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Katherine Cooper
Head of Editorial
Katherine Cooper read English at University College, Oxford, and joined Presto in 2009. She began her musical life as a violinist, but now spends much of her time singing Rossini and Elgar (sometimes even for money). She is also an Associate Lecturer for the Open University, specialising in music and literature.
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Furtwängler from Neeme Järvi
At the helm of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, the Järvi family patriarch makes a convincing case for the German conductor's shapeshifting Symphony No. 2, completed in Switzerland shortly after he fled Nazi Germany in 1945.
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New Release Round-Up - 13th June 2025
A Pan-European programme from La Serenissima, Stravinsky and Ravel from Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy, Bach from Francesco Tristano, and Brahms's clarinet sonatas (in new orchestrations by Stephan Koncz) from Daniel Ottensamer and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.
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Ophélie Gaillard on Cello Tango
The French cellist discusses her new album of music by Piazzolla, Ginastera, Gardel and others (released on Aparté in April), falling in love with tango during a tour to Buenos Aires, and why the milonga is the perfect place to let off steam after a concert...
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Aziz Shokhakimov in Strasbourg
Ahead of a performance of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring earlier this spring, the Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg sat down with Presto to discuss his pre- and post-concert routines, building a relationship with the city and its orchestra, and their new recording of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé on Warner Classics.
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New Release Round-Up - 6th June 2025
Debussy and Messiaen from Magdalena Kožená and Mitsuko Uchida, Sibelius from Nicholas Collon and Christian Tetzlaff with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mozart from Angela Hewitt, and Haydn from the Chiaroscuro Quartet.
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Magdalena Kožená on L'extase
Ahead of the release of her new album with Mitsuko Uchida on Pentatone tomorrow, the Czech mezzo discusses their shared passion for Debussy - and how she fell in love with French song behind the Iron Curtain as a teenager.
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Alexandre Dratwicki on Bizet and Bru Zane
On the 150th anniversary of Bizet's death, Bru Zane's Artistic Director discusses a new anthology exploring the French composer's lesser-known works - and outlines the label's plans to shine a light on some of his near-forgotten compatriots from the early twentieth century...
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New Release Round-Up - 30th May 2025
Tchaikovsky from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Alpesh Chauhan, a second helping of British orchestral anthems from Britten Sinfonia and the Choir of Merton College Oxford, Ligeti concertos from Les Siècles and François-Xavier Roth, and Anna Lapwood's eclectic new album Firedove.
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For Dieter: Hommage à Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Together with his regular recital-partner James Baillieu, Benjamin Appl celebrates the centenary of his mentor's birth with a beautifully-crafted recital charting the various stages of his life - including music which was written 'For Dieter' and world premiere recordings of pieces by family-members.
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For Dieter
Benjamin Appl (baritone), James Baillieu (piano)
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New Release Round-Up - 23rd May 2025
Purcell from Helen Charlston and Sounds Baroque, Chopin from Benjamin Grosvenor, Beethoven from Elisabeth Leonskaja and the Orchestre Français des Jeunes, and Madeleine Dring from Nicholas Daniel and friends.
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Esther Abrami on WOMEN
The French violinist discusses her new album of music by female composers (released on Sony last month), featuring the world premiere of Ina Boyle's Violin Concerto and works by Chiquinha Gonzaga, Ethel Smyth and Holocaust victim Ilse Weber.
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Luigi Alva (1927-2025)
The Peruvian light lyric tenor, who was especially acclaimed for his elegant interpretations of Mozart and Rossini, has died aged 98.
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Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia
Maria Callas (Rosina), Tito Gobbi (Figaro), Luigi Alva (Almaviva), Fritz Ollendorf (Bartolo), Nicola Zaccaria (Basilio), Gabriella Carturan (Berta), Mario Carlin (Fiorello) Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Alceo Galliera
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New Release Round-Up - 16th May 2025
Bach from Benjamin Alard, Brahms from Christian Gerhaher and Gerold Huber, Lament and Liberation from the Choir of St John's College Cambridge, and Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven & Liszt from Mariam Batsashvili.
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Matthew Best (1957-2025)
The British bass and conductor, who founded the Corydon Singers whilst still in his teens, has died of cancer aged 68.
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New Release Round-Up - 9th May 2025
Chopin from Justin Taylor, Bizet's complete songs from Cyrille Dubois and friends, early Schumann & Bruckner from Jordi Savall, and Shostakovich & Britten from Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
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Germán Enrique Alcántara on Simon Boccanegra
The rising Argentinian baritone discusses his recent recording debut on Opera Rara (which saw him stepping in to sing Verdi's troubled Doge at very short notice), his two transformative years on the Jette Parker Artists Programme at Covent Garden, and why it 'takes a village' to raise an opera-singer...
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James Ehnes on Bach
The violinist discusses his new recording of a selection of Bach concertos with Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra - an organisation which 'played a pivotal part' in his early life through tours, radio broadcasts and competitions for young artists.
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New Release Round-Up - 2nd May 2025
Bruckner from The Hallé and Kahchun Wong, Kurtág from Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Brahms's German Requiem from Bach Collegium Japan and Masaaki Suzuki, and Strauss's Salome from Edward Gardner (with Malin Byström in the title-role).
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New Release Round-Up - 25th April 2025
Weinberg from the Arcadia Quartet, Shostakovich from Yo-Yo Ma in Boston, Tchaikovsky from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Domingo Hindoyan, and Salieri from Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset.
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Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer from Edward Gardner in Oslo
With Gerald Finley as an eloquent Dutchman and Lise Davidsen firing on all cylinders as the sea-captain's daughter whose love redeems him, this new live recording of Wagner's early opera emerges as a serious contender in a crowded field.
