The name Jessie Montgomery is becoming more and more familiar to classical music lovers. The 40-year-old is making her mark as a composer with a unique voice. Her music reflects her own life as an African American woman, but also draws on various other cultures and influences, including Zimbabwean dance, swing and techno.

Cellist Laura van der Heijden won the BBC Young Musician competition at just 15 years old. She’s gone on to make a name for herself, graduating from Cambridge University, and now on to releasing her second album called Pohádka: Tales from Prague to Budapest, which explores the rich folk melodies of Janáček, Kodály and Dvořák.

Emily Levin, principal harp at Dallas Symphony Orchestra, is also the Artistic Director of Fine Arts Chamber Players in Dallas. The Bronze Medal Winner of the 9th USA International Harp Competition, Levin teaches as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Harp in Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. Charming and elfin in person, her playing is likewise ethereal–both grounded and soaring, creating new magical soundscapes to explore. Classical Recording Foundation named her their 2017 Young Artist of the Year after the release of her debut album Something Borrowed.

Iceland calls itself “The Land of Fire and Ice.” It’s an apt description. Although Iceland’s landscapes can be barren and austere, they’re also percolating with innumerable geothermal sites that continuously spew plumes of steam into the frosty air. And don’t forget the volcanoes with their glowing lava flows. Known for its natural beauty, Iceland is not as well known for its classical musicians. That is until now. Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has captivated the classical wold with his cerebral and sensitive performances. Ólafsson’s burgeoning Deutsche Grammophon discography ranges from the cool minimalism of Philip Glass to the intricacies of Bach and the Gallic elegance of Debussy and Rameau. His exquisitely chosen repertoire is evidence of a highly selective and creative artist.

Multi Grammy Award nominee violinist Philippe Quint is internationally recognized for his unique and insightful approach to standard repertoire, championing and rediscovering neglected repertoire and embarking on imaginative, exciting journeys of explorations and collaborations with artists of different genres.

When South Korean singer Psy released Gangnam Style in 2012, the world was introduced to the infectiously catchy sound of Korean pop music, or K-Pop, as it’s known. But the world is discovering another extremely popular Korean musician, Yiruma, one whose musical style is quite distinct from K-Pop.

When Timothy Chooi won the Grand Prize at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Standard Life Competition in 2010, he was one of the youngest award winners. Chooi has won numerous major awards in the decade that followed, including the International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition in Hanover, the Prix Yves Paternot at Switzerland’s Verbier Festival, first prize at the Schadt Violin Competition in the United States, and second prize of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium.

Jocelyn Lightfoot recently took the helm of the London Chamber Orchestra, the UK’s oldest chamber orchestra. We spoke about her route into management, plans for the orchestra's 100th anniversary season, and her commitment to equality, inclusivity and diversity within the orchestra.

The rich legacy of the New York Philharmonic continues to this day under its current music director, Jaap van Zweden. As it emerges from the dark days of the pandemic, the orchestra’s commitment to making music of the highest quality is stronger than ever, as can be seen by its extraordinary schedule of concerts planned for the first half of 2022.

Isabel Leonard is a heralded regular at The Metropolitan Opera, one of the most in-demand opera singers with a string of accolades and awards. Here’s how she prepares for her leading roles at the world’s great opera houses.

My guest today on the Classical Post podcast is singer, cellist, and composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson who makes her debut at Madison Square Garden as part of Andrea Bocelli's US tour this December. I'm sure you realize the significance of someone debuting in front of a crowd that could be upwards of 20,000 people. It's an incredible feat.

“The flute is the true magical rod that changes all it touches in the inward world; an enchanter's wand at which the secret depths of the soul open,” so wrote the German Romantic author Jean Paul. As a child, Beomjae Kim fell under the flute’s spell, and like one of the children of Hamelin, he followed the instrument’s charming sound where it would lead. From his homeland of Korea to the United States, Kim has pursued his love of the flute, and, along the way, discovered another talent, painting. Now he is devoting more of his time to the visual arts, while keeping up a successful and rewarding career in music.

Geoffrey John Davies, the visionary and charismatic founder of The Violin Channel, talks candidly about the origins of his company, how the internet has changed the experience of classical music, and what he sees for the future of the genre.

I know many of you have seen Breaking Bad, the globally popular show. Today's guest has some tracks that are featured on it. He's also got music on Netflix's reboot of the anime series Cowboy Bebop that was just released. From the beautiful European city of Copenhagen, composer, pianist, and producer Asger Baden joins us on the Classical Post podcast. Also with us in the same virtual studio, the famous Danish Illustrator, John Kenn Mortensen. The two artists actually collaborated on a recent album of Asger's music, released on the Neue Meister label. John did the cover art illustration.

Carnegie Hall opened in New York City on May 5, 1891 with a gala concert conducted by none other than Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. For more than 100 years it has lived up that auspicious beginning, hosting the world’s finest classical artists. Its rich legacy continues in 2022 with a series of concerts featuring great American and international orchestras, as well as stellar chamber groups, vocalists and instrumentalists.

We all remember the royal wedding of Prince Harry to the American actress, Meghan Markle, in 2018. I remember getting up early to watch it streamed live as I know many Americans did. Serendipitously, a classical cellist performed in the ceremony that day to a global audience of 2 billion people, in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. He now makes his New York Philharmonic debut and releases a new album called Muse on Decca Classics.

Mark Ainley has become quite an authority in historic recordings of classical pianists. His highly-regarded Facebook page, The Piano Files with Mark Ainley, delves into how pianists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries played the instrument. Concurrently, he is a consultant in the Chinese art of Feng Shui and has been helping people integrate principles of nature to create a sense of balance in their homes and businesses.

In the second week of March 2020, just days before he was slated to perform a recital in Salt Lake City, nearly two years after winning the gold medal in the International Artists Competition of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation, Changyong Shin was visiting local schools as part of Bachauer’s educational outreach program. The day before the recital, with abrupt notice, Salt Lake County shuttered all of the performing arts facilities due to the pandemic.

Designed as a living and growing database that will strengthen as more compositions and recordings are submitted and discovered, African Diaspora Music Project (ADMP) supports Dr. Louise Toppin’s ongoing mission to help bring classical works in various languages and from across the globe to concert halls worldwide.