Yasunori Imamura, whose recording of Bach’s complete lute works has been described as a ‘magnificent interpretation’ (Naxos 8.573936–37), turns his attention to the Cello Suites. Imamura has chosen to perform these iconic suites on the theorbo, the most important plucked instrument in the lute family, with a range very similar to the cello. Certain…

La soprano Elena Rivera y el pianista Jorge Robaina nos hablan acerca de su nuevo álbum interpretando melodías de la compositora Emiliana de Zubeldía.

To mark his inauguration as Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle chose Joseph Haydn's oratorio The Creation. After two concerts on September 21 and 22, 2023 in Munich's Herkulessaal, the work was performed on September 24 in the historic basilica of Ottobeuren in Upper Swabia, together with the three…

When Notre-Dame de Paris caught fire in 2015 the organ was not damaged - some would call it a miracle. In this podcast I talk to Olivier Latry, organist at Notre-Dame, about his album Bach to Notre-Dame which was the last album recorded at Notre-Dame before the fire. Latry was also organist when Notre-Dame reopened in 2024.…

Giovanni Sollima has been exploring Bach for as long as he has been playing the cello, and the journey continues with his new album dedicated to the Bach cello suites and pieces by other composers who were inspired by Bach. In this podcast Sollima talks about the Bach Suites, and his ongoing investigation of Bach’s music…

What to make of Norwegian composer Christian Sinding, who is chiefly remembered only by ambitious amateur pianists for his Rustle of Spring? He was a more important figure in the music of his native Norway than this might suggest; there, in his time, he was second only to Grieg. Raymond Bisha introduces us to Sinding's four symphonies that reveal t…

Entrevistamos al clarinetista español Pablo Barragán acerca de su participación en el álbum SZINERGIA interpretando obras de Hartmann, Kodály, Weiner, Bartók.

Developed in collaboration with the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Naxos' Music of Brazil series is part of the Brasil em Concerto project, presenting around 100 orchestral, chamber, choral and vocal works from the 19th and 20th centuries, many of which were previously unpublished or simply undiscovered. Such was the case of Francisco Migno…

This podcast features conductor Sir Simon Rattle in conversation with Raymond Bisha as they reference his new recording of Mahler's Seventh Symphony with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Sir Simon outlines his personal history with the work, from being overwhelmed at hearing it for the first time as a young schoolboy to his mature understandi…

A student of Haydn, a masonic brother of Mozart and a fine composer in his own right, Paul Wranitzky (1756-1808) left behind 45 symphonies that are at long last stepping out of the shadows thanks to ongoing recordings and increased access to published scores. Raymond Bisha introduces Vol. 8 in Naxos' series of Wranitzky's orchestral works, which in…

Charlamos con el director Alejandro Hernández-Valdez acerca del nuevo álbum del ensemble sinfónico coral Musica Viva NY.

John Rutter is the most acclaimed composer of Christmas carols alive today, while the Black Dyke Band occupies the highest rank in the worldwide brass band community. Raymond Bisha introduces a new album that bridges these two pinnacles in arrangements for brass of Rutter's celebrated seasonal works, together with three in their original choral ver…

El compositor mexicano Rodrigo Ruiz nos presenta su nueva grabación Venus & Adonis con textos de William Shakespeare.

George Frederic Handel was one of the leading composers of the baroque, especially known for his Italian operas. When he presented his dramatic oratorio Israel in Egypt in 1739 it flopped. It has since returned to favour, and this recording by Apollo’s Fire shows why this turnaround has happened. Put simply, the music is stunning.…

American composer Kenneth Fuchs discusses the programmes of his two most recent albums in conversation with Raymond Bisha; both recordings feature the Sinfonia of London and soloists under conductor John Wilson. Fuchs describes the unusual conception of his Concerto for Bass Trombone (a commissioning consortium of 21 bass trombonists was involved!)…

The Military Music Appreciation Society was founded in 2008 by Roger Kennedy so he could share his passion for this music with other like-minded individuals. The Society now has more than 5000 members, with new people joining every day. In this podcast, Roger talks with host Raymond Bisha about the society and about his love for this music. This po…

“As soon as I started playing jazz, I understood it was something for me. I understood that I had to combine the two musics.” These were the words of composer Nikolai Kapustin, born in Ukraine in 1937 and a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, the “two musics” being classical and jazz. From Kapustin's pen came an impeccable fusion of the two genres…

El guitarrista español Ricardo Gallén nos habla acerca de su nuevo álbum con un programa compuesto exclusivamente por habaneras y tangos.

Raymond Bisha introduces a new album featuring Beethoven's final three cello sonatas that are full of unexpected shifts of harmony and mood, virtuoso flourishes and experimental surprises, all of which defy convention. The cellist is Gabriel Schwabe, one of the leading cellists of his generation and a laureate of several national and international …

El contratenor español Miguel Ulla nos habla acerca de su nuevo álbum en donde interpreta seis cantatas espirituales de Leonardo Leo.

Vahan Mardirossian grew up in Armenia surrounded by music, an upbringing that has given him a broad musical perspective and a desire to explore all kinds of music. In this podcast he talks about everything from his musical roots to his new position with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Pardubice with whom he now has an ongoing recording program that …

Renowned both as a distinguished soloist with some 1,800 concerts worldwide to her credit and as a member of the Amadeus Guitar Duo, Dale Kavanagh is one of the most prominent classical guitarists of her generation. Raymond Bisha discusses her latest Naxos album that features a programme of her own compositions, both solos and duos in which she is …

Raymond Bisha's latest podcast introduces the twenty-four strings and forty fingers of the Guitalian Quartet in a programme from a new album featuring music from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and beyond. Effortless guitar technique combines with folksy wit and lyrical introspection in performances that will have your feet tapping and your ears purring.…

Evangelina Mascardi nos presenta su nuevo álbum doble, grabado para el sello Arcana en donde interpreta una selección de obras para laúd del compositor Sylvius Leopold Weiss.

Knighted in 1950, Sir Arthur Bliss was Master of the Queen’s Music in Great Britain from 1953 until his death in 1975. Raymond Bisha introduces a new album comprising both original works for brass band and arrangements of others for the ensemble that represent the breadth of the composer's output, from pieces of royal association (Welcome the Queen…

Raymond Bisha introduces the world premiere recordings of remarkable orchestral works by Maria Herz. Born in Germany, a resident of England and, her final resting place, the United States, her life was beset not only by two World Wars and ravages of the Spanish Flu, but also the attendant anchors of being a female, Jewish composer. Only two of her …

La pianista española Isabel Dobarro nos presenta su primer álbum grabado para el sello Grand Piano, que se llama Kaleidoscope interpretando un repertorio de obras de compositoras del siglo XXI.

Join Rebeca Omordia as she continues her exploration of African piano music with her new album African Pianism, volume 2. It is a collection of music that combines European music with the traditional music of many different countries in Africa. The results are by turns joyous, beautiful and challenging as this music shows how classical music can be…

Raymond Bisha's podcast spotlights two classic recordings in the Vox Audiophile Edition that were first released in the mid-1970s and feature two former music directors of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in their prime – Walter Susskind, who directs orchestral extracts from Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride, and Jerzy Semkow, who leads a performa…