davis, by exploring music from all three towering musical figures. Hugo Ticciati talks about the project, and about the unique Gramophone Award-winning group that has recorded it.

This podcast is in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Celebrating Wigmore Hall at 125 with Director John Gilhooly and author Julia Boyd

Fri, 15 May 2026 08:18:00 +0000

On May 31, 1901 London's Wigmore Hall (originally Bechstein Hall) opened its doors, and hosted its first concert. Among the performers were the great Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe and the Italian pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. Mrs Helen Trust, a much-admired English soprano, performed as did the baritone Raimund von Zur-Mühlen. Supporting the singers were Hamilton Harty and Victor Biegel.

To mark this auspicious anniversary, Wigmore Hall is holding a two-week festival from May 25 and, over 24 concerts, welcoming some of today's greatest musicians to perform, including Gramophone Award winners, singers Lise Davidsen, Asmik Grigorian, Carolyn Sampson, Ian Bostridge, Christian Gerhaher, pianists Thomas Adès, Yunchan Lim, Igor Levit, Alexandre Kantorow and Angela Hewitt, violinists Alina Ibragimova and Christian Tetzlaff, as well as numerous quartets and ensembles.

A new book also marks the anniversary, There is Sweet Music Here, The World of Wigmore Hall (Elliott & Thompson; £25) by Julia Boyd. James Jolly sat down with Wigmore Hall's Director John Gilhooly and Julia Boyd to reflect on the hall's 125 years but also to look to the future.

All the music in the podcast comes from the Wigmore Hall Live catalogue and includes performances by the Elias Quartet, Iestyn Davies with Richard Egarr and friends, Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson with Julius Drake, and Sir Thomas Allen with Malcolm Martineau.

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Helen Charlston on 'A Poet's Love'

Fri, 08 May 2026 13:15:00 +0000

In this episode of the Gramophone Podcast, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston speaks to Hattie Butterworht in Amsterdam during the run of Michel van der Aa's new opera Theory of Flames to discuss her latest album, A Poet's Love. Centred on Schumann's Dichterliebe, the recording places the celebrated song cycle alongside other works. Charlston reflects on recording such an iconic work, the shifting nature of interpretation, and the powerful interplay between poetry and musical storytelling.

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The Gramophone Listening Room, with Plínio Fernandes and Anastasia Kobekina

Fri, 01 May 2026 11:27:00 +0000

Today we launch a new edition to the Gramophone Podcasts, The Gramophone Listening Room, in which Charlotte Gardner invites two of today's finest young artists into the studio to explore some of the treasures of the recording archive, both recent and historic. Each chooses two recordings to share and discuss, after which Charlotte suggests a choice of her own for them to discover. Her inaugural guests are guitarist Plínio Fernandes and cellist Anastasia Kobekina, and after listening you can visit Gramophone's website to hear all the featured recordings for yourself.

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Barnabás Kelemen on celebrating the legacy of the Hungarian Violin School

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:12:00 +0000

Jack Pepper meets Festival Academy Budapest co-founder and Artistic Director Barnabás Kelemen to explore his upcoming concerto marathon, the gypsy violin tradition and a packed 2026 Summerfest

This podcast has been produced in association with the Festival Academy Budapest.

The World Should Know', The Festival Academy's Marathon Concert Series, takes place from May 1-3 at the Grand Hall of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest: https://fesztivalakademia.hu/en/let-the-world-know/

The Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition will be held from June 24 to July 5, while the Festival Academy Budapest's XI Summerfest runs from July 3-13: https://fesztivalakademia.hu/en/

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Conductor Kirill Karabits on Thomas de Hartmann's opera Esther

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:06:00 +0000

Kirill Karabits and the orchestra whose Principal Conductor he was for 15 years, the Bournemouth Symphony, have recorded the opera Esther by Thomas de Hartmann (1885-1956). Written in Paris during the last years of the Second World War, and completed in 1946, Esther is based on the play by Racine which in turn draws on the biblical Book of Esther and tells of Esther's intercession to her husband King Ahasuerus on behalf her fellow Jews living in Persia. The episode is celebrated in the Jewish holiday of Purim every spring.

Released by Pentatone, the opera features Corinne Winters in the title role, Yuriy Yurchuk sings Assuérus, Andrew Foster-Williams sings Mardochée and Bernard Richter is Aman. The Grange Festival Chorus join the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. James Jolly spoke to Kirill Karabits about the project recently when he was in the UK conducting the LPO.

Today's podcast is sponsored by Kirker Holidays, creators of short breaks and tailor-made holidays for curious, discerning travellers to cultural destinations throughout Europe and beyond. For more information or to speak to one of Kirker's expert human beings, call 020 7593 2283 or visit kirkerholidays.com. And Gramophone readers who book a Kirker holiday will receive a bottle of Pol Roger champagne with which to celebrate – make sure to mention Gramophone at the time of booking.

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Composer Rachel Portman on 30 years of 'Emma'

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:44:00 +0000

In this week's episode of the Gramophone podcast, Georgia Keeley speaks with composer Rachel Portman, marking 30 years since her Oscar-winning soundtrack for Emma (1996), and discussing her approach to writing music for film.

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Jordi Savall on Bach's St John Passion

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:17:00 +0000

In this week's episode of the Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by one of the most acclaimed figures of today's musical world, Jordi Savall, to talk about his new recording of Bach's St John Passion, recorded with La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Le Concert Des Nations, and released on the Alia Vox label.

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Soprano Elsa Dreisig on her opera and song recital 'Invocation'

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:15:00 +0000

The soprano, Elsa Dreisig, has just released a new Erato album, 'Invocation'. Joined by the Orchestra e Coro dell'Opera Carlo Felice Genova conducted by Massimo Zanetti, it gathers together arias by Dvořák, Janáček, Puccini, Verdi, Gounod, Wagner, Rossini, Flotow, Peter Heise, and Carolina Uccelli, as well as songs by Grieg, Amy Beach and Bizet, all with a unifying theme.

James Jolly talked to Elsa Dreisig in Naples, where she was in rehearsals for Puccini's La bohème in which she was singing the role of Mimì.

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Peter Whelan on Handel's Messiah

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:31:00 +0000

Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by Peter Whelan, the Artistic Director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra, to talk about his new recording on the Linn label of one of the great masterpieces of all choral music - Handel's Messiah. The world-famous oratorio was premiered in Dublin, where the ensemble is based, and so on this wonderful recording they've set out to recreate the atmosphere and experience of that very first occasion. Listen now to find out more about the story behind – and about Peter Whelan's lifelong relationship to – this remarkable work.

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Nico Muhly and Peter Phillips on their new album 'No Resting Place'

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:55:00 +0000

For this week's episode, the composer Nico Muhly and the founder of the Tallis Scholars Peter Phillips join the Gramophone Podcast to talk to Editor Martin Cullingford about their beautiful new release 'No Resting Place', released on Linn Records and an Editor's Choice in the April edition of Gramophone. Reflecting on more than a decade of collaboration, they talk about how they developed a remarkable understanding of each other's creativity, and also recount the story behind the album's powerful works.

This podcast is in association with REMA/Early Music Day

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Sir Mark Elder and Huw Watkins on their new Hallé recording

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:25:00 +0000

In this week's edition of the Gramophone Podcast Editor Martin Cullingford was joined by conductor Sir Mark Elder and composer Huw Watkins to talk about the Hallé's new recording of Watkins's orchestral music, featuring his Symphony No 2, Concerto for Orchestra and Fanfare, all written specially for the Manchester ensemble.

This podcast is in association with REMA/Early Music Day

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Elektra: Edward Gardner on Strauss's opera

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:46:00 +0000

For this episode, we're joined by conductor Edward Gardner, who talks to Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford about his new recording of Richard Strauss's opera Elektra, which is newly released on the Chandos label. Recorded by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, and with an impressive cast led by Iréne Theorin in the title role, Gardner talks us through what it takes to bring this extraordinarily dramatic work to the stage - and to life.

This podcast is in association with REMA/Early Music Day

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Pianist Alexander Malofeev on his debut solo album, 'Forgotten Melodies'

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:44:00 +0000

The young Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev has just released his first album for Sony Classical. 'Forgotten Melodies' takes its name from the work by Nikolai Medtner which appears on the recording, alongside pieces by Glinka, Rachmaninov and Glazunov. The theme that links all four composers is that they were all born in Russia, but died far from their country of birth. As well as Medtner's substantial work, Malofeev also plays Rachmaninov's Second Piano Sonata in its 1931 revised version.

James Jolly caught up with Alexander Malofeev in Paris when the pianist was there as part of short European solo tour to talk about the new album, his repertoire and jumping in to replace Martha Argerich on a tour with the Rotterdam Philharmonic.

This podcast is in association with REMA/Early Music Day

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Martin James Bartlett on his new album of Bach, Mozart and Britten

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:14:00 +0000

In this week's episode of the Gramophone Podcast, editor Martin Cullingford is joined by pianist Martin James Bartlett to discuss his new recording of the music of Bach, Britten and Mozart, available on the Warner Classics label from February the 27th. Bartlett reflects on the artistic ideas that shaped this programming.

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Pianist Imogen Cooper looks back on her recording career

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:03:00 +0000

The celebrated pianist Dame Imogen Cooper recently announced that the coming year will be her last of public performances. To mark the occasion - and the release of her new album of late Beethoven sonatas on the Chandos label - Editor Martin Cullingford welcomed her on to the Gramophone Podcast, and invited her to select a number of her recordings that have meant the most to her.

This podcast is in association with REMA/Early Music Day

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Joyce DiDonato and Time for Three on Emily: No Prisoner Be

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Kevin Puts' newest song cycle sets Emily Dickinson's poetry for mezzo and three instrumentalists. Hattie Butterworth speaks to Joyce DiDonato and ensemble Time for Three about this unique collaboration and recording, 'Emily: No Prisoner Be'

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Soprano Adriana González on her album 'Rondos for Adriana'

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:49:00 +0000

The soprano Adriana González has just released a new Audax album, 'Rondos for Adriana', inspired by her namesake, the Italian 18th-century diva Adriana Ferrarese del Bene. Ferrarese was Mozart's first Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and she sang Susanna in the Viennese revival of Le nozze di Figaro in 1789.

Joined by Ensemble Diderot (led by Johannes Pramsohler, who also plays a couple of rondos for violin and orchestra), conducted by Iñaki Encina Oyon, Adriana González performs arias and rondos by Vicente Martín y Soler, Angelo Tarchi, Ferdinando Gaspari Bertoni, Giuseppe Giordani, Pasquale Anfossi and Joseph Weigl.

James Jolly caught up with Adriana González in Vienna while she was rehearsing for her debut at the Staatsoper as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro.

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ARC Ensemble's Simon Wynberg on their Music in Exile series for Chandos

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 07:21:00 +0000

Toronto's ARC Ensemble have been exploring the music of composers forced to flee their homeland by the Nazis. The most recent release in Chandos's Music in Exile series – of music by Ernest Kanitz (1894-1978) – drew an enthusiastic welcome by Gramophone's critic Richard Bratby, a review that closed with the hope that 'there's more Kanitz to come'.

James Jolly spoke by Zoom to the ARC Ensemble's Artistic Director Simon Wynberg about the musicians of the Ensemble and the music that animates this important recording project, bringing this often totally forgotten music back to life – and also about their forthcoming visit to London's Wigmore Hall for a day of concerts on February 1.

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William Vann on Elgar's choral music

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:16:00 +0000

This month's Gramophone Podcast sees Editor Martin Cullingford joined by William Vann, Director of the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, to talk about his new album of choral music by Elgar: Light out of Darkness, released on Somm Recordings. The wonderfully-chosen selection of music spans the composer's career, and even includes five premiere recordings.

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Marina Rebeka and Edgardo Vertanessian on their record label, Prima Classic

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:31:00 +0000

The soprano Marina Rebeka and her husband, the sound engineer Edgardo Vertanessian, founded their record label, Prima Classic in 2018, and in the years since have built up an impressive catalogue. To coincide with the release of their latest project, Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, recorded live in Naples, they talk to Gramophone's James Jolly about what inspired them to create the label and how they approach developing their catalogue.

This podcast was made in association with Prima Classic, and all the music included in the podcast comes fom the Prima Classic catalogue.

The new recording of Simon Boccanegra features Ludovic Tézier in the title role, Marina Rebeka as Amelia Grimaldi, Francesco Melli as Gabriele Adorno, Michele Pertusi as Jacopo Fiesco, Mattia Olivieri as Paolo, and Andrea Pellegrini as Pietro with the Chorus and Orchestra of Naples's Teatro San Carlo conducted by Michele Spotti.

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Exploring Beethoven

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 09:29:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast, the last of 2025, we explore the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Editor Emeritus James Jolly talks to Richard Wigmore – a long-standing contributor to our pages, and an expert on the music of the classical and early romantic periods – about this musical Titan. They discuss Beethoven's transformative role, through the three periods that have been applied to his creative life, in expanding the range, scale and ambition of pretty well every genre he tackled, from the symphonies and concertos, via his piano sonatas and chamber music, to his opera and choral works.

All the music on this podcast comes from the Sony Classical catalogue, including the Gramophone Award-winning sets of the complete piano sonatas and the Diabelli Variations played by Igor Levit, as well as the symphonies from Antonello Manacorda and Kammerakademie Potsdam, Murray Perahia with members of the English Chamber Orchestra and the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Bernard Haitink, the Juilliard Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax, Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber, and, in Fidelio, Jeanine Altmeyer and Siegfried Jerusalem with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester and Kurt Masur. All Sony Classical recordings.

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Critics Choice 2025

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 11:33:00 +0000

As another year of preparing and publishing many hundreds of reviews draws to a close, the three team members most involved - Reviews Editor Gavin Dixon, Deputy Editor Tim Parry, and Editor and Publisher Martin Cullingford - take time out to discuss what lies behind the process, and how we decide which albums are named Gramophone Editor's Choices. And, after that, they celebrate their own personal pick of the year, explaining which recording they chose for our annual Critics' Choice feature, and why it so impressed and inspired them.

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Remembering Alfred Brendel, with his son Adrian Brendel

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:21:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast we remember Alfred Brendel, one of the most significant and much-loved musical figures of age, in the company of his son, the cellist Adrian Brendel, who takes Editor Martin Cullingford around the pianist's library and studio and reflects on what his books, art and belongings tell us about him. He also talks about a very special event on January 5, at the Barbican in London, at which fellow artists and friends of Alfred Brendel will gather for a remarkable evening of music, to celebrate his life and also raise money for a cause very close to his heart.

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Christophe Rousset on Charpentier's Christmas music

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:18:00 +0000

In this week's edition of of the Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by the conductor and harpsichordist Christophe Rousset to talk about his new album of Christmas music by the 17th century composer Charpentier - called a Baroque Christmas - recorded with the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, and released on the ensemble's own label, Soli Deo Gloria.

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Thomas Adès and the Ruisi Quartet on their new recording, Növények

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 17:12:00 +0000

We're joined for this week's Gramophone Podcast by composer Thomas Adès and two members of the Ruisi Quartet, violinist Alessandro Ruisi and viola player Luba Tunnicliffe, to talk about their recording of Növények, Adès's setting of seven Hungarian poems for mezzo-soprano and piano sextet. They explore this fascinating work with Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford, which is newly released on the Platoon label along with Haydn's String Quartet in G Minor Op 20, No 3, and an arrangement of A legszebb Virág by Ligeti.

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Samantha Ege and Leah Broad on Avril Coleridge-Taylor

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 16:11:00 +0000

Hattie Butterworth is joined by pianist and historian Samantha Ege and author Leah Broad to discuss the life and music of composer Avril Coleridge-Taylor as the first recording of her orchestral music and piano concerto is released on Resonus

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Conductor Klaus Mäkelä on performing Mahler's Eighth at the 2025 Mahler Festival

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 17:32:00 +0000

In May this year, the Concertgebouw – Amsterdam's legendary concert hall – played host to the 2025 Mahler Festival. Originally scheduled for 2000, the centenary of the first such event, but moved back by five years due to the pandemic, the Mahler Festival saw all of Mahler's symphonies performed chronologically over two weeks, and performed by a handful of the world's great orchestras. The Eighth Symphony fell to the local band, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and their Chief Conductor Designate, Klaus Mäkelä, who gave two performances, both of which were recorded. And that recording has just been released by Decca – digitally worldwide, with a CD version available in Japan and Korea to coincide with the orchestra's first tour of Asia with Mäkelä before Christmas.

James Jolly caught up with Klaus Mäkelä to talk about the conductor's continuing fascination with Mahler's music, and particularly with the Eighth Symphony, the performances of which were clearly a highpoint in the conductor's career so far.

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Pianist Mao Fujita on concluding his preludes project

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:54:00 +0000

Mao Fujita, who took second prize in the Piano category at the 2019 Tchaikovsky Competition, released an album on Sony Classical of 72 preludes back in the autumn of 2024 – the three sets of 24 by Chopin, Scriabin and Akio Yashiro. Now as a pendant to that project he has recorded another six, by Ravel, Rachmaninov, Mompou, Franck, Busoni and Alkan. These have been issued individually over the past couple of months, and on November 28 they are all gathered together as an EP.

James Jolly caught up with Mao Fujita in the summer at the Verbier Festival and spoke to him about the 72 preludes album, the new six preludes, and his plans for the future.

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Composer and author Robin Holloway on celebrating 900 years of classical music

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:37:00 +0000

The composer, academic and writer Robin Holloway has just published a new book, Music's Odyssey, An Invitation to Western Classical Music (Allen Lane). He's Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge, where James Jolly went to visit him a couple of weeks ago to talk about the book's genesis and aims.

The podcast features an excerpt from Holloway's Second Concerto for Orchestra played by the BBC SO conducted by Oliver Knussen on NMC which won Gramophone's Contemporary Music Award in 1994, and also one from Hans Werner Henze's Undine, played by the London Sinfonietta, also conducted by Oliver Knussen on DG.

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Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky on his new album 'Gelosia!'

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:19:00 +0000

The French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky has just released a new Erato album of cantatas da camera by Alessandro Scarlatti, Porpora, Galuppi, Handel and Vivaldi, 'Gelosia!'. On it he also conducts his ensemble Artaserse, which he founded in 2002, and with which he increasingly appears solely as conductor rather than as singer.

Gramophone's James Jolly went to talk to him in Paris about the new album, but also about a major milestone in his musical career, 25 years of making recordings for Erato.

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The Hermes Experiment on their new album, Tree

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:34:00 +0000

The Hermes Experiment - an ever-innovative, exploratory and imaginative ensemble - have released their new album, Tree, a meditation on nature, memory and change embracing contemporary composers and reimagined music from the past. Two members of the group, soprano Héloïse Werner and clarinetist Oliver Pashley - who also both have compositions on the album - joined Editor Martin Cullingford in the Gramophone Podcast studio to discuss this beautiful release.

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Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2025: The Winners

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:54:00 +0000

In this special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, we explore the full list of winners from this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Editor Emeritus James Jolly, Editor Martin Cullingford, Deputy Editor Tim Parry and Editor of Opera Now and Choir & Organ Hattie Butterworth talk through the Category Winners, the Special Awards, and of course the new Recording of the Year – complete with excerpts of every album.

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Maxim Emelyanychev on Mozart's symphonies

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:52:00 +0000

For this week's Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford travelled to Padua to talk to Maxim Emelyanychev, Chief Conductor of Il Pomo d'Oro, about recording Mozart symphonies - and specially their latest release of Symphonies Nos 35 and 36, and Violin Concerto No 3 - on period instruments for the Aparté label.

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Tine Thing Helseth on Echoes, her new album of trumpet concertos

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 22:48:00 +0000

This week's guest on the Gramophone Podcast is trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth, who talks to Editor Martin Cullingford about her new recording on the Lawo label. Called 'Echoes', it features works by Arutiunian, Penderecki and Weinberg - she talks about the album, as well as her wider work championing her instrument and its repertoire.

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Ian Page on the music of Gluck

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 17:33:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast, the conductor Ian Page joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about the music of the 18th-century composer Gluck, setting him in the context of musical developments of his time. The conversation marks the release of the new album from his ensemble The Mozartists - a recording of arias from Gluck operas, sung by Ann Hallenberg, and newly released on Signum Classics.

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Anastasia Kobekina on Bach's Cello Suites | Gramophone Podcast

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast, cellist Anastasia Kobekina talks about her new recording of one of the most revered series of works for her instrument - Bach's Solo Cello Suites. While the album isn't released by Sony Classical until next Friday (September 26), three movements are already available as singles, and in this side ranging conversation with Editor Martin Cullingford Kobekina talks about interpreting music from the Baroque through to the present day.

The Gramophone Podcast will now be included in The British Library Sound Archive, catalogued and preserved for future generations as part of the nation's audio and cultural heritage.

Gramophone Magazine is a leading monthly publication for classical music, offering expert reviews, in-depth interviews, and industry insights. Available in print and online, it connects enthusiasts with the best recordings, artists, and trends in classical music worldwide.

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Composer John Rutter: a birthday conversation

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:44:00 +0000

One of the most-performed composers of our time, Sir John Rutter, celebrates his 80th birthday on September 24. To mark the occasion Harmonia Mundi has released an album of his choral music sung by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, directed by Graham Ross – 'John Rutter: A Clare College Celebration'. And next week Decca releases an all-orchestral collection, 'Reflections', that includes a performance of Rutter's piano concerto, which gives the album its title. Rutter himself conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Steven Osborne the piano soloist.

James Jolly went to visit Sir John at his home to talk about the new releases but also reflect on his long association with Clare College, and much else.

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Rowan Pierce on recording Bach, Handel and Vivaldi | Gramophone Podcast

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Soprano Rowan Pierce joins Jonathan Whiting to reflect on the intimacy of making chamber-scale Baroque music without a conductor, the challenges of Bach's expansive recitatives, and the almost operatic drama of Handel's 'Tra le fiamme'. She also speaks about her long collaboration with Ashley Solomon, the ensemble's director, and about finding new colours and meaning in these works – music that, though written three centuries ago, resonates with striking relevance today.

We were also incredibly honoured to recently learn that the Gramophone Magazine Podcast will now be included in The British Library Sound Archive, catalogued and preserved for future generations as part of the nation's audio and cultural heritage.

To hear other Gramophone podcasts, or to subscribe for free to new editions, search for 'Gramophone' in your Podcast App of choice, or visit Gramophone's page on Apple or Spotify.

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Composer Jake Heggie on 25 years of writing operas

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:09:00 +0000

Composer jake Heggie joins Hattie Butterworth to speak about the recording release of 'Intelligence', an opera premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 2023 and out now on the LSO Live label. They also look back on 25 years since Heggie's first opera 'Dead Man Walking' was premiered and ahead to a new production of the work at English National Opera in November

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Cellist Alisa Weilerstein on recording new concertos by Gabriela Ortiz and Richard Blackford

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 08:37:00 +0000

During the 2024-25 season, Alisa Weilerstein premiered three new cello concertos – Richard Blackford's The Recovery of Paradise (which she has recorded for Pentatone with the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Tomáš Netopil), Gabriela Ortiz's Dzonot (recorded for Platoon with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel) and Thomas Larcher's Returning into Darkness (premiered with the New York Philharmonic).

James Jolly caught up with Alisa to talk about the two new recordings and also hear about her Fragments project that she's bringing to London as part of a South Bank Centre residency later this year.

The Gramophone Podcast will now be included in The British Library Sound Archive, catalogued and preserved for future generations as part of the nation's audio and cultural heritage.

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The Dover Quartet on recording Woodland Songs | Gramophone Podcast

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:34:00 +0000

Joel and Camden from the Dover Quartet meet Hattie Butterworth in Philadelphia to discuss their latest album, Woodland Songs, which places the music of Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate and Pura Fé alongside the Dvorak 'American' String Quartet in F Major. Though vastly different works in style, expression, and historical context, they share the common influence of music native to North America.

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Mandolinist Avi Avital on his new album 'Song of the Birds' | Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 09:28:00 +0000

The mandolin player Avi Avital, with his ensemble Between Worlds, has just released a new DG album 'Song of the Birds' which crosses boundaries to explore the musics of three geographical regions – Iberia, southern Italy (Puglia) and the Black Sea – with vivid results. For this week's Gramophone Podcast, James Jolly caught up Avi Avital while he was on tour in Northern Germany to talk about the new album.

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Live from 2025 Three Choirs Festival

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:26:00 +0000

Join Hattie at the 2025 Three Choirs Festival in Hereford as she speaks to performers, composers, clergy and audience members to discover what makes the festival such a place of pilgrimage 300 years since its foundation

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Cellist Guy Johnston on the Bliss Cello Concerto | Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Guy Johnston joins Hattie Butterworth to discuss his latest recording of the Arthur Bliss Cello Concerto with Andrew Manze and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

A technical mine field, the concerto was written for the great cellist Rostropovich and premiered with Benjamin Britten conducting at the 1970 Aldeburgh Festival. Guy also speaks about his dedication to pedagogy and gives details of more upcoming English cello recordings he has in the pipeline.

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2025 BBC Proms: Our Top Picks | Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 06:30:00 +0000

As the 2025 BBC Proms season gets underway, Martin Cullingford is joined by Tim Parry and Hattie Butterworth select their top picks. From Rachmaninov with Yunchan Lim and the UK premiere of Anna Thorvaldsdottir's Cello Concerto to a late-night tribute to Arvo Pärt and a rare performance of Delius's A Mass of Life, the team reflects on the Proms's cultural significance, its breadth of programming, and the enduring tradition of live music at the Royal Albert Hall.

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Julian Bream: an archive interview from 2013 with the great guitarist

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:32:00 +0000

We're today continuing the theme set by last week's edition, in which we marked the 500th episode of the Gramophone Classical Music podcast by looking back over some of our most memorable interviews and episodes. The interview Editor Martin Cullingford chose to reflect on was a conversation he had with the guitarist Julian Bream all the way back in 2013, to mark his 80th birthday and also the fact that Gramophone had honoured him with our Lifetime Achievement Award. So here, for this week's podcast, we offer a retrospective edition - and a chance to hear at full length that earlier episode.

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Music and conversation: 500 episodes of the Gramophone Podcast

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 11:04:00 +0000

Earlier this year the Gramophone Podcast passed 1 million downloads. Now we've reached another milestone: our 500th episode. Launched before podcasting's current popularity, the series steadily built a following, which grew substantially once we adopted a weekly schedule and set formats.

Those formats include: interviews with major artists on new albums; in-depth composer discussions; reflections with senior musical figures; and conversations with a new generation of musicians rethinking the artist's role today.

In a special celebratory edition, James Jolly, Martin Cullingford, Tim Parry and Hattie Butterworth each choose a standout: Julian Bream on a life in music; William Christie on Mondonville; Richard Wigmore on the enduring brilliance of Schubert and Fatma Said on collaboration.

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Orchestra of the Year 2025: exploring this year's nominees

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:13:00 +0000

Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford speaks to James Jolly about the 2025 Orchestra of the Year nominated orchestras, discussing the impact each of them has made to recordings and the wider musical landscape

To vote for Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year 2025, head to gramophone.co.uk/vote25

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Conductor John Andrews on recording The Seal Woman

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Conductor John Andrews joins Hattie Butterworth to speak about the debut recording of Sir Granville Bantock and Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's folk opera, The Seal Woman. They explore the folk song collecting of Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, as well as Andrews's commitment to uncovering lesser-known repertoire

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Mezzo Kitty Whately on unknown French song

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Kitty Whately joins Hattie Butterworth to discuss her new album on Chandos with pianist Edwige Herchenroder titled Horizons: French Melodies. They also explore the historic erasure of women composers, as well as Kitty's ongoing advocacy and research

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20 Years of VOCES8 with co-founders Paul & Barnaby Smith and soprano Andrea Haines

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 09:50:00 +0000

The vocal ensemble VOCES8 are marking their 20th anniversay with a new release – out today – celebrating the full breadth of their creativity, and an exciting season of concerts. Editor Martin Cullingford sat down with three of the key figures behind this most innovative of ensembles – the co-founders Barnaby Smith, Artistic Director, and Paul Smith, CEO, and soprano and long-standing member of the group Andrea Haines – to look back over 20 years of creativity and achievement, and forward to the future.

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Conductor Andris Nelsons on the influence of Shostakovich

Fri, 30 May 2025 14:34:00 +0000

This week's Gramophone podcast is a special focus on one of the most significant of 20th century composers, Dimitri Shostakovich, the 50th anniversary of whose death we mark this year. As our guide to his music we're privileged to have conductor Andris Nelsons, who, together with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has just reached the end of a journey through all his symphonies, plus the concertos for cello, piano and violin, all recently released by Deutsch Grammophon.

Across half an hour of fascinating insight, he tells Editor Martin Cullingford about how he responds to Shostakovich's music and life, and about what makes the composer's music so distinct, and so remarkable.

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Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau at 100: Richard Wigmore discusses the great baritone's Winterreise recordings

Fri, 23 May 2025 08:12:00 +0000

The German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's 100th birthday falls on May 28. One of the most versatile singers of the last century – his operatic repertoire alone ranged from Gluck, Handel and Mozart via Verdi, Wagner and Richard Strauss to Berg, Busoni and Reimann – it's his devotion to song that remains his lasting legacy. To mark the anniversary of Fischer-Dieskau's birth, Gramophone's James Jolly spoke to song specialist and author of Schubert: The Complete Song Texts (Schirmer: 1988), Richard Wigmore.

They focused on Fischer-Dieskau's audio recordings of Schubert's greatest song-cycle Winterreise (1828) which include three with Gerald Moore, as well as versions with Klaus Billing, Hermann Reuter, Daniel Barenboim, Jörg Demus, Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia and Maurizio Pollini.

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Masaaki and Masato Suzuki on Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem

Fri, 16 May 2025 14:33:00 +0000

In this week's episode, Editor Martin Cullingford met with the founder and Music Director of Bach Collegium Japan Masaaki Suzuki, along with the group's Principal Conductor Masato Suzuki, to talk about their new recording of Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem, available now on BIS – as well as discussing Bach's St John Passion, which they had performed the day prior to the interview. The interview took place last year in, appropriately enough, London's Japan House.

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Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin on returning to Scriabin's music

Fri, 09 May 2025 08:23:00 +0000

In 2007, Yevgeny Sudbin released an album of music by Alexander Scriabin. Reviewing it in Gramophone, Bryce Morrison described it as a 'disc in a million'. Now, Sudbin has returned to the composer for his 25th recording for BIS, and offers a wide-ranging survey of music that includes two more of the piano sonatas.

James Jolly caught up with Yevgeny Sudbin recently to talk about his relationship with the composer and his unique musical world.

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Kahchun Wong on The Hallé and Bruckner's Ninth

Fri, 02 May 2025 13:48:00 +0000

In this week's episode of the Gramophone Classical Music Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by the Principal Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, Kahchun Wong, to talk about the orchestra's relationship with its home city, Manchester, and their new recording of Bruckner's Symphony No 9.

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Cellist Zlatomir Fung on his debut recording of opera fantasies

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 09:31:00 +0000

Zlatomir Fung won the Cello category of the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition, and also has an enviable collection of other cello awards and prizes to his name. He was a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship Winner in 2022 and was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2020.

His debut recording, 'Fantasies', is just out from Signum and on it he explores, with his pianist Richard Fu, a very specific genre, the virtuoso fantasy based on popular operas of the day. And Zlatomir has contributed his own fantasy based on Janáček's Jenůfa.

James Jolly went to talk to him at Henry Wood Hall in London earlier this year just before a rehearsal with the London Philharmonic with whom he was performing a couple of concerts.

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Conductor Alan Gilbert on Brahms and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 09:09:00 +0000

Alan Gilbert is Chief Conductor of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, as well as Music Director of the Royal Swedish Opera. Gramophone's James Jolly caught up with him during a run of Wagner's Die Walküre in Stockholm, where he lives.

They talked about his Hamburg-based orchestra, the role today of a radio orchestra and also about the work orchestra and conductor have just released (on the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester label to stream and download), Brahms's Third Symphony.

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Leif Ove Andsnes on Liszt's Via Crucis

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 09:47:00 +0000

In this episode, Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford talks to pianist Leif Ove Andsnes about his new recording on Sony Classical of the extraordinary work Via Crucis by Franz Liszt, the composer's deeply spiritual meditations on the Stations of the Cross, released just before the start of Holy Week.

This week's podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall, where performers over the coming week include two performances by the former Gramophone Artist of the Year, pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, conductor William Christie with the ensemble that he founded, Les Arts Florissants, and the Chiaroscuro Quartet. For full details of these concerts, and many more, visit https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk

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Jessica Duchen on the life of pianist Myra Hess

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:17:00 +0000

This week journalist and author Jessica Duchen joins Holly Baker to talk about her new book Myra Hess - National Treasure, which is out now on Kahn & Averill.

Extracts of music on the podcast come from the album 'Myra Hess - The complete solo and concerto studio recordings' on APR Records

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James Ehnes on Bach's complete violin concertos

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:10:00 +0000

This week violinist James Ehnes joins the Gramophone Podcast to talk about his new recording of Bach's complete violin concertos, recorded with Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra, and released on the Analeketa label.

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Attacca Quartet on Ravel and relationships

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:22:00 +0000

The two-time Grammy Award-winning Attacca Quartet has seen stratospheric success in recent years across new and popular music collaborations. Hattie Butterworth meets the group as their debut album with Platoon of Ravel's String Quartet is released.

Music clips:

Ravel String Quartet – Platoon PLAT26294

Entr'acte by Caroline Shaw from Orange – Nonesuch 7559792609

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Anna Dennis and Julian Perkins on John Weldon's The Judgment of Paris

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 22:44:00 +0000

John Weldon, born in 1676, was an English composer and pupil of Henry Purcell. Keyboardist Julian Perkins and soprano Anna Dennis join Hattie Butterworth to discuss the world premiere recording of Weldon's opera 'The Judgment of Paris', recorded by the Academy of Ancient Music and Cambridge Handel Opera

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Pianist Bertrand Chamayou on his 'Ravel Fragments' album

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 09:49:00 +0000

Maurice Ravel was born 150 years ago, on March 7, 1875, and he is the subject of numerous tributes this season. Bertrand Chamayou recorded the complete piano works ten years ago for Erato ('No one who loves French music or exquisite piano-playing will want to miss this' wrote Patrick Rucker in Gramophone), a set that incidentally has just been released on LP. So, by way of a supplement, he has curated a programme that weaves a handful of Ravel transcriptions together with tributes and memorials by other composers.

James Jolly went to visit Bertrand at his home in Paris this week to talk about the new album, but also to discuss Ravel's place in the pianist's repertoire.

This Gramophone Podcast is given in association with Wigmore Hall

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Ian Bostridge and Saskia Georgini on Schumann songs

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:40:00 +0000

Tenor Ian Bostridge and pianist Saskia Georgini join Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford this week to talk about their new album of Schumann Songs, Twilight, released on the Pentatone label.

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Nevermind on Bach's Goldberg Variations

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 18:58:00 +0000

For this edition of the Gramophone Podcast Editor Martin Cullingford was joined by three of the four members of the French ensemble Nevermind - flute player Anna Besson, viola da gamba player Robin Pharo and harpsichordist Jean Rondeau - to talk about the group's new creative exploration of Bach's Goldberg Variations, newly released on the Alpha label.

This Gramophone Podcast is given in association with Wigmore Hall

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Baritone Benjamin Appl on his collaboration with György Kurtág

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 08:14:00 +0000

The baritone Benjamin Appl has recorded an album for Alpha that combines the music of György Kurtág with that of Franz Schubert. 'Lines of Life: Schubert & Kurtág' is the result of a long process that started with Kurtág choosing the singer for this unique project and working with him on the music, and finally producing the recording - and even playing the piano for Appl in two songs that close the programme.

James Jolly met up with Benjamin Appl – a former Gramophone Young Artist of the Year – to talk about the album, but also about another recording that's on the horizon, his tribute to his teacher, and one of the great Lieder singers of the post-war period, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the 100th anniversary of whose birth falls in May.

This Gramophone Podcast is given in association with Wigmore Hall

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María Dueñas on Paganini's Caprices

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:51:00 +0000

For this week's Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford talked to violinist María Dueñas to talk about her wonderful new album of Paganini's 24 Caprices - as well as works by successors who were influenced by the style - which is available now on Deutsche Grammophon.

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Pianist Samson Tsoy on his debut solo album, 'Inmost Heart'

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:42:00 +0000

The pianist Samson Tsoy makes his solo debut on record with an album for Linn, 'Inmost Heart'. Built around Brahms's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, the programme explores Brahms's fascination with the Baroque, but also how his music was later transcribed by Reger and Busoni.

This Gramophone Podcast is given in association with Wigmore Hall

James Jolly visited Samson at his North London home to talk about the new album, his journey from Kazakhstan to London via Moscow, and how he plans to incorporate music from the album into his concert programmes.

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Fatma Said on lieder and friendship

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 23:05:00 +0000

Soprano Fatma Said shares the closeness she feels to the world of lieder and how this has lead to her latest album on Warner Classics. She speaks to Hattie Butterworth about the element of friendship within a musicians' professional and personal life, as well as her creative decisions throughout the album to include a number of pianists and instrumentalists, and even a male voice choir

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Pianist Dmitry Masleev on his Dies irae-themed Liszt & Rachmaninov album

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:11:00 +0000

Dmitry Masleev took first prize in the Piano category of the 2015 Tchaikovsky International Competition and since then has released a number of recordings. The latest, from Aparté, is a concertante collection of Liszt's Totentanz, his Rhapsodie espagnole (in a version for piano and orchestra made by Masleev's professor at the Moscow Conservatoire, Mikhail Petukhov) and Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. He was joined by the Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra.

James Jolly, who first met Masleev during the 2019 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, caught up with him again to talk about how the competition changed the course of his career, the new album and how the Dies irae theme infuses so many great classical works.

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Seong-Jin Cho on Ravel's piano music

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 08:09:00 +0000

Seong-Jin Cho, the 30-year-old pianist and winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, has been entrusted by Deutsche Grammophon to spearhead the company's celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great French composer, Maurice Ravel.

The first release, out on January 17, contains the complete solo piano works, and the second, due on February 21, is of the two piano concertos (a live recording with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons).

Gramophone's James Jolly caught up with Seong-Jin Cho just after the pianist had performed the complete solo works in a single evening in Liechtenstein to talk about Ravel's important contribution to the piano repertoire.

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James McVinnie on his new album, Dreamcatcher

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:25:00 +0000

Organist and pianist James McVinnie's new album 'Dreamcatcher' is a beautiful series of works by contemporary composers including Nico Muhly, John Adams, Giles Swayne, Gabriella Smith, Meredith Monk and others, all based around ideas of imagining – be that to do with memory, architecture, musical form or social justice. He joins Editor Martin Cullingford in this week's Podcast to talk through the programme, and about the sound world he's created for this captivating recording. 'Dreamcatcher' is available on the Pentatone label from next Friday, January 17.

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Pianists Yevgeny Sudbin and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet in conversation with James Jolly

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 08:07:00 +0000

Last August Gramophone's James Jolly travelled to Montana in the USA, to sample the musical, artistic and architectural wonders of Tippet Rise, an arts centre created by Peter and Cathy Halstead on a 12,000 acre working ranch. As well as possesssing a wonderful concert hall, Tippet Rise also plays host to numerous large sculptures, some of which can also be used as performance spaces. And for a number of weekends each year musicians from all over the world come to perform at Tippet Rise.

In 2024, pianists Yevgeny Sudbin and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet were among the performers and James took the opportunity, made considerably easier by Tippet Rise's state-of-the-art recording facilities, to sit down with them to talk about pianos, recording, repertoire and the place in which they all found ourselves …

The photograph was taken in The Olivier Music Barn, Tippet Rise's concert hall, in front of Mark di Suvero's painting Seminal (1978-82, acrylic on linen).

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Charles Villiers Stanford: Jeremy Dibble on the composer's music

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:35:00 +0000

In a special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, we explore the music of Charles Villiers Stanford with the leading expert on the composer, Jeremy Dibble, who joins Editor Martin Cullingford to mark the centenary year of Stanford's death. Though arguably still best known today for his church music, we discuss the full breadth of Stanford's works, including his symphonies, songs, chamber music, and his operas - the latter a genre he was devoted to throughout his life.

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Conductor William Christie: An 80th birthday conversation

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:37:00 +0000

William Christie, the founder - and guiding spirit for the past 45 years – of Les Arts Florissants, celebrates his 80th birthday on December 19.

Gramophone's James Jolly went to visit him at home in Paris to talk about his long career and its colossal impact of the rediscovery of the music of his adopted homeland. Since leaving the USA in the early 1970s and settling in France, Christie has been a major figure both in concert and on record (with a clutch of Gramophone Awards to his name), focusing on music of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Their conversation ranged widely taking in memories of the harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick, the countertenor Alfred Deller, the founder of Harmonia Mundi Bernard Coutaz, and many others.

Musical excerpts are from from his Harmonia Mundi catalogue, including his latest release 'Bill and Friends' which finds him performing with a host of young musicians.

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Rob Cowan on George Szell's Cleveland Orchestra Beethoven symphonies

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 09:29:00 +0000

George Szell took over the Cleveland Orchestra in 1946, and, once he had created the instrument he needed, he started an extensive series of recordings for CBS (American Columbia, now Sony Classical). The focus was on the great works of the Austro-German repertoire and, needless to say, the nine Beethoven symphonies and a selection of overtures were among them (recorded between 1957 and 1967). Sony Classical have just gathered together the symphonies and overtures from the large 'George Szell Complete Columbia Collection' set from 2018, and are releasing them on seven CDs on December 13 and also digitally (already available).

James Jolly went to talk to Gramophone's long-serving contributor Rob Cowan about the recordings, and also about George Szell as a conductor in general.

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Benjamin Nicholas on Gabriel Jackson's The Christmas Story

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 19:21:00 +0000

Benjamin Nicholas, Music Director of Merton College, Oxford joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new recording of Gabriel Jackson's The Christmas Story. This major new commission by the college, available now on the Delphian label, has been recorded by the Choir and Girl Choristers of Merton College and the Oxford Contemporary Sinfonia, and is an Editor's Choice in the latest edition of Gramophone.

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Thélème's Director Jean-Christophe Groffe on pairing John Dowland and John Cage

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 09:59:00 +0000

Thélème won Gramophone's Early Music Award in 2022 with their Aparté album of music by Josquin Desprez, 'Baisiez-moi'. Now they return with a new programme, also for Aparté, 'All we get is life', that brings together the music of John Dowland and John Cage – with an extra track featuring Sting in his song 'Shape of my Heart' which he performs alongside Thélème.

James Jolly caught up with Thélème's Director and one of his vocalists, Jean-Christophe Groffe, to talk about what made him bring these two composers together on a single album.

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Pianist Charles Owen on 'The Young Schumann'

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 07:11:00 +0000

The British pianist Charles Owen has made some fine recordings, securing a quartet of Gramophone Editor's Choice accolades for albums of Poulenc, Jonathan Dove, Liszt and, with the violinist Augustin Hadelich, a collection of Czech music. Now, for Avie, he turns his attention to the music of Robert Schumann from the 1830s, including Carnaval, Papillons, the Intermezzi Op 4 and the Abegg Variations.

James Jolly caught up with Charles recently in London to talk about the album, how Schumann's fascination with the duality of his character infuses these early works, and also about the luxury of recording in a beautiful restored barn deep in The Cotswolds without having to worry about the strict timetable of a commercial recording studio.

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Alec Frank-Gemmill on Mozart's horn concertos

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 21:04:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast, the horn player Alec Frank-Gemmill joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his beautiful new recording of Mozart's horn concertos, released today on the BIS label.

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Pianist Alexandre Kantorow on his new Brahms, Schubert and Liszt album

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 08:59:00 +0000

Alexandre Kantorow was winner of the piano category at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition as well as the recipient of that year's Grand Prix. One of the world's finest young musicians, he has recorded a series of much-praised albums for BIS. And the latest release – a Gramophone Editor's Choice in the November 2024 issue – completes the trio of recordings of the three youthful piano sonatas by Johannes Brahms. It's joined by Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy and a selection of Schubert songs in Liszt's transcriptions.

James Jolly caught up with Alexandre in Paris recently to talk about the new release, and also to find out about his plans for the future.

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Pianist Hanni Liang on her new album 'Voices'

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:23:00 +0000

Pianist Hanni Liang speaks to Hattie Butterworth about her new album 'Voices' on Delphian Records formed around Liang's interest in Ethel Smyth's music and life. They also speak about Liang's musical upbringing and her move towards doing things differently on the concert platform. She shares the cultural differences between China and the west, and what it was like growing up in Germany with Chinese parents.

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Handel in Rome, with Nardus Williams and John Butt

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 16:29:00 +0000

For this week's Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by soprano Nardus Williams and Director of the Dunedin Consort John Butt to talk about their new album exploring the music Handel wrote during his years in Rome, a young composer still in the early stages of his creativity. 'Handel in Rome' is released on Linn Records, and available now.

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Rafael Payare on the music of Schoenberg

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:32:00 +0000

For this week's Podcast, Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by Rafael Payare, Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal to talk about the music of Schoenberg in the year that marks the composer's 150th anniversary. The focus is his beautiful new recording of Pelleas und Melisande and Verklärte Nacht, which is available today on the Pentatone label.

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The 2024 Gramophone Classical Music Awards

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:04:00 +0000

The 2024 Gramophone Classical Music Awards were revealed on Wednesday October 2, and for this week's edition of the Podcast Editor Emeritus James Jolly, Editor and Publisher Martin Cullingford, and Deputy Editor – and Editor of International Piano – Tim Parry, gathered in the studio to discuss the winners. From Instrumental to Opera, and from Early to Contemporary, join us as we discuss and celebrate the finest albums of the past year.

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Claire Booth on the character of Pierrot

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 09:55:00 +0000

Claire Booth speaks to Hattie Butterworth about her new album with Ensemble 360, 'Pierrot Portraits', focussed around Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire and looking at other composer's interpretations of the character of Pierrot across time.

All audio clips come from Pierrot Portraits by Claire Booth and Ensemble 360 out now on Onyx Classics

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Mendelssohn Piano Trios, with Joshua Bell, Jeremy Denk and Steven Isserlis

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:51:00 +0000

Editor Martin Cullingford is this week joined by violinist Joshua Bell, pianist Jeremy Denk and cellist Steven Isserlis to talk about their new recording for Sony Classical of Mendelssohn piano trios.

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Baritone Huw Montague Rendall on his debut album 'Contemplation'

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 09:40:00 +0000

Huw Montague Rendall is a singer who is making waves in the musical world, and he has just released his debut album with orchestra, 'Contemplation'. Signed to Erato by Alain Lanceron, Rendall gives us a superb showcase of his talents with a programme that ranges widely, and reveals many different facets of this fine young artist. Huw's partners for the album are the Opéra Orchestre Normandie Rouen and conductor Ben Glassberg.

The son of two distinguished singers – the mezzo Diana Montague and the tenor David Rendall – Huw talks to James Jolly about 'Contemplation'.

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Celebrating 50 years of BIS: Part 2

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 07:11:00 +0000

On October 2, the Swedish label BIS will hand over its Label of the Year Award to another company. So, to celebrate its 2023 Award, Gramophone's James Jolly sat down to talk with BIS's founder and guiding spirit for past 50 years, Robert von Bahr.

In this second of two podcasts, Robert discusses some of the outstanding artists who have recorded for BIS, including Bach Collegium Japan, Johan Dalene (who appears on the cover of the October issue of Gramophone), Yevgeny Sudbin, Carolyn Sampson and Sharon Bezaly, Robert's wife.

This podcast was made in association with BIS.

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Semyon Bychkov on the music of Dvořák

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:09:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by the conductor Semyon Bychkov to talk about his new recording with the Czech Philharmonic for the Pentatone label of the music of Dvořák - the composer's last three symphonies, Nos 7, 8 and 9, along with three concert overtures, In Nature's Realm, Carnival and Othello.

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Celebrating 50 years of BIS: Part 1

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:26:00 +0000

In almost exactly one month's time, the Swedish label BIS will hand over its Label of the Year status to another company. So, to celebrate its 2023 Award, Gramophone's James Jolly sat down to talk with BIS's founder and guiding spirit for past 50 years, Robert von Bahr.

In this first of two podcasts, James and Robert discuss the label's beginnings, some of its milestone projects and Robert shares some anecdotes as only he can.

This podcast was made in association with BIS.

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Bryce Dessner on his new album 'Solos'

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 11:13:00 +0000

Composer Bryce Dessner joins Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford for this week's podcast to talk about his new album for Sony Classical, featuring solo works performed by a superb line-up of star soloists.

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Composer Anna Clyne on her new album 'Shorthand'

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

A new album mapping 10 years of string writing, Anna Clyne's Shorthand takes its name from a concerto for cello and strings, performed on the album by Yo Yo Ma. Hattie Butterworth meets Anna to speak about this new project, as well as her BBC Proms commission and the impact of words, poetry and spirituality on her writing.

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Alexandra Dariescu on the piano concertos of Clara Schumann and Edvard Grieg

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 15:03:00 +0000

This week on the Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford meets pianist Alexandra Dariescu who has recorded the piano concertos of Clara Schumann and Edvard Grieg for Signum with the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Tianyi Lu. Dariescu talks about her passion for Clara Schumann's concerto, and why she thinks it should be much more widely performed than it has been historically.

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Leonard Bernstein the Composer – with Edward Seckerson

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 08:59:00 +0000

Leonard Bernstein (1918-90) was perhaps the most 'complete' classical musician of the last century, as composer (covering everything from Broadway musicals to serial orchestral works), conductor (one of the 20th century's most admired), teacher or pianist.

Edward Seckerson interviewed Bernstein for Gramophone in December 1989, but his admiration went back much further, as he reveals to James Jolly in this next instalment in our occasional series focusing on major composers.

The music is drawn from Bernstein's extensive CBS catalogue, now available from Sony Classical.

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Karajan's video legacy - with Richard Osborne

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 08:57:00 +0000

The great Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan (1908-89) was fascinated with technology from an early age, and, from the early 1960s onward, he filmed many of his performances. Deutsche Grammophon's streaming service Stage+ has a huge archive of Karajan's films including his Telemondial legacy – recorded with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics during the 1980s, the conductor's last decade.

Karajan's biographer, and long-serving Gramophone critic, Richard Osborne, discusses Karajan's video legacy with James Jolly, and they pick some favourites from the Stage+ catalogue.

This podcast is sponsored by STAGE+, the streaming service for classical music by Deutsche Grammophon, hosting concerts, operas, documentaries, albums and much more, including 50 live streams per year. With a special summer offer, you can get 2 months of STAGE+ for just 1€ with access to the entire content library and live broadcasts from some of this year's finest summer festivals. Visit stage-plus.com/summer before August 16 to find out more.

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Podcast revisited: Rob Cowan on listening to historic recordings

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:39:00 +0000

As we step into the summer holiday period, this week we thought we'd revisit one of our special longer-length episodes from last year featuring one of our writers, our historical recording expert Rob Cowan on what we can gain from listening to recordings from the past.

Why should we listen to historic recordings? What can we learn from them, and which artists, many decades on, still offer listeners such extraordinary joy and insight? Across more than 45 fascinating minutes Rob addresses these questions, and we play excerpts from some absolute highlights from the archives.

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Soprano Sophie Bevan on overcoming adversity

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 23:25:00 +0000

Hattie Butterworth meets soprano Sophie Bevan ahead of her appearance at the First Night of the Proms. Moving through Sophie's early life and career, they speak about her experience navigating a diagnosis of bowel cancer, the importance of her faith and family, and what she wishes audiences knew about the life of a singer.

Music included in the epsiode:

'Take the Heart' from Jephtha Act I, Scene 3: George Friderich Handel · The Sixteen · Harry Christophers on CORO (2014)

'Perché, se tanti siete' from Scena di Berenic on Perfido! · Sophie Bevan · Franz Joseph Haydn · Ian Page · Classical Opera / The Mozartists on Signum Classics (2017)

'Ferma l'ali' from Pt. 1 Scene 2 from Handel's La Resurrezione · The English Concert · Harry Bicket · Sophie Bevan on Linn Records (2023)

'Beati Quorum Via' by Charles Villiers Stanford from Vidi Speciosam: Sacred Choral Music · Graham Ross · The Bevan Family Consort on Signum Records (2023)

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Dalia's Mixtape: Judith Weir's 'Still, Glowing'

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 10:21:00 +0000

In April, Dalia Stasevska, Chief Conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, launched a new project, 'Dalia's Mixtape', for Platoon. Leading her BBC orchestra, she has recorded ten works by ten modern composers, each shedding a new and different light on the symphony orchestra and what it can do. And, breaking with tradition, the project will unfold piece by piece over the next half year. And each work will be accompanied by a podcast focusing on the music.

In this latest episode, hosted by Gramophone's Andrew Mellor, Dalia's guest is the Master of the King's Music, Dame Judith Weir whose orchestral work Still, Glowing features on the 'Mixtape'. Composer and conductor discuss this haunting piece.

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Harry Christophers at 70: The Sixteen's founder on a life in music

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:35:00 +0000

Conductor and founder of The Sixteen Harry Christophers speaks to Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford about his new album, '70: A Life in Music', which features 39 carefully selected recordings from the conductor's career so far, spanning periods from the renaissance to contemporary music. Reflecting on his 45-year career, Christophers' talks about his introduction to music, the formation of The Sixteen and the future of young composers today.

'70: A Life in Music' is out now on CORO.

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Héloïse Werner on her new album 'Close-ups'

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 11:25:00 +0000

Soprano and composer Héloïse Werner speaks to Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford about her new album, 'Close-ups', which features composers Barbara Strozzi, Julie Pinel and Hildegard of Bingen as well as compositions by Werner herself. Her second album sees her collaborating with fellow musicians Colin Alexander, Julian Azkoul, Max Baillie, Kit Downes, Ruth Gibson and Marianne Schofield.

'Close-ups' is out now on Delphian.

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Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy on their piano four-hands debut album

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 08:56:00 +0000

For their debut Harmonia Mundi release as a duo, pianists Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy have recorded two works by Schubert, the great Fantasy in F minor and the Divertissement à la Hongroise, and, in between, a work they commissioned, Trompe-l'oeil by the Russian composer Leonid Desyatnikov (b1955), who has said of his piece, 'You can envisage it as the follow-up, or the rough draft of Schubert's Fantasy. Something incomplete. Like a study for a composition that's been abandoned en route.'

James Jolly went to visit Pavel and Samson, partners both off stage and on, at their home in North London recently to talk about the art of piano four-hands …

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Magdalena Kožená on her new album 'Czech Songs'

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 15:07:00 +0000

Mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená speaks to Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford about her new album, 'Czech Songs', which features composers Bohuslav Martinů, Antonín Dvořák, Hans Krása and Gideon Klein, and for which she's joined by the Czech Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle. 'Czech Songs' is out now on Pentatone.

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Nicholas Phan on 'A Change is Gonna Come'

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 11:15:00 +0000

The American tenor Nicholas Phan has just released an album of protest songs, many from the 1960s by legendary singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger and Malvina Reynolds. It also contains a new work by Errollyn Wallen. 'A Change in Gonna Come', featuring Palaver Strings, and a couple of guest appearances by Farayi Malek, is just out from Azica.

James Jolly talked recently to Nicholas Phan about the album, and also about another song project that he's currently in the studio working on …

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Cellist Laura van der Heijden on her debut concerto release

Fri, 31 May 2024 12:09:00 +0000

Since winning BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2012, aged 15, Laura van der Heijden has enjoyed a career as a cellist to watch. She's a Chandos artist, recording both as a soloist and also as part of Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective. This month she makes her concerto debut with an album of three British cello concertos, Frank Bridge's Oration, Sir William Walton's Cello Concerto (the work she played for the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition) and Cheryl Frances-Hoad's new cello concerto, Earth-Sea-Air. She is joined by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth. James Jolly recently went to speak to Laura about the new release.

You can also hear Cheryl Frances-Hoad's cello concerto, Earth-Sea-Air, at the BBC Proms on Friday, July 26 joined by the same performers as on the new recording.

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Can Çakmur on Schubert and Krenek

Fri, 24 May 2024 08:51:00 +0000

This week's Gramophone Podcast sees pianist Can Çakmur join Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about the latest album in his series for the BIS label in which he pairs works by Schubert with music by composers inspired by him - in this instance Ernst Krenek. As well as introducing Krenek's Second Sonata, he also talks about the composer's completion of Schubert's Piano Sonata in C Major, D 840.

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Andrè Schuen on Schubert's Winterreise

Fri, 17 May 2024 08:27:00 +0000

With Winterreise, Andrè Schuen and Daniel Heide complete their recordings for DG of Schubert's three song cycles, and have understandably saved the most challenging to last. James Jolly spoke to Andrè to discover how he approaches this colossal work, the Everest of any singer's repertoire.

This Gramophone Podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Antonello Manacorda on Beethoven's Ninth at 200

Tue, 07 May 2024 09:09:00 +0000

To mark the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Vienna, which took place on May 7, 1824, Gramophone's podcast this week focuses on the work.

Antonello Manacorda has just completed a cycle of the nine symphonies with Akademie Potsdam for Sony Classical, including a brand-new Ninth. James Jolly went to visit him at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden , where he was conducting a run of Bizet's Carmen.

This Gramophone Podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Brindley Sherratt on his debut song recital 'Fear No More'

Fri, 03 May 2024 09:02:00 +0000

The British bass Brindley Sherratt has released his first solo album, 'Fear No More', a Delphian recording, with Julius Drake at the piano. One of the UK's most distinguished singers, and with an international reputation on the great concert and operatic stages, Sherratt talks to James Jolly about this new, and belated, chapter in his musical career.

This Gramophone Podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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James Ehnes on Leonard Bernstein and John Williams

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:55:00 +0000

Violinist James Ehnes talks about his new recording for Pentatone of Leonard Bernstein's Serenade and John Williams's Violin Concerto No 1.

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Nathan Williamson and James Gilchrist on the songs of Thomas Pitfield

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 17:03:00 +0000

Thomas Pitfield, born in Bolton in 1903 and whose life stretched to the very end of the 20th century – he died in 1999 – is one of those polymaths who embraced numerous different outlets: he was a composer, a poet, an illustrator, a calligrapher, a cabinet maker and a teacher. He is probably better known for the people he knew and taught – including John McCabe, John Ogdon and Ronald Stevenson – than in his own right. This new collection of songs is a good start to get to know a fine musical voice. James Jolly spoke, separately, to James Gilchrist and Nathan Williamson about this appealing composer.

This Gramophone Podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Kirill Gerstein on 'Music in the Time of War'

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 08:14:00 +0000

Kirill Gerstein's new album, timed for release mid-way between the anniversary of the death of Claude Debussy (March 25) and Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24), pairs music by Debussy and the Armenian, Komitas. Both composers were profoundly affected by the death and destruction surrounding them during the First World War, and both responded with music of multi-layered intensity. Gerstein links late Debussy piano music with Komitas's piano works, as well as songs by each composer.

'Music in the Time of War' is released to stream and download by Platoon, and on two CDs with a substantial book of essays next month by Myrios. James Jolly spoke to Kirill Gerstein to learn about the project and why he brought together these two powerful musical voices in the same programme.

This Gramophone Podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Klaus Mäkelä on recording Stravinsky in Paris: From the Archive

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 08:26:00 +0000

Klaus Mäkelä has been named Riccardo Muti's successor at the helm of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a role he assumes in 2027 alongside the post of Chief Conductor of Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Meanwhile, he remains committed to his two European orchestras, the Orchestre de Paris and the Oslo Philharmonic.

Following his Decca debut recording, of the complete Sibelius symphonies in Oslo, Mäkelä has made two much-admired recordings of music commissioned by Serge Diaghilev. The first of these, made with the Orchestre de Paris, was released early last year – Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and the complete Firebird ballet – and James Jolly spoke to the conductor by Zoom back in February 2023 as Klaus was in Cleveland conducting performances of Mahler's Fifth Symphony.

Gramophone Podcasts are given in association with Wigmore Hall

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Exploring Schubert

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:38:00 +0000

This month's Gramophone Podcast explores the life and music of Franz Schubert. Editor Martin Cullingford talks to Richard Wigmore about this most remarkable of composers, one whose finest works, notably in the song, piano and chamber music genres, are today held to be among music's most beloved creations.

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Paavo Järvi on Mendelssohn's symphonies

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 11:19:00 +0000

Paavo Järvi's latest recording project adds the five Mendelssohn symphonies to his substantial catalogue. Alpha Classics has released the new set which features the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. James Jolly caught up with Paavo Järvi recently by Zoom to talk about the cycle, but also to talk about the conductor's passion for recording the complete symphonic outputs of many of the great composers.

This Gramophone Podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Rebecca Dale on her new album 'Night Seasons'

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 11:16:00 +0000

Hattie Butterworth is joined by composer Rebecca Dale for this week's Gramophone Podcast to explore her new album of works for cello and choir with cellists Steven Isserlis and Guy Johnston and the choir Tenebrae, out now on Signum Classics.

More about Rebecca Dale

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Dalia's Mixtape: Anna Meredith's Nautilus

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 12:36:00 +0000

Dalia Stasevska, Chief Conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, has launched a new project, 'Dalia's Mixtape', for Platoon. Leading her BBC orchestra, she has recorded ten works by ten modern composers, each shedding a new and different light on the symphony orchestra and what it can do. Breaking with tradition, the project will unfold piece by piece over the next half year. And each work will be accompanied by a podcast focusing on the music.

In this first episode, hosted by Gramophone's Andrew Mellor, Dalia's guest is the Scottish composer and performer Anna Meredith whose work, Nautilus, originally conceived for electronics, is presented in a new acoustic guise. She, Andrew and Dalia discuss the work's origins and its transformation into a vibrant new work for a traditional symphony orchestra.

Produced by Platoon and Gramophone.

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The 12 Ensemble's new album, Metamorphosis

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:49:00 +0000

This week on the Gramophone podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by the co-founders of the 12 Ensemble – cellist Max Ruisi and violinist Eloisa-Fleur Thom – to talk about their fascinating new album on the Platoon Label, Metamorphosis, featuring music by Edmund Finnis, Claude Vivier, Oliver Leith and Richard Strauss.

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Handel's Theodora, with Jonathan Cohen

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 16:49:00 +0000

For this week's Gramophone Podcast, Jonathan Cohen, conductor of Arcangelo, joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new recording on the Alpha label of Handel's powerful late oratorio, Theodora, a work Cohen describes as Handel at 'his very finest and most inspired'.

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Alessandro Fisher on 'A Gardener's World'

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:36:00 +0000

The tenor Alessandro Fisher is a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Artist and a former member of the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, and on February 23 Rubicon releases a solo album, 'A Gardener's World', a collection of songs about flowers and their symbolic significance. Joined by the pianist Anna Tilbrook, Alessandro explores the horticultural theme in the company of composers from many countries, including France, Germany, Scandinavia, Catalunya and Argentina.

James Jolly went to visit Alessandro in his north London home and, overlooking the garden, they discussed the genesis of the new album, which was recorded live at Wigmore Hall in July 2021.

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Lara Downes on Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:31:00 +0000

Pianist Lara Downes joins Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford this week to talk about her fascinating new recording of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, as reimagined for today's world by composer Edmar Colón to mark the iconic work's centenary, and available from the Pentatone label.

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Edmund Finnis and Clare Hammond on recording Youth

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 16:09:00 +0000

Youth is an EP of solo piano music by Edmund Finnis and performed by Clare Hammond, and described as 'a set of brief pieces recalling an image, sensation of place, significant encounter or a moment of vivid perception'. Editor Martin Cullingford invited both Finnis and Hammond into the Gramophone Podcast studio to talk about this beautiful new recording.

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Timothy Ridout on 'A Lionel Tertis Celebration'

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:57:00 +0000

Timothy Ridout won last year's Concerto category at the Gramophone Awards for his Harmonia Mundi recording, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins, of Elgar's Cello Concerto transcribed by Lionel Tertis for viola, alongside the Bloch Suite for Viola and Orchestra. His new HM release continues his exploration of the huge role that Tertis played in the history of the viola, as player, teacher, arranger and champion of the instrument.

Ridout's new double album, for which he's joined by pianists Frank Dupree and James Baillieu, includes sonatas by York Bowen and Rebecca Clarke, as well as many shorter works with powerful links to Tertis. James Jolly met up with Timothy to talk about the album, and the place that Tertis holds for viola-players.

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Krystian Zimerman on Szymanowski, conducting and retirement

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:59:00 +0000

The great Polish pianist and conductor Krystian Zimerman came to London last October to collect his Gramophone Award, his seventh, for his latest DG album of music by Karol Szymanowki. James Jolly caught up with him on the morning of the ceremony, and their conversation ranged widely.

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Jonathan Freeman-Attwood on 'Handel for Trumpet'

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 09:21:00 +0000

For his tenth album of music for trumpet and piano in the 're-imagined' series for Linn, Jonathan Freeman-Attwood has turned to a composer right at the centre of the period he's most associated with, the Baroque – and George Frideric Handel. 'Handel for Trumpet' features transcriptions of arias as well as theoretical 'sonatas', created from concertos and other works.

As well as being a contributor to Gramophone, Jonathan is also Principal of the Royal Academy of Music, a record producer, teacher – and trumpeter. Gramophone's James Jolly spoke to him about the new album, how he maintains his technique amid a busy schedule and how being a recorded musician helps his role as the leader of one of the world's great music conservatories.

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From the Archive: Peter Phillips on the music of Josquin

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 10:30:00 +0000

The Tallis Scholars' acclaimed series of recordings of the Masses of Josquin Desprez is one of the great milestones to the catalogue. Featuring what may be the last Mass the composer wrote, the Missa Mater Patris, along with a Mass not by Josquin but once thought to have been by him, the penultimate volume certainly raises some fascinating questions!

To discuss them, The Tallis Scholars' founder and director Peter Phillips joined Editor Martin Cullingford for this Gramophone podcast - which features excerpts from the album, available on Gimell, which was named an Editor's Choice in the November 2019 issue of the magazine. We revisit that podcast 'From the Archive'.

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Dame Janet Baker – a great singer reflects on her career

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 16:24:00 +0000

Dame Janet Baker's contribution to classical music - in performance and on record - has been remarkable, enriching both the stage and the catalogue with performances of astonishing beauty, power and vivid insight. To mark her 80th birthday in August 2013, James Jolly met with her at Wigmore Hall to talk about her career for a Gramophone Milestones Podcast, made in association with EFG International. She shared her memories of working with Sir John Barbirolli, Leonard Bernstein, Gerald Moore, Raymond Leppard and Benjamin Britten.

Now 10 years on, we revisit the podcast to celebrate one of the UK's greatest musical artists, the recipient in 2011 of Gramophone's Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Esa-Pekka Salonen on music in California

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 09:55:00 +0000

Esa-Pekka Salonen took over the helm of the San Francisco Symphony in 2020 from Michael Tilson Thomas. Both men have had a major impact on symphonic music in California, and Salonen is one of the three guiding figures – with the LA Phil's Gustavo Dudamel and the San Diego Symphony's Rafael Payare – behind the California Festival, a statewide celebration of music that launched in November.

James Jolly spoke to Salonen at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco following an afternoon concert, as part of the California Festival, in November.

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Owain Park on the new album from The Gesualdo Six, 'Morning Star'

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 19:36:00 +0000

This week Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by Owain Park, conductor, composer and founding director of The Gesualdo Six to explore the ensemble's new album, 'Morning Star', a programme of music for the feast of Epiphany, released by Hyperion Records.

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Editors' Choice 2023

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:09:00 +0000

The Deutsche Grammophon recording of Carl Nielsen's Fourth and Fifth Symphonies – with Fabio Luisi conducting the Danish National Symphony Orchestra – was voted Gramophone's 2023 Recording of the Year, and in the December issue of the magazine our critics choose their personal favourite albums of the year. But, as is customary, this podcast focuses on some recommendations by Gramophone's editors, Editor, Martin Cullingford, Deputy Editor, Tim Parry, and Editor-in-Chief, James Jolly.

This Gramophone Podcast is brought to you in association with STAGE+, the new streaming service from Deutsche Grammophon, which offers weekly live-stream videos of concerts from around the world, as well an archive of over 400 concerts to enjoy on demand, plus documentaries, audio albums, interviews and much more. Visit stage-plus.com or download the STAGE+ IOS App.

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Maria Callas: we celebrate La Divina on her 100th anniversary

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 07:43:00 +0000

The soprano Maria Callas was born on December 2, 1923, and during her short life – she died aged 53 – rose to become one of the most celebrated singers of all time. And even 46 years after her death she remains a unique and unassailable figure in the world of opera and its interpretation.

She left a substantial recorded catalogue – both commercially for Columbia/EMI/Warner Classics and on the myriad pirate recordings that still circulate. To mark this milestone anniversary Warner Classics has issued a 131-CD and one DVD set celebrating her art, 'La Divina – Callas in all her roles', a wonderful survey of her musical career.

This Warner Classics Icons podcast has been made by Gramophone, and on it James Jolly talks to Richard Fairman, a regular contributor to Gramophone and also the music critic of The Financial Times.

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Errollyn Wallen on her new book 'Becoming a Composer'

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 01:06:00 +0000

Composer Errollyn Wallen speaks to Hattie Butterworth about her new book, out now on Faber, mapping her trajectory as an artist, extensive recordings and philosophy on life.

Errollyn Wallen: Becoming a Composer

Check out Deutsche Grammophon STAGE+

Music clips used:

Cello Concerto from 'Photography' on NMC
horseplay: lively from 'The Girl in My Alphabet' on Avie Records
daedalus from 'Errollyn' on Avie Records
Dervish for Cello and Piano from 'The Girl in My Alphabet' on Avie Records
Peace on Earth from 'Peace on Earth EP' on the Kings College Cambridge label

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John Pickard on Mass in Troubled Times

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 18:42:00 +0000

Composer John Pickard joins the Gramophone Podcast this week to talk to Editor Martin Cullingford about his new album, Mass in Troubled Times, available on the BIS label.

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Bertrand Chamayou on his John Cage-Erik Satie album

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 09:57:00 +0000

Bertrand Chamayou, who won Gramophone's Recording of the Year in 2019 for his Erato album of two Saint-Saëns piano concertos, has turned his attention to two groundbreaking composers. John Cage was a great admirer of the music and aesthetic experiments of the Frenchman, Erik Satie - and Chamayou has created a programme for Erato that links the two, 'Letter(s) to Erik Satie'.

James Jolly caught up with Bertrand Chamayou at his Festival Ravel in St Jean de Luz in south-west France this summer to talk about the project.

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Richard Bratby on his history of the Academy of Ancient Music, Refiner's Fire

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:51:00 +0000

The music critic and regular Gramophone contributor Richard Bratby has just published a history of the Academy of Ancient Music, Refiner's Fire, the first book telling the story of a period-instrument ensemble (Elliott & Thompson; £25).

James Jolly spoke to Richard about the book, about its charismatic founder and long-serving Music Director Christopher Hogwood, and about how a substantial recording contract with Decca'a L'Oiseau-Lyre label – masterminded by the producer Peter Wadland – shaped the ensemble's style and approach.

This week's podcast is made in association with Wigmore Hall. For a full list of concerts, visit wigmore-hall.org.uk

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Fauré's music for cello and piano

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 16:56:00 +0000

This week's Gramophone Podcast explores the music by Gabriel Fauré for cello and piano to coincide with a beautiful new recording by Xavier Phillips and Cédric Tiberghien on La Dolce Volta - and the cellist and pianist join Editor Martin Cullingford to discuss it.

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Bach's Goldberg Variations Reimagined with Rachel Podger and Chad Kelly

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:09:00 +0000

This week's topic is a new recording by Brecon Baroque of Bach's Goldberg Variations in a fascinating new arrangement by Chad Kelly who, together with violinist Rachel Podger, joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about it. This week's Podcast is published in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Miloš on his new album 'Baroque'

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 17:44:00 +0000

Miloš's new album is a journey of music around the continent of Europe in the era of the Baroque, and is named an Editor's Choice in the current issue of Gramophone. Editor Martin Cullingford met up with the guitarist to talk about the story behind this beautiful recording, which is available on the Sony Classical label.

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Johan Dalene on his new album, Stained Glass

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:26:00 +0000

In this week's Gramophone Podcast we meet with Swedish violinist Johan Dalene, a former Gramophone Young Artist of the Year. He joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new release on the BIS label, 'Stained Glass', recorded with pianist Christian Ihle Hadland – a beautifully-performed programme of Ravel, Prokofiev, Pärt, Bacewicz and Boulanger.

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Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2023: the winners

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:18:00 +0000

In this special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, we explore the full list of winners from this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Editor-in-Chief James Jolly, Editor Martin Cullingford and Deputy Editor Tim Parry talk through the Category Winners, the Special Awards, and of course the new Recording of the Year - complete with excerpts of every album.

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Exploring Dvořák's piano trios

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:47:00 +0000

The complete piano trios of Dvořák is the topic this week, as Editor Martin Cullingford catches up with pianist Boris Giltburg, violinist Veronika Jarůšková and the cellist Petre Jarůšek, who have just recorded them for Supraphon.

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Jeremy Eichler on his new book 'Time's Echo'

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Jeremy Eichler's new book, Time's Echo, just out from Faber (HB; £25) tangles with memory – what we choose to remember, what to forget – as history takes hold, and he argues that music can become in many ways the most powerful form of memorial. To illustrate this argument, he engages with works by Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, Dmitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten. James Jolly caught up with him recently to talk about the book.

The musical excerpts which appear on the podcast, with kind permission, are:

Shostakovich Symphony No 13, 'Babi Yar' Nikita Storojev; CBSO & Choir / Okko Kamu (Chandos)

Schoenberg A Survivor or from Warsaw Franz Mazura; CBSO & Chorus / Simon Rattle (Warner Classics)

R Strauss Metamorphosen Sinfonia of London / John Wilson (Chandos)

Britten War Requiem Soloists; Choristers of St Paul's Cathedral; LSO & Chorus / Richard Hickox (Chandos)

This Gramophone Podcast is published in association with Wigmore Hall. Visit Wigmore Hall's webite for full details of this week's events.

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Parry's Prometheus Unbound, with William Vann

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 14:09:00 +0000

The conductor William Vann discusses his superb new Chandos Records release of Parry's Prometheus Unbound, Gramophone's Recording of the Month, with Editor Martin Cullingford.

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Decca Icons: Benjamin Britten

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:04:00 +0000

In a series of four Decca Icons podcasts, Gramophone's James Jolly explores the artistry of four major recording musicians with Rob Cowan, Jed Distler and Richard Fairman. Focusing on recordings in the Decca catalogue, the series turns the spotlight on Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Georg Solti and, this week, Benjamin Britten. Each podcast is accompanied by a special Apple Music playlist.

In this final podcast, James talks to the Financial Times and Gramophone critic Richard Fairman about this towering figure in British musical life. Britten recorded for Decca, as composer, pianist and conductor, for most of his adult life and left a peerless catalogue of recordings, including one of the classics of the gramophone, the War Requiem.

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Exploring Shostakovich

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:09:00 +0000

The latest in our series of composer podcasts focusses on Dmitri Shostakovich. Edward Seckerson joins Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford to share his insights with us into one of the greatest of 20th-century musical figures, with a particular focus on his extraordinary symphonies and what they reveal about his life.

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Decca Icons: Sir Georg Solti

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 11:15:00 +0000

In this third in our series of Decca Icons podcasts, James talks to the critic and broadcaster Rob Cowan about the Hungarian-born Sir Georg Solti who made his first recording for Decca in 1947 and remained a Decca artist until his death in 1997, leaving an extraordinary recorded legacy. The podcast is accompanied by a special Apple Music playlist which you can find at Gramophone's website.

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Jennifer Higdon on her Duo Duel and Concerto for Orchestra

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:51:00 +0000

Jennifer Higdon wrote her Concerto for Orchestra for the Philadelphia Orchestra and its then-Music Director Wolfgang Sawallisch who gave the work its premiere in 2002. Since then it's been recorded by the Atlanta Symphony and, on a new Naxos album just out, by the Houston Symphony - both conducted by Robert Spano. The new recording finds the Concerto for Orchestra joined by a much newer work, Higdon's double percussion concerto, Duo Duel (2020), played by the artists who commissioned it, Svet Stoyanov and Matthew Strauss.

James Jolly caught up with Jennifer Higdon to talk about the two works' beginnings, and about how the composer manages her amazingly busy schedule.

This week's podcast is produced in association with the Lake George Music Festival where you can enjoy classical music among some of America's most spectacular scenery. Visit lakegeorgemusicfestival.com to find out more.

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Rachel Barton Pine on links between classical and metal music

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:24:00 +0000

Rachel Barton Pine's new album pairs Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No 1 with a new work by Earl Maneein called Dependent Arising, a heavy metal-influenced concerto written especially for her. In this week's Gramophone Podcast the violinist tells Editor Martin Cullingford about the recording, and explores some of the links between the two genres of music, classical and heavy metal. The album - called Dependent Arising - is available from Cedille.

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Decca Icons: Vladimir Ashkenazy

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 15:31:00 +0000

In a series of four Decca Icons podcasts, Gramophone's James Jolly explores the artistry of four major recording musicians with Rob Cowan, Jed Distler and Richard Fairman. Focusing on recordings in the Decca catalogue, the series turns the spotlight on Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Georg Solti and Benjamin Britten. Each podcast is accompanied by a special Apple Music playlist.

In this second podcast, James talks to the New York-based critic, composer, broadcaster and piano enthusiast Jed Distler about the Russian-born pianist and conductor, Vladimir Ashkenazy.

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Tan Dun on his 'Buddha Passion'

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 15:53:00 +0000

In the latest Podcast Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford caught up with the multi Award-winning composer Tan Dun to explore his new work, Buddha Passion, available on Decca, and to hear his fascinating thoughts on composing, conducting and on music in general.

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Hyperion Records: we explore the label's Award-winning history

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:57:00 +0000

Hyperion Records, one of the most admired and successful of specialist classical music labels, is from today available on streaming services. The entire catalogue will be uploaded in stages over the next year, but the initial 200 albums released today feature every Hyperion recording to have received a Gramophone Award – and from that illustrious list, Editor-in-Chief James Jolly, Editor Martin Cullingford and Deputy Editor Tim Parry have chosen three of their favourite albums, topped up with a tenth, to discuss and to share on this week's Podcast. Find out what they've chosen, as we celebrate some superb recordings and a splendid label.

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Decca Icons: Bernard Haitink

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:15:00 +0000

In a series of four Decca Icons podcasts, Gramophone's James Jolly explores the artistry of four major recording musicians with Rob Cowan, Jed Distler and Richard Fairman. Focusing on recordings in the Decca catalogue, the series turns the spotlight on Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Georg Solti and Benjamin Britten. Each podcast is accompanied by a special Apple Music playlist.

In this first podcast, Rob and James talk about the great Dutch conductor who, during a long career, headed up ensembles and opera house in Amsterdam, London, Glyndebourne, Dresden and Chicago, as well as being a much sought-after guest, and left a vast recorded catalogue.

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Rob Cowan on listening to historic recordings

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:22:00 +0000

This week's Podcast is another special long-length edition, for which Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by Rob Cowan, Gramophone's expert on historic and archive recordings and the author for 30 years now of our monthly feature devoted to the area, Replay. Why should we listen to historic recordings? What can we learn from them, and which artists, many decades on, still offer listeners such extraordinary joy and insight? Across more than 45 fascinating minutes Rob addresses these questions, and we play excerpts from some absolute highlights from the archives.

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Kenneth Fuchs on his first Chandos album with John Wilson

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 11:14:00 +0000

Following five acclaimed albums with the LSO and JoAnn Falletta for Naxos, the composer Kenneth Fuchs has released a new collection of his orchestral works with John Wilson's Sinfonia of London. Recorded at St Augustine's, Kilburn, in North London, by Chandos, the collection has just been issued.

James Jolly caught up with Kenneth Fuchs just before last Christmas - and the day after recording sessions - to talk about the four works on the new album.

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Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year 2023 - the nominees, Part 2, with Rob Cowan

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 08:57:00 +0000

Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year is the only award voted for by our readers and music lovers worldwide. Each year, the magazine's editors produce a short list of 10 ensembles whose music-making, particularly on record, has made a particularly strong impression on our critics. In the second of two podcasts, Gramophone's Editor-in-Chief, James Jolly, talks to the broadcaster and critic Rob Cowan about these five superb ensembles.

To vote for your chosen orchestra, head to the Awards page of our website before September 7.

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Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year 2023 - the nominees, Part 1, with Andrew Mellor

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 08:55:00 +0000

Gramophone's Orchestra of the Year is the only award voted for by our readers and music lovers worldwide. Each year, the magazine's editors produce a short list of 10 ensembles whose music-making, particularly on record, has made a particularly strong impression our critics. In the first of two podcasts, Gramophone's Editor-in-Chief, James Jolly, talks to the Copenhagen-based critic and cultural commentator, Andrew Mellor, about five of the nominated ensembles.

To vote for your chosen orchestra, head to the Awards page of our website, but before you do (and voting remains open until September 7), maybe wait until next week's podcast when James will be in conversation with Rob Cowan about the remaining five orchestras. And to help you make up your mind, you can listen to the specially created playlists on Apple Music Classical.

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Benjamin Appl and James Baillieu on 'Forbidden Fruit'

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 20:24:00 +0000

For his second album for Alpha Classics, again with his regular piano partner James Baillieu, the German baritone Benjamin Appl has put together a programme under the title 'Forbidden Fruit'. Musically it ranges widely, taking in songs in English, French and German, and all bound together by a theme, and then grouped under biblical verses. James Jolly caught up with singer and pianist by Zoom – Benjamin Appl in Switzerland and James Baillieu in the UK – to talk about the programme, whether audiences today demand such an approach and how concert-giving has changed since the dark days of the pandemic.

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Handel: a podcast portrait

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 17:24:00 +0000

The July edition of Gramophone features a fascinating article by Handel expert Richard Wigmore, in which he focusses on six specific years spread throughout the composer's life to offer a fascinating insight into his art and his era. Last year Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford sat down with Richard to record a very special edition of the Gramophone Podcast - lasting more than an hour, it's filled with rich insight into Handel's music and some of its finest recordings. It's the perfect accompaniment to our cover story.

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Richard Boothby on his new album 'Music to hear...'

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:04:00 +0000

This week's Gramophone Podcast sees acclaimed viol player, and founding member of Fretwork, Richard Boothby join Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new album 'Music to hear...'. Featuring works by Alfonso Ferrabosco written for lyra viol and dating from 1609, it's available now on Signum Classics. We discuss the composer and his place in the London cultural life of his day, and the sort of instrument he actually wrote for - plus, hear some beautiful excerpts from the album.

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Lawrence Brownlee on his new album, Rising

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 09:05:00 +0000

This week's guest on the Gramophone Podcast is tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new album 'Rising', recorded with pianist Kevin J Miller, and available now from Warner Classics. The beautifully-performed programme includes commissions from six African-American composers of the younger generation who were invited to set texts by writers of the Harlem Renaissance, as well as songs by 20th-century composers.

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Reginald Mobley on his new album, 'Because'

Fri, 26 May 2023 22:00:00 +0000

This week's Gramophone Podcast features the countertenor Reginald Mobley, who joins us to talk about his new album 'Because', a programme of Spirituals performed with jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon, and available on the Alpha label. He tells Editor Martin Cullingford about recording these beautiful, and moving, works, what they mean to him and what he hopes they will mean to audiences.

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Kirill Gerstein on playing Rachmaninov

Fri, 19 May 2023 10:35:00 +0000

The Gramophone Award-winning pianist Kirill Gerstein has recorded Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko: it forms part of a twinned release, 'Rachmaninoff 150', from Platoon. James Jolly met up with Gerstein a couple of months ago in London to talk about playing the music of a composer who left us two recordings of the concerto as well as being one of the greatest pianists ever to have lived. The second part of the programme includes solo works, with the Corelli Variations forming the centrepiece.

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Edward Gardner: celebrating Chandos, Gramophone's Label of the Year

Fri, 12 May 2023 16:33:00 +0000

Chandos was named Gramophone's Label of the Year at the 2022 Gramophone Classical Music Awards in October – a perfect excuse for a series of podcasts focusing on some of the label's key artists and the people who steer and shape the label.

This month, James Jolly talks to the conductor Edward Gardner, Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic and Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic; in August 2024 he will assume the Music Directorship of the Norwegian Opera and Ballet. His recorded catalogue for Chandos is extensive and is crowned by the 2020 release of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes, recorded in Bergen, which was voted Gramophone's Opera Award winner but also our Recording of the Year.

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Karim Sulayman and Sean Shibe on 'Broken Branches'

Fri, 05 May 2023 21:10:00 +0000

On this week's Gramophone Podcast we talk to tenor Karim Sulayman and guitarist Sean Shibe about their album 'Broken Branches', released today on the Pentatone label. Featuring music by composers including Dowland, Britten, and Takemitsu, as well traditional songs from the Middle East, it's a fascinating and highly personal project for them both. A podcast produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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James Newby on 'Fallen to Dust', an English song recital

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 15:45:00 +0000

James Newby's new album, 'Fallen to Dust', for BIS explores English song, and particularly English on the theme of death. Joined by the pianist Joseph Middleton, he offers cycles by Sir Arthur Somerville and Gerald Finzi, as well as songs spanning a century, including contemporary settings by Jonathan Dove and Errollyn Wallen. A former BBC New Generation Artist, a recipient of a 2022 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, a Rising Star for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and an ECHO Rising Star, Newby's career has taken off impressively. James Jolly met up with him earlier this week to talk about the new album.

Gramophone Podcasts are given in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Alexander Chance on English lute songs

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 09:54:00 +0000

Countertenor Alexander Chance – last year's winner of the International Handel Singing Competition – joins Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his debut album of English lute songs, 'Drop not, mine Eyes', recorded with lutenist Tony Carr and available from Linn.

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Carlo Rizzi on Mercadante's Il Proscritto

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:04:00 +0000

Carlo Rizzi, Opera Rara's Artistic Director, has recorded Mercadante's Il Proscritto for Opera Rara, another rarity to add to the label's growing catalogue. A well-chosen line-up of singers, including Ramón Vargas, Iván Ayón-Rivas, Irene Roberts, Elizabeth DeShong, Sally Matthews, Goderdzi Janelidze and Susana Gaspa, are joined by the Britten Sinfonia and Opera Rara Chorus. James Jolly catches up with the conductor.

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Cédric Tiberghien on piano variations by Beethoven … and more

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 08:04:00 +0000

The French pianist Cédric Tiberghien has just released a new album, Variation[s], on Harmonia Mundi. It takes Beethoven's many sets of themes and variations for solo piano as its starting point, and weaves in major sets by others composers, in Vol 1 by Mozart, Schumann and Webern.

James Jolly caught up with the pianist in New York, by Zoom, to talk about the project and find out his thinking on the programme of this first volume.

Gramophone Podcasts are given in association with Wigmore Hall

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Raphaël Feuillâtre on Baroque music for guitar

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:50:00 +0000

Guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre talks to Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford about his debut album for Deutsche Grammophon, Visages Baroque, which weaves a programme of arrangements of music by French Baroque composers around two major pieces by Bach. This Gramophone Podcast is produced in association with Wigmore Hall.

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The Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: celebrating Chandos, our Label of the Year

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:26:00 +0000

Tom Poster is pianist and co-artistic director of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, and in the latest in our series celebrating our Label of the Year Chandos Records, Editor Martin Cullingford talks to him about what defines the group and its aims, and about their three albums so far.

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The Tippett Quartet on the music of Korngold

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:16:00 +0000

The two violinists of the Tippett Quartet – John Mills and Jeremy Issacs – tell Editor Martin Cullingford about the group's new recording of the three string quartets of Erich Korngold, released on the Naxos label.

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Klaus Mäkelä on recording Stravinsky in Paris

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 11:59:00 +0000

Klaus Mäkelä's second recording for Decca finds him at the helm of his French orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris. They recorded Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and the complete Firebird ballet. James Jolly spoke to the conductor by Zoom when Klaus was in Cleveland conducting performances of Mahler's Fifth Symphony.

Gramophone Podcasts are given in association with Wigmore Hall

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Rachel Willis-Sørensen on Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 14:11:00 +0000

The soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen has just released an album of Richard Strauss, two late works – the Four Last Songs and the Closing scene from the opera Capriccio. On this new Sony Classical release she's joined by the Gewandhausorchester and Andris Nelsons. James Jolly caught up with her by Zoom to talk repertoire and the allure of Strauss's vocal writing.

Gramophone Podcasts are given in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Rafael Payare on Mahler from Montreal

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 19:57:00 +0000

The Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payare was appointed Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Montreal SO) at the start of the 2022-23 season and one of their first projects together, Mahler's Fifth Symphony, has just been released by Pentatone.

Rafael Payare was in London recently conducting a run of much-praised performances of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia at Covent Garden, and Gramophone's James Jolly took the opportunity to catch up with him to talk about his work in Montreal and the new Mahler recording.

Gramophone Podcasts are given in association with Wigmore Hall.

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Lucile Richardot on Scarlatti and the songs of Nadia and Lili Boulanger

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:14:00 +0000

In this week's podcast, French mezzo soprano Lucile Richardot talks to Gramophone's Hattie Butterworth about Les heures claires, an album of the complete songs of Nadia and Lili Boulanger on the Harmonia Mundi label, and also about recording Scarlatti Cantatas with harpsichordist Philippe Grisvard, for Audax.

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Exploring the music of Liszt

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 23:08:00 +0000

This week's Gramophone Podcast explores the life and works of Liszt, with a particular focus on his piano music. Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by Gramophone writer and expert on both Liszt and the piano, Jeremy Nicholas to discuss the composer's greatest works, and their greatest recordings. Visit Gramophone's website for details of the featured excerpts.

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Stephen Hough on Mompou and his new book

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 14:27:00 +0000

Pianist, composer and author Stephen Hough tells Editor Martin Cullingford about his latest book, a childhood memoir called Enough (published by Faber), his new recording of the music of Mompou, Música callada, and his String Quartet No 1, recently recorded by the Takács Quartet (both recordings available from Hyperion).

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