Crump's Classical Conversation

American opera singer Frederica Von Stade is the star judge for this year's Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest. Ahead of the big night she shared a sparkling conversation with my RNZ Colleague Clarissa Dunn. Watch Frederica sing Rossini here Frederica wears the trousers here Frederica sings to the moon here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Mataatua wharenui, the stolen meeting house. Ngāti Awa built it in the 1870s in Whakatāne, then lent it to the Crown for an exhibition in Australia. It took a century to get it back. Composer Gillian Whitehead and collaborator Tessa Peterson talk about the true story that inspired an opera. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The 2026 NZSO National Youth Orchestra dazzled audiences in Auckland and Wellington this month. Bryan spoke to couple of the crew, sisters Portia and Indiana Bell. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Kiwi baritone Julien Van Mellaerts has an album out, "Dialogues" singing Schubert along with music by his friend (and current Master of the Kings Music) Errollyn Wallen. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Apart from the odd stay in a transit lounge, American violinist Gil Shaham's never visited New Zealand. We spoke with Gil ahead of his New Zealand debut playing Beethoven with the Auckland Philharmonia. Watch Gil Shaham play Beethoven here. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This year's Mt Eden Chamber Music Festival is a tribute to two leading lights of New Zealand classical music who've died this year; violinist Mary O'Brien and pianist Katherine Austin. Festival director Simeon Broom tells us why and how. Watch a beautiful performance of Schubert's String Quintet here. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Peter Hobbs has been making music with bees. The Auckland sound artist and composer tells us how he used recordings of the insects as the raw material for his latest album, Bee Sides. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

American conductor Mark Russell Smith is the leader of probably the largest band coming to Aotearoa this year; the 126 strong Greater Twin Cities Youth Orchestra from Minnesota. Watch that bit of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Bryan and Mark were raving about. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Young Dunedin violinist Skyla Murray decided to do her university study in Finland and it's paying off. She spoke to us about all day sun, saunas, Finnish small talk (they don't do it) and making wonderful music. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Tui Mamaki shares her love of Bulgarian song with her all female choir Medena, recorded in RNZ's Auckland studio. Medena sings a song of Bulgarian independence here . Medena performs a song about getting married here . Medena sings to the mountains here. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Australian baritone James Clayton is a jack of all trades. He took time out from opera to drive a truck during the Covid pandemic. Luckily for opera lovers he's back singing, including performing the title role in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, with NZ Opera. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New York pianist Kelly Moran sometimes performs on a "prepared" piano. That's when you put nuts and bolts on the strings to change the sound. She's no slouch with digital pianos either. Kelly spoke to us ahead of her tour of New Zealand. Listen to Kelly's music and check out tour dates here Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Sensors that transform chemical changes in rotting fruit into sound and recordings of birdsong made with machines used in mineral prospecting are part of the latest exhibition at New Plymouth's Len Lye Centre. Anna Briers is the curator. Read more about the exhibition here. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In late 2024, the New Zealand music scene mourned the death of Hamilton composer Martin Lodge. Eighteen months later, his partner Dr Gail Pittaway talks about the tribute album, Aeon, featuring music by his composing friends. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Li Wei Qin was born in China, grew up in Australia and now lives in Singapore. He took time out from a tour of Aotearoa to tell us how living in different cultures has broadened his approach to music making. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Much of the music our orchestras play is by men, but that's changing - slowly. Yvonne New tells us about the balance of male verses female composers in the programming of two of our top orchestras, from 1980 to 2024. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Electricity sparked up the career of the originally acoustic musician Jess Chambers. Now the Arts Foundation's provided her with a springboard to move into the musical world of TV and film. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

War is making a comeback, but Little Bushman guitarist Joe Callwood is taking a stand with his latest project, an online "politics free" musical collaboration dedicated to peace. You can get on board Joe Callwood's Peace Ensemble here. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Tane Upjohn-Beatson is a composer and arranger turning Shayne Carter's rock songs into orchestral masterpieces. Shayne Carter plays Crystalator live at Wellington's Bodega Bar . Listen to Tane's arrangement of Shayne Carter's Crystalator . The NZSO plays Tane's arrangement of Waiting Game. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Officially retired from teaching music at Otago University, Anthony Ritchie has no plans to stop writing it. Finishing his seventh symphony is one of his projects. He'll also have time to exercise his other great skill, playing croquet. Anthony's a former NZ representative. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Normally the double basses are at the back of the stage, but the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's Principal Bass Joan Perarnau Garriga is about to have a moment in the spotlight when he plays a solo in a performance of Mahler's 1st Symphony. Watch the double bass solo in Mahler's 1st Symphony here. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

If music is our first language, then our first language lessons should begin in the womb. Educator Julie Wylie talks about the importance of musical play, not just for young children, but their parents too. Read information on Julie's approach to musical play here. The music used in this podcast is Julie Wylie's own; “Rock-a-Bye Blues”, and “Bop it in the Rocket”, published by Sing and P...

The young cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, one of the stars of Harry and Meghan's wedding, is coming to New Zealand later this year. I spoke to him about three of the things that matter in his life: football, his very musical family, and music. Watch Sheku play during Harry and Meghan's wedding. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Want to get your kids into classical music? Try TwoSet Violin. Brett Yang and Eddie Chan have almost four and a half million followers on YouTube and over nine million across all social media (with an average age not far from 19). We spoke to one half of TwoSet Violin, Brett Yang, about bringing their live show to New Zealand. TwoSet Violin react to the "fastest" violinist in the west. W...

His career is on the rise, so is his latest role. Christchurch singer Jared Holt was once a Mobil-Song Quest winning baritone, now he's a heroic tenor. Holt talked to us about his upcoming gig, in which he plays a bloke dying and going to Heaven - almost. Watch Elgar's Dream of Gerontius here Find out about Singfest. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details