Pitch Me Classical

Today, a special episode from the LPO Offstage archive…  YolanDa Brown finds out what it’s like for some of the LPO players who have moved to the UK to live and work in London. Yang moved to London from China, Nynke from the Netherlands and Hugh from Australia, so how do their diverse cultural backgrounds coalesce in the UK?  They discuss issues relating to family and friends in far off...

Ahead of the LPO’s performances of both of Elgar’s symphonies in January 2023, YolanDa Brown sits down with violinist Tom Eisner, cor anglais player Sue Böhling and horn player Martin Hobbs to find out what is so special about Elgar’s music.  Elgar’s symphonies bring back memories for the musicians, but is it useful to always associate Elgar with ‘Britishness’? YolanDa also asks why you need...

YolanDa Brown joins jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano and LPO double bass and bass guitar player Tom Walley to find out what role the saxophone has within the orchestra, and how the worlds of jazz and orchestral playing come together.  YolanDa, Joe and Tom get stuck into a discussion about musical genres and expression: from improvising with an orchestra to different playing techniques, emulating v...

Ahead of the LPO’s performances of Gustav Mahler’s music in their 22/23 season, YolanDa Brown uncovers both the epic side and the more intimate sounds of Mahler, what it’s like to play his symphonies with very different conductors over the years, and the high risk but high reward of the offstage bands. YolanDa also finds out that there’s often room for interpretation in the percussion parts, and T...

Welcome to Series 5 of LPO Offstage!  To kick off the new series, YolanDa Brown joins The Great British Bake Off star and LPO fan Jürgen Krauss, flute player Sue Thomas and LPO supporter Joanna Williams to find out what it means to be a fan of the LPO: from childhood memories of the orchestra, to favourite conductors and LPO cakes. Plus, what a supportive fan base means to the players… ...

YolanDa Brown joins Principal Conductor of the LPO Ed Gardner, trumpet player Anne McAneney and double bass player Sebastian Pennar to find out how to prepare for a new season…  How do you connect different pieces in a concert, how do you thread musical themes across a whole season, and what are the musicians most looking forward to playing in the LPO’s 2022-2023 concerts? Plus, Seb reveals t...

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 4. How did Howard Shore write the score for Lord of the Rings, how does Lee approach a rare tuba solo, what can singers learn from instrumental playing, and what happens when everyone thinks a cadenza has ended… except the soloist?  With Howard Shore, Johnny Ryan, Roderick Williams, Mark Templeton, Stewart McIlwham, Julia Fischer,...

YolanDa Brown joins pianist Catherine Edwards, tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis and bass clarinet player Paul Richards to discover what it’s like to play an instrument that only has rare moments in the spotlight… How do you prepare for the ‘moment’ when you emerge from the orchestra after many bars rest? And what happens if it all goes wrong? Catherine, Lee and Paul reveal what the roles of their very u...

YolanDa Brown gets an inside view of what it’s like to play Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony from the perspective of trombonist Mark Templeton, violinist Lasma Taimina and piccolo player Stewart McIlwham.  We find out what lies behind the notes of this dramatic piece, both for the musicians who play it and for Shostakovich himself. From favourite scary moments to Stewart continuing in the footste...

YolanDa Brown joins timpanist Simon Carrington and percussionist Karen Hutt to discover the ins and outs of percussion playing in an orchestra: from how you ‘play’ bubble wrap, to the complex and never ending task of tuning timpani…  Plus, an in depth discussion of one of the most important (and surprisingly difficult to play well) instruments in the orchestra: the triangle.  Produced by...

YolanDa Brown joins legendary film composer Howard Shore (down the line in New York), the LPO’s principal percussionist Andy Barclay and principal trumpet player Paul Beniston to find out how Howard approached writing the music for Lord of the Rings, and gets an insight into what it was like to play from Andy and Paul.  Back in 2001, the LPO recorded the music for the first Lord of the Rings...

YolanDa Brown sits down with baritone Roddy Williams, horn player Johnny Ryan and cellist Kristina Blaumane to hear what singers can learn from instrumental playing, and why the issues of balancing a voice with an orchestra may not be what you expect.  YolanDa also discovers how the players transition from the concert stage to the opera pit and back again, and finds out about the surround sou...

YolanDa Brown talks to trombone player Dave Whitehouse and violinists Tom Eisner and Minn Majoe about the LPO’s identity as an orchestra. We’ve heard a lot about the LPO being a ‘friendly’ orchestra, but what does this really mean? And how do the musicians define the sound of the LPO?  Plus, how things have changed over a 36 year career…. Produced by Tandem Productions for the London Philharm...

Today, another one of our top episodes from the archive… YolanDa Brown talks to horn player Mark Vines and leader of the orchestra Pieter Schoeman about how to get on top of an inevitable (and essential) aspect of being a musician: nerves.  Dry mouth, the shakes, cold sweats, ‘butterflies’ in the stomach, these are all things anyone who performs in public will be able to identify with. But ho...

We’re taking you back to some of our favourite episodes of LPO Offstage. Today - touring! YolanDa Brown is joined by flautist Sue Thomas, tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis and Tours Manager Grace Ko to find out about travels with the the LPO: From logistical challenges, audience reactions and the juggle of family life, to hotel incidents, shrunken pants and the infamous LPO Bus 3...  Produced by Tan...

YolanDa Brown sits down with the Personnel Manager of the LPO Andrew Chenery and cor anglais player Sue Böhling, to discover the secret art of fixing.  From finding a last minute replacement musician, to looking for a bunch of banjo players, Andrew and Sue reveal the ins and outs of how to actually fix the people needed to play the music.  Plus, how do you get on the list? And what happe...

YolanDa Brown sits down with the stage managers of the LPO to discuss how a concert actually gets on the stage: from finding a piano that can be hit with chains, to awkward instrument logistics on tour.  YolanDa also discovers what goes into preparing the stage for a complex percussion concerto, and why the harp has its own special duvet.  Plus, a simple message from the stage managers t...

YolanDa Brown asks where it all began for three LPO players, and how they made a passion into a profession.  From Lyndon’s early brass band days, to David’s primary school string inspiration, and Emma’s recent exploration of different genres, YolanDa discovers what makes these musicians who they are today.  Plus, a very supportive Grandpa, and a violist’s journey into flamenco music…&nbs...

YolanDa Brown sits down with violinist and pianist Julia Fischer and asks what it means to be the LPO’s Artist in Residence for their current season. How does it feel to lead the orchestra from a soloist’s perspective?  YolanDa also discovers how it feels for the musicians to play with no conductor, as well as finding out all about the joys of playing chamber music… Produced by Tandem Product...

Welcome to Series 4! To kick off the new series, YolanDa Brown sits down with violinist Nynke Hijlkema and clarinet player Thomas Watmough to discuss the experience of having a family while working as a professional musician in an orchestra.  From taking kids on tour to long distance phone calls, the essential duty free gifts and encouraging music making in your own children, Nynke and Tom re...

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 3. Why do the musicians do what they do? And how do you combat the fear of fear?  Plus, a revelation from conductor Karina Canellakis, the story of how a cello came to be, and the romantic connections across the orchestra…  With tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis, violinist Kate Oswin, contrabassoonist Simon Estell, cellist Elisabeth...

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 2. How do you audition for an orchestra, from the London Philharmonic to New York to Berlin? And how can you use nerves to actually improve your performance? YolanDa also finds out what it’s like recording for film, and how it feels singing in the London Philharmonic Choir. Plus, an insight into the music of Rachmaninoff.  With ho...

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 1. What’s so bad about an emergency sandwich, how many pairs of pants should you pack for a tour, how do you repair cracks on a double bass, and what is a jingling johnny?  With cellist Laura Donoghue, horn player John Ryan, timpanist Simon Carrington, tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis, harpist Rachel Masters, trombone player Mark Temple...

YolanDa Brown sits down with tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis, violinist Lasma Taimina and bassoon and contrabassoon player Simon Estell to find out the truth about audiences, from the unique perspective of an orchestral musician.  There’s the issue of eating (whether it’s popcorn or turkey hotdogs), the connection the orchestra has with their home audience at the Royal Festival Hall, and the rocks...

Come and join us for LPO Offstage LIVE at Henry Wood Hall! YolanDa Brown sits down with the LPO’s recordings consultant Matthew Freeman, violinist Fiona Higham and piccolo player Stewart McIlwham to discover why the LPO LIVE label was created back in 2005, what it feels like to play when you know you’re being recorded, and how you patch up any mistakes. Plus, the musicians share their ‘desert isla...