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From his website: “British pianist George Harliono was invited to make his first one hour long, solo recital at the age of nine and since then has performed in numerous locations both in the UK, USA, Europe and Asia, appearing at venues such as Wigmore Hall, The Berlin Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, The Royal Albert Hall and Chicago Symphony Centre.” In this podcast, Rob Kennedy and George Harliono talk about the various competitions he has entered and his love of performing on the concert stage.

In early 2019 Ukrainian-American pianist Anna Shelest released Donna Voce which features the music of six women composers: Lili Boulanger, Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelsohn-Hensel, Amy Beach, Cécile Chaminade, and Chiayu Hsu. Rob Kennedy speaks with Anna about this recording, the composers, and their music. Photo: Cathy Lyons

The Bach Cello Suites are some of the most sublime music the German composer wrote. South Korean cellist Sung-Won Yang recorded the Cello Suites in the spacious acoustics of the Église Notre Dame de Bon Secours, Paris. Sung-Won Yang speaks with Rob Kennedy about the music and his interpretation. Photo: Hoon Park

Musicologist and historical keyboardist Dr. Rebecca Cypess, an Associate Professor of Music at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, New Jersey, received the 2018 Noah Greenberg Award from the American Musicological Society for her recording with fortepianist Yi-heng Yang, Sisters, Face-to-Face: The Bach Legacy in Women’s Hands. Dan McHugh speaks with Dr. Cypess about her recording. Photo: Michele Alperin

From her website: “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 “a brilliant and expressive player” (Dallas Morning News) with “exquisite sensitivity to timbre and shading…both elegant and eloquent” (Miami Herald), 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, she weaves her many passions into a vibrant and multi-faceted career.” In this podcast, Rob Kennedy and Yolanda Kondonassis talk about her career as a solo performer and teacher, as well as her championing of new music for the harp. This podcast omits the music selections heard in the original My Life In Music program due to performing rights issues. Photo: Yolanda Kondonassis/Laura Watilo Blake

On April 15, 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris suffered a devastating fire. Fortunately the great organ was spared. The Titular Organist of Notre Dame, Olivier Latry, speaks with Rob Kennedy about the last recording he made of the organ before the fire. Photo: Jean-Francois Badias.jpg

From their website: “A glorious journey through the musical landscape of Britain. The album features a broad range of music from John Tavener and Thomas Adès to Radiohead and Enya, interspersed with folk tunes, world premiere recordings and music from hit TV shows Game of Thrones and Harry’s Game.” Rob Kennedy and Barnaby Smith, Artistic Director of Voces8 chat about the recording. Photo: Voces8

From the liner notes: “Dmitri Shostakovich’s long-lost Impromptu for Viola and Piano, Op. 33, recently unearthed in the Moscow State Archives, receives its world-premiere recording on Matthew Lipman’s Ascent, the acclaimed young American violist’s solo debut album, featuring, in the artist’s words, “music enraptured by flights of fantasy.” Recipient of a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Lipman has created an album of uplifting and spiritually transcendent works for viola and piano, dedicated to his late mother.” Matthew speaks with Dan McHugh about his recording. Photo: Jiyang Chen

From their website: “On this recording, the Neave Trio captures Piazzolla’s rich legacy through arrangements by one of Piazzolla’s long time colleagues, José Bragato (Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas) and by a younger protégé, Leonardo Suárez Paz (select songs). Mezzo-soprano Carla Jablonski joins the trio for the Piazzolla songs as well as an original work by Paz.” Rob Kennedy speaks with the members of the Neave Trio about the recording. Photo: Arthur Moeller

From Joyce’s website: “On Songplay, along with her hand-picked band led by pianist and arranger Craig Terry, Joyce draws inspiration from Cavalli and Chet Baker in equal measure. The languishing heart in Giordani’s Car mio ben is as emotionally charged as Jerry Bock’s hopeful Will he like me? Perhaps the most compelling reminder of how the music of Songplay breaks down barriers is from DiDonato’s experience leading vocal and composition workshops in the New York prison Sing Sing, where one of the men who is incarcerated was particularly moved upon hearing her rendition of Car mio ben: ‘I feel like I’ve known this song my whole life.'” Bob Chapman speaks with Joyce DiDonato about Song Play. Photo: Simon Pauly

Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe was our guest on the June 2019 edition of My Life In Music. Winner of the 1994 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Ms. Blythe enjoys an active career on the opera stage as well as teaching. Stephanie speaks with Bob Chapman about her career and what got her started as a professional musician. The musical selections which are readily available on Spotify and other streaming services are omitted from this podcast in accordance with performing rights regulations. Photo: StephanieBlythemezzo.com