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Orli Shaham
21:05||Season 6Acclaimed Israeli-American pianist Orli Shaham is a compelling performer, educator, and recording artist. A recipient of the Avery Fisher career Grant, she is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Kaufman Music Center, Artistic Director of Pacific Symphony's chamber series, and was Artist in Residence at Vancouver Symphony. On this season 6 finale of Speaking Soundly, Orli sits down with David to reflect on their early musical education together and her motivation to earn degrees from The Juilliard School and Columbia University at the same time. Our guest shares how she was fueled by focus and curiosity, two traits she gained growing up the daughter of scientists and in admiration of her older musical brothers. To close it out, Orli recalls how her relationship to performance changed once she became a mother to twin boys, which led to her founding of the Bach Yard musical program for kids, and why her best collaborator is her husband, conductor David Robertson.We need your help to amplify artistic voices. Please consider supporting this show by making a 100% tax-deductible donation here.Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!Check out Orli Shaham on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web. To learn more about Orli's music education program Bach Yard, visit them on the web.Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.Photograph of Orli Shaham by Pacific Symphony/Matthew Morgan .The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.Episode copyright © 2025 Artful Narratives Media.
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Evgeny Kissin
18:07||Season 6Grammy Award–winning pianist Evgeny Kissin has been a towering presence in the classical music world for decades and a favorite among audiences worldwide. Evgeny joins David to recall his legendary US debut recital at Carnegie Hall, why firemen closed down his performance in Bologna, and the reason his mother didn't want him to study music. We need your help to amplify artistic voices. Please consider supporting this show by making a 100% tax-deductible donation here.Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!Check out Evgeny Kissin on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web.Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.Photograph of Evgeny Kissin by Phillip Andrukovich.The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.Episode copyright © 2025 Artful Narratives Media.
Leif Ove Andsnes
22:06||Season 6Renowned Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes brings a deep sense of introspection to everything he performs. Our guest reflects on his childhood playing the euphonium in a band compared with his lonely pursuit as a pianist, the moment he realized that "this would be his life," and his relationship with practice. Leif Ove discusses the piece of music of which he never tires, his Beethoven journey with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and the advantages of being both the pianist and the conductor at the same time. To close out the conversation Leif Ove explains why he felt at home for his second concert—not his first—at Carnegie Hall.We need your help to amplify artistic voices. Please consider supporting this show by making a 100% tax-deductible donation here.Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!Check out Leif Ove Andsnes on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web.Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.Photograph of Leif Ove Andsnes by Helge Hansen/Sony Music Entertainment.The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.Episode copyright © 2025 Artful Narratives Media.
Clive Gillinson
24:14||Season 6Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall Clive Gillinson credits his previous career as a young cellist with the London Symphony Orchestra for shaping his creative approach to managing the world's most iconic concert hall. Clive sits down with David to discuss his kinship with musicians, how he became an arts administrator by mistake, and the secret to raising money. Reflecting on his early days as a musician, our guest shares why he was kicked out of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, the influence of his mother, and advice for young musicians.We need your help to amplify artistic voices. Please consider supporting this show by making a 100% tax-deductible donation here.Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!Check out Carnegie Hall on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, or the web.Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.Photograph of Clive Gillinson by Fadi Kheir.The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.Episode copyright © 2025 Artful Narratives Media.
Kayhan Kalhor
19:01||Season 6Grammy Award winner Kayhan Kalhor is a world-renowned virtuoso of the kamancheh, the ancient Persian predecessor to the violin, as well as other instruments. He sits down with David to talk about the origins of the instrument, falling in love with it at age 10, and joining the Iranian National Radio and Television Orchestra at 13-years-old performing alongside musicians 4-times his age. Kayhan recalls how music took him to Europe—2,500 miles by foot with the kamancheh on his back—escaping the turmoil of the Iranian Revolution and ultimately landing at the New York Philharmonic with Yo-Yo Ma, and later Silkroad. To close it out, Kayhan reflects on how music is his anchor, refuge, and response to strife.We need your help to amplify artistic voices. Please consider supporting this show by making a 100% tax-deductible donation here.Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!Check out Kayhan Kalhor on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web.To learn more about Silkroad visit them on the web.Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.Episode copyright © 2025 Artful Narratives Media.
Alexa Tarantino
24:04||Season 6Alexa Tarantino is a dynamic saxophone performer, composer, and educator, who recently made history as the first female full-time member to join the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. She chats with David about role models, the importance of being fearless, her relationship to practice, and a chance encounter with Philip Bailey that led to her performing with Earth, Wind, and Fire while at the Eastman School of Music. To close out the episode, Alexa discusses her new album, which features a track with Cécile McLorin Salvant, how walking on stage with Wynton is like hitting the football field as the lights go on, and the value of a musical education.We need your help to amplify artistic voices. Please consider supporting this show by making a 100% tax-deductible donation here.Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!Check out Alexa Tarantino on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Spotify, or the web.To learn more about Jazz at Lincoln Center visit them on the web.Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.Photograph of Alexa Tarantino by Anna Yatskevich.The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.Episode copyright © 2025 Artful Narratives Media.
Nicola Benedetti
24:19||Season 6Grammy Award-winning Scottish-Italian violinist Nicola Benedetti captivates audiences with her passionate and virtuosic performances. The soloist and David kick off the conversation with a debate about the superiority of the trumpet vs. the violin and how Nicola has expanded her instrument's repertoire championing new works, including Wynton Marsalis's violin concerto. Nicola reflects on her childhood listening to classical music with her mom and sister, attending the Yehudi Menuhin school, and how she was badly advised early in her career. She goes on to share what she thought when she was asked to be the Director of the Edinburgh International Festival and how she juggles this role, her performance schedule, and her work as the Founder and Artistic Director Benedetti Foundation. To close it out, Nicola settles an outstanding question about her daughter.We need your help to amplify artistic voices. Please consider supporting this show by making a 100% tax-deductible donation here.Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!Check out Nicola Benedetti on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web. To learn more about the Benedetti Foundation visit them on the web. For more info about the Edinburgh International Festival check out their site. Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.Photograph of Nicola Benedetti by Andy Gotts.The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.Episode copyright © 2025 Artful Narratives Media.