Mahan Esfahani on Bach's Keyboard Concertos

In this week's edition of the Gramophone Podcast, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani talks about his new recording of Bach's Complete Keyboard Concertos, newly released on the Hyperion label. Why were these pivotal works in the instrument's development written, and how might they have been performed? Es…

Klaus Tennstedt at 100: Edward Seckerson recalls a great conductor

The conductor Klaus Tennstedt was born on June 6, 1926. After his arrival from East Germany to the West, he held chief conductor posts with the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg (1979-81), and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (1983-87), with whom he recorded extensively, including a Mahler sy…

Colin Matthews on his new album, 'Sea Scapes'

In this week's episode of the Gramophone podcast, the composer Colin Matthews joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new album of works for voice and ensemble, Sea Scapes, release on the Onyx label. They discuss the challenge of setting poetry, as well as the joy of working with such col…

Violinist Hugo Ticciati on O/Modernt's 'Milestones'

In this week's Gramophone Podcast, Hugo Ticciati talks to Editor Martin Cullingford about the fascinating new album from his ensemble O/Modernt, released on the Signum label. Called Milestones, it marks 500 years since the death of Josquin, 50 since the death of Stravinsky, and 30 since that of Mil…

Celebrating Wigmore Hall at 125 with Director John Gilhooly and author Julia Boyd

On May 31, 1901 London's Wigmore Hall (originally Bechstein Hall) opened its doors, and hosted its first concert. Among the performers were the great Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe and the Italian pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. Mrs Helen Trust, a much-admired English soprano, p…

Helen Charlston on 'A Poet's Love'

In this episode of the Gramophone Podcast, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston speaks to Hattie Butterworht in Amsterdam during the run of Michel van der Aa's new opera Theory of Flames to discuss her latest album, A Poet's Love. Centred on Schumann's Dichterliebe, the recording places the celebrated son…

The Gramophone Listening Room, with Plínio Fernandes and Anastasia Kobekina

Today we launch a new edition to the Gramophone Podcasts, The Gramophone Listening Room, in which Charlotte Gardner invites two of today's finest young artists into the studio to explore some of the treasures of the recording archive, both recent and historic. Each chooses two recordings to share a…

Barnabás Kelemen on celebrating the legacy of the Hungarian Violin School

Jack Pepper meets Festival Academy Budapest co-founder and Artistic Director Barnabás Kelemen to explore his upcoming concerto marathon, the gypsy violin tradition and a packed 2026 Summerfest This podcast has been produced in association with the Festival Academy Budapest. The World Should Know'…

Conductor Kirill Karabits on Thomas de Hartmann's opera Esther

Kirill Karabits and the orchestra whose Principal Conductor he was for 15 years, the Bournemouth Symphony, have recorded the opera Esther by Thomas de Hartmann (1885-1956). Written in Paris during the last years of the Second World War, and completed in 1946, Esther is based on the play by Racine w…

Composer Rachel Portman on 30 years of 'Emma'

In this week's episode of the Gramophone podcast, Georgia Keeley speaks with composer Rachel Portman, marking 30 years since her Oscar-winning soundtrack for Emma (1996), and discussing her approach to writing music for film. Today's podcast is sponsored by Kirker Holidays, creators of short break…