Listen Now

In this episode, Simon Mundy talks with Julian Poore who has been the COE's second trumpet since its creation in 1981. Aside from telling us all about the many different types of trumpets and the challenges of bringing them on tour, he also tells us a story about Claudio Abbado's shirt... featuring COE co-principal cello, tenor Will Conway! Featuring excerpts from Mozart's Magic Flute and Posthorn Serenade, Schubert's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 9 and Sibelius's Symphony No. 5.

In this episode, Simon Mundy talks to Julian Rachlin who has invited the Chamber Orchestra of Europe to become the resident orchestra at the Schloss Esterhazy, Haydn's home, in Eisenstadt. Artistic Director of the Herbstgold Festival in Eisenstadt, Julian is also principal conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra in Norway and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra in Israel.

In this episode, Simon Mundy is in conversation with Sir András Schiff, a long-standing artistic partner and Honorary Member of the COE. Together, they recall how the relationship with the Orchestra started, back in the eighties, and how it developed over the years. Sir András remembers with great fondness his friendship with Sandor Vegh who also taught to a number of COE members at the time. In this episode, there are various musical excerpts, particularly from our concert at the Schloss Esterhazy, home of Haydn, in Eisenstadt in September 2022.

In this episode, Simon Mundy talks with the COE's Planning and Personnel Manager Caroline Ferry who has been with us for 5 years and is about to leave and explore new pastures. You will find out all about how absolutely crucial this job is, the challenges of fixing and planning for an international touring orchestra, particularly in the context of the aftermath of a global pandemic.

In this episode, presenter Simon Mundy is in conversation with the COE's former principal oboe François Leleux. They talk about his COE adventure and find out about his approach to conducting whilst still pursuing a career as a world-renowned oboist. For more information about François, please visit his website: https://francoisleleux.com/

In this episode, Simon Mundy interviews British conductor Sir Roger Norrington who has recently retired and with whom the COE did many projects over the years, focusing particularly on works by Joseph Haydn. Includes musical excerpts from Haydn's Creation and Seasons released by Profil Edition Gunther Haenssler back in 2008.

Simon Mundy talks to Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Robin Ticciati, Sir Antonio Pappano and Janine Jansen about their own COE adventure.

In this episode, Simon Mundy interviews the COE's former principal oboe, now conductor, Dougie Boyd, who was the instigator of the Sibelius Symphony Cycle with Paavo Berglund at the Helsinki Festival in 1998. 

In this 4th episode of our COE@40 series, Simon Mundy interviews various current and former members of the COE about the influence the Orchestra and its artistic partners over the years have had on their career and their way of making music.

Matthew Wilkie takes us through the evolution of the COE sound under Nikolaus Harnoncourt between 1989 and 2007. He talks about the immense challenges of playing the extreme dynamics always requested by Harnoncourt, and also the legendary metaphors he used to get his point across. Matthew also mentions which composers he particularly enjoyed working on with Nikolaus and why.

This episode focuses on what makes the Chamber Orchestra of Europe a genuinely European ensemble. Various players talk to Simon Mundy about how the diversity of nationalities and cultures within the COE has shaped it into what it is today.

In this second episode in our podcast series celebrating the COE's 40th anniversary, Simon Mundy interviews a number of former and current members of the COE about their incredible commitment to the Orchestra and to the music: leaving families and homes to connect with 'their second life' at the COE, performing concerts "as if their lives depended on it".

In the next three episodes of the COE's podcast, we celebrate the Orchestra's 40th anniversary since its launch concert in 1981. In this episode, Simon Mundy interviews James Judd, Dougie Boyd, Will Conway, Marieke Blankestijn, Enno Senft, Elizabeth Wexler, Peter and Victoria Readman and Richard Hosford about the very beginnings of the Orchestra.

In this episode, Simon Mundy talks with COE second oboe and cor anglais Rachel Frost and finds about the meeting of two souls, what differentiates the oboe, the cor anglais and the oboe d'amore and what happened to the COE winds in Peru.

In this episode, conductor Jaime Martin - former principal flute of the COE - talks to Simon Mundy about his COE experience: the thrill of being invited to play with the Orchestra for the first time, the conductors and soloists who have taught him the most, how he handed over to Clara Andrada (see episode 5) and why he decided to swap his flute for a baton. 

In this interview with husband and wife, Nick Eastop and Ulrika Jansson, Simon Mundy explores one of the COE's "romantic successes" and quizzes them on many topics including their instruments and which musicians have inspired them most over their COE years.

Simon Mundy interviews the COE's Spanish Principal Flute, Clara Andrada de la Calle, also Principal Flute of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. She talks about how she became a flautist, who her teachers were, how she came to the COE and what makes this Orchestra so special to her. Clara also talks about her musical activities beside the COE.

In the context of the recent release of our recording of the Schubert Symphonies, this is the second of a two-part documentary where Simon Mundy talks with COE players about their unique experience of working on and performing these Symphonies with Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Graz, in that extremely hot summer of 1988. The box-set is available on Amazon and on all the main online platforms.

In the context of the recent release of our recording of the Schubert Symphonies, this is the first of a two-part documentary where Simon Mundy talks with COE players about their unique experience of working on and performing these Symphonies with Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Graz, in that extremely hot summer of 1988. The box-set is available on Amazon and on all the main online platforms.

In this episode, Simon Mundy talks to Lorenza Borrani, who became Leader of the COE in 2008. Together, they discuss what her role at the COE entails and why it is different to leading other orchestras. Lorenza also talks about the 'life-changing learning experience' of working with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and tells a touching story about her very own violin.