Classical Interviews

Ryuichi Sakamoto: 'Ideally I'm recording all the time, 24 hours a day' - interview

joe Muggs Saturday, 26 May 2018

Ryuichi Sakamoto has conquered underground and mainstream with seeming ease over four decades, never dropping off in the quality of his releases.

Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing: 'in the moments when magic happens, you think, that's why we do this'

David Nice Saturday, 28 April 2018

In a classical recording industry seemingly obsessed with marketing beautiful young female violinists, but very often presenting them in repertoire to which most of them seem to have little individual to add, how do you make your mark?

Robin Ticciati on conducting Brahms: 'trying to understand the man through his music'

David Nice Monday, 09 April 2018

Edinburgh, October 2015. Robin Ticciati is still flying high from a remarkable performance of Brahms's First Symphony, the start of an intended cycle with his Scottish Chamber Orchestra in his seventh season as principal conductor.

theartsdesk Q&A: Composer, chansonnier and conductor HK Gruber at 75

David Nice Thursday, 04 January 2018

You haven't lived until you've witnessed Viennese maverick H(einz) K(arl) Gruber – 75 today (3 January, publication day) – speech-singing, conducting and kazooing his way through his self-styled "pandemonium" Frankenstein!!.

Santtu-Matias Rouvali on conducting in Gothenburg - 'they just want to make music. No bullshit'

David Nice Sunday, 01 October 2017

Sweden's ackowledged "National Orchestra", the Gothenburg Symphony, left its Chief Conductor post unfilled for four seasons, but now it's finally certain to have let the right one in.

Robin Ticciati on conducting Mozart - 'I wanted to create a revolution in the minds of the players'

David Nice Wednesday, 26 July 2017

When Glyndebourne's Music Director Robin Ticciati conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in the new production of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito starting tonight, you can be sure that it will sound utterly fresh, startling even.

Koen Kessels: 'there's a joke in ballet we only have two tempi' - interview

Hanna Weibye Wednesday, 31 May 2017

Koen Kessels is on a mission to change the culture around music in ballet. Anyone who has heard the Belgian conduct will know that he is the right person for the job: Kessels makes the classic scores come alive in the pit like nobody else I’ve heard.

theartsdesk Q&A: Horn-player Alec Frank-Gemmill

David Nice Saturday, 15 April 2017

Traditional musical formats rarely suit the individual talent, but the highly-motivated player always finds a way. I first got to talk to Alec Frank-Gemmill in the very sociable surroundings of the Pärnu Festival in Estonia, a gathering most musicians describe as the highlight of their year, with the phenomenal Estonian Festival Orchestra brought together by Paavo Järvi as its core. Frank-Gemmill's secure base is the Scottish Chamber Orchestra...

Brighton Festival 2017: 12 Free Events

Thomas H Green Thursday, 06 April 2017

The Brighton Festival, which takes place every May, is renowned for its plethora of free events. The 2017 Festival is curated by Guest Director Kate Tempest, the poet, writer and performer, alongside Festival CEO Andrew Comben who’s been the event's overall manager since 2008 (also overseeing the Brighton Dome venues all year round). This year the Festival’s theme is “Everyday Epic”.

10 Questions for Conductor Paavo Järvi

David Nice Saturday, 04 March 2017

Now at the very top of his game and master of sundry great orchestras around the world, Paavo Järvi is the conductor students of the art like to follow for his perfect technique. Time was when he seemed like the cooler version of his peerless father Neeme; now, if he can still at times come across as more cerebral than his impetuous but also excellent younger brother Kristjan, he often seems touched...

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