Stay ConnectedYour ticket to backstage conversations with world-renowned musicians. Join MET Opera Principal Trumpet David Krauss for candid and compelling discussions with today’s top performers as they speak about their creative process and lives as artists.
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Copyright: © Artful Narratives Media 2022
Grammy nominated American tenor Lawrence Brownlee has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times) and as a voice for activism and diversity in the classical music industry. The pickleball fanatic discusses his Metropolitan Opera auditions, why the high C's aren't the only notes that matter, and what it was like to be cast as Tamino in The Magic Flute before he had ever seen an opera. Reflecting on his childhood rooted in gospel music, Lawrence shares how "music was inside of him" from the age of nine, what he felt at age twelve from the reaction to his first solo, and how he was inspired by The Three Tenors, specifically Pavarotti. Recounting the time an agent told him he'd never succeed because of his height and race, Lawrence talks about where he finds his confidence and what it's like to get a standing ovation mid-performance.
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Photograph of Lawrence Brownlee by Zakiyah Caldwell Burroughs
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kenji López-Alt is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, renowned chef, culinary scientist, podcast host, YouTube sensation, and violinist. Despite his transformative impact on the culinary world and how most people cook at home, he sits down with David to discuss his true passion, making music. Kenji reflects on his early beginnings on the violin at age 4 at New York City's School for Strings, why he thinks the Suzuki method is "pretty special," and how he evaded practice at home, thus David crowning him the "Ferris Bueller of the violin." They go on to discuss Kenji's summers at Greenwood Music Camp where he fell in love with music and pulled off mischievous tricks, why he ultimately chose the path of an engineering degree from MIT instead of studying at a conservatory, and his excitement for an event he's co-hosting with James Ehnes for the Seattle Chamber Music Society this July. In the second half of the interview Kenji talks about his daughter's first performance that made him "ugly cry," as well as his first restaurant job, when he hit rock bottom of his cooking career, and how he changed course. To close it out Kenji contemplates the rewards of practice (cooking and music), his hopes for his children’s musical education, and why Beethoven's Opus 130 still makes his back tingle.
Check out Kenji López-Alt on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or the web. Shop Kenji's books here and listen to his new podcast The Recipe with Kenji and Deb.
To learn more about and buy tickets to Kenji's Tasting Notes event with James Ehnes benefitting the Seattle Chamber Music Society click here.
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Photograph of Kenji López-Alt courtesy of the guest.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
American conductor Gerard Schwarz has led some of the world's finest orchestras for the past half-century. With 9 Emmy Awards, 14 Grammy nominations, and a catalogue of over 350 recordings, it's remarkable to consider that Gerard's illustrious journey began with a pivotal decision—leaving behind his first career as a trumpet soloist. Gerard reflects on this decision and early influences of his musical career including Szell and Bernstein, summers at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and a performance of Aida he saw at age 7. He discusses walking away from the trumpet to pursue a second career as a conductor, why he calls himself a musical traditionalist, and how the audience experience has changed over the years.
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Photograph of Gerard Schwarz by Ben VanHouten.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nathalie Joachim is a Grammy-nominated flutist, vocalist, and composer whose creativity spans pop and electronic to classical music and beyond. Co-Founder of the critically acclaimed duo Flutronix, the Haitian-American musician discusses her debut solo album Fanm d'Ayiti (Women in Haiti) and how a girl's choir from her community's small church spurred her creativity. Nathalie tells David why she has become an early morning composer, how she was introduced to the flute in 4th grade and her rapid progression on the instrument that helped land her on the stage of Avery Fisher Hall (the current David Geffen Hall) at age 11, and when music became her first true love. As native New Yorkers, Nathalie and David share and compare their experiences shopping at Tower Records, attending Juilliard's Pre-College program, and what led David's mom to steal a piece of the iconic school's music stands as a keepsake. To close it out Nathalie shares why she is grateful to Beyoncé and reiterates her unbelievable connection to music.
Check out Nathalie Joachim on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or the web and don't miss her duo Flutronix.
You can listen to Nathalie's newest album, Ki moun ou ye, from New Amsterdam / Nonesuch Records, here.
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Photograph of Nathalie Joachim by Erin Patrice O’Brien.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
American composer, singer, songwriter, and sonic storyteller Gabriel Kahane uses pop, folk, and classical music to craft captivating works that illustrate the human experience. Gabriel discusses the importance of using music to create community, his song Sit Shiva, what type of opera he imagines he'd write if given the opportunity, and how he responds to humor that is ultimately empathetic. Reflecting on the influences of his psychologist mother, concert pianist father, and his musical childhood filled with violin, piano, guitar, and singing, Gabriel talks about his start at New England Conservatory as a jazz pianist, how his interest shifted to theater at Brown, and his ultimate arrival in New York with his cellist friend Alisa Weilerstein where he began to write songs.
Check out Gabriel Kahane on Instagram, Facebook, Substack, Spotify, Apple Music, or the web.
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Photograph of Gabriel Kahane by Jason Quigley.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy, Avi Avital's remarkable virtuosity from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary compositions has reignited fascination with the mandolin as an instrument worthy of center stage. Avi discusses the intuitive nature of a plucked instrument and how it still excites him to this day, why he finds boredom a blessing, and how his poor pick grip is recognizable by a select group of mandolinists. Reflecting on his childhood performances with his local youth orchestra, Avi shares how the social aspect kept him playing despite his hatred for the tedious and solitary nature of practice, something he still feels to this day despite his talent and success. Avi considers two turning points in his musical development, the first while in high school when he fell in love with the rock music of Nirvana and Pearl Jam and learned how to play drums, keyboard, and guitar, and the second while attending a performance of Il Giardino Armonico at a Jerusalem theater while studying at The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. To close it out David admits that if he hears the mandolin in Mozart's Don Giovanni, he's in trouble!
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Photograph of Avi Avital by Christoph Köstlin.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Louis Cato is a Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and the band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The "musical genius" discusses starting the drums before he could walk, his childhood in a tight-knit church community where he wasn't exposed to pop, rock, or jazz music, and how he mastered (or not) the trombone by age fifteen. Louis tells David why he is a "jack of all trades, master of none" in the music world and what he learned from Jon Batiste, Questlove, Doc Severinsen, and Paul Shaffer about being a great band leader.
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Photograph of Louis Cato by Shervin Lainez.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Grammy nominated Welsh cellist and conductor Paul Watkins has enjoyed an illustrious musical career. Whether performing as a chamber musician or music director, his talent for collaboration is unparalleled. Paul reflects on his early beginnings, why he saw professional classical musicians as untouchable in his youth, and how this perspective changed while he attended the Yehudi Menuhin school as a teenager. David asks what it was like to lead the cello section of the BBC Symphony Orchestra at age 20 without any professional experience (terrifying!) and how Paul found the courage to ultimately forge a path as a soloist and chamber musician. Paul discusses how he nearly turned down an audition for the famed Emerson String Quartet, which he ultimately joined thanks to his encouraging wife and a bottle of champagne! To close it out, Paul leaves listeners with invaluable advice.
Check out Paul Watkins on Spotify, Apple Music, or the web.
You can listen to and learn more about the Emerson String Quartet on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Apple Music, Spotify, and the web.
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Photograph of Paul Watkins by Jurgen Frank.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Preeminent banjo player Béla Fleck is renowned for his unparalleled skills, adventurous spirit, and musical innovation. He's won eighteen GRAMMY Awards in nine different fields from bluegrass to classical and according to him, he's defied the odds. A kid from Manhattan who became obsessed with bluegrass music, Béla reflects on the first time he heard the Earl Scruggs' theme song for "The Beverly Hillbillies," how he got his namesake from three classical heavy hitters, and why it took nine years to return to the banjo after he fell in love with it at the age of six. Béla discusses his quick progression on the instrument, how he skipped college to his parents' surprise, and when he realized he had to find his own distinct sound. David inquires how Béla came to musically interact with classical greats like Joshua Bell and Edgar Meyer, as well as jazz legend Chick Corea, while simultaneously shedding his imposter syndrome, and to close it out Béla tells David about the feeling of making time stand still during a performance.
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Photograph of Béla Fleck by Jesse Borrell.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're concluding our celebration of Women's History Month with Grammy Award-winning American mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges who has been lighting up opera houses with her voice. J'Nai discusses her debut at The Metropolitan Opera and her performance at Jessye Norman's memorial service, why crying and singing don't mix well, and how she channels her emotions to propel her artistry. Reflecting on her athletic background, J'Nai shares how this prepared her for a life on the stage, why she believes a good coach (vocal or athletic) is vital, and how a traumatic basketball experience in high school shaped her future as a professional singer. To close it out David and J'Nai talk shooting hoops with Wynton Marsalis and the biggest gift of her musical career.
Check out J'Nai Bridges on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Apple Music, or the web.
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Photograph of J'Nai Bridges by Dario Acosta.
The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.
Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.
This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.
Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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