Pitch Me Classical

Facing the fear of fear, admitting you might not always want to go to those after concert drinks, and searching for the best strengthening exercises to avoid injury as a musician and a conductor are just a few of the tips and topics discussed by YolanDa Brown, cellist Elisabeth Wiklander and conductor Karina Canellakis. They discover that being in top shape for your job as a musician is a very per...

YolanDa Brown uncovers some of the mysteries of buying an orchestral instrument with cellist David Lale and horn player Mark Vines. From commissioning a brand new cello, to finding that ‘perfectly cooked risotto’ sound of Mark’s perfect horn, to leaving horns on trains and cellos outside pubs, YolanDa hears about the highs and lows of searching for (and holding onto!) that dream instrument. &...

YolanDa Brown gets the scoop on what it’s like to play Mahler’s ‘Titan’ Symphony from the musicians themselves. Horn player Martin Hobbs shares his favourite moment in the piece, where the horns actually stand up to play, harp player Rachel Masters gets to the bottom of why early audiences found the symphony to be way ahead of its time (and slightly shocking) and explains why Mahler’s writing for...

YolanDa Brown chats to Damian Davis (from his van!) about the celebrated LPO truck, complete with a hydraulic lift and kitchenette, and asks how he safely transports hundreds of instruments to concert halls around the world. She also hears bass player Laura Murphy’s point of view - when do you take your ‘second’ instrument, and what do you absolutely not put in your instrument case when you g...

YolanDa Brown catches up with Brett Dean to find out what it means to be a Composer in Residence at an orchestra like the LPO, and how you tackle the daunting task of writing for so many instruments. She also talks to bass player Sebastian Pennar, who has been collaborating with Brett to discover all the sonic possibilities of the double bass (including using a rubber ball on a stick…).  Prod...

From nervous jazz trumpet solos to a singing orchestra and musical collaborations, today YolanDa Brown talks to trumpeter Anne McAneney and violinist Vesselin Gellev about how they’ve crossed musical boundaries, and discovers what we can learn from expanding our musical experiences. Is all music a kind of improvisation? And how can musicians overcome their fear of exploring new genres?  Produ...

When we all went into lockdown, David Burke and Nathan Prince dreamt up a way to bring the LPO into our homes in new, imaginative ways. From innovative lighting to performing amongst the empty seating, the LPO’s filmed performances allowed people to experience live music in fresh, bold and intimate ways. Glances between players became highlights of a performance, and light and shade added a new di...

In the crypt underneath Henry Wood Hall, the LPO librarians work round the clock to prepare scores for the orchestra, a central cog in the LPO’s wheel. Today, YolanDa discovers how this mysterious world works, with the help of LPO librarian Sarah Holmes and percussionist Andy Barclay. Preparing a set of scores for the stage may not be as simple as it sounds…  Produced by Tandem Productions fo...

YolanDa Brown sits down (yes - in real life!) with cellist Kristina Blaumane and violinist Fiona Higham to get the scoop on what it’s like sharing a music stand with someone, sometimes for many years. There are new friendships, tricky traditions, musical inspirations across the desks, and romantic connections… What makes the perfect (or imperfect) desk partner?  Produced by Tandem Productions...

YolanDa Brown catches up with oboist Alice Mundy and percussionist Henry Baldwin to get their thoughts on one of the wildest pieces of classical music ever written, Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. It’s a huge work which describes the inner turmoil of an artist in love with a woman who doesn’t feel the same way… The immense orchestral score certainly takes the listener on a truly wild ride...

YolanDa Brown talks to cellist Francis Bucknall, cor anglais player Sue Böhling and violinist Kate Oswin to find out about some of the music that changed their lives… Music is powerful. It can move, excite and inspire us, creating moments fixed in time and memories to last a lifetime. Donate now and your support will help ensure that we can create new musical moments and memories. Please donate an...

Beethoven’s nine symphonies are some of the most well-loved and revered pieces in classical music, and they are regularly performed by the LPO. YolanDa Brown dives into this world with violinist Tania Mazzetti, trumpeter Paul Beniston and clarinettist Tom Watmaugh and finds some revealing insights from the players perspective. Including demonstrations from Paul and Tom, you might find yourself lis...

YolanDa Brown talks to Chorus Director Neville Creed, singer Caroline Morris and LPO bass clarinettist Paul Richards as she finds out all about the London Philharmonic Choir. Set up in 1947, the choir has always worked closely with the LPO and in this episode YolanDa learns many of the ins and outs of how the choir operates. From rehearsal insights to the audition process to join the choir (and th...

YolanDa Brown talks to Artistic Director Cristina Rocca and President of the LPO and violinist Martin Hoehmann about exactly how a season of concerts is put together. Is it as much a science as an art? How involved are the members of the orchestra? How do venues impact on repertoire choices? And then there’s money… is that a creative constraint and will the marketing team be happy with a concert t...

YolanDa Brown connects with New York and Berlin for a trio of Philharmonics: London, New York and Berlin. She is joined by horn player Leelanee Sterrett from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, violist Matthew Hunter from the Berlin Philharmonic and double bass player Sebastien Pennar from the LPO as they compare and contrast orchestral life in the UK, America and Germany. From thoughts about the...

YolanDa Brown heads off to the movies with piccolo player Stewart McIlwham and violinist Kate Birchall. Stewart and Kate have played on many film soundtracks including some of the most iconic of recent decades including the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They tell YolanDa some of their tales from behind the scenes including the breakneck pace at which Howard Shore wrote the score for LOTR. Plus insigh...

YolanDa Brown finds out what it’s like for some of the LPO players who have move 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 countries, different approaches to programming and orchestral auditio...

YolanDa Brown gets under the skin of one of the most popular of Rachmaninoff’s orchestral pieces, his Symphonic Dances. Together with timpanist Simon Carrington, violinist Laura Vallejo and trombone player Dave Whitehouse they open up a piece about which Rachmaninoff said “I don’t know how it happened, it must have been my last spark.” Indeed it was the last piece he wrote and it’s a work that man...

YolanDa Brown talks to trumpeter Anne McAneney and violist Richard Waters about the LPO’s work in the community. Many people may assume that the LPO is focused solely on rehearsals and performances at the Royal Festival Hall in London, or on tour around the globe. But there is also a great passion amongst the players and staff for getting involved in the community and​ widening access to...

YolanDa Brown explores the world of opera with principal bass Kevin Rundell and violinist Fiona Higham. The LPO have a long association with Glyndebourne so opera is a key part of their annual calendar. But how does being a musician at the opera differ from their usual gigs at Southbank Centre? How does it feel to be playing from a pit rather than centre stage? Is it as glamorous as it appears? Pl...

YolanDa Brown talks to Mark Vines and Pieter Schoeman about how to get on top of an inevitable (and essential) aspect of being a musician, learning how to deal with 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 how do musicians learn to manage their nerves so their performances aren’t...

A behind the scenes all access pass to the London Philharmonic Orchestra and its musicians. YolanDa Brown talks to James Fountain, Minn Majoe and Gareth Newman about their paths into the music profession. From early experiences at school and in youth orchestras, to incredibly dedicated parents (6 hour round trips for lessons anyone?), this episode is packed full of insights for any budding musicia...

A behind the scenes all access pass to the London Philharmonic Orchestra and its musicians. YolanDa Brown talks to Lasma Taimina, Andy Barclay and Mark Templeton to get the inside view on playing music by living composers. From thoughts around programming new music and the technical demands on players to anecdotes about Messiaen and his surf drum, this episode covers all things squeak (an off...

A behind the scenes all access pass to the London Philharmonic Orchestra and its musicians. YolanDa Brown chats to viola player David Quiggle and clarinettist Ben Mellefont about the ins and outs of practice. From tips about practice routines to thoughts around physical wellbeing, this episode is full of insights for any musician, from absolute beginner to concert virtuoso. Produced by Tandem Prod...

A behind the scenes all access pass to the London Philharmonic Orchestra and its musicians. YolanDa Brown is joined by piccolo player Stewart McIlwham, violinist Fiona Higham and trumpet player Anne McAneney as they take a deep dive into Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony. Between them Stewart, Fiona and Anne have played this piece hundreds of times so they have plenty of thoughts about a symphony that ha...