Cellist Ben Michaels speaks to Hattie Butterworth about his new album on Delphian, 'for cello, by cellists'. Michaels speaks about commissioning cellist-composers, carving out a less typical career as a musician and the versatile identity of the cello.

Cellist Ben Michaels speaks to Hattie Butterworth about his new album on Delphian, 'for cello, by cellists'. Michaels speaks about commissioning cellist-composers, carving out a less typical career as a musician and the versatile identity of the cello.

Weekly conversations about classical music with leading musicians and writers

Weekly conversations about classical music with leading musicians and writers

Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Cellist Ben Michaels on commissioning music for cello

The Georgian-born pianist and composer – and a former Gramophone ‘One to Watch’ and Editor’s Choice recipient – Nicolas Namoradze has signed a recording contract with the Finnish Ondine label. The first fruit of the agreement is an album of solo Beethoven that includes two of the composer’s greatest fugues, the Grosse Fuge (the original last movement of the Op 130 String Quartet) which Namoradze has arranged for piano, and the Hammerklavier Sonata, Op 106, whose finale finds Beethoven writing one of his most dazzling examples of the form. The third work on the album is the earlier F major Piano Sonata, Op 54, which though not a fugue reveals the composer’s mastery of contrapuntal writing. James Jolly spoke to Nicolas Namoradze about the new album and explored Beethoven’s use of the fugue in these great works, and how the pianist, as composer, transformed the Grosse Fuge from music for four string instruments to a towering work for solo pianist.

This episode is sponsored by Concerto Budapest, and earlier this month Concerto Budapest and its Music Director András Keller celebrated the centenary of the legendary Hungarian composer György Kurtág with a special concert live from the Grand Hall of Budapest’s Liszt Academy which you can watch here on Gramophone’s website and also read an interview with András Keller about Concerto Budapest.

The Georgian-born pianist and composer &ndash; and a former Gramophone &lsquo;One to Watch&rsquo; and <a href="https://www.gramophone.co.uk/reviews/bowen-fragments-from-hans-andersen-nicolas-namoradze">Editor&rsquo;s Choice recipient</a> &ndash; Nicolas Namoradze has signed a recording contract with the Finnish Ondine label. The first fruit of the agreement is an album of solo Beethoven that includes two of the composer&rsquo;s greatest fugues, the&nbsp;Grosse Fuge (the original last movement of the Op 130 String Quartet) which Namoradze has arranged for piano, and the Hammerklavier Sonata, Op 106, whose finale finds Beethoven writing one of his most dazzling examples of the form. The third work on the album is the earlier F major Piano Sonata, Op 54, which though not a fugue reveals the composer&rsquo;s mastery of contrapuntal writing. James Jolly spoke to Nicolas Namoradze about the new album and explored Beethoven&rsquo;s use of the fugue in these great works, and how the pianist, as composer, transformed the Grosse Fuge from music for four string instruments to a towering work for solo pianist.
This episode is sponsored by <a href="https://concertobudapest.hu/concerto-budapest-orchestra">Concerto Budapest</a>, and&nbsp;earlier this month Concerto Budapest and its Music Director Andr&aacute;s Keller celebrated the centenary of the legendary Hungarian composer Gy&ouml;rgy Kurt&aacute;g with a special concert live from the Grand Hall of Budapest&rsquo;s Liszt Academy which you can watch here on Gramophone&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.gramophone.co.uk/content/news/watch-live-with-gramophone-concerto-budapest-s-kurtag-100-celebration-concert">website</a> and also read an <a href="https://www.gramophone.co.uk/content/features/concerto-budapest-kurtag-beethoven-and-a-story-of-survival">interview</a> with Andr&aacute;s Keller about Concerto Budapest.

Pianist-composer Nicolas Namoradze on his new Beethoven album

In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS Audio, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes cellist Laura van der Heijden and horn player Ben Goldscheider to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings.

A video version of this podcast is available on the Gramophone website and YouTube channel

In this week's episode of The&nbsp;Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS Audio, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes cellist Laura van der Heijden and horn player Ben Goldscheider to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings.
A video version of this podcast is available on the Gramophone website and YouTube channel

The Gramophone Listening Room – Episode 5, with Laura van der Heijden & Ben Goldscheider

In this special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, we explore the full list of winners from this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Editor Martin Cullingford, Deputy Editor Tim Parry, Reviews Editor Gavin Dixon and Editor of Opera Now and Choir & Organ Hattie Butterworth talk through the Category Winners, the Special Awards, and of course the new Recording of the Year – complete with excerpts of every album.


Explore the awards issue available now.

In this special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, we explore the full list of winners from this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Editor Martin Cullingford, Deputy Editor Tim Parry, Reviews Editor Gavin Dixon and Editor of Opera Now and Choir &amp; Organ Hattie Butterworth talk through the Category Winners, the Special Awards, and of course the new Recording of the Year &ndash; complete with excerpts of every album.
 <a href="https://www.gramophone.co.uk/content/classical-music-news/introducing-the-2026-awards-issue-of-gramophone">Explore the awards issue available now.</a>

Cellist Ben Michaels on commissioning music for cello

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