PODCAST · arts
Orchestrating Change
by Canton Symphony Orchestra
Canton Symphony Orchestra knows the need for change within the orchestral community. The tradition of classical music has ignored many communities that have contributed to the development and canon of repertoire played in the concert hall. With “Orchestrating Change”, the Canton Symphony Orchestra hopes to facilitate conversations that will make the concert hall a more welcoming place for previously ignored communities as well as create more acceptance and diversity on the stage.
Episodes
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Episode 57 with Music Director Finalist Wesley Schulz
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome back Music Director finalist Wesley Schulz! Wesley first joined the CSO as a guest conductor for our 2025–2026 season concert, Six Strings & a Symphony. We were thrilled to welcome him back to kick off the 2026–2027 season with Dvořák’s New...
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Episode 55 with Mélisse Brunet (pt.1)
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome Mélisse Brunet, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks VI: Brahms' A German Requim and is also a CSO Music Director finalist for the 2026-2027 season. Renowned for her “uncommon emotional intensity” and commanding presence on…
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Episode 54 with Darin Nissley
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change we welcome Lighthouse Ministries Executive Director, Darin Nissley, who has been a longtime supporter and friend of the CSO. Lighthouse Ministries has been serving the youth of Southeast Canton since 1996, providing a safe and supportive environment for...
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Episode 53 with Roger Kalia
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome Roger Kalia, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks IV: Orchestral Kaleidoscope. Praised for bringing a “fresh view to classical music” (The Republic), Indian American conductor Roger Kalia is a versatile communicator who…
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Episode 52 with Tito Muñoz
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome Tito Muñoz, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks III: Tchaikovsky's Romeo & Juliet. Praised for his versatility, technical clarity, and keen musical insight, Tito Muñoz is internationally recognized as one of today’s most...
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Episode 51 with JoAnn Falletta (pt.2)
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we continue the conversation with JoAnn Falletta, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. Multiple Grammy Award–winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, a dear friend of our late Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann, is...
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Episode 50 with JoAnn Falletta (pt.1)
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome back JoAnn Falletta, who is serving as our guest conductor for MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. Multiple Grammy Award–winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, a dear friend of our late Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann, is celebrated…
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Episode 49 with Wesley Schulz
On today’s episode of Orchestrating Change, we welcome Wesley Schulz, who helped kick off the 2025–2026 season as our first guest conductor for MasterWorks I: Six Strings & A Symphony. Wesley Schulz is celebrated for his imaginative programming and heartfelt, energetic conducting style. Currently...
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Episode 48 with Alicia Lieu
On this episode of Orchestrating Change, we are delighted to be joined by Alicia Lieu, who has served as one of our conducting fellows with the Canton Symphony Orchestra throughout the 2024-2025 season. She is a New York City-based conductor and composer known for her innovative programming,...
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Episode 47 with Alison Norris
We are delighted to be joined today by Alison Norris, who has served as one of our conducting fellows with the Canton Symphony Orchestra throughout the 2024-2025 season. A Cincinnati native, Alison originally earned a bachelor of science degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana before earning...
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Episode 46 with Garrick Ohlsson
On this episode of Orchestrating Change, we're honored to welcome the legendary Garrick Ohlsson—one of the greatest living concert pianists. With a career spanning over six decades, Ohlsson has performed in the world’s top concert halls and with leading orchestras around the globe. He made…
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Episode 45 with Brian Keith Johnson
Today we are delighted to be joined in person by operatic baritone Brian Keith Johnson. Brian has performed regularly with the Canton Symphony Orchestra throughout his career, most recently as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in last summer’s concert presentation of the musical Ragtime. He also appeared on...
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Episode 44 with Camille Delaney-McNeil
Today's guest is Camille Delaney-McNeill, Director of the Judith and Thomas L. Beckman YOLA Center, serving the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles program in Inglewood, California. Prior to her arrival in Los Angeles in 2021, she was the Director of Programs for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s...
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Episode 43 with Chris Jenkins
We are thrilled to be joined today in person by Chris Jenkins, Associate Dean for Academic Support, Liaison to the office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Visiting Professor of Musicology at Oberlin Conservatory. Concurrently with his work at Oberlin, he is also pursuing a Doctor of…
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Episode 42 with Mary Verdi-Fletcher
We welcome Mary Verdi-Fletcher, a professional wheelchair dancer and the founding Artistic Director of the Dancing Wheels Company, a physically integrated dance troupe that has operated in Northeast Ohio for over four decades. She also founded the Dancing Wheels School, which has since become the...
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Episode 41 with Amanda Powell
We welcome soprano Amanda Powell, a multi-faceted artist equally at home under the lights on the orchestral concert stage and in the intimate clubs of the jazz and folk scenes. She has performed with the Cleveland-based, Grammy award winning ensemble Apollo’s Fire, and has been featured as a...
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Episode 40 with Jéan Pierre Johnson
Our guest today is Hip-hop artist Jéan Pierre Johnson. Known artistically as Jéan P The MC, he shares a body of music that reflects his environment, touching on topics such as fatherhood, childhood experiences, spirituality, relationships, and his outlook on Hip-Hop, locally and nationally. Once...
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Episode 39 with Jeff Scott
Our guest today is GRAMMY Award-winning horn player and composer Jeff Scott. He rose to prominence as the founding horn player and twenty-plus-year member of the Imani Winds, a nationally renowned woodwind quintet made up of musicians of color. His horn career has also taken him to the pit of The...
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Episode 38 with Mario Lopez
We are joined today by Mario Lopez, Executive Director of the Billings Symphony in Montana. Prior to his appointment, he served in Education and Community Engagement roles with both the Knoxville Symphony and the Sarasota Orchestra. Originally a French horn player, he studied at the University of...
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Episode 37 with Leni Boorstin
This episode features Leni Boorstin, who spent over forty years working for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, most recently as Director of Government and Community Affairs. Her tenure included community engagement work surrounding the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the arrival of music...
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Episode 36 with Louise Toppin
Today we are joined by coloratura soprano Louise Toppin. She has performed all over the world at venues such as Carnegie Hall and with orchestras in such diverse places as Sweden, Uruguay, and Japan. She has conquered some of opera’s most beloved and challenging roles, including the famous Queen…
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Episode 35 with Blake-Anthony Johnson
Today we are joined by Blake-Anthony Johnson, CEO of the Chicago Sinfonietta. He became the first African American to hold such a position with a nationally renowned orchestra when he began his tenure in 2020. He also serves on a number of boards and committees, including the Sir Georg Solti...
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Episode 34 with Wang Jie
We are thrilled to have the rare opportunity for a fully in-person podcast recording, as we welcome composer Wang Jie to our studio here in Canton! A native of Shanghai, China, she moved to the United States to study at Manhattan School of Music and still resides in New York City to this day. She...
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Episode 33 with Rachel Barton Pine
Today we are honored to welcome world-renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine. A celebrated interpreter of a wide range of standard and contemporary repertoire, she has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Chicago...
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Episode 32 with Michelle Cann
We are thrilled to be joined today by pianist extraordinaire Michelle Cann! She has performed as a soloist with many of this country’s finest orchestras, including the Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras, and the Cincinnati, New Jersey, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Detroit Symphonies, among many...
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Episode 31 with Anwar Nasir
To open season four, we are thrilled to be joined by Anwar Nasir, Executive Director of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Prior to his arrival in the Big Easy in the summer of 2021, he served as Chief Revenue and Advancement Officer at the Omaha Symphony, in addition to previous positions…
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Episode 30 with The Minnesota Orchestra
Today, we are joined by three members of the Minnesota Orchestra’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Beth Kellar-Long is the Vice President of the Orchestra Administration, Sam Bergman is a violist in the orchestra, and Yvonne Cheek is a board member. Their committee was formed in 2015...
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Episode 29 with Angélica Negrón
Our guest today is composer Angélica Negrón. Her works range from traditional orchestral and chamber pieces to compositions for accordion, toys, and electronics, and have been performed by such prestigious ensembles as the Dallas Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Kronos Quartet, among many...
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Episode 28 with TK Payton
Our guest today is Tiffany Kinnard-Payton, Dean of Students at Walsh University here in Canton. She is an alumna of Walsh and has spent nearly fifteen years working serving her alma mater in the offices of residential life, student conduct, and multicultural affairs in addition to her current...
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Episode 27 with Quinn Mason
We are joined today by Quinn Mason, a conductor and composer based in Dallas, Texas. Writing for orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber ensembles, and more, Quinn has had his compositions played all over the world by ensembles such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and San...
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Episode 26 with Tiffany Chang
Today we welcome conductor Tiffany Chang to our podcast. Originally trained in the world of music education, Chang holds positions at both Oberlin Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, and previously served as interim director of orchestras at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and Boston...
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Episode 25 with Joshua Thomas
We are joined today by Joshua Thomas, Vice President of External Affairs at the Philly POPS. He joined the Philly POPS in 2019 as their Senior Manager of Development, having previously worked in administrative roles at the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and...
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Episode 24 with ChamberQUEER
Today is the first time in our podcast’s history that we welcome two guests: Jules Biber and Kallie Sugatski from ChamberQUEER, an LGBTQ+ chamber music organization in New York City dedicated to presenting and performing queer composers and musicians and highlighting historical queer figures in...
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Episode 23 with Jazmin Morales
Today, we are joined by Jazmin Morales, Assistant Director of the Center for Innovation and Community Impact at the Colburn School, a prestigious conservatory in Los Angeles. She is the founder of Fortissima, an artistic leadership development program for women of color in classical music. She is...
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Episode 22 with Jeri Lynne Johnson
We are joined today by Jeri Lynne Johnson, founder and artistic director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra in Philadelphia. For over a decade, Black Pearl has been a model for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the orchestral industry as a racially diverse ensemble performing for a racially...
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Episode 21 with MJ Albacete
Orchestrating Change is back! We are so excited to present the first episode of Season 3! Our guest today is MJ Albacete, a native Cantonian who spent his entire professional career with the Canton Museum of Art, including serving as executive director for over 25 years. An arts educator equally...
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Episode 20 with OCLP Participants
This episode marks the end of the first Orchestrating Change Leadership Program and Season 2 of the Orchestrating Change podcast. All summer, 9 college students met via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays to discuss issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion; network with over 30 industry…
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Episode 19 with Shuai Wang
We are joined today by internationally renowned pianist Shuai Wang. She performs extensively as both a soloist and chamber musician, including an appearance with the Canton Symphony Orchestra. She is currently on faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and spends her summers teaching at...
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Episode 18 with Ryan Walks
Our guest today is Ryan Walks, Manager of the Talent Development Program at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which has provided training and career development to young Classical musicians in the Black and Latino communities for over twenty-five years. Prior to entering the world of arts...
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Episode 17 with LaFlovia Ginnani
Today on Orchestrating Change, we welcome LaFlovia “Flo” Ginanni. She has been at United Way of Greater Stark County since 2013. She is currently the Director of United Way’s Project Blueprint for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-a board and committee preparedness program designed to recruit,...
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Episode 16 with Geetha Somayajula
Today, we welcome Geetha Somayajula, a dedicated arts administrator, singer, conductor, and teacher currently based in Portland, Oregon. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned degrees in choral music (BA) and business administration (BS). She has sung in...
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Episode 15 with Rick Robinson
Today on Orchestrating Change, our guest is Rick Robinson: a composer and double bassist who was a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 22 years. Prior to joining the DSO, he played here in the Canton Symphony, as well as up the road with the Akron Symphony. He is the founder of Cut Time...
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Episode 14 with Jeff Talbert
This week we are joined by Jeff Talbert, Superintendent of Canton City Schools. He has previously served as Superintendent of Alliance City Schools, also here in Stark County, in addition to positions with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights and Osnaburg Local School Districts. Before that…
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Episode 13 with Ron Ponder
Our guest today is Ron Ponder, a man of many talents who has dedicated his life and career to civic and community engagement here in Canton. He has served as Deputy Mayor of Canton, President of the Stark County NAACP, and a Board Member of the Salvation Army. He was the host of “Points to…
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Episode 12 with Dr. Ana Abrantes
Our guest today is Dr. Ana Abrantes, Director of Education at the Sphinx Organization, one of our nation’s leading organizations that is working to develop and support diversity and inclusion in Classical music. She holds a Doctorate in Cello Performance from the University of Georgia, and held...
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Episode 11 with Dashon Burton
We are joined today by two-time GRAMMY Award winning operatic bass-baritone Dashon Burton. Dashon’s repertoire runs the gamut from the Baroque period to the present, and he has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies. He is a member of the contemporary vocal...
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Episode 10 with Eric Gould
This week’s discussion is with pianist, composer and educator Eric Gould. We discuss the history of non-white composers and he shares his own story as an African-American composer. As a person from a family of composers, Gould is able to give unique perspective to what it means to be a part of...
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Episode 9 with Angie Haze
Trigger Warning: This episode contains content discussing sexual assault and domestic abuse. Viewer discretion is advised. In this episode of Orchestrating Change we step outside the world of orchestral music to look at the music industry at large. Frequent guest artist with the Canton Symphony,...
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Episode 8 with Julian Maddox
In today’s episode, Julian Maddox shares his own experience as a young musician of color in the orchestral world. We discuss what it really takes to bring about truly diverse programming on and off the stage and unpack “the canon” of orchestral music. This discussion gives us a glimpse into what...
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Episode 7 with Gerhardt Zimmermann
Today on Orchestrating Change, we are joined by Music Director of the Canton Symphony Orchestra, Gerhardt Zimmermann. He shares his story as a physically disabled conductor through his long and prosperous career. We also discuss his views on the orchestral industry and what issues he has seen…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Canton Symphony Orchestra knows the need for change within the orchestral community. The tradition of classical music has ignored many communities that have contributed to the development and canon of repertoire played in the concert hall. With “Orchestrating Change”, the Canton Symphony Orchestra hopes to facilitate conversations that will make the concert hall a more welcoming place for previously ignored communities as well as create more acceptance and diversity on the stage.
HOSTED BY
Canton Symphony Orchestra
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Orchestrating Change have?
Orchestrating Change currently has 55 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Orchestrating Change about?
Canton Symphony Orchestra knows the need for change within the orchestral community. The tradition of classical music has ignored many communities that have contributed to the development and canon of repertoire played in the concert hall. With “Orchestrating Change”, the Canton Symphony Orchestra...
How often does Orchestrating Change release new episodes?
Orchestrating Change has 55 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Orchestrating Change?
You can listen to Orchestrating Change 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 Orchestrating Change?
Orchestrating Change is created and hosted by Canton Symphony Orchestra.
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