The Muse in Music

In this episode, I talk with Matthew Troy, the Music Director of the Western Piedmont Symphony, about what inspires him in his work, from detailed study of musical scores to connecting the music with his audiences.  We cover his creative approach to programming and how he incorporates new music into the offerings of the Western Piedmont Symphony.

In this episode, I talk with Christopher James Lees, Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony and Music Director of the Rock Hill Symphony, about his eclectic tastes in music, his enthusiasm for the diverse voices in new music, and the various kinds of music that inspire him in his work.  Please join us for his unique and fresh perspectives on how he selects music for programming. More informa...

In this episode, I talk with Teddy Abrams, Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra, about this orchestra's long and rich relationship with programming contemporary music.  Teddy highlights the Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps, which brings three composers to Louisville where they work as orchestra staff members, receiving a salary and benefits.  They compose new pieces for the orchestra...

Please join me as I talk with conductor Daniel Black about his varied tastes in music, his passion for the Romantic Era in music history, his enthusiasm for contemporary composers such Gabriela Lena Frank and Kevin Puts, and how new music can inspire broad audiences.  To find out more about Daniel Black, check out his YouTube page by CLICKING HERE . To find out more about Daniel Perttu, please CLI...

Please join me as I talk with Matthew Aubin, the Music Director of the Jackson Symphony and Southwest Michigan Symphony, and the Artistic Director of the Chelsea Symphony. He and I talk about what inspires him in his work, his varied and eclectic tastes and preferences in canonical and new music, and the complexity of programming for multiple orchestras. Please join us for this stimulating convers...

Please join me as I talk with conductor Carolyn Watson about what inspires her in her work and her innovative approaches to orchestral programming.  She develops unique approaches to programming that includes music by diverse and underrepresented composers, and combines that music with standard repertoire in creative ways. Check out Dan Perttu's music at www.danielperttu.com Check out Carolyn...

For this episode, I talk with Matthew Wardell, the Music Director of the Ocala Symphony, about what inspires him in his work, how he programs for the Ocala Symphony, and how new music plays a role in his programming. In particular, we talk about how he engages this audience in this process by humanizing the composers.

In this episode, I talk with Jeffrey Biegel, an extraordinary pianist who champions the work of living composers. He has performed as a soloist with hundreds of orchestras and has performed 25 commissioned projects by living composers.  In this interview, we talk about what inspires him in his work, his commissioning projects, and how commissioning projects with composers, pianists, and orchestras...

In this interview, I talk with Maestro Toshi Shimada, music director of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony, The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, and the New Britain Symphony, about what is inspiring to him in his work, and he shares how the best contemporary music for him is new music that speaks to his heart. We also talk about how the best music combines both the emotional content and craft...

Please join me as I interview conductor Andrew Crust, Music Director of the Vermont Symphony and Lima Symphony Orchestra (Ohio). We discuss what inspires him in his work and cover how he programs new music along with the classics. As we talk, the concept of keeping programming "relevant" for audiences arises, and Andrew goes into depth about the meaning of "relevance." Check ou...

On this episode, I talk with Jessica Satava, the Executive Director of the Greenville Symphony in South Carolina, about the process of co-creation between orchestras, composers, and audiences. We cover how orchestras have to balance fulfilling audience demand for the classics while introducing new music, particularly contemporary music that is relevant to the region of the orchestra.  Check out my...

In this episode, I talk with Nate Bachhuber, the  Vice President of Artistic Planning at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in 2022-23 and earlier, about his approaches to artistic planning at the CSO, particularly as they pertain to the music of living composers. We discuss where the field of orchestral music might be heading and the extent to which orchestras are now striving to make their...

In this episode of my Muse in Music Podcast, I talk with Keitaro Harada, the Music and Artistic Director of the Savannah Philharmonic and Permanent Conductor of the Tokyo Symphony, about his multicultural background that includes both America and Japan and how he incorporates new music from both American and Japanese composers into his programming in the various cities in which he works on both si...

In this episode of the Muse in Music Podcast, I talk with Carlos Izcaray, the Music Director of the Alabama Symphony, on what inspires him about his work; how important the concept of "balance" in the arts is to creators and audiences; how to find new music for audiences that is the "right kind of challenge"; and the increasing diversity of composers in the present and what &qu...

In this episode, I talk with Alecia Lawyer, founder and principal oboist of ROCO, a chamber orchestra based in Houston, Texas.  With 127 world premiere commissions in 17 seasons, ROCO has been ranked first in the nation for performing works by women and second for programming composers of color.  Alecia and I talk about how ROCO is a human relationship-driven orchestra and how this aspect of its i...

François López-Ferrer is in demand as a guest conductor of major orchestras throughout the globe and was also the Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony. He and I discuss the cultural contexts and psychological dynamics of when musicians and conductors in particular work with composers, both contemporary and from the past. Check out my website and music at www.danielperttu.com

In this episode of my "Muse in Music" video blog, I have a wonderful discussion with Maestra JoAnn Falletta, Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, about her career as a conductor.  We delve into the process of how she collaborates with living composers - it's a lot more interactive and hands-on than one would expect!  Check out my website and music at www.danielperttu.com

In this episode of the "Muse in Music" podcast, I talk with Maestro David Alan Miller, Music Director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, about his long career of championing the music of living composers.  We discuss the creative ways in which he collaborates with composers, among many other things. It was truly an inspiring conversation!  Check out my website and music at www.danielpertt...

In this short introduction, I talk about the history of the Muse in Music Podcast , from its origins as a blog on my website, to its transformation into a video blog, to its present iteration as a podcast.  I also talk about the people in the orchestra world whom I interview and the topics we discuss. Check out my website and music at www.danielperttu.com