All Episodes

60. James Baillieu on a changing landscape for young artists and art song as a wellness experience

59. Polly Graham on an eccentric approach to opera and the importance of music-making opportunities from the ground up

58. Steve Long on lasting artistic partnerships, surviving major changes in the audio market, and how *not* to pitch a recording project

57. Helen Charlston on her evolving relationship with Schumann’s Dichterliebe, exploring other sides of her artistic identity, and the precarious nature of singing careers

56. Isata Kanneh-Mason on on recording Prokofiev, representation in the industry, and rediscovering her musical voice

55. Michael Beek on celebrating film music, meeting John Williams, and mistakes that live on in print

54. Nicholas McGegan on a six-decade career and leading with joy

53. Lizzie Ball on eclectic careers, juggling work with single-parenting, and networking with integrity

52. Jeneba Kanneh-Mason on musical fulfilment, performance anxiety, and social media

51. Bill Barclay on the story of Carlo Gesualdo and mid-career mentorship

50. Gaetan le Divelec on getting to know your audience, two decades in artist management, and the role of power

49. Bob Riley on 20 years of running an orchestra: innovation vs originality, getting clear on values, and creating a good culture

48. Fran Matthews on celebrating contemporary classical composers

47. Tom Herring on redefining the choral experience and prioritising musicians' wellbeing

46. Pallavi Mahidhara: The Conscious Artist X The Classical Circuit

45. Sir James MacMillan on The Cumnock Tryst and the power of music for regeneration

44. Sam McShane on class and accessibility in the classical music industry

43. Jeffrey Biegel on embracing the evolution of music and 'following your own yellow brick road'

42. Chris Lloyd on evolving attitudes to the industry, closing Berlin's biggest techno festival, and not leaving his fate in the hands of others

41. Anna Clyne on exploring multiple art forms, leaving a legacy, and the email that changed her life

40. Dominique Vleeshouwers on finding his voice as a composer, recovering from melanoma, and learning to create balance

39. Alison Buchanan on the importance of mentoring, making opera accessible, and how organisations should reflect the communities they serve

38. Harry Christophers on 25 years of the Choral Pilgrimage, nurturing a new generation of talent, and the power of human connection

37. Benjamin Appl on his friendship with Kurtág, honouring Fischer-Dieskau, and the vulnerability of personal projects

36. Simon Wales on taking on a newly reopened venue, his love of choirs, and the importance of support networks

35. Charlotte Scott on cultivating the right mindset for performance, balancing motherhood with a career, and rediscovering her love for Mozart after 35

34. Calum Huggan on inspiring young musicians, branching out from his classical training, and being taken seriously as a young professional

33. Jane Mitchell on orchestral theatre, empowering musicians on stage, and communication within organisations

32. Andrew Keener on the role of a recording producer, working with different personalities, and messing up his first ever session

31. Holly Mathieson on her decision to step back from performing

30. Rafael Payare on the importance of access to music, artistic programming as a Music Director, and his first time conducting the Vienna Philharmonic

29. Jack Bazalgette: defining the term 'classical music', getting projects off the ground, and bringing classical music to gig venues

28: Benjamin Levy: Classics Explained

27: Adam Heron: identity as a 'third-culture kid', working outside of music, recovering from repetitive strain injury (RSI)

26. Freya Waley-Cohen: sustaining a career as a composer, setting creative parameters, and her song cycle 'Spell Book'

25. John Suchet OBE on 'In Search of Beethoven: A Personal Journey'

24. Tess Jackson: challenging her self-perception, her Proms debut, and how the National Youth Orchestra shaped her

23. Claire Booth: Schoenberg, a project-based career, and bouncing back after nodule surgery

22. Kellen Gray: how folk music shaped him, why diverse programming is more than ticking boxes, and how beekeeping restored him after burnout

21. Alexandra Whittingham: online authenticity, classical guitar's growing popularity, and finding joy in informal concerts

20. Guy Johnston: nurturing young talent, finding roots in community and reflections on his BBC Young Musician win at 18

19. Hattie Butterworth: performance anxiety, OCD, and psychological abuse in conservatoires

18. David Skudlik: the importance of change, merging entrepreneurship with the arts, and learning to manage a team

17. Chris O'Reilly: the classical recording industry, paying musicians fairly for streaming, and getting rejected from conducting programmes

16. Florence Lockheart: her role as an editor, how to conduct an interview, and having difficult conversations

15. Raffaello Morales: an alternative to concert halls, the commercial viability of classical music, and following his curiosity

14. Pierre-Laurent Aimard: what he learned from Ligeti, the expectations we have of performers, and why the piano world isn't his priority

13. Alexandra Knight: the role of an artist manager, psychological models seen in high-level performers, and sexism in the workplace

12. Paul Wee: balancing life as a barrister and pianist, preparing for a recital vs preparing for court, and the difficult decision to not pursue a music career

11. Timothy Ridout: formative musical experiences, tools for handling an intense schedule, and his BBC Proms debut

10. Julian Lloyd Webber: music education in schools, working with Yehudi Menuhin, and the injury that ended his cello career

9. Yasaman Mashhouri: choosing music over medicine, presenting music in modern settings, and the problem with competition age limits

8. Matthew Johnson: the parallels between music and photography, working with dyslexia, and accepting he wasn't going to be a professional cellist

7. Sumina Studer: embracing social media as a classical musician, finding inspiration in her students, and creating a bespoke career outside of performing

6. Jamie Walton: building trust with an audience, the art of programming, and what he gained from stepping back from his solo career

5. Jack Pepper: balancing a portfolio career, why university wasn't for him, and the importance of knowing your worth

4. Jennifer Johnston: the struggles our industry is facing, the importance of access to music, and getting sacked for being 'too fat'

3. Fali Pavri: encouraging diverse musical lives, the issue with competitions, and what he learned from Rostropovich

2. Matilda Lloyd: embracing solitude, the ups and downs of social media, and why identity can get messy for musicians

1. Christian Thompson: curating a concert season, whether performers' ages matter, and making music while the world was silent

The Classical Circuit: Trailer