Opera star Joyce DiDonato

Tom talks to one of the biggest stars in opera today, the American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Her new project “Emily – No Prisoner Be” is a collaboration with the ensemble Time For Three and composer Kevin Puts who has written a cycle of songs, setting the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Joyce talks about how the project was created, what it means to be touring it across the USA in the coming weeks, and her passionate belief in the power of music to inspire empathy and kindness.

After the launch of the BBC’s Get Singing scheme this week, aimed at getting 11-14 year olds singing together in and out of the classroom, we talk to one of the country’s most inspirational choirstarters, James Sills. He’s made it his life-mission to make everyone realise the power of what happens when we sing together, whether it’s the Bantom of the Opera project at Bradford City Football Club, in schools, in corporate leadership settings, or the choir he helped set up for the homeless in Wales. He talks to Tom about why we all need to get singing.

This year marks the centenary of the American composer Morton Feldman. We hear from pianist Siwan Rhys and percussionist George Barton about what makes Feldman’s music so special and what it’s like to perform his four and half hour long work “For Philip Guston”, from tummy rumbles and creaky chairs to transformation and euphoria.

We also hear from the Spanish violinist and conductor Roberto González-Monjas about his new album of Mozart violin concertos and the pianist Claire Huangci introduces her new album of piano heroines.

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