Johannes Brahms has a special place in many musicians’ hearts - but what is it about his writing that is so captivating?  Today on LPO Offstage, YolanDa Brown joins violinist Fiona Higham, timpani player Simon Carrington, and horn player Mark Vines to find out how Brahms writes for their instruments, why the horn is not actually playing the notes as they are on the page, and how different conductors can completely change the feeling of Brahms’ first symphony. YolanDa also broaches the...

Lots of musicians find love within the music industry - whether it’s at college, singing in a choir or playing in studios… But what’s it really like living and working with your partner?  YolanDa Brown joins violinist Minn Majoe and viola player Martin Wray to catch up about what they’ve been up to recently…  From chamber ensemble ‘speed dating’, to Minn’s blog about where to eat on tour, to learning languages and travelling to little explored places, Minn and Martin reveal what an orchestral...

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 5, and also can’t resist delving into some earlier episodes. Expect mysterious triangle insights, a look at the practical side of writing music, an explanation of why Beethoven might sound a bit strange on first listen, and a classical music fan who you may know from a very famous baking competition…  With Andy Barclay, Brett Dean, Karina Canellakis, Jürgen Krauß, Elena Dubinets, Sarah Holmes, Joe Lovano, Dav Shiel, Elisabeth...

YolanDa Brown is joined by the LPO’s Principal Conductor Edward Gardner for a quick fire round to find out the answers to questions such as what makes the perfect baton and what it’s like working with different orchestras, as well as his top tips for young aspiring conductors, and how trusting yourself in the moment is key to performing.  Plus, Ed reveals a few particularly embarrassing conducting moments…    Produced by Tandem Productions for the London Philharmonic...

YolanDa Brown is joined by the LPO’s Principal Percussionist Andy Barclay to find out everything she can about a very famous instrument – the triangle. It may conjure up memories of school music lessons or the theme from the Pink Panther but the triangle also has an illustrious history and is used widely in all forms of music from pop to classical.   It's also remarkably difficult to play (well) and in this episode YolanDa and Andy immerse themselves in all things triangle: from tings vs...

What’s the role of technology in music? Does it enhance creativity, and can it be a hindrance?  YolanDa Brown is joined by LPO cellist Elisabeth Wiklander and session drummer Dav Shiel, who is Project Manager and Associate Musician at Drake Music - a charity that helps disabled people reach their musical potential through the use of assistive technology.    From using an iPad to compose, to an amplified orchestral concert on a motorway overpass, to teaching on Zoom, and using eye gaze...

What is so special about Beethoven? YolanDa Brown gets an inside view of what it’s like to play and conduct Beethoven’s third symphony from the perspective of conductor Karina Canellakis and horn player Annemarie Federle.  Karina explains why Beethoven’s music is ‘a universal form of musical communication’ and together with Annemarie they consider how much you should take a composer’s life into account when you play their music. Karina also take us on a journey through the symphony, together...

YolanDa Brown sits down with double bass player Laura Murphy and horn player Gareth Mollison to find out what it means to be an ‘experienced’ musician and how things have changed in the orchestra over the years from technology to travel. Gareth reveals what’s different about being in the LPO now compared to when he joined in 1986, and Laura muses on what might change in the future. YolanDa also asks the question of when you should put down your instrument for good, and whether the number of...

YolanDa Brown sits down with the LPO’s Artistic Director Elena Dubinets, and violinist and President of the LPO’s board Martin Höhmann to ask how you make sure a symphony orchestra stays relevant, and what it takes to curate a season of music.  Elena Dubinets reveals the careful thought, deliberation and research behind the themes in the LPO’s current season ‘A Place to Call Home’: from displacement, to love letters to home. And Martin Höhmann gives an insight into the players’ role in this...

Today, a special episode from the LPO Offstage archive…  YolanDa Brown finds out what it’s like for some of the LPO players who have moved to the UK to live and work in London. Yang moved to London from China, Nynke from the Netherlands and Hugh from Australia, so how do their diverse cultural backgrounds coalesce in the UK?  They discuss issues relating to family and friends in far off countries, different approaches to programming and orchestral auditions, and it wouldn’t be possible to...

Ahead of the LPO’s performances of both of Elgar’s symphonies in January 2023, YolanDa Brown sits down with violinist Tom Eisner, cor anglais player Sue Böhling and horn player Martin Hobbs to find out what is so special about Elgar’s music.  Elgar’s symphonies bring back memories for the musicians, but is it useful to always associate Elgar with ‘Britishness’? YolanDa also asks why you need so much stamina to play the two symphonies (especially for wind players), and Tom reveals that you can...

YolanDa Brown joins jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano and LPO double bass and bass guitar player Tom Walley to find out what role the saxophone has within the orchestra, and how the worlds of jazz and orchestral playing come together.  YolanDa, Joe and Tom get stuck into a discussion about musical genres and expression: from improvising with an orchestra to different playing techniques, emulating vocal lines on the saxophone, along with some legendary stories.  Plus, a chat about the UK premiere of...

Ahead of the LPO’s performances of Gustav Mahler’s music in their 22/23 season, YolanDa Brown uncovers both the epic side and the more intimate sounds of Mahler, what it’s like to play his symphonies with very different conductors over the years, and the high risk but high reward of the offstage bands. YolanDa also finds out that there’s often room for interpretation in the percussion parts, and Tom explains the ‘clarinets in the air’ moment. Plus, a very special anniversary for...

Welcome to Series 5 of LPO Offstage!  To kick off the new series, YolanDa Brown joins The Great British Bake Off star and LPO fan Jürgen Krauss, flute player Sue Thomas and LPO supporter Joanna Williams to find out what it means to be a fan of the LPO: from childhood memories of the orchestra, to favourite conductors and LPO cakes. Plus, what a supportive fan base means to the players…  Produced by Tandem Productions for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  #OffstagePod Twitter:...

YolanDa Brown joins Principal Conductor of the LPO Ed Gardner, trumpet player Anne McAneney and double bass player Sebastian Pennar to find out how to prepare for a new season…  How do you connect different pieces in a concert, how do you thread musical themes across a whole season, and what are the musicians most looking forward to playing in the LPO’s 2022-2023 concerts? Plus, Seb reveals the one drawback of the choir joining the orchestra: the tea queue... Produced by Tandem Productions...

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 4. How did Howard Shore write the score for Lord of the Rings, how does Lee approach a rare tuba solo, what can singers learn from instrumental playing, and what happens when everyone thinks a cadenza has ended… except the soloist?  With Howard Shore, Johnny Ryan, Roderick Williams, Mark Templeton, Stewart McIlwham, Julia Fischer, Richard Waters, Pieter Schoeman, Simon Carrington, Lee Tsarmaklis, Catherine Edwards, and Paul...

YolanDa Brown joins pianist Catherine Edwards, tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis and bass clarinet player Paul Richards to discover what it’s like to play an instrument that only has rare moments in the spotlight… How do you prepare for the ‘moment’ when you emerge from the orchestra after many bars rest? And what happens if it all goes wrong? Catherine, Lee and Paul reveal what the roles of their very unique instruments are within the texture of the orchestra, and why they have to be so...

YolanDa Brown gets an inside view of what it’s like to play Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony from the perspective of trombonist Mark Templeton, violinist Lasma Taimina and piccolo player Stewart McIlwham.  We find out what lies behind the notes of this dramatic piece, both for the musicians who play it and for Shostakovich himself. From favourite scary moments to Stewart continuing in the footsteps of his piccolo playing father, there’s lots to explore. Plus, if the players could play any other...

YolanDa Brown joins timpanist Simon Carrington and percussionist Karen Hutt to discover the ins and outs of percussion playing in an orchestra: from how you ‘play’ bubble wrap, to the complex and never ending task of tuning timpani…  Plus, an in depth discussion of one of the most important (and surprisingly difficult to play well) instruments in the orchestra: the triangle.  Produced by Tandem Productions for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  #OffstagePod Twitter: @LPOrchestra Instagram:...

YolanDa Brown joins legendary film composer Howard Shore (down the line in New York), the LPO’s principal percussionist Andy Barclay and principal trumpet player Paul Beniston to find out how Howard approached writing the music for Lord of the Rings, and gets an insight into what it was like to play from Andy and Paul.  Back in 2001, the LPO recorded the music for the first Lord of the Rings film: The Fellowship of the Ring. At that time, they didn’t know what a legendary recording it would...

YolanDa Brown sits down with baritone Roddy Williams, horn player Johnny Ryan and cellist Kristina Blaumane to hear what singers can learn from instrumental playing, and why the issues of balancing a voice with an orchestra may not be what you expect.  YolanDa also discovers how the players transition from the concert stage to the opera pit and back again, and finds out about the surround sound experience Roddy has when he’s got some bars rest… Plus, Roddy explains the lengths singers have to...

YolanDa Brown talks to trombone player Dave Whitehouse and violinists Tom Eisner and Minn Majoe about the LPO’s identity as an orchestra. We’ve heard a lot about the LPO being a ‘friendly’ orchestra, but what does this really mean? And how do the musicians define the sound of the LPO?  Plus, how things have changed over a 36 year career…. Produced by Tandem Productions for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  #OffstagePod Twitter: @LPOrchestra Instagram: @londonphilharmonicorchestra Facebook:...

Today, another one of our top episodes from the archive… YolanDa Brown talks to horn player Mark Vines and leader of the orchestra Pieter Schoeman about how to get on top of an inevitable (and essential) aspect of being a musician: nerves.  Dry mouth, the shakes, cold sweats, ‘butterflies’ in the stomach, these are all things anyone who performs in public will be able to identify with. But how do musicians learn to manage their nerves so their performances aren’t affected, and can they...

We’re taking you back to some of our favourite episodes of LPO Offstage. Today - touring! YolanDa Brown is joined by flautist Sue Thomas, tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis and Tours Manager Grace Ko to find out about travels with the the LPO: From logistical challenges, audience reactions and the juggle of family life, to hotel incidents, shrunken pants and the infamous LPO Bus 3...  Produced by Tandem Productions for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  #OffstagePod Twitter: @LPOrchestra Instagram:...

YolanDa Brown sits down with the Personnel Manager of the LPO Andrew Chenery and cor anglais player Sue Böhling, to discover the secret art of fixing.  From finding a last minute replacement musician, to looking for a bunch of banjo players, Andrew and Sue reveal the ins and outs of how to actually fix the people needed to play the music.  Plus, how do you get on the list? And what happens when you can’t find anyone to step in?   Produced by Tandem Productions for the London Philharmonic...