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.
LIVING THE CLASSICAL LIFE is an award-winning series of one-of-a-kind conversations with musicians from around the world, hosted by pianist Zsolt Bognár.
Kent Nagano
July 2023
"For a moment, we are allowed to see what is beyond the stars."
One of the pre-eminent musical voices of his generation, conductor Kent Nagano draws into the essence of an artist's mission. In his prolific career, he was music director of the Opéra National de Lyon, principal conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, principal conductor and artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, principal conductor and first music director of the Los Angeles Opera, music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and GMD of the Bavarian State Opera, and at the Hamburg State Opera. His reflections on his life, existential goals, and his mentors are sure to resonate long after viewing.
Alexandre Kantorow
May 2021
“There's no such thing as an unimportant concert."
Living the Classical Life makes a special visit to the western suburbs of Paris, France, to catch up with Alexandre Kantorow, who recently won the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award, a unique global competition for pianists decided by a secret traveling jury, and whose participants never know they even entered. Alexandre shares his thoughts and experiences on competitions, his creative process, being yourself, as well as preparation for a life of artistic growth.
Ross Karre
August 2022
Filmed at the Oberlin Conservatory in 2022; "Classical percussionist" Ross Karre--he explains what this means today--explains the creative world and craft of his many instruments. Sound associations, playing unlikely objects, programming for unusual repertoire.
Victoria Randem
July 2023
“Comparison is the thief of joy! I find the zone through gratitude."
Equally adept as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Musetta in La Boheme, Alida in Sleepless, and Rachel in La piccola Cubana, Norwegian-Nicaraguan singer Victoria Randem is a fast-rising presence in the musical world, based in Berlin . She gives a lively account of her start as musician, discusses preparing a role and finding confidence and growth.
Jukka-Pekka Saraste
May 2021
“The art of being on stage is that you’re taking the audience to you."
Helsinki’s next chief conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste reveals with subtle humor that his conducting career started at 8. He discusses the role of objectivity in Romantic repertoire, the dynamics of working with guest orchestras, and his philosophy of drawing his listeners into the performance. The sincerity and thoughtfulness of his advice to aspiring conductors is a gift to all music lovers.
Bejun Mehta
May 2021
"If you can be that vulnerable to a scary moment, then you are exactly where you're supposed to be."
Filmed in Berlin at the height of the pandemic and shortly after Christa Ludwig's passing, decorated countertenor Bejun Mehta shares his life story, influences, and anecdotes about his musical collaborations. We examine what it means to discover who we truly are and how to be ourselves on stage.
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