Petra Sittig

In this interview, I speak with Di Slaney, a poet, publisher and passionate advocate for animals and the natural world. Based in Nottinghamshire, England, Di runs Manor Farm Charitable Trust, a livestock sanctuary, alongside her independent publishing company, Candlestick Press. With a background in marketing and a lifelong affinity for writing, particularly poetry, Di discovered a new source of i...

In this conversation with South African SAMA award-winning R&B singer, songwriter and producer Francis Jay, we talk about the role that music and creativity have played in his life from a young age. Francis shares how his sister, opera singer Monica Mhangwana, encouraged him and inspired him to start writing songs. She also passed on some of the knowledge and lessons she had gathered along her...

In this conversation, I speak with guitarist Zarek Silberschmidt, a full-time freelance musician based in Basel, Switzerland, whose work spans solo and ensemble performance, studio work, composition and music education. Zarek’s approach to the guitar is as curious and unconventional as his musical journey, moving between solo guitar, traditional jazz, fingerstyle, Dixieland and, most importantly,...

In this conversation, I speak with wildlife artist Aurélien VLNA, whose paintings grow from a deep connection with animals and the natural world. Aurélien travels around the world to experience wildlife in its natural surroundings. For him, being out in the wild is not simply about observing an animal. It is about sensing its presence, its movement and its energy. He brings this experience into hi...

In this interview, I speak with Andre Visser, Head of Music at Empangeni High School in South Africa, about a school where music has become much more than an extracurricular activity. It has become an important part of the school’s identity and its approach to educating young people. Empangeni High School’s celebrated music programme has gained national recognition and, through the school’s unique...

Júlia Aubà is a singer and musical theatre actress from Barcelona whose love for the stage began when she was very young. Long before she imagined herself pursuing musical theatre professionally, she was captivated by the songs and stories of Disney films, singing along to the music and discovering the joy of bringing characters to life. In this conversation, Júlia gives us an insight into the mus...

In this conversation, I speak with South African artist Jean Theron Louw, an architect whose true passion found its expression through sculpture. Jean studied architecture at the University of the Free State and went on to build a career as an architect before finding her true passion in sculpture. Her architectural training and experience continue to play an important role in the way she approach...

In this fascinating conversation, I speak with British conductor David Murphy, a musician whose work reaches far beyond the traditional boundaries of conducting. At the heart of his work is a desire to deepen awareness and create a stronger human connection through sound. David takes us back to the beginning of his musical journey, from his early life as a violinist to discovering the art and lang...

In this interview, I speak with Nigerian artist Paschal Ugwu, whose captivating paintings explore the human form, observation and the many layers of the human experience. Based in Abuja, Paschal has developed a distinctive visual language of disjointed human figures, dark skin tones created through expressive paint drippings, exaggerated eyes and a single ear. Working primarily in acrylic on canva...

South African artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren is a painter and poet whose life has been shaped by a deep and enduring love for creative expression. As Louis says, “I believe the creative impetus to write and paint comes from the same place.” For him, painting and poetry are not separate paths, but different ways of giving expression to the same creative impulse. In this conversation, Louis talks ab...

In this interview, I speak with contemporary fiber artist Jen Morgan, whose richly textured work celebrates the people, culture, music, and distinctive sense of place that define New Orleans and beyond. Jen’s journey into fibre art began with a background in graphic design and a simple felting workshop that opened up a completely new creative world for her. Today, she works almost entirely with na...

In this beautiful conversation, I speak with Zimbabwean singer Ashley Nkiwane about music, loss, faith, culture and the healing power of finding your own voice. Ashley’s journey into songwriting began during one of the most difficult moments of her life — the loss of her father. Through grief, she discovered music as a place to express what she was feeling and, ultimately, as a source of strength....

Some interviews are personal. This one is especially close to my heart because Vanderbijlpark is my hometown, the place where I was born and grew up, and still the place I return to whenever I am back in South Africa. In this interview, I speak with Jaco Verwey, organiser of Rocking the Vaal and spokesperson for the Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce, about a town on the banks of the Vaal River,...

Berlin-based pianist Nikolay Medvedev, originally from Russia, brings together a deep love for the Romantic repertoire with a curiosity for music that crosses boundaries. In this open and honest conversation, Nikolay takes us back to his musical beginnings, his early experience singing in a boys’ choir, and the journey that eventually led him to Berlin. He shares how he built his career in Berlin...

Dario Savino Doronzo, soprano flugelhorn, and Livio Minafra, piano and composition, came together through a shared curiosity for sound, expression and artistic exploration. Both highly acclaimed musicians in their own right, they have created a duo where refined lyricism meets musical exuberance, resulting in a distinctive sound that moves freely between space, dynamics, colour, virtuosity and emo...

William Bejedi is the charismatic frontman of Willy & The Sheiks, a seven-piece band bringing swing to life with energy, charm and a fresh twist. I spoke to William just before the band took to the stage at Buskers Bern, one of Switzerland’s biggest street festivals, where their infectious blend of original music and clever re-arrangements of timeless classics was ready to get audiences moving...

In this inspiring conversation, I speak with Precious Akindele, a rising pianist, organist and contemporary classical composer from London. Precious first discovered music at school and, because she is visually impaired, learned many of her piano pieces by ear. She went on to study music at the BRIT School and is now preparing to continue her studies at Trinity Laban. Precious speaks with such ent...

Winemaking is both a science and an art. It requires knowledge, precision and an understanding of the elements that shape a wine, but also creativity, intuition and a deep connection to the vineyard. In this interview, I speak with Renier van Deventer of Ridgeback Wines about his journey through the wine industry and the many experiences that have shaped him as a cellar Master and winemaker. After...

When I first spoke to South African opera singer Monica Mhangwana in 2022, I was struck by her positive outlook despite the many setbacks she was facing in her career. At the time, she described it as feeling like taking “one step forward and ten steps back.” Little did she know that a new opportunity was about to change the direction of her journey. Monica went on to receive a scholarship to purs...

What happens when a love of music becomes stronger than the career you thought you were meant to have? Australian indie-folk singer-songwriter and producer Tom River, from Margaret River, Western Australia, began his working life in engineering. But music was always there. He started by singing quietly in his room before taking the leap to perform in bars and smaller venues and eventually finding...

Music has an extraordinary ability to bring people together, transcending language, geography, and culture. In this conversation, I speak with Sophie Melrose-Doering, Project Officer for Music and International Artistic Exchange at the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC), about the remarkable work of creating meaningful connections through music. Sophie has built her...

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Margaret Chisolm has dedicated more than three decades to caring for patients, educating future physicians, and advancing humanistic medical practice. In this thought-provoking conversation, she shares how art museums have become an unexpected but powerful classroom for medical students. As Director of the Paul McHug...

For many young musicians, the dream is to perform on the world's greatest stages. But what happens when you discover your greatest passion lies somewhere else? In this episode of The Artist's Voice, I speak with trumpeter and music educator Jonas Krause about finding the courage to redefine success. Having discovered his love for the trumpet as a child, Jonas pursued an intensive musical education...

Some artists write songs to entertain. Others write songs to understand themselves—and, in doing so, help others understand themselves too. In this episode of The Artist's Voice, I had the pleasure of speaking with emerging singer-songwriter Nick Anthony, whose thoughtful songwriting invites listeners to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters. Born and raised in Majorca, Nick's...

There is something deeply inspiring about speaking with artists who understand that music is about far more than notes on a page. In this conversation, I had the pleasure of talking with internationally acclaimed conductor and composer Sebastian Perłowski, whose philosophy is beautifully summed up in his words: "To connect people through music and music through people." A laureate of numerous pres...