PODCAST · arts
Down the Pit
by Down the Pit
Professional musicians Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew are the co-hosts of Down the Pit, a podcast series that delves into the world of classical music, bringing in leading conductors, composers, and performers to the show, to demystify, promote increased accessibility for the genre, and analyze its future. Each episode will have an incredible guest, and through casual and fun conversations, we will dive into their fascinating lives. To become a Down the Pit supporter, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit.
Episodes
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What's the MATA? A Festival Built with Grit with Pauline Kim Harris and Jessie Cox
Great conversation with Executive Director of Mata Festival Pauline Kim Harris and featured composer Jessie Cox. Music at the Anthology (MATA) celebrates its 27th Annual Festival with performances at the Issue Project Room in Brooklyn from June 11th to 14th 2025 Titled Intergalactic Infinity…
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Of Love, Of Colors, Of Power with Violinist & Composer Curtis Stewart
A highly entertaining and informative conversation with 6 time GRAMMY-nominated violinist & composer Curtis Stewart. In the episode, Curtis talks about tearing down the facade of "classical violinist" and his constant pursuit of his musical authenticity, treating art as a battery for realizing...
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An Awkward First Date with Isabel Hagen
Violist and Comedian Isabel joins Ian and Sami in a dynamic and fun conversation in which she dives into her life, going into details about the shift in her career, the viola, her standup comedy routines, her appearances in the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, her upcoming projects, goals and a…
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Anthony Williams: The Michael Jordan of Music Education
In this episode, Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew have a great conversation with music educator in Florida Anthony Williams who is known to be the Michael Jordan of Music Education down in Florida. As retirement approaches, he shares his passion and life mission of making the world a better place...
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Becoming "FIERCE": how to create a successful career path with Jessica Meyer
In this episode, Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew have a great conversation with violist/composer/educator Jessica Meyer who has established herself to be an incredible force in the industry thanks for her passion, perseverance, entrepreneurial skills and extraordinary talent. She talks about all of…
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Brandon Ridenour: Superstar Trumpeter, Composer, Arranger, Comedian and more
Happy New Year listeners!!! In this episode, we learn the unique story of one of the best trumpeters of his generation. The youngest player to ever play with the legendary Canadian Brass, Brandon Ridenour engages in a very entertaining and informative conversation; his first piano lesson with his...
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Lucia Micarelli, A Renaissance Woman
“A VIOLINIST OF HEART-MELTING TALENT.” – The Wall Street Journal “DAZZLING SKILLS AND A MONA LISA SMILE.” – The Washington Post A very special episode with violinist, singer, actress Lucia Micarelli! Born in Queens, New York, Lucia has been immersed in the arts since the age of three. After...
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Composer Adam Schoenberg: Humans VS Artificial Intelligence
Great conversation with composer extraordinaire, Emmy Award-winning and Grammy® nominated Adam Schoenberg who has been named among the top 10 most performed living composers by orchestras in the United States twice. His works have received performances and premieres at the Library of Congress,...
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Scoring for TV & Movies: The Jeff Cardoni Method (Part II)
Last episode of Season 2 of Down the Pit, and final part of our conversation with Film & TV Composer Jeff Cardoni. Jeff’s talents range from intimate independent fare to full orchestral majesty. With over 45 feature film scores and several network series to his credit, one can hear his work...
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Scoring for TV & Movies: The Jeff Cardoni Method (Part I)
Part 1 of our conversation with 2019 ASCAP Composer of the Year Jeff Cardoni. Jeff’s talents range from intimate independent fare to full orchestral majesty. With over 45 feature film scores and several network series to his credit, one can hear his work worldwide every day. His unique ability to...
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From Jazz to Tango with Pedro Giraudo (Part II)
Continuation of our fun conversation with Latin Grammy Award winning bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo. He shares with us his style of composition, where he finds inspiration, what he does for fun his fear of aging and how he has changed his lifestyle to adjust to it. You will also listen to his...
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From Jazz to Tango with Pedro Giraudo (Part I)
Part 1 of our conversation with Latin Grammy Award winning bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo. In this episode he talks about growing uip in a musical family in Cordoba, Argentina, how he got into music, his musical journey that brought him to New York City, his experiences and differences…
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A New Musician Mindset: Adapting to Today's World with Audrey Vardanega and Christos Vayenas (Part II)
Part 2 of our conversation with pianists and entrepreneurs Audrey Vardanega and Christos Vayenas. We talk more about the next steps of Arium TV, support for the Arts, fair compensation for musicians, their source of inspiration, their hopes, their fears, and a lot more! Please Subscribe, Rate and...
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A New Musician Mindset: Adapting to Today's World with Audrey Vardanega and Christos Vayenas (Part I)
Part 1 of our conversation with pianists and entrepreneurs Audrey Vardanega and Christos Vayenas. We will learn about their careers, how they got into music, their upbringings in the Bay Area and the Northeast, how they transitioned during the pandemic, their passion to help musicians and their...
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Crossing the Pond with Pianist Philip Edward Fisher (Part II)
Part 2 and final episode of our conversation with the world-acclaimed British pianist Philip Edward Fisher. He will tell us about his recording experiences with Naxos, Chandos, going through the pandemic and our way to recovery, the Covid-19 Variations, what gives him hope, his sources of...
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Crossing the Pond with Pianist Philip Edward Fisher (Part I)
Part 1 of our conversation with the world-acclaimed British pianist Philip Edward Fisher. We will learn about his young years in Birmingham and how music took him to London, his love for soccer and snooker, his mentors, moving to NYC, the secret ingredient for the best Fish and Chips, playing by...
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Camille Zamora: Soprano extraordinaire & Co-Executive Director of Sing for Hope (Part II)
Here it is, the second part of our conversation with the incredible soprano and citizen artist Camille Zamora. In this episode Camille talks about her involvement with a Grammy-winning production, her response to 9/11 while living in NYC and how it lead to co-founding Sing for Hope, her fears…
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Camille Zamora: Soprano extraordinaire & Co-Executive Director of Sing for Hope (Part I)
We are very excited to share the 1st part of our conversation with the incredible soprano and citizen artist Camille Zamora. In this episode Camille will share some details about her childhood and her travels between Houston and Mexico, her relationship with classical music and other genres of...
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Music and Positive Social Change in Communities with Mary Javian (Part II)
In the 2nd and final part of our interview with Mary Javian, we talk about some of the landmarks in her career, some amazing organizations she is involved with like Project440 (https://project440.org) and Voces8 (https://voces8.com), founding and curating LiveConnections...
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Music and Positive Social Change in Communities with Mary Javian (Part I)
We are beyond excited to share the first part of our conversation with the incredible Mary Javian. In the episode we talk about her life in Philadelphia, using music to make a positive impact in society, performing at the most prestigious stages as a bass player as well as bringing music to...
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Charles Yang: the 21st century classical Rockstar (Part II)
In part 2 of our conversation, we continue our conversation with violinist/singer-songwriter Charles Yang in which he talks about how he got into singing, the violin he plays on, crazy and boozy stories while on tour, #AsianHateCrime, the importance of friendship, his sources of inspiration, the...
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Charles Yang: the 21st century classical Rockstar (Part I)
Recipient of the 2018 Leonard Bernstein Award, Juilliard graduate Charles Yang was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in concert in the United States, Europe, Brazil, Russia, China, and Taiwan, and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. On...
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Anthony McGill: Classical Music Famous, Clarinet MVP (Part II)
Welcome to Season 2! Born and raised in Chicago, Anthony McGill has carved an incredible career and is one of the most influential figures in classical music. He is equally recognized as an orchestra musician, a chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. Principal clarinetist of the New York...
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Anthony McGill: Classical Music Famous, Clarinet MVP (Part I)
Welcome to Season 2! Born and raised in Chicago, Anthony McGill has carved an incredible career and is one of the most influential figures in classical music. He is equally recognized as an orchestra musician, a chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. Principal clarinetist of the New York...
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Trailer
Professional musicians Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew are the co-hosts of Down the Pit, a podcast series that delves into the world of classical music, bringing in leading conductors, composers, and performers to the show, to demystify, promote increased accessibility for the genre, and analyze its...
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The Australian Guitar Hero: Scott Borg
In this episode we talk with Australian classical guitarist Scott Borg. Every artist has a story, and Scott's is a very interesting and unique one. In our conversation we talk about his upbringings in rural Australia, performing for cows, kangaroos vs camels, the shock of moving to NYC, ethics…
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Did I hear 60 Million? The captivating life of Carlos Tome
In today's episode, we talk with Carlos Tome, Director, Co-owner and Head of Sales at Tarisio. Carlos oversees all private sales of Tarisio’s New York and London offices and has played a major role in the critical success of recent auction sales, many of which set world records. Some of the many...
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The rise of Daniela Candillari as one of opera's leading conductors
In today's episode, we talk with Daniela Candillari, Serbian-Slovenian Conductor and Composer whose charisma, work ethic, passion for music and musical intuition has brought her great recognition and catapulted her career, leading some fantastic opera productions around the world. — The Chicago...
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A Dean for the students with Thomas Masse
In today's episode, we talk with Thomas Masse, former Deputy Dean and Associate Provost for the Arts at Yale University and current professor at Stetson University. We discuss his journey, the many career paths in music, stories about his years at Yale, how to deal with negativity, the importance...
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Violinist Wayne Lin: the story behind the making of a Concertmaster
Growing up in a non-musical family and a community that revolves around its professional football team, violinist Wayne Lin shares his experiences that led him to the Juilliard School and to currently being the acting Concertmaster of the Seoul Philharmonic in South Korea. Orchestra life…
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Louis Levitt: record label CEO, producer, founder of Sybarite5, bassist and entrepreneur
An entertaining episode in which our guest Louis Levitt shares with us his life as a musician with a business mentality. From founding chamber music groups like Sybarite5 and The Weeklies, to being a producer, and CEO of record label Bright Shiny Things, we explore topics like life on tour, non…
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Mary Kouyoumdjian: Armenian-American Composer/Documentarian
Armenian-American composer Mary Kouyoumdjian talks about her music, her culture, her influences, her projects ranging from concert works to multimedia collaborations and films scores. Kronos Quartet, Atom Egoyan, social and political conflicts, race/gender equality and so much more in this…
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Daniel Trahey: Musician, Educator and Innovator
Artistic Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s “OrchKids” and founder of El Sistema inspired program “Tuned In” at the Peabody Conservatory, where he teaches creative composition and community engagement, Daniel Trahey is a pioneer and innovator in his field. In this entertaining...
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Yves Dharamraj: Cellist, Educator, Innovator, Entrepreneur
Dr. Yves Dharamraj tells us about his career, his dreams, his views on the importance of music education, privilege in classical music, his work as a co-Executive Director of New Docta Festival, and much more! To become a Down the Pit supporter, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit...
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A young star: composer Shelbie Rassler
An entertaining chat with Shelbie Rassler, composer/arranger, conductor, multi-instrumentalist. The story behind the video that changed her life, how is it to be a student at The Juilliard School during COVID-19, her passion for education and altruism at such young age, a surprise phone call from…
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Arthur Sato: Oboist, Contractor, Consultant and Music Educator
Arthur Sato shares his life as a NYC freelancer, as an educator. He tells us some great stories about being a contractor, how his heritage has shaped who he is, his involvement in the production of Mozart in the Jungle, his love for the Portland Trail Blazers, and so much more on this great...
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Jennifer Arnold: Violist and Director of Artistic Planning and Orchestral Operations of the Richmond Symphony
Growing up in Cleveland, diversity in music, American orchestras, music publishers, accessibility, orchestral programming, the Sphinx Organization, and so many more topics are part of this fun and fascinating interview with Jennifer Arnold. To become a Down the Pit supporter, please visit...
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Nathan Schram: Violist, Composer and Entrepreneur
Nathan is a composer, entrepreneur, and violist of the GRAMMY Award-winning Attacca Quartet. In this episode, he shares his experiences juggling a career in chamber music, as a composer, his new "normal" during the pandemic, and his work as Executive Director of Musicambia, a non-for-profit that...
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Hollywood Recording Cellist Jacob Braun
Jacob Braun talks about growing up in the Boston area, his love for sports, fun anecdotes as a touring musician, and detailed insight of the fascinating life of being a recording soloist in Hollywood, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry like John Williams, and being part…
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American Conductor Tito Munoz
A captivating chat with one the most gifted American conductors of his generation. Currently in his 6th season as Artistic Director of Phoenix Symphony, in this episode, Tito shares his views on a number of topics including public education in NYC, the state of American Orchestras, diversity,...
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A Conversation with Wei-Jen Yuan
In this episode, Wei-Jen Yuan tells of his unique experience transitioning from a career as a professional concert pianist into the world of investment banking. With an undergraduate degree in Music Performance from Harvard University and a graduate degree in Piano Performance from Yale…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Professional musicians Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew are the co-hosts of Down the Pit, a podcast series that delves into the world of classical music, bringing in leading conductors, composers, and performers to the show, to demystify, promote increased accessibility for the genre, and analyze its future. Each episode will have an incredible guest, and through casual and fun conversations, we will dive into their fascinating lives. To become a Down the Pit supporter, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit.
HOSTED BY
Down the Pit
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Down the Pit have?
Down the Pit currently has 42 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Down the Pit about?
Professional musicians Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew are the co-hosts of Down the Pit, a podcast series that delves into the world of classical music, bringing in leading conductors, composers, and performers to the show, to demystify, promote increased accessibility for the genre, and analyze its...
How often does Down the Pit release new episodes?
Down the Pit has 42 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Down the Pit?
You can listen to Down the Pit on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Down the Pit?
Down the Pit is created and hosted by Down the Pit.
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