PODCAST · arts
Sunday Baroque Conversations
by Suzanne Bona
It takes a lot of talent and dedication to be a professional musician, and Sunday Baroque host Suzanne Bona invites some of the BEST to share their inspirations, challenges, and triumphs on her podcast SUNDAY BAROQUE CONVERSATIONS. These top-tier artists give a fascinating insider's look at what makes them tick, and what fuels their passion. Go to sundaybaroque.org for more information or subscribe to Sunday Baroque Conversations wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 141: Connor Chee
Connor Chee is a Navajo pianist and composer known for combining his classical piano training with his Native American heritage. Chee made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12 after winning a gold medal in the World Piano Competition. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 140: Reynard Burns
The poet Robert Frost said, "I am not a teacher, but an awakener." Reynard Burns awakened the creativity and talent of countless students in his 34 years as a public school orchestra director on Long Island. Mr. Burns also plays piano and bass, and is a prolific composer and arranger whose…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 139: Sarah Kirkland Snider
Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider's musical language is widely varied. She has written intimate instrumental solos, vocal works, chamber music, and large-scale orchestral music. Her music has been performed by major orchestras in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York, as well as by Emerson String...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 138: Josh Aerie
The largest chamber music competition in the world is based in South Bend, Indiana and was founded by a music loving furniture salesman in 1973. The Fischoff National Chamber Music Association is a comprehensive organization that helps to launch the careers of young emerging chamber musicians…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 137: Edward Klorman
Edward Klorman is a violist and Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin - Madison's Mead Witter School of Music. In 2025 he published his book, BACH: THE CELLO SUITES, exploring what makes these seemingly humble unaccompanied cello compositions so extraordinary and lasting. Over the...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 136: Chris Shepard
What would it take to present THE COMPLETE BACH? Thanks to an extraordinary 11-year project underway in Worcester, MA, you can find out! Starting in 2024 and continuing through March 21, 2035, Music Worcester is presenting a series of concerts encompassing all of Johann Sebastian Bach's massive...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 135: Vladimir Soares
The talented recorder player Vladimir Soares made a recording with harpsichordist Fabian Grosch of Flute Sonatas by Anna Bon di Venezia that I have admired (and played regularly on Sunday Baroque) for years. Vladimir Soares was introduced to music through the Orquestra Villa-Lobos, a social…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 134: Simone Dinnerstein 2025
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein has many loves – her family, her hometown, her musical collaborators, and Johann Sebastian Bach's music, to name just a few. The proud Brooklyn resident founded her musical ensemble and called it BAROKLYN. They named their 2025 debut album Complicité, a term she first...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 133: Matthew Suttor
New Zealand-born composer and educator Matthew Suttor's passion for music began when he was a small child. Throughout his career he has explored many facets of music making, with a particular interest in computer music and, now, the use of AI in music and as a creative catalyst. That's what led…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 132: Caroline Shaw
New York-based musician Caroline Shaw is a singer, violinist, composer, and producer who performs in solo and collaborative projects. Growing up in Greenville, NC, her introduction to music came through her mother -- a Suzuki music teacher -- and by listening to her local public radio station!…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 131: Eric Milnes
Eric Milnes is a professional instrumentalist and conductor who is also deeply committed to teaching and to fostering amateur talent. Along with instrumentalist Mélisande Corriveau, Milnes is co-director of Quebec's critically acclaimed period instrument orchestra and vocal ensemble, L'Harmonie…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 130: Thorgy Thor
From the time she was very young, Thorgy Thor (née Shane Thor Galligan) was an outgoing bundle of energy. Her parents signed her up for a variety of activities, including sports and music, to keep her engaged and to burn off some of that excess energy. Developing skills playing violin, viola, and...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 129: Kristen Lee
Violinist Kristin Lee was born in Seoul, Korea and came to the United States at age 7. At the time she spoke no English and the once-chatty, outgoing little girl suddenly found herself isolated, lonely, without friends. Immersing herself in music helped her bridge that gap, make friends, and find...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 128: Debra Nagy
Debra Nagy plays baroque oboe, and the historical performance expert is also founding director of the chamber group Les Délices. The award-winning Cleveland-based group has a reputation for performing less well-known music of the baroque era. Debra Nagy spoke with Suzanne about how she finds the...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 127: Neave Trio
The Grammy-nominated Neave Trio consists of violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura. They state their goal simply: To Engage. To Exchange. To Connect. Their 2024 album ROOTED features works centered around folk music by composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Bedrich...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 126: Will Liverman
GRAMMY Award-winning musician Will Liverman has been praised for his versatility and skill as a singer. The American operatic baritone has performed in several roles at the Metropolitan Opera, and Lyric Opera Chicago, where he premiered an opera he co-created -- The Factotum – with his longtime...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 125: ChamberQUEER
ChamberQUEER highlights LGBTQIA voices in contemporary and historical music and reimagines the classical concert experience as a radically inclusive gathering space and musical community for the 21st century. Founded in 2018 by Jules Biber (cello), Danielle Buonaiuto (soprano), Brian Mummert...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 124: Byron Schenkman
Byron Schenkman is an American harpsichordist, pianist, and music scholar who specializes in baroque and early music. Along with violinist Ingrid Matthews, Byron Schenkman cofounded Seattle Baroque, which the two musicians directed until 2013. Suzanne spoke with Byron Schenkman -- who has…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 123: Ian Watson
In 1982, a group of Early Music fans founded the Connecticut Early Music Society to present an annual festival of concerts every June. They feature a repertory of European music written before about 1800 and they focus on historically-informed performance practices, including the use of period...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 122: Wil B
Kevin Sylvester and Wilner Baptiste met as talented teenage music students in Florida, playing violin and viola respectively. They clicked as friends, and after pursuing their university training in music, the two classically trained instrumentalists formed their hip hop duo, Black Violin. Their...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 121: Tom Huizenga
If you are a fan of NPR's Tiny Desk concerts, you're in luck! Tom Huizenga is a long time NPR producer, editor and reporter whose work you've probably heard. Suzanne interviewed Tom about some of his favorite Tiny Desk performances and NPR interviews, and he shared stories about what it was like…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 120: Simone Dinnerstein 2024
Grammy-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein has a wide variety of musical passions, but music by Johann Sebastian Bach is an important part of her foundation. She believes Bach's music has it all – intelligence and heart – and her expertise inspired The New York Times to describe her as "an…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 119: Morgan Sullivan
Morgan Sullivan came to singing later than many other professional singers do. Nevertheless she has achieved success as a freelance musician who has performed with numerous top tier ensembles, including Bach Collegium Japan, Folger Consort, and American Baroque Orchestra among many others. She…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 118: Frederick Ballentine
Frederick Ballentine is an American tenor whose awards include a Grammy for his recording of George Gershwin's PORGY AND BESS. The opera star exudes a sense of ease, confidence, and fun when it comes to his career as an in-demand collaborator on everything from classic operas, to cutting-edge...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 117: Shawn Okpebholo
Award-winning musician Shawn Okpebholo earned his degrees at the prestigious University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. But he credits his start in music to The Salvation Army church, where he received free music lessons as a child, and to his mother's tenacious support. The breadth…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 116: BLKBOK
From the time he was just a small child, Charles Wilson III – aka BLKBOK – showed extraordinary musical talent. The budding piano virtuoso's family nurtured his interests, which blossomed to include many genres of music: classical, hip-hop, rap, and much more. BLKBOK chose his name, in part, as a...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 115: Jessie Montgomery
"Being an artist is living a life of service." The words of Jessie Montgomery, who has earned acclaim, awards, and praise for her growing body of work as a composer, violinist, teacher, and activist. The musician credits her many teachers and mentors – and her parents – for opening up worlds to...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 114: Kellen Gray
Scotland-based American conductor Kellen Gray is Assistant Conductor of the English National Opera and Assistant Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He's attuned to the orchestral repertory, including Bela Bartok, Antonin Dvorak, Aaron Copland, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. He's…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 113: Brandon Patrick George 2023
Grammy-nominated flutist Brandon Patrick George is a member of Imani Winds and has appeared as a soloist with soloist with the Atlanta, Baltimore, and Albany symphonies, American Composers Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, among others. He's also on the faculty of the Curtis Institute…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 112: Melvin Chen
As a music lover, you may be familiar with Melvin Chen for his recordings of piano music by Dmitri Shostakovich or Ludwig van Beethoven. He put his double degrees from The Juilliard School to work as Professor in the Practice of Piano at Yale School of Music and is Director of Norfolk Chamber…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 111: Mahan Esfahani
Acclaimed harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani - the first and only harpsichordist to be named a BBC New Generation Artist, and the youngest ever recipient of the Wigmore Medal – is an outspoken and passionate advocate for his instrument. Although the harpsichord is most closely associated with baroque...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 110: Loki Karuna
Loki Karuna (formerly Garrett McQueen) began his life in music as a bassoonist, earning degrees in music and performing in orchestras. His passion for music and justice propelled his career as a musician, leading him to become a radio and podcast producer, and an activist. An eloquent…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 109: Trio Sefardi
Howard Bass, Tina Chancey, and Susan Gaeta are the members of Trio Sefardi, a group they formed in 2010 to perform traditional songs of the Sephardim – the descendants of Jews exiled from Spain in 1492. They draw on their individual experience and expertise in many different genres of music,...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 108: Tammy McCann
Tammy McCann loves music. She lives and breathes her craft, and starts each day acknowledging and celebrating Music's importance in her life. She talked with Suzanne about her life as a professional jazz singer, her start as an opera singer, and how playing the double bass is the instrument she...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 107: Kelly Hall-Tompkins
Kelly Hall-Tompkins is a dynamo – full of energy, positivity, passion, and initiative. The talented violinist is an award-winning and acclaimed musician with an international career, as well as an entrepreneur, humanitarian, and social justice advocate who founded MUSIC KITCHEN – FOOD FOR THE…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 106: Elijah McCormack
Award-winning and critically-acclaimed singer Elijah McCormack's repertory includes baroque music, contemporary music, and everything in between. He is a male soprano who grew up in a family in which music was and is an important priority – they all sing in the church choir, and his late father...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 105: Lauren Rico
Lauren Rico is a veteran classical music broadcaster who keeps countless listeners across the United States company with her friendly, down-to-earth approach. In 2016 she started sharing her passion for classical music with a different audience: readers of romance novels. Beginning with her...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 104: Andrew Ousley - Death of Classical
For as long as I can remember, naysayers have been predicting the "death of classical music." Audiences are aging, and ticket sales are often a struggle for classical music concerts, and some people are concerned that the art form will "die" as a result. Andrew Ousley leaned into that fear when…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 103: Yanet Campbell Secades
Violinist Yanet Campbell Secades is featured on the 2023 recording BREAKING BARRIERS with Carlos Bastidas leading Ontario Pops Orchestra. The Camagüey, Cuba native is one of three up-and-coming young women instrumentalists performing as soloists in concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 102: Alison DeSimone
Alison DeSimone is a musicologist – someone who is a scholar of music and its relationship with a wide variety of other disciplines. She is an Associate Professor of Musicology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City – and she specializes in music of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Alison...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 101: James O'Donnell
James O'Donnell is a Professor in the Practice of Organ at Yale University's Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale School of Music, where he teaches graduate-level organ majors and other students in sacred music. He also directs a newly-established professional liturgical vocal ensemble at Yale....
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 100: Karlos Rodriguez
There's a particular type of collaboration that exists in a chamber music ensemble. The award-winning Catalyst Quartet's collaborative efforts involved choosing projects and conducting scholarly research that will have maximum impact in their mission to achieve unity and celebrate composers of...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 99: Clayton Stephenson
The talented young pianist Clayton Stephenson's story is more than just an inspiring example of the power of music. It is also a story of tenacity and resourcefulness, and the importance of teachers and mentors. The New York City native loves to immerse himself in the work of the countless...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 98: Holly Mulcahy
Violinist Holly Mulcahy is concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony, and has previously held that position in other symphonic orchestras across the country. She is also a busy soloist and chamber musician who regularly performs at a maximum security prison. Holly Mulcahy is the founder and leader of...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 97: Rochelle Sennet
Dr. Rochelle Sennet is a versatile musician, with a wide repertory. The prize-winning pianist has recorded (so far) two albums called BACH TO BLACK in which she combines works by Johann Sebastian Bach with works by Black composers including Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Frederick Tillis, and R....
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 96: Randall Scotting
Randall Scotting's 2022 debut recording THE CROWN is a tribute to famed 17th century Italian castrato singer, Senesino. Scotting collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Laurence Cummings, and their collection of these Heroic Arias is receiving critical acclaim.…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 95: Rachel Barton Pine
Since her 1984 debut with the Chicago Symphony at age 10, American violinist Rachel Barton Pine has been a trailblazer. Her musical tastes are broad and inclusive – from the baroque era, through all the major classical and romantic works, to contemporary commissions, and heavy metal – and she's a...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 94: Eric Rice
Brooklyn native Eric Rice did not set out to become a professional musician and musicologist. He discovered early music while studying at Bowdoin College and, after four years as a schooner captain at the South Street Seaport Museum, he earned his PhD in Musicology and a Certificate in Medieval…
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 93: André Raphel
North Carolina native André Raphel is an award-winning orchestral conductor with an international career. An expert in the classic orchestral repertory as well as a proponent of new music, Maestro Raphel's experience with US orchestras includes appearances with the Boston Symphony, Chicago...
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Sunday Baroque Conversations 92: Mike Fan and Sallynee Amawat
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction! The celebrated French violinist and composer Jean-Marie Leclair was found murdered in his Paris apartment. Despite several obvious potential suspects, no one was ever charged with the crime. It remains an unsolved mystery, and the Canadian group Infusion...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
It takes a lot of talent and dedication to be a professional musician, and Sunday Baroque host Suzanne Bona invites some of the BEST to share their inspirations, challenges, and triumphs on her podcast SUNDAY BAROQUE CONVERSATIONS. These top-tier artists give a fascinating insider's look at what makes them tick, and what fuels their passion. Go to sundaybaroque.org for more information or subscribe to Sunday Baroque Conversations wherever you get your podcasts.
HOSTED BY
Suzanne Bona
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