Harmonically Speaking

My guest today is artistic director of the Wigmore Hall, John Gilhooly.Hailing from Castleconnell in Limerick in Ireland, he studied history and political science in University College Dublin, alongside singing lessons with the legendary Dr Veronica Dunne. Following his university studies, he transitioned into Arts Administration, with stints at the Harrogate and Excel centres, before joining Wigmore Hall as executive director in 2000, and then taking up the post of artistic director five years later, aged just 32. Under his leadership Wigmore Hall has increased its public performances, expanded its audiences and repertoire, and has numerous learning and participation programmes. John has been awarded both an OBE And CBE for his services to music, the star of Italy, German order of merit and Austrian cross on honours among others, and in September 2025 the Spectator Newspaper dubbed him “The man who can save classical music”.Curious to find out more about his journey and transition into arts administration, what running a world famous concert hall entails, and what he sees as the challenges facing classical music today, I say down with John at his office at 21 Wellbeck Way, where I began by asking about his first experiences with classical music and their influence on him...

My guest today is Head of Keyboard and piano professor at Cagliari Conservatoire, Giulio Biddau.Born in Cagliari, Sardinia, he studied there, in Paris, Rome, and Berlin and is a prize winner at numerous international competitions, including Aix-en-Provence, Valencia, Terni, and Tbilisi and performs all over the world.Most recently he has been pursuing a doctorate in musicology in Zurich and Graz, focusing on Domenico Scarlatti, and the historically informed performance of his works. This research has led to a recent cd entitled “Scarlatti to Scarlatti” where he recorded the same sonatas from two different editions - comparing and contrasting the Hans von Bulow edition of 1864 and the later, critical 1978 version of Emilio Fadini. Always curious to delve into the world of music research and historically informed practice, and wishing to learn more about Domenico Scarlatti, in July 2025 whilst at the Klaipeda Piano Masters academy in Lithuania, I sat down with Giulio, where I began by asking how he started playing piano….

My guest today is opera director Caroline Staunton.Growing up in Dublin, her path to the Staatsoper in Berlin was an unusual one, first studying English and Philosophy in UCD, followed by a masters there in Drama studies.Whilst teaching English in Gonzaga College, and directing theatre productions, the allure of opera became ever stronger, leading her to take a year out and intern in Berlin and Salzburg, before landing a job in Theater Freiburg, and then at the Staatsoper in BerlinEager to know more about her journey, what the day to day life of an opera director is like, and the important role opera and the arts play in challenging outdated attitudes, I sat down with Caroline where I began by asking what first drew her to classical music and opera....

My guest today is Professor of Viola at the Hochschule für Musik in Dresden, Neasa Ní Bhriain. Hailing from Dublin, she started out playing violin and in 2008 moved to Rostock in Germany to study it. However she had always been drawn to the viola, the critical middle voice of the string quartet, and during her studies there switched to it, before completing further studies in Leipzig and Weimar and then winning the position of solo viola in the Staatskapelle Weimar in 2018.A passionate exponent of contemporary music and its creative soundscapes, she combines her work as a performer and teacher with a zeal for composition and improvisation, and has written and performed numerous works for viola and pedals.Curious to know more about her journey, the challenges of switching instruments, and her approach to guiding the next generation of musician, I sat down with Neasa where I began by asking how she starting playing music….

My guest this week is Professor of Musicians Health with a special focus on mental health in Lübeck, Prof. Dr. Daniel Sebastian Scholz.Hailing from Tübingen in southern Germany, he is a trained psychologist and jazz musician, and initially studied psychology in Marburg before studying jazz composition in Osnabrück whilst completing his doctorate in Hannover. In 2022 he took up his current position in Lübeck, in the process becoming the first professor of this kind in Germany. Alongside his day to day work with musicians, he frequently gives seminars on stage fright, and self esteem, and has authored and co-authored numerous studies including one exploring low self esteem and performance anxiety and how it can predict depression in musiciansCurious to know more about his journey, the issues facing musicians today, and how he helps them, I sat down with Daniel, where I began by asking when he first started playing music ….

My guest today is director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and current President of the European Association of Conservatoires, Deborah KelleherA native of Dublin, she studied music in Trinity College Dublin, later becoming a teaching fellow in UCD, whilst also teaching in the then DIT College of Music, and working in FM3, the precursor to RTE Lyric FM.However, her sights were always set on leadership, which compelled her to study an MBA and in 2010, in the midst of the Great Recession she became director of the RIAM. Under her stewardship, the Academy has became an associate college of Trinity College Dublin, curricula has been reformed, and most noticeably, the city centre campus has been redeveloped, doubling its teaching and practice studios, and adding new rehearsal and performances spaces, including the Whyte Recital Hall.Curious to know more about her journey, the unseen reality of leading an artistic institution, and the challenges facing conservatoires and artists in the future,, I sat down with Deborah where I began by asking how she started playing music…

My guest today is superstar jazz clarinettist, Giacomo Smith.Born in Italy, Giacomo grew up in upstate New York and initially wanted to learn saxophone, but was persuaded to start with clarinet, and went on to study clarinet classically in Boston University and McGill in Montreal. However, the lure of jazz was always there, inspired by both his mothers affinity for Dave Brubeck, and a roommate who loaned him a cd of Hubert Rostaing playing with Django Reinhardt.This sparked an interest in the early days of jazz, and its unique soundworld, and later let to him founding a band called Kansas Smittys, playing music inspired by that era.Famed for his elegant playing and effortless vituosity, he frequently performs worldwide and is in high demand as a soloist, collaborator, and record producer, and in early 2025, when Giacomo was in Ireland, performing with Guy Barker and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, we sat down to talk, where I began by asking him when he started playing clarinet…

Bringing Season 1 of Harmonically Speaking to a close is Irish pianist, Fiachra Garvey.Growing up in the countryside in Wicklow, his two passions are music and animals, and on leaving school he faced a dilemma regarding choice of career, studying both music and veterinary for a year before deciding on former at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.Upon completing his masters with first class honours and distinction, at the Royal Academy of Music in London,, he faced that all too familiar challenge of transitioning from student to professional.Already a laureate of numerous international competitions, he mastered this, building on a successful career as a solo pianist and chamber musician, by founding two highly regarded festivals - the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival and Classical Vauxhall.Wishing to gain an insight into his career path, the challenges it entails, and how he thinks musicians need to evolve in an ever more competitive environment, I sat down to talk with Fiachra, where I began by asking how he came to pick piano….