Harmonious World

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with guitarist, composer and bandleader Steve Banks . Our discussion is all around his new album - Emboldened - which he is currently playing around the UK with his extraordinary quintet. This was a fascinating conversation and please do lis...

 * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Nic Gerpe , in which we discuss The Makrokosmos 50 Project . The Makrokosmos 50 Project is out now and it features the 12 original movements of Georg Crumb's Makrokosmos Volume 1 for solo piano, followed by the new collecti...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with UK guitarist Tom Ollendorff . Open House is out now and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation and clips from some of the tracks. Tom is touring this album in the UK now and he can also - frequently - be seen and heard alongsid...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Pete Johnston from Stranger Still. The Songs Which Are is out now and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation and clips from some of the tracks. We get into some fairly deep conversation about what it means for music to 'so...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Erika Angell and Roisin Adams from Beatings Are In The Body . Erika and Roisin are joined in the ensemble by Peggy Lee and their experimental music is adventurous. The trio's self-titled album is out next week and I hope you enjoy...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with pianist Kevin Toney .  Kevin's musical story is fascinating - beginning with lots of hard work. You can listen to our discussion of his time with The Blackbyrds and working with Donald Byrd. Kevin's latest album is called An...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with harpist Yolanda Kondonassis . It is a great honour to be featuring this conversation in the run-up to America's celebration of all things to do with mothers on 14 May - Mothers Day. Yolanda's latest single is a striking compo...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with singer, pianist and composer Adina Luumu . Adina is a hugely talented musician and it was great to be able to chat to her just a few weeks after International Women's Day. Adina's latest album with her band Luumu is Elephant...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer Stanley Silverman . Alongside many, many hugely successful composing and performing projects. Stanley is also cited as the inspiration for the character Bruno in the film 'Fame' - based on his time at New York's...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with drummer, percussionist and composer Tristan Banks . Tristan's new album - View From Above - is out now on Ubuntu Music, featuring saxist Paul Booth, pianist John Crawford and Davide Mantovani on bass. Our conversation wends its wa...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Ofra Harnoy and Mike Herriott . The pair have recently released Portrait , which features a brand new recording of their favourite operative music, arranged for cello and trumpet (with a host of additional large ensemble work thrown in...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World for special subscriber-only content Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Dermot Rogers , who has recently been involved in a project to remaster the work of guitar giant Louis Stewart . Just released is a remastered Out On His Own , which shows Stewart's virtuosity and lyrical genius. Executive Produce...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with cellist Karlos Rodriguez from The Catalyst Quartet . This is my second conversation with members of the quartet - the first was with viola player Paul Laraia for episode 39 , back in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the quartet is onto th...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with trumpeter and writer Muneer Nasser . Chatting with Muneer was fascinating and we could have gone on for hours, but for more, you'll just need to read his book - Upright Bass: The Musical Life and Legacy of Jamil Nasser . You can also listen...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Dudley Raine IV and Nicole Brancato , co-directors of Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival . Thanks to our mutual friend, composer William Susman , this is the first episode to feature a conversation with a music festival - and this one sound...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with vocalist and composer Vivienne Aerts . There's a real delight in Vivienne's latest album, which is released today and recognises International Women's Day and coincides with the UK's Women's History Month .  Typuhth...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Andrew Burashko from the Art of Time Ensemble . The Ensemble's latest album features live recordings of fresh arrangements of songs by Leonard Cohen. In our conversdation, Andrew and I discuss the making of the album, the post-Covid ye...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with composer and clarinettist Derek Bermel . Derek's latest album includes compositions for a range of ensembles and soloists and the first track I feature is Derek himself on clarinet.  Intonations  is a wonderful album. Thanks to Derek f...

* * * Now you can subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, featuring a conversation with Grammy award-winning Ukrainian-American pianist Nadia Shpachenko . Nadia's latest album features works by composer Lewis Spratlan , who sadly died just a few days before this episode came out. He leaves a marvellous legacy and this alb...

* * * Did you know there's a new link to subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word? * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I chat with violinist Rachel Barton Pine. Rachel's fascinating album Violin Concertos by Black Composers Through the Centuries is a real delight and I hope you enjoy listening to the snippets you can hear. Find out more about t...

* * * Did you know there's a new link to subscribe to Harmonious World and help spread the word? * * * Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I chat with soprano Nanette McGuinness from Ensemble for These Times . I've been listening to the E4TT album The Guernica Project and we discuss the individual movements of Guernica , as well as the other fascinating tracks. Th...

This is a bumper episode of Harmonious World featuring my conversation with the truly inspirational composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg . We discuss her recording of The Moons Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the marvellous Marin Alsop and the London Voices . I make no apologies for the length of this episode - I just couldn't cut it short. Thanks to Amanda for allowing me...

This episode of Harmonious World begins with sax player Timo Vollbrecht and his quartet  - Fly Magic - playing Happy Happy from their latest album, Givers & Takers . The ensuing conversation with Timo explains a little about that track, the album as a whole, playing with Fly Magic and their plans for the future. Tour dates are appearing in both America and across Europe, so keep an eye out for...

Welcome to another fascinating conversation with an artists who knows exactly what she's doing and who produces music of which she is justifiably proud. Acantha Lang is fairly new to the London music scene, but she's already making her presence felt. In February, Acantha is supporting Roachford on a UK tour and you really don't want to miss a show near you. If the UK is too far to t...

This is another repeat conversation for Harmonious World, as musicians around the world continue to produce exciting new music.  My guest for the first episode of 2023 is violinist Matthew J Detrick , who is discussing his project Apollo Chamber Players . The latest album from Apollo Chamber Players is Moonstrike , featuring music composed by Jennifer Higdon, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate and...