Unseen Curtain Podcast

Welcome to the season finale of Unseen Curtain Podcast.In this final episode of Season One, I return to the very beginning of the project and reflect on how Unseen Curtain has developed from a student project into something that feels much more personal and meaningful. I look back on the frustrations and challenges I faced along the way, and the people who made this journey possible.From conversations with artists, academics, musicians, practitioners, and friends, Unseen Curtain gradually became a space for thinking about classical arts, digital media, visibility, support, and artistic survival.Although this may be the final episode for now, it does not feel like the end. Unseen Curtain has grown into a wider reflection on why classical art still matters, how it can continue, and what it means to protect artistic expression in the digital era.Thank you for listening, supporting, and being part of this journey.

Welcome to the fourth episode of Unseen Curtain Podcast.In this episode, I’m joined by Francis Cowan, a pianist and music educator whose work is closely connected with vocal performance, opera training, and young artists’ development.Together, we talk about his artistic practice, the role of collaborative piano, and how platforms such as the Lunchtime Recital Series create opportunities for emerging artists to bring their voices onto the stage.

Welcome to Episode 03 of Unseen Curtain Podcast.In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Williams, a composer, academic, and Associate Professor in Music at the University of Waikato. His work spans chamber music, orchestral music, concertos, and opera, with a strong focus on emotional expression, human experience, and the relationship between acoustic instruments and digital manipulation.Together, we talk about composition, opera, live performance, digital sound, and the hidden labor behind artistic practice. We also explore how classical music can remain emotionally direct and accessible to audiences today, while still carrying depth, complexity, and artistic integrity.

Welcome to the second episode of Unseen Curtain Podcast!In this episode, I’m joined by Gu Yiyang / Amy, a very special guest I first met at a film event in 2023. She is currently studying Film, Exhibition and Curation at the University of Edinburgh, while continuing to explore her long-standing relationship with theatre. Since then, both of us have moved through different stages of our own creative journeys. This conversation becomes a chance to look back and reflect on what film and theatre have meant to us over time.Together, we talk about theatre, film curation, musicals, and the relationship between live performance and audiences. Drawing on her personal experience in academic study and continued participation within theatre, this episode reflects on how artistic experiences can shape the way we see, feel, and perceive the world.

Welcome to the very first episode of Unseen Curtain Podcast!In this episode, I’m very excited to be joined by Dr. Declan Patrick from the University of Waikato, an academic and theatre practitioner whose background spans performance, dance, directing, and theatre studies. Alongside his academic research, his creative practice offers a unique perspective on how performance unfolds both on and beyond the stage.Together, we discuss the challenges facing classical arts in the discourse of digital media, the changing relationship between performance and audiences, and how theatre, opera, and performance might continue to find new pathways within contemporary society.