Let's Talk Off The Podium

The mission of this podcast is to create discussion on a variety of topics in music, culture, and arts. In my discussions there will be many questions, answers, comments, critique and ideas. For far too long many in the media, musicians, and artists from all backgrounds have been hesitant in their approach to criticism. As Wole Soyinka said, “The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.” Alongside my observations I will invite guests from a variety of artistic backgrounds to tell their story, ideas and perspective on all things in the world of music.

Hope you join me on this journey and raise awareness to topics that have been buried for decades.

Past guests include: Kronos Quartet founder David Harrington, Christian McBride, George Walker, Robert Dick, Ian Pace, Martin Bresnick, Project Trio bassist Peter Seymour, Andrey Kasparov, Craig Sheppard, Adrienne Albert, Juan Maria Solare, Marc Yeats, Mark Rowan-Hull, Stanford Thompson, The Villiers Quartet, Dr. Haig Mardirosian, Frances Wilson, James Gardner, Daniel Rosenboom, Sylvia Hinz, Joan Arnau Pàmies, among others.

Ep. 110: Sharon Isbin, guitarist. Grammy Award winner & founder of the Juilliard Guitar Dept.

Jun 30, 2020

Ep. 110: Sharon Isbin, guitarist. Grammy Award winner & founder of the Juilliard Guitar Dept.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Acclaimed for her extraordinary lyricism, technique and versatility, multiple Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the...

Ep. 109: Rachel Fine, Executive Director and CEO of The Wallis

Jun 27, 2020

Ep. 109: Rachel Fine, Executive Director and CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Rachel Fine is Executive Director & CEO of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Prior to joining The Wallis team in 2015, she worked as Senior...

Ep. 108: George Jackson, conductor.

Jun 23, 2020

Ep. 108: George Jackson, conductor.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Armed with insatiable artistic curiosity, a true performer’s instincts and the advantages of a rigorous central European training, George Jackson has earned critical acclaim for the authority and eloquence of his music-making. The...

Ep. 107: Michael Crusoe, timpanist

Jun 22, 2020

Ep. 107: Michael Crusoe, timpanist.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Michael Crusoe is principal timpanist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 1980. In addition, he also serves as principal timpanist of the Seattle Opera Association and the Mostly Mozart Summer Festival...

Ep. 106: Yolanda Kondonassis, one of the world's premier solo harpists

Jun 18, 2020

Ep. 106: Yolanda Kondonassis, one of the world's premier solo harpists.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Yolanda Kondonassis is celebrated as one of the world’s premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today’s most recorded classical harpist. Hailed as “viscerally exciting” (The Chicago...