Mark Scatterday is the Professor of Conducting at the Eastman School of Music and the esteemed conductor of the legendary Eastman Wind Ensemble. Since taking the baton in 2002 as only the fourth conductor in the ensemble’s storied history, Mark has continued the rich legacy of his predecessors, especially Frederick Fennell and Donald Hunsberger. Under his direction, the ensemble has toured the world, performing in Japan, China, Taiwan, Europe, Canada, and across the United States. As a passio...

On June 9, 1974, the legendary singer Frederica von Stade and the brilliant pianist Martin Katz performed their first concert together—a partnership that continues to captivate audiences to this day. Few musical collaborations have endured for so many years or produced such iconic work. It was an incredible honor to sit down with both of them to discuss their journey, their deep insights on music-making, and their lasting bond as friends and colleagues. Their love and affection for each other...

In this deeply insightful interview, host Tony Plog chats with Wes Nance, trumpet with the Rochester Philharmonic, about the often-overlooked artistry behind Sleigh Ride's iconic horse whinny. Wes reflects on his time at the Eastman School of Music, his unconventional teaching methods, and the annual Horse Whinny Challenge — a competition as fun as it is fierce. Along the way, they explore what really resonates with audiences, proving that a well-timed whinny can steal the show!Would you like...

Jeffrey Biegel is a pianist who has dazzled audiences across the globe, performing with major orchestras from a young age. But his contributions go far beyond the concert stage — He's commissioned over 25 new works from living composers, leaving a lasting mark on contemporary piano music. Always pushing the boundaries, Jeffrey has performed weekly online concerts during the Covid pandemic and even pioneered the first-ever live audio/visual recital on the internet in 1997, broadcasting from St...

Ed's career in music has been nothing short of remarkable, spanning multiple roles including trumpeter, teacher, conductor, and entrepreneur. His deep involvement in so many facets of the musical world has made him a leading voice not just in the trumpet community, but in the broader world of music.In Part 1 of our conversation, Ed takes us back to his early days, sharing stories from his time studying with two of the most iconic trumpet teachers of his era—Vincent Cichowitz and William Vacch...

Clayton Haslop's journey as a violinist has been nothing short of extraordinary. At just 18, he joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and rose to become its concertmaster. Over the years, he also served as concertmaster for the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and contributed his talents to numerous iconic film scores, including Titanic, The Matrix, and many others. But Clayton's path wasn't always smooth. In his forties, he faced a daunting challenge when he was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia i...

Pianist Claar ter Horst is a renowned expert on German Lieder, with a special focus on the music of Robert Schumann and Hugo Wolf. Her impressive career includes collaborations with legendary German singers like Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Who better to delve into the rich tradition of German Lieder than Claar ter Horst?In Part 1, we explore what sets the German singing tradition apart from those of other countries, using France as a point of comparison. Claar shares h...

Described by Broadway World as a "richly powerful singing actress," Nina is redefining what it means to be an opera singer. Beyond her international singing career, she is the Artistic Director at the Boston Lyric Opera and the co-founder and President of the Asian Opera Alliance. Nina is someone who not only talks the talk but walks the walk, using her career to expand the boundaries of the opera world. It was a true pleasure and honor to speak with Nina about her journey as an artist, admin...

In Part 1, Maestro Slatkin shares stories from his musical upbringing in Los Angeles, enriched by his family's deep musical roots. He reflects on his formative years studying under renowned mentors Jean Morel and Walter Susskind. We explore his process for learning new pieces and his insights on the unique approaches and sounds of various orchestras. The episode concludes with a poignant recollection of a moving performance of Barber's Adagio for Strings at the BBC Proms on September 15, 2001...

Imagine being a multi-talented artist, a composer who has crafted scores for TV and iconic films like Jeremiah Johnson and The Candidate. Now, imagine you're also an acclaimed actor, having graced countless movies and winning a Tony Award for Children of a Lesser God Picture collaborating with legendary directors such as Bob Fosse, Mike Nichols, and Stephen Sondheim. Oh, and did I mention your father was the renowned pianist Artur Rubinstein? Growing up, you played for distinguished guests li...

Called "one of the biggest talents of his generation," Elias David Moncado, at a very young age, has already had an exceptional career. After winning his first competition at the age of 6, then his first international competition at the age of 8, he went on to win four major competitions after that (the Sendai Violin Competition in 2019, the International Karol Lipinski Violin Competition in 2019 (first grand prize and ten special prizes), the Valesia Musica Competition in 2021, and the Vladi...

Frederica von Stade has had a fabulous career as an opera singer, recitalist, and concert artist. In her long career, she has performed and recorded internationally, working with major conductors around the world (Karajan, Bernstein, Abbado, to name just a few.) In addition, she has championed the works of many contemporary composers, most notably Jake Heggie, with whom she has a strong friendship. Known as Flicka, she is both unassuming and gracious, and it was a highlight to have the opport...

Dr. Micah Killion is a trumpeter who has devoted the past several years to better understanding what constitutes effective practice and learning. Formerly a member of the Air Force Band, he has also been an arts administrator. In addition to his performing and research, he has also been involved in helping underprivileged populations through the power of music, his latest effort including a journey to Nepal. Currently he is the coordinator for the Center for Music Learning's new "Musical Live...

Miguel Harth Bedoya has been the Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for 20 years and is now their Music Director Laureate. In addition to other Music Director positions he has held, he has also guest conducted major orchestras around the world such as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony - to name only a few. He is currently the Mary Franks Thompson Director of Orchestral Studies at Baylor University. We begi...

Kevin Mayse is the wind ensemble conductor, trumpet teacher, and chair of the Department of Music at Riverside City College. Even though RCC is a two year college, what Kevin has been able to accomplish has been exceptional. His wind ensemble not only performs major works but also has a vibrant commissioning program, top flight soloists, and performs to sold out, standing room audiences. So, who better to ask about how to build a strong and thriving college performing program than Kevin? We...

Jon Armstrong is an amazingly versatile performer, composer, educator and thinker. Perhaps that should come as no surprise, since as a young man in his home town in Oregon, Jon not only played in a Buddhist marching band but also worked 12 hour shifts in a diaper factory! After a highly successful career in LA, he now teaches at Idaho State University, where he's established a fantastic commercial music program, while still performing and composing and at an extremely high level. Jon grew up...

Matilda Lloyd has already had an exceptional career at a very young age. Her first album, Casta Diva, released on Chandos Records, was BBC Music Magazine's Recording of the Month in June of 2023. She will also be a European Concert Hall Organization "Rising Star" for the 2024/2025 season. But in addition to being an international trumpet soloist, she also has her own podcast, Musical Roots, and is an Ambassador for the charity "Brass in Africa." The conversation begins with Matilda tracing...

During the series of conversations I've had with people in the music business over the past 3 1/2 year, I've spoken with guests representing many aspects of music. But I haven't spoken with anybody about the give and take between orchestra management and musicians. So, who better to have on the podcast than Lynn Larsen? Lynn has been Personnel Manager (since 1988) and Orchestra Manager (since 2017) of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Formerly, he was a fellow in the American Symphony Orchestra...

Richard Antoine White (RAW Tuba) is principal tubist with the New Mexico Philharmonic, principal tuba of the Santa Fe Symphony, and a full professor of tuba at the University of New Mexico. But for more reasons than those, he has been an inspiration for those of us familiar with his life and work. For the first four years of his life, he was homeless and living on the streets of Baltimore, yet today his life is one of success and giving. If you don't know of him, I think you will find his...

I first met pianist Katharina Kegler in 1992 when I auditioned for the position of trumpet professor at the Freiburg Musik Hochschule. Katharina was assigned to me as the accompanist for the short concert I would have to play and, unbeknownst to me, it was her first service since being hired at the Hochschule. So over many year we have not only taught together, but also performed together, both in Germany and in Japan. During our many years together, I can't recall a time where I disagreed...

Trumpeter Dave Bilger has had a stellar career as both a performer and also as an educator. He was principal trumpet with the Dallas Symphony, and following that, principal trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra for many years. In addition to the 27 years he's taught at the Curtis Institute of Music, he's also Professor of Trumpet at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music and has given master classes around the world. As an example of how music can have a profound influence on a...

Andreas Neubronner is a record producer and engineer who has won 8 Grammy awards. He has recorded great orchestras around the world and is known for his recordings of the Mahler Symphonies with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, his work with Baroque and Renaissance ensembles, and piano soloists Murray Perahia and Igor Levit. Andreas begins Part 1 talking about how he first came to work with Michael Tilson Thomas in London and his recordings of the...

In his thirty-eight years with the Utah Symphony, Nick Norton experienced all aspects of what it means to be an orchestral trumpet player. He began his career with the orchestra as second trumpet and after nine years auditioned for, and won, the newly vacated position of principal trumpet. Towards the end of his tenure with the orchestra, he moved to become a sort of roving section player. But in addition to his life as a trumpet player, Nick has also had a very full life outside of music...

Bill Williams is a musician who has had a stellar career as a symphony musician, chamber musician, and soloist. But in addition to his performing, he is also a consultant with a wide range of clients, including elite performers and institutions, focusing on the tools needed to perform well consistently. On his website The Path to Optimal Performance, Bill deals with subjects such as stress and performance, practice, centering, and mental rehearsal. A great deal of our conversation revolves...