The Classical Circuit

Timothy Ridout is one of today’s most sought-after violists, being a former BBC New Generation Artist, a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship recipient and winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award. As well as having performed with many major orchestras and conductors worldwide, Tim is a celebrated chamber musician, bringing programmes regularly to the likes of Wigmore Hall and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. He records regularly for Harmonia Mundi, and his recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto (as transcribed by Lionel Tertis) and the Bloch Suite for viola and orchestra - with Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Symphony Orchestra - won the Gramophone Concerto Award in 2023.In this episode, Tim speaks about his formative experiences with the viola and how he stays on top of his game amidst a hectic performing/travelling schedule. He also spoke about his long-standing relationship with Walton's Viola Concerto and the journey to his Proms debut in 2021, plus a little insight into his methods for blowing off steam in the face of frustration…-------------------Tim's links:WebsiteFacebookInstagramYouTube-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).

Julian Lloyd Webber's musical life is remarkably varied. As a solo cellist, he has performed with many of the world’s finest orchestras and conductors, as well as every leading symphony and chamber orchestra in the UK. His discography includes his BRIT Award-winning Elgar Cello Concerto, conducted by Yehudi Menuhin, and ‘Variations’, a collaboration between him and his brother Andrew, which has sold over a million copies. Julian has premiered more than fifty works over his career and inspired composers such as Malcolm Arnold, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Eric Whitacre to write new music for the cello. He was also the London Underground’s first official busker, and he was also the only classical musician to perform at the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.Julian is a leading advocate for accessible music education, and has been throughout his whole career. Founded by Julian in 2007, the In Harmony programme has introduced the power of music to more than sixty thousand school children from the least privileged parts of England. He was also Principal of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for five years, a place at which he still holds the position of Emeritus Professor. In this episode, we dig into the topic of music education, along with various issues the industry is facing at the moment. Julian also talks about working with Yehudi Menuhin, and the injury that forced him to retire from his cello career.-------------------Julian's links:WebsiteFacebookTwitter-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).

Recorder player and baroque violinist Yasaman Mashhouri was born in Tehran, Iran. Her musical education began at the age of ten with the Orff method, then subsequently taking her first violin lessons and teaching herself the recorder. After graduating with a biology degree from Tehran University, she decided to follow her heart and pursue her musical studies, moving first to Vienna to study recorder performance, and later to Germany. Yasaman is currently based in Switzerland, where she teaches in Schwyz and Ingenbohl.In this episode, Yasaman spoke about the difficult decision to leave home and the non-musical path that was planned for her; her love of presenting music in new and modern ways; the importance of personal connection; and the upper age limit of many competitions overlooking those that began their musical careers later than most.This episode was recorded in October 2023.-------------------Yasaman's links:YouTubeInstagram-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).

Matthew Johnson is a London-based photographer, best known for his work in classical music and portraiture. Having originally trained as a cellist, his approach to his work is shaped by the knowledge and perspective gained from his musical experiences. His impressive client list includes Platoon, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Estonian Embassy, and Britten-Pears Arts – as well as huge numbers of musicians, ensembles, festivals and concert series. Outside the world of music, his vast portraiture portfolio is underpinned by themes of community and well-being, and his work has taken him all over Europe and the UK.In this episode, Matthew talks about how his musical background helps him to photograph live music in a very human way, the parallels between being a musician and being a photographer, working with dyslexia, and how he bounced back after being told he would never be a professional cellist.This episode was recorded in August 2023.-------------------Matthew's websiteInstagram-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).

Sumina Studer is a violinist, educator, and content creator who, having captured the hearts of audiences across multiple social platforms, is passionate about bringing classical music to younger generations. Having performed across the globe and won prizes in many international competitions, she now enjoys a varied career teaching, selling violins, making content and, more recently, giving lectures at music colleges on the topic of ‘Modern Communication and Social Media for Musicians in the 21st Century’. Sumina’s latest business venture, Animus, is a social media management/brand agency tailored to classical musicians, with the aim of helping them to build additional income streams separate from that of concert fees.In this episode, Sumina shares her passion for education, the ways in which social media can be useful, and how she finds balance between making content out of her life whilst also living and being present in it. She also talks about the initial discomfort around deciding whether to let go of life as a performer, and the good that followed when she did.This episode was recorded in November 2023.-------------------Sumina's links:WebsiteYouTubeFacebookInstagramTikTok-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).

Jamie Walton is a cellist, cultural entrepreneur, and Artistic Director of the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival and Ayriel Studios. As a soloist, he has appeared and recorded with the UK’s finest orchestras, including recording three concerti with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and no less than ten concerti with the Philharmonia Orchestra (including the Dvorak and Schumann concerti under Vladimir Ashkenazy). Turning his focus to chamber music, he launched his festival in 2009, which has sold to capacity audiences ever since and was shortlisted twice for a Royal Philharmonic Society award. It was also one of the only organisations that went ahead as planned during the Covid pandemic (in both 2020 and 2021), adapting quickly to house concerts in a five thousand square foot acoustically-adapted marquee. Jamie was also the Patron and lead campaigner for Cedar’s Hall, a brand new concert hall at Wells Cathedral School, which he helped officially open in 2016. And, more recently, he initiated the building of a new state-of-the-art recording studio in the heart of the North York Moors - Ayriel Studios - which opened in 2022. In this episode, Jamie talks about what drives him and his creative process, the parallels he finds between music and food, why he doesn’t miss the conventional concert circuit and why he’s so passionate about showing young musicians a world outside of the conservatoire bubble.This episode was recorded in August 2023.-------------------Jamie's websiteAyriel Studios-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).