A Stick With A Point

Violins of Hope co-founder Avshi Weinstein

Avshi Weinstein, co-founder of the amazing Violins of Hope project - rescued and restored string instruments from the Holocaust - tours the world with his story telling collection. Grim as the reality of that period was, the humbling humility with which these tales are recounted is truly uplifting.

Simon Eadon - the man behind the controls for fifty years!

Simon Eadon is one of the most respected and successful recording engineers of today and has been at the controls of countless great recordings of classical music. Despite all this he still claims one of the most important attributes necessary is the ability to brew a good cup of tea!

Lowering the Tone and Raising the Roof - the story of Raymond Gubbay.

Raymond Gubbay, the only man I know who ever made money out of classical music and, introduced tens of thousands of people to this glorious art shares candid stories about the journey that took him there!

Beethoven and Jonathan DelMar - quite a team!

Leading Beethoven scholar Jonathan DelMar gives us the lowdown on his celebrated excavations into the mistakes, misprints and misreadings of some of the greatest orchestral masterpieces and, how to deal with them!

Jessica Brennan - Director of the Menuhin Competition and Donatella Flick/LSO Conducting Competition

Director of both the Donatella Flick/LSO Conducting Competition and Menuhin Competition, Jessica Brennan, gives the low down on how these celebrated events come together, what their role is and challenging moments en route!

Sir James MacMillan

The great composer Sir James MacMillan discusses his formative years and shares thoughts on composing techniques, sources of inspiration, his festival in Ayrshire and...electric pencil sharpeners!

Andrew Jowett - Symphony Hall's man at the helm for over 25 years!

Andrew Jowett, the former, and longtime, director of one of the greatest concert halls in the world recounts the hurdles jumped and the deals made to make Symphony Hall in Birmingham a reality and, the joys that came for so many with the countless world-class artists that graced its stage!

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Director, Dominic Parker - A Man For All Seasons

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Director, Dominic Parker is my inspiring guest on this episode. Not only does he rise to the challenges of running one of the finest orchestras in the UK on a daily basis, he also is full of vision, progressive solutions and practical approaches. His is a no-nonsense approach based on real world values. Terrific listening! 

Nancy Laturno

Nancy Laturno, Mainly Mozart and a whole lot more than just a summer music festival in California!

The One and Only, Robert deMaine!

If you don't know the wonderful cellist Robert deMaine already, now's your chance. As Principal Cellist of the LA Philharmonic he not only holds one of the great orchestral posts in the business, he also gets to perform widely as a soloist and works regularly with the greatest musicians around. Not only will this be a fascinating listen for cellists, it will also keep those intrigued by the psychology of the musician enthralled!