Instrumentalists
Virtuosos, interpreters, and musical communicators.
"I can just imagine Stravinsky, his imagination on fire thinking 'what are the possibilities I can do?'"
Mark discusses juggling life as a composer and clarinettist.
"I've only assimilated as much as I can, through a classical framework."
Tom Service talks to John Williams, the renowned guitarist, ahead of his 75th birthday.
"I always find a piece takes about...4 or 5 times in front of an audience before you feel it in the body."
Trumpet virtuoso Håkan Hardenberger reflects on his quest to create new repertoire. 2016
"I still find the sensation of playing the piano an extremely visceral, physically strong one."
Tom talks to the Russian-born Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg. Broadcast February 2016.
Lang Lang
Lang Lang talks to Tom Service about his pianistic heroes and his involvement in education
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"Some days the car would come and I wouldn't know if it was to go to the Old Bailey or the Festival Hall."
Australian pianist Roger Woodward had close collaborations with many living composers.
Alfred Brendel
Pianist Alfred Brendel talks to Tom Service about his life, career and new book on music.
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"I go round the world and I'm a spy. I have been on more than 100 juries..."
Dame Fanny Waterman, now 95, talks about her life & Leeds International Piano Competition
"The moment a new singer that I've not worked with comes through the studio door, there is a process of sizing up going on"
Petroc Trelawny at the piano with accompanist Roger Vignoles, ahead of his 70th birthday
Murray Perahia
Pianist Murray Perahia talks to Tom Service about the music which currently occupies him.
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"The audience is feeling they are with us on a journey when we go through these five pieces..."
The pianist Leif Ove Andsnes talks to Tom Service about his 'Beethoven Journey'.
"I love the austere, almost religious, aspects of the piano recital."
Pianist (and conservationist) Helene Grimaud spoke to Tom Service for Music Matters.
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Celebrated Russian-born pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy talks to Tom Service.
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"If you start to improvise, you have to be prepared that it could be a failure... you have to free yourself from this fear."
Tom Service talks to Viktoria Mullova, a violinist of exceptional versatility & integrity
"...the whole introduction acquires more of a lyrical & flexible quality than we what we normally associate with this concerto"
Kirill Gerstein talks about a new critical edition of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1
"I conducted my first Brahms Four the other day, at the age of 79!"
Elgar Howarth has led a multifaceted career as a conductor, composer, and instrumentalist
"For being the interpretors, we have to bring our emotions, our imagination, our commitment, our reflection, our culture"
Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard is widely acclaimed as a key figure in the music of our time
"Analysing and then understanding Boulez or Chopin, there’s not too much difference"
Tom Service talks to the Turkish pianist Idil Biret about her recording legacy.
"Brazil, it's in there. It's in my blood and in my life."
Petroc Trelawny meets pianist Nelson Freire who talks about music in his homeland.
"Albeniz is, for me, maybe one of four composers who completely changed the history of piano music."
Tom talks to Nikolai Lugansky, ahead of the Russian pianist's tour of the United Kingdom.
"The paper and notes are my enemies, actually. They're in my way between the composer, myself, the orchestra and the public."
Tom Service talks to the Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja.
“I’m always trying to think ‘What really represents me?’ and ‘what do I want to hear?’ and ‘what do I want to dive into?’”
Hilary Hahn joined Petroc Trelawny to talk about reviving the encore and artistic freedom
“You go on to the stage and you think, before you go on, "Ok, this is a gift. And I have to do my best."
Sir James Galway talks about his life - from Belfast, to Berlin, to Bach Sonatas.
"Tonality is like gravity – we cannot pretend that it doesn’t exist"
Petroc Trelawny caught up with composer, pianist and conductor Olli Mustonen.
