Deutsche Grammophon Podcast

How does a famous conductor practice before recording his solo piano album? And what kind of repertoire do you choose when you venture to the keys as a conductor? In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode, Sarah Willis meets her friend and colleague Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Although his work as one of the world's leading conductors keeps him very busy, Yannick found time during the pandemic to rele...

In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode, Sarah’s guest is Dustin O´Halloran, the Oscar-nominated pianist and composer. His new album “Silfur” was recorded in Iceland and in this podcast, Dustin talks to Sarah about his love for the piano as a truly expressive instrument, how he writes music and how the landscapes of Iceland influenced this album.

Deutsche Grammophon podcast host Sarah Willis loves to learn more about different musical genres. In this new episode, Sarah has the opportunity to interview the legendary American musician Moby about the making of his new album "Reprise", which required a completely new way of working from the artist: unlike usual, Moby did not work alone on his music, but together with many different artists and...

Deutsche Grammophon Podcast host Sarah Willis welcomes baritone Andrè Schuen to this episode. She is impressed by the voice, the articulation and the versatility of the young baritone who was born in South Tyrol speaking three languages as his mother tongue: German, Italian and Ladin. They talk about his impressive DG debut album of Schubert’s song cycle „Die schöne Müllerin“ - accompanied by Dani...

In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode Sarah Willis explores the world of electronic music with conceptual artist and composer Christian Löffler who reworked tracks by some of the greatest composers who ever lived, including J.S. Bach, Beethoven and Chopin. Löffler explains how he achieved the right balance between paying tribute to these illustrious composers but also re-inserting their musi...

Podcast host and Berlin Philharmonic horn player Sarah Willis admires violinist Hilary Hahn for her fantastic playing and the way she communicates her passion for what she does. In this Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode Hilary explains why her upcoming album is called “Paris”, why she initiated her #100daysofpractice challenge and how to hulahoop while playing the violin.

“Keep calm and play the oboe” – having heard the motto of the new Deutsche Grammophon podcast episode, it comes as no surprise that Sarah Willis welcomes her colleague from the Berlin Philharmonic: Albrecht Mayer. He is not only the principal oboe player of one of the best orchestras of the world but also appears as a renowned soloist and conductor, such as on his new “Mozart” album. Sarah and Alb...

This episode’s guest needs no introduction. Deutsche Grammophon Podcast host Sarah Willis is convinced that one recognizes him by his voice instantly. Sarah is of course referring to Rolando Villazón. The Mexican singer gives surprising insights about his new album “Serenata Latina” for which he joined forces with the French harpist Xavier de Maistre. With a special musical recommendation Sarah an...

How do you become a world-class mandolin player? Avi Avital introduces both the listeners and Deutsche Grammophon podcast host and French horn player Sarah Willis to the world of the mandolin. The Israeli musician presents his recent album “Art of the Mandolin”, offering a guided tour of the instrument’s rich history and a star performer’s personal selection of some of its greatest compositions. T...

Which mentors, idols, visions and goals does a young cellist have? Kian Soltani, a rising star of the cello, is this episode’s guest of the Deutsche Grammophon podcast series hosted by horn player Sarah Willis. They talk about his recent recordings for Deutsche Grammophon with works from Dvořák and Beethoven and how he connects with the audience during these unprecedented times. Tune in and listen...

Daniel Hope is violinist, artistic director, president of the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, TV and radio presenter, book author and initiator of a live series “Hope@Home” broadcast from his very own living room. To Sarah Willis – Deutsche Grammophon podcast host and horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – it seems miraculous how Daniel Hope manages all those wonderful projects and still finds th...

The 26-year-old pianist Seong-Jin Cho had two dreams: To play with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and to play at Carnegie Hall. Both dreams have already come true. In this episode of the Deutsche Grammophon podcast series hosted by Berlin Philharmonic horn player Sarah Willis you can find out more about the young pianist, his lifestyle and his new album “The Wanderer” with music by Schubert, Li...

This episode’s guest of the Deutsche Grammophon podcast series is Lisa Batiashvili. She is one of the most renowned violinists in the world and has played many times with host and Berlin Philharmonic french horn player Sarah Willis. They met at the former silent movie theater “Delphi” in Berlin which plays a significant role in Lisa’s new album “City Lights”.

After the successful launch of the international podcast series by Deutsche Grammophon hosted by Berlin Philharmonic horn player Sarah Willis, Sarah welcomes the French cellist Camille Thomas. They talk about their experiences as classical musicians – laughing about anecdotes and discussing Camille Thomas’ exciting and very personal new album production “Voice of Hope”. Sarah’s charming nature let...

The new podcast series by Deutsche Grammophon and hosted by Berlin Philharmonic horn player Sarah Willis gets off to a great start with Icelandic rising star of the piano, Víkingur Ólafsson as her first guest. Neither had met before but Sarah had been looking forward to meeting Vikingur ever since she first saw a video of him playing Bach in a fish factory! The episode gives unique insights into V...