Off The Podium

Ep. 125: Donato Cabrera, conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Donato Cabrera is the Music Director of the California Symphony and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He served as the Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and the Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2009-2016. Cabrera is one of only a handful of conductors in history who has conducted performances with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and the San Francisco Ballet. Since Cabrera's appointment as Music Director in 2013 of the California Symphony, the organization has redefined what it means to be an orchestra in the 21st Century. Under Cabrera’s baton, the California Symphony has reached new artistic heights by implementing innovative programming that emphasizes welcoming newcomers and loyalists alike, building on its reputation for championing music by living composers, and committing to programming music by women and people of color.  Cabrera also oversees

Ep. 123: JoAnn Falletta, Grammy-winning conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast JoAnn Falletta talks about working with composers, programming, staying connected with the audience during the pandemic, advice to young musicians, and much more. Grammy-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center and Artistic Adviser of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Hailed for having “Toscanini’s tight control over ensemble, Walter’s affectionate balancing of inner voices, Stokowski’s gutsy showmanship, and a controlled frenzy worthy of Bernstein”, she is a leading force for the music of our time. Ms. Falletta has guest conducted over a hundred orchestras in North America, and many of the most prominent orchestras in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. In 2019-20 she will guest conduct orchestras in Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, Brazil and acros

Ep. 123: Lisa Bielawa, composer and vocalist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast Bielawa talks about a recent project called Broadcast from Home, work with Philip Glass, time at Yale, various major projects and much more. Composer, producer, and vocalist Lisa Bielawa is a Rome Prize winner in Musical Composition and takes inspiration for her work from literary sources and close artistic collaborations. Her music has been described as “ruminative, pointillistic and harmonically slightly tart,” by The New York Times. She is the recipient of the 2017 Music Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters and was named a William Randolph Hearst Visiting Artist Fellow at the American Antiquarian Society for 2018.  Bielawa consistently executes work that incorporates community-making as part of her artistic vision. She has created music for public spaces in Lower Manhattan, the banks of the Tiber River in Rome, on the sites of former airfields in Berlin in San Francisco, and to ma

Ep. 122: Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode we talk about their new album, working with Leo Brouwer, commissions, hobbies, working in time of a pandemic and much more. Hailed as a “revelation to hear” by The Washington Post, the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo’s phenomenal musicianship places them solidly at the top of their field. Their innovative programming, matchless technique and ensemble precision, combined with their commitment to expanding the repertoire for guitar duo, make them a chamber ensemble of world renown. For more information about the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo please visit: https://www.guitarduo.com/about-the-duo/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

After numerous appearances on the podcast, George and I decided to start a recurring series. In this podcast we talk about state of orchestras during the pandemic, the future of orchestras if things continue to stay the way they are, community orchestras in central/eastern Europe and the benefits and negatives of state sponsored orchestras/organizations. We also talk about how upcoming projects will be implemented and programming post pandemic.

Ep. 120: Bob Lord, CEO of PARMA Recordings Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode Bob Lord talks about building the PARMA Recordings, job of a CEO, journey as a bassist and his new single. He also discusses the future of his company, memorable collaborations, and much more. Bob Lord is a producer, composer, bassist and CEO of PARMA Recordings, the New Hampshire-based audio production house and parent company of the Navona, Ravello, Big Round, MMC, Capstone, and Ansonica Records label imprints. He was named one of Musical America’s “30 Professionals of the Year: Key Influencers” in 2015. In 2020, PARMA's work was nominated for the 62nd annual GRAMMY Awards in two categories, with entries in classical ("Best Choral Performance" for the Navona Records release THE ARC IN THE SKY by The Crossing) and gospel ("Best Gospel Album" for SOMETHING'S HAPPENING! by CeCe Winans). Formed in 2008 to present contemporary classical, jazz, and experimental music, PARMA features work by artists such as

Ep. 119: Yiğit Kolat, composer. Winner of the Takemitsu Composition Award (1st prize). Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast Kolat talks about his education in Turkey, folk music, his compositional process, success in music competitions and much more! Yiğit Kolat is a musician, a soundmaker, and researcher. He studied the craft with some excellent musicians and soundmakers and has had the chance to share it with some excellent musicians and soundmakers. In the process, he gained some tokens and enjoyed the sense of prestige provided by them for a while. Funny how primates work. If you are interested in seeing a list of those tokens, sorry to disappoint you, but you are in the wrong place. If you are interested in collaboration, do not hesitate to reach out. For more information about Yiğit Kolat please visit: http://www.yigitkolat.com/index.html © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 118: Christopher Theofanidis, composer Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this episode Mr. Theofanidis talks about his collaborations with Robert Spano, Sarah Chang, his most performed work the Rainbow Body, and working with soloists on a commissioned works. He also talks about scuba diving, cooking, having pieces performed more than once and much more. CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS (b. 12/18/67 in Dallas, Texas) has had performances by many leading orchestras from around the world, including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, the Moscow Soloists, the National, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Detroit Symphonies, among many others. He has also served as Composer of the Year for the Pittsburgh Symphony during their 2006-7 season, for which he wrote a violin concerto for Sarah Chang. Mr. Theofanidis holds degrees from Yale, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Houston, and has been the recipient of the International Masterprize

Ep. 117: Jimmie Herrod, artist and performer. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast we talk about Jimmie's work with the Pink Martini, touring, music education and much more! Jimmie Herrod is a Pacific Northwest-based artist and performer who now splits time between Portland, Oregon and Paris, France. He holds a Bachelors of Music degree in music composition and performance from Cornish, and a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from Portland State University. While he currently serves as an adjunct professor of jazz voice, he remains and active performer, both as soloist and collaborator. Jimmie has worked in Seattle’s lauded musical theater scene at ArtsWest and the 5th Avenue Theater. Recent performance highlights include being a featured soloist with the Oregon Symphony’s showcase in the 2018 TedX series, working with international acts such as ODESZA as well as being a regular guest vocalist with Pink Martini, touring throughout the US, Canada and Europe. In 2018 Jimmie recorded “

Ep. 116: Invencia Piano Duo. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast we talk about the many recordings by the duo, Florent Schmitt, martial arts, working during covid-19 and much more. If the name sounds familiar to you, it could be you have read any of the number of reviews featured in the American Record Guide, International Record Review, Fanfare, Classica, International Piano, PianoNEWS, and BBC Music magazines, among others. Founded in 2003 by Andrey Kasparov and Oksana Lutsyshyn, Invencia Piano Duo prides itself on artful, insightful, and articulate performances of duo piano masterworks. Translated loosely as, “Inventive,” Invencia has earned praise worldwide for its recitals and recordings, including a 4-volume set of Florent Schmitt’s complete original works for piano duet and duo. These recordings were released on the Grand Piano label of Naxos Records, between 2012 and 2013. Issued on the American Classics label of Naxos in 2016, Invencia produced two volumes dedicated to th

In this episode we talk about Elaine Mitchener's many projects, improvisation, music education, Jeanne Lee and much more. Elaine Mitchener is an experimental vocalist, movement artist and composer, whose work encompasses improvisation, contemporary music theatre and performance art. Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Elaine studied voice at Trinity College of Music, London and currently studies with Jacqueline Bremar. She has performed at numerous UK and European festivals, venues and galleries including Aldeburgh Music, London Contemporary Music Festival (LCMF), 56th Venice Biennale, Wysing Arts, Café Oto (London), Bluecoat (Liverpool), SAVVY Contemporary (Berlin), Purcell Room (Southbank Centre, London), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, ULTIMA Festival (Oslo), OCCUPY (St John’s Smith Square), SPILL Festival (Ipswich), La Monnaie (Brussels), Block Universe (London), White Cube (London), Whitechapel Gallery (London), Weserburg MOMA (Bremen), Wellcome Collection (London), and the Institute of Co

Ep. 114: Maria Seletskaja, conductor & former principal soloist with international ballet companies. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. In this podcast we talk about Maria's journey from a principal soloist with major ballet companies to a professional conducting career. She also talks about her family and work balance, passion for the violin, and much more! Estonian born Maria Seletskaja enjoyed 15 years on the international ballet stage as principal soloist with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Staatsballett Berlin, Zürich Ballet and Estonian National Ballet. Parallel to her dancing career, Maria continued her musical studies both privately and at the Berklee College of Music (Boston USA) and, by 2013, was ready to start conducting piano rehearsals at her company of the time - the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Since 2016 Maria Seletskaja’s experience as a conductor has naturally developed into a full time career. She was invited to be assistant to the music director of Casco Phil (former Flemish

Ep. 113: Richard Stoltzman, “A Classical superstar.” - NY TIMES. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Two-time Grammy Award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman is known as a captivating recitalist, chamber musician, and jazz performer, as well as a prolific recording artist. He gave the first clarinet recitals in the histories of both the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall. In 1986, Stoltzman became the first wind player to be awarded the Avery Fisher Prize. Recently he was awarded the prestigious Sanford Medal by the Yale School of Music and was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has performed or recorded with such jazz and pop greats as the Canadian Brass, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Mel Tormé, and Spyro Gyra founder Jeremy Wall. In this podcast we talk about Stoltzman's passion for mathematics, collaborations, touring, baking and recording. We also talk about his recital in Carnegie Hall (first solo recital by a clarinetist)

Ep. 112: Eugenia Forteza, opera singer and founder of 360 of Opera. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Eugenia currently resides in NYC, where she freelances as a vocalist, actor and model. She is the Founder and Lead Editor of 360° of Opera and serves as a Board Member ​of Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra & Frisson Films. In this podcast we talk about tennis, marketing of opera and classical music, and much more. Eugenia also talks about starting 360 of Opera and which has grown to have tremendous success and following in the opera world and beyond. For more information about Eugenia Forteza please visit: http://www.eugeniaforteza.com/ © Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 111: Joe Deninzon, violinist. “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin” Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Joe Deninzon has been hailed by critics as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin,” because of his innovative style on electric seven-string violin. Joe has worked with Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Phoebe Snow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore,, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Robert Bonfiglio, Les Paul, and as a soloist with the NY City Ballet and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Joe is the lead singer and violinist for the progressive rock band, Stratospheerius, which has released five acclaimed CD’s. He can be heard on over a hundred CD’s and jingles as a violinist and string arranger. A BMI Jazz Composer’s grant recipient and winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, he has written a solo piece for violinist Rachel Barton Pine, which will be featured on her upcoming CD. In 2015, Joe premiered his “Concerto for Seven String Electric Violin and Orchestra” with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra. His original

Ep. 110: Sharon Isbin, guitarist. Grammy Award winner & founder of the Juilliard Guitar Dept. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist ever to receive the coveted honor in its 59 year award history. Soloist with over 200 orchestras, Isbin has performed in the world’s finest halls. Winner of the Toronto, Madrid and Munich ARD Competitions, Germany’s Echo Klassik and Guitar Player’s Best Classical Guitarist awards, she performed in Scorsese’s Oscar-winning The Departed, at Ground Zero for the first internationally televised 9/11 memorial, the White House by invitation of President Obama, and as the only classical artist in the 2010 Grammy Awards. The documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, seen by millions on over 200 PBS stations across the U.S. and abroad, won the ASCAP Television Broadcast Award.

Ep. 109: Rachel Fine, Executive Director and CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Rachel Fine is Executive Director & CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Prior to joining The Wallis team in 2015, she worked as Senior Consultant for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management. Drawing upon a 22-year career in the arts as a versatile administrator, educator and fundraiser, as well as a professional classical pianist, Fine has served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) and Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), where she helped found the Young Men’s Ensemble, a rare choral group for young men with changing voices. She has also held leadership positions for The Juilliard School’s Department of Vocal Arts, Santa Fe Opera, the Aspen Music Festival and the renowned San Francisco-based period ensemble Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Fine completed a Fellowship in 2001-02 at the John F. Kennedy C

Ep. 108: George Jackson, conductor. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Armed with insatiable artistic curiosity, a true performer’s instincts and the advantages of a rigorous central European training, George Jackson has earned critical acclaim for the authority and eloquence of his music-making. The British conductor’s career continues to gather momentum, propelled by landmark debuts with leading orchestras and opera companies and fuelled by his power to communicate compelling musical ideas. Jackson’s interpretation of Hänsel und Gretel for Grange Park Opera, given with the Orchestra of English National Opera in summer 2019, was showered with five-star reviews and hailed as ‘magnificent’ by the Telegraph. His 2019-20 season includes returns to work with Ensemble Intercontemporain at the Philharmonie Luxembourg and Cité de la musique in Paris, and the orchestras of Opera North and Opéra de Rouen. He is also set to conduct a retrospective of music by Irish composers, comprising works by Brian Boy

Ep. 107: Michael Crusoe, timpanist. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Michael Crusoe is principal timpanist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 1980. In addition, he also serves as principal timpanist of the Seattle Opera Association and the Mostly Mozart Summer Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center in New York. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington, he served as percussion instructor at the Waterloo Music Festival in New Jersey and has taught at Seattle Pacific University and Seattle University. Crusoe can be heard with the Seattle Symphony on the critically acclaimed Delos label recordings directed by Gerard Schwarz. In this podcast we talk about Michael Crusoe's passion for martial arts and early studies with Bruce Lee's protégé Jesse Glover, post retirement involvement in martial arts and continuing collaboration with the Grand Teton Music Festival. He spoke about timpani concertos, life changing moments, work with three different Music Dire

Ep. 106: Yolanda Kondonassis, one of the world's premier solo harpists. Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan. Yolanda Kondonassis is celebrated as one of the world’s premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today’s most recorded classical harpist. Hailed as “viscerally exciting” (The Chicago Tribune) and a “brilliant and expressive player” (The Dallas Morning News), she has performed around the globe as a concerto soloist and in recital, bringing her unique brand of musicianship and warm artistry to an ever-increasing audience. Also a published author, speaker, professor of harp, and environmental activist, sheweaves her many passions into a vibrant and multi-faceted career. Kondonassis has sold hundreds of thousands of albums and downloads worldwide and her extensive discography includes over twenty titles. She continues to be a pioneering force in the harp world, striving to make her instrument more accessible to audiences and push the boundaries of what listeners expect of the harp. She w