Wolf-Dieter Seiffert
May 2022
"The Henle Company was formed in 1948 with the permission of the
American military government."
Ever wonder what goes into your musical score, from deciding which notes the composer actually meant to indicate, to deciding ways to increase readability? What does "Urtext" mean, and why should we care? Does Marc-André Hamelin put in the fingerings for Rachmaninoff, when he doesn't perform any of his music? Dr. Wolf-Dieter Seiffert, born in Frankfurt, studied musicology, modern German literature, and philosophy. In 1990 Seiffert started work at G. Henle Publishers as an editor, where he became managing director of G. Henle Verlag in 2000.
Emmanuel Pahud
May 2022
"Music is greater than us--it plays us."
Emmanuel Pahud, principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic, joins Living the Classical Life in Berlin for a conversation about his life and work, and how he prepares for concerts and zeroes in on his musical voice. With anecdotes and reflections about the late violinist Ivry Gitlis, he shares advice for young performers.
Zlata Chochieva
May 2022
"Music is born from silence."
PIanist Zlata Chochieva, of Ossetian descent, is winner of numerous awards, over a dozen competitions and has five highly-praised albums to her name. She appeared at the Miami International Piano Festival, the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the festival «Progetto Martha Argerich» in Lugano, the Lucerne Festival, and the Berliner Klavierfestival.
Alena Baeva
May 2022
"Beauty is everywhere around you."
Violinist Alena Baeva joins Living the Classical Life in Tokyo, where she performed the Schumann Concerto, after which she invited the audience to join a prayer for peace. Winner of the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, the Sendai Competition, the Moscow Paganini Competition, and the International T. Wronski Competition, she reflects on the artist's role in the changeable world today, and examines the obligations that may come with the spotlight. With discussions about competitions and the fostering of vulnerability for artistic growth, this conversation is a deeply introspective look at the musician's world.
Anne-Sophie Mutter – Violinist
“Someone was sitting in the first row holding a mobile phone up right into my face.”
Four-time Grammy® Award winner Anne-Sophie Mutter discusses a recent incident with an audience member, along with many other aspects of her fascinating life as one of the world's most talented and successful violinists.
Episode 71 Oct 21, 2019
Yuja Wang – Pianist and
Deutsche Grammophon Recording Artist
“Life... music and what I do... has to be intermixed, has to be together... or else I feel like I’m not alive.”
In an unusually intimate portrait, young piano superstar Yuja Wang speaks of her life and work, demonstrating by musical examples throughout—including a staggering and delightful rendition of an Art Tatum arrangement of “Tea for Two.” She describes her musical aspirations in contrast with audience perceptions, the value of practicing and not practicing, learning and relearning a piece, and the importance of struggle for musical results. She ends the interview with a touching tribute to the late Claudio Abbado.
Episode 14 Feb 9, 2019
Joyce DiDonato – Operatic Soprano
“The fire you have to walk through will be one of the greatest strengths you ever have.”
Two-time Grammy Award winner Joyce DiDonato has been proclaimed “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation." Her many other honors include the Gramophone Artist of the Year and Recital of the Year awards. In this portrait, she recounts the trajectory of her musical and life journey, describing how she developed from an immature “caricature of an opera singer” into one of the most important musicians on the stages today.
Episode 55 Feb 9, 2019
Vladimir Ashkenazy – Pianist and Conductor
“If you go for fame, you have a problem.”
Filmed in October 2017 in Cleveland Ohio, living legend Vladimir Ashkenazy is a pianist, conductor, and prolific recording artist. He shares recollections of musical luminaries and also competitions, and recounts why not winning first prize in the 1955 Chopin Competition was helpful. He was forced by Soviet authorities to enter the Tchaikovsky Competition; he shares how he deals with pressures and career expectations. Charming and reflective, his contribution is not to be missed.
Episode 62 Oct 2017
Steven Isserlis – Cellist and Author
“My career didn’t really start to take off until I was thirty. I was by no means a prodigy.”
Acclaimed worldwide for his profound musicianship and technical mastery, British cellist Steven Isserlis enjoys a distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, author and broadcaster. The recipient of many awards, Steven Isserlis’s honors include a CBE in recognition of his services to music, and the Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau. He is also one of only two living cellists featured in Gramophone’s Hall of Fame.
Episode 36 Aug 2016
Deborah Voigt – Operatic Soprano
“I don’t try to reel my audience in — I try to reel myself in.”
In one of our most emotionally revealing interviews, American operatic soprano Deborah Voigt opens up about her long and acclaimed career. She discusses performance psychology, acting, the difficulty of maintaining relationships while on the road, and speaks candidly about her struggle with addiction and weight loss.
Episode 39 Feb 9, 2019
Susanna Mälkki – Conductor
“I can only feel free if I forget about myself..”
Susanna Mälkki is making waves in the world of conducting and joins us for a delightful conversation about her journey from being a cellist to being bitten by the conducting bug. She discusses the tradition of conducting from her native Finland, and discusses the conductor's world and responsibilities — and what it means to be a leader. She also discusses performance day routines, dealing with disappointments, and what is required to create magic on stage.
Episode 61 Nov 2019
Emanuel Ax – Pianist and Educator
“Entering a competition is like going to a 7-11 and buying a lottery ticket.”
Distinguished pianist Emanuel Ax won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition, the Avery Fisher Prize, and several Grammy awards, and has been a Sony Classical exclusive recording artist since 1987. He has had works written for him by John Adams, Christopher Rouse, Krzysztof Penderecki, Bright Sheng, and Melinda Wagner, and as teacher, performer, and recording artist receives uniform praise throughout the world. During a visit to Zsolt's Cleveland home, the irresistibly charming maestro chats about competitions, practicing, and finding a zone for balanced living.
Episode 56 Feb 9, 2019