Crushing Classical

Latest Episodes:

Xenia Pestova Bennett: Befriending Performance Anxiety May 14, 2026

Show notes

I have such respect for musicians who use their own journeys and learnings to help others!

Described as “a powerhouse of contemporary keyboard repertoire” (Tempo), pianist and composer Xenia Pestova Bennett has earned an international reputation as a leading proponent of uncompromising music. Her work spans a wide range of sound worlds, styles and genres from classical to contemporary art music, free improvisation, experimental electronica and avant-pop.
Since receiving the unanimous First Prize at the Xavier Montsalvatge International Piano Competition in Girona, Spain and prizes at the Messiaen International Piano Competition in Paris and the KeriKeri Piano Competition of New Zealand, Xenia has performed in over 20 countries - at international festivals, in concert halls, tropical rainforests, caves, ponds and countless weird and wonderful venues and spaces. She explores classical music boundaries with electronics, toy pianos, synthesizers and the magical and mysterious Magnetic Resonator Piano. As a composer, she is represented by the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland.
In addition to her performance career, Xenia is in demand as a wellbeing instructor, coach and lecturer for organisations and educational institutions around the world. She convenes a popular online performance anxiety management programme, "Befriending Performance Anxiety" for musicians of all levels.

https://xeniapestovabennett.com

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Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical!
Theme music by DreamVance.
I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income streams. You can read more or hop onto a discovery call from my website. https://jennetingle.com/work-with-me
I'm your host, Jennet Ingle. I love you all. Stay safe out there!

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

Happiest Musician Minisode: What do We Coach On? May 07, 2026

Show notes

People have been asking - what does it look like to be in conversation with a business and mindset coach for musicians?

The answer? It can look all kinds of different ways. But it ALWAYS looks like, what is the thing YOU need to talk about to get unstuck, or to move your project forward? Because your portfolio career doesn't have to look like anyone else's, and you don't have to struggle alone!

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

Kate Reddish: Consulting COO and Community Architect Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Kate Reddish is a former professional violist turned strategic operator for creative entrepreneurs.
After years performing on world-class stages and working across film, television, and recording studios, Kate discovered that her real genius wasn’t just making music—it was creating harmony behind the scenes.
Today, as the founder of KMR Creative, Kate helps online educators, artists, and coaches design calm, sustainable businesses through thoughtful systems, clear strategy, and deeply human leadership. She’s best known for her long-running partnership with violinist Nathan Cole, where she’s served as the operational backbone behind multiple successful course launches and programs.
Kate has a rare ability to bring order to chaos without stripping away the soul of the work. Clients often say she helps them become “more themselves”—more grounded, more confident, more capable—by building systems that actually support their creativity instead of suffocating it.
Equal parts strategist, listener, and quiet powerhouse, Kate believes organization is a form of care—and that when the right structure is in place, beautiful things get to happen.

IG: @katereddish email: kmr@katereddish.com website: katereddish.com

Newsletter: https://kmr-creative.kit.com/newsletter

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

What's in Your Portfolio (Career?) Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

Please enjoy these snippets from my recent workshop, What’s in Your Portfolio (Career)? I hope you’ll freely pause and restart and try out some of these prompts for yourself!

Interested in my Summer Happiest Musician Incubator? Check it out here.

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

Thomas Zera: The Sub Pool Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

Musicians are building the most innovative things! The Sub Pool is a dedicated space where orchestral musicians can promote their experience and availability for short term or substitute hire to Orchestra PM's in the US and Canada.

Thomas Zera is a Juilliard trained musician with both 25 years of experience as a tenured Bassist with the Utah Symphony and an accomplished freelance musician with 21 major U.S. orchestras on his CV over a 35 year performance career. In addition to his musical accomplishments, Thomas is a business owner and holds an MBA from Isenberg School of Management. He is a League of American Orchestras Essentials program certificate holder and has served in arts management as Executive Director. Current projects include completing a book detailing a two year performance journey substituting with 11 major orchestras and the launch of The Sub Pool, a dedicated space where orchestral musicians can promote their experience and availability for short term or substitute hire to Orchestra PM's in the US and Canada.

https://thesubpool.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583836315118

https://www.instagram.com/the_sub_pool

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

Happiest Musician Minisode: What's in MY Portfolio? Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

I'm pulling back the curtain on my own portfolio career this week, and sharing with you the ecosystem of my business and offers to (hopefully) show what is possible for you. I want this to inspire YOU to take action and grow your own career in a way that fits you.

Because the world is a better place when more creatives are thriving in it.

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

The Joy Luck Trio: A New Supergroup Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

"Our newly formed Joy Luck Trio brings together pipa, erhu, and piano in a one‑of‑a‑kind ensemble, performing music written especially for us. As three Chinese musicians, we delve into beloved Chinese folk songs and folktales alongside Western classics, infusing each piece with our own distinctive voice. Our sound is lyrical, colorful, and deeply personal, bridging cultures while telling stories that feel both timeless and new."

Gao Hong is an internationally acclaimed pipa virtuoso, composer, improviser, and educator, recognized as a 2025 Hall of Fame Artist by the Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame for her profound artistry and global impact. April 3, 2022 was proclaimed “Gao Hong Day” in St. Paul, Minnesota by the city’s mayor, honoring her milestone concert celebrating 50 years of music-making.

https://chinesepipa.com/

Karen Han-Ottosson is an internationally renowned erhu virtuoso, composer and vocalist. Her major solo recording accomplishments include the Oscar-winning films The Last Emperor, The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, Detroit, The Passion of Christ, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Pursuit of Happyness, Mulan, Mulan 2, The Joy Luck Club, Anna and the King, Pirates of Caribbean: At World’s End, Kung Fu Panda (1, 2 & 3), Star Trek, Men in Black 3, 2012, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Pacific Rim, Monkey King, Transformers 4, Penguins of Madagascar, and the video games Minecraft, Riot, Call of Duty, and Disney MGM’s short film Mickey & Mouse and the recent Disney films Turning Red and Babylon, the latter of which will be released in December 2022.

https://karenhan.com/

Donna Weng Friedman is an award-winning pianist, producer, filmmaker and creative visionary. Her distinguished career spans dynamic performances, innovative projects, groundbreaking collaborations, and a steadfast dedication to advancing the arts through innovation, education and mentorship.

Donna was selected as one of Musical America's Top 30 Professionals of 2024 for her outstanding contribution to the performing arts.

https://www.donnawengfriedman.com/

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

Happiest Musician Minisode: Big Visions and Baby Steps Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

To be a portfolio career musician is to take agency in your own career. You need two things to get a project started. You need a goal, and you need a first step.

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

Myron Silberstein: the Non-Traditional Path to Non-Traditional Music Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

Myron Silberstein has recorded first commercial recordings of numerous mid-20th-century American piano works by significant composers whose works were inexplicably neglected.

The first CD completely dedicated to his compositions--his piano music--comes out on Toccata on March 6, 2026.

https://toccataclassics.com/product/myron-silberstein-piano-music-2016-2022/

https://myronsilberstein.com/

https://www.facebook.com/myronsilbersteinpianist/

https://www.instagram.com/myronsilberstein/

https://www.youtube.com/@myronsilberstein5377

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

Happiest Musician Minisode: What if promotional posts didn't have to feel crummy? Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

A recent coffee shop visit inspired me to rethink how little I do on social media. What do YOU think?

Book a free discovery call with me! We can spend an hour looking at your creative career. You deserve to thrive, and your artistry matters.

https://calendly.com/jennet/thm

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