Classical Interviews
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Leif Ove Andsnes on Geirr Tveitt
20th May 2026by Katherine Cooper
The Norwegian pianist discusses the music of his compatriot (who lost most of his unpublished manuscripts to a devastating house fire in 1970), including the extraordinary 'Sonata Etere' and the folk songs which he collected in his native Hardanger.
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Anna Urpina on 'Le Chant des Muses'
18th May 2026by David Smith
The violinist talks about her new album comprising works from highly successful, but subsequently neglected, female composers of the Baroque era.
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Madeleine Mitchell on String Quartets by Charles Wood
18th May 2026by David Smith
The violinist shares some of her thoughts on a new album of chamber music by Charles Wood, released recently on SOMM to mark the centenary of the composer's death.
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Sir Donald Runnicles on Mahler and the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra
13th May 2026by James Longstaffe
The conductor and music director of the Grand Teton Music Festival speaks about his latest recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 5, his early experiences of hearing the composer's music, and how his association with the festival came about.
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Nico Muhly and Peter Phillips on No Resting Place
11th May 2026by David Smith
The composer, and the conductor of The Tallis Scholars, talk about their latest collaboration on an album of Nico's choral works.
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Tamsin Waley-Cohen and Huw Watkins reflect on 'Reflection'
6th May 2026by David Smith
The violinist and composer-pianist discuss their album of music by Prokofiev, Stravinsky, the late Oliver Knussen and Watkins himself, released in February on Signum Classics.
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Idith Meshulam Korman and Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey on Marianna Martines
27th Apr 2026by Matthew Ash
Idith Meshulam Korman and Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey talk about their new album dedicated to the complete keyboard works of Marianna Martines, and their passion for giving voice to a composer and performer of considerable talent who has been unfairly obscured by history and the conventions of her time.
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Joseph Nolan on the organ works of Alkan
23rd Apr 2026by David Smith
The organist talks about the first instalment of his new project - recording the complete organ works of the French Romantic keyboard sorcerer Charles-Valentin Alkan, known as much for his epic-scale piano works as for his organ compositions.
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Pēteris Vasks at 80
16th Apr 2026by Ben Hogwood
The Latvian composer (whose big birthday falls today) looks back over the past nine decades, reflecting on some of the musicians who have shaped his work and the inspiration which he draws from nature and his faith.
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Michael Waldron on Arthur Oldham
13th Apr 2026by Katherine Cooper
To mark the release of Mentor (out now on Orchid Classics), the conductor of London Choral Sinfonia discusses the unique relationship between Benjamin Britten and his only private pupil, whose centenary falls this year.
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Nicholas Collon on Hans Zender
8th Apr 2026by Katherine Cooper
The British conductor discusses recording and performing Zender's 'composed interpretation' of Schubert's Winterreise with Aurora Orchestra and Allan Clayton, and explains why he believes that this version of the piece has much to offer to seasoned Schubertians and newcomers like.
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Cristian Măcelaru on Elsa Barraine
2nd Apr 2026by Katherine Cooper
The Romanian conductor discusses the remarkable legacy of 'one of the most prominent figures in twentieth-century French cultural life', whose symphonies he recently recorded with the Orchestre National de France for Warner Classics.
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Anne-Sophie Mutter on East Meets West
30th Mar 2026by James Longstaffe
To celebrate the launch of her new series on Alpha Classics, ASM Forte Forward, the violinist talks about her long history of commissioning and performing new works by composers including John Williams, Witold Lutosławski, Unsuk Chin, and Aftab Darvishi.
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Rosa Feola on Donizetti
25th Mar 2026by Katherine Cooper
The Italian soprano discusses collaborating with Carlo Rizzi on the seventh instalment of Opera Rara's mammoth Donizetti Song Project, masterminded by musicologist Roger Parker and launched in late 2024.
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Claire Booth on Life Stories
24th Mar 2026by Katherine Cooper
The soprano discusses her recent cabaret-themed album on Orchid Classics, featuring the world premiere recording of Zoë Martlew's theatrical song-cycle Hôtel Babylon plus music by Gershwin, Eisler, Poulenc and Adès.
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Kazuki Yamada on Walton
19th Mar 2026by Katherine Cooper
The Japanese conductor discusses his recent recording of the symphonies with the CBSO, settling into life in Birmingham, his first brush with English music as a high-school student, and inspirational visits to Ischia, Malvern and Aldeburgh.
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Nimrod Borenstein on his concertos and Shakespeare Songs
18th Mar 2026by David Smith
The composer talks about his new album on SOMM, featuring concertos for mandolin and for oboe plus his Shakespeare Sonnets for soprano and orchestra.
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Michael Finnissy at 80
17th Mar 2026by Ben Hogwood
On his eightieth birthday, the English composer talks to our contemporary music guest-contributor about his student days at the Royal College of Music, drawing inspiration from country hedgerows, and why he's 'still amazed by Verdi'...
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Christian Immler on Be Still My Heart
16th Mar 2026by Katherine Cooper
In the run-up to the release of Raphaël Pichon's recording of the St John Passion (on which he sings the bass arias and Pilatus), the German singer discusses a recent passion-project of his own - a beguiling recital of songs by Wilhelm Grosz and Robert Gund with pianist Helmut Deutsch on Alpha Classics.
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Martin James Bartlett on Bach, Mozart and Britten
12th Mar 2026by Katherine Cooper
The British pianist discusses his new album of early concertos by Bach and Mozart plus Britten's Young Apollo, recorded in Salzburg with the Mozarteumorchester and Howard Griffiths.