'This Is How It Should Be'
Duke Ellington’s granddaughter, Mercedes Ellington, is a choreographer and dancer as well as the founder, CEO and Artistic Director of The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts in New York City. She joins us to talk about the enduring music of her grandfather and her own journey as an artist.
29 April 2026, 12:04 pm
20 minutes 55 seconds
Soundboard: Alexandre Kantorow
'The Search That Will Never Stop'
Pianist Alexandre Kantorow discusses his musical family, piano as orchestra, what to practice, creating a recital program, and what he's learned so far.
23 April 2026, 12:47 pm
29 minutes 10 seconds
Soundboard: Sullivan Fortner
'You Can't Find Freedom Unless You Have Structure'
Steinway Artist Sullivan Fortner joins Soundboard to discuss coming up in jazz, ancient practices, the greats, urgency, and showing up to battle with a plan.
3 April 2026, 10:56 pm
22 minutes 46 seconds
Soundboard: The Van Cliburn Legacy
Reflections on Van Cliburn, on the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and on the legacy of classical music in America.
22 March 2026, 3:13 pm
20 minutes 4 seconds
Soundboard: Kris Davis
‘An Element of Storytelling’
Jazz pianist and Steinway Artist Kris Davis takes us through her process, her love of Herbie Hancock, and what she gained from listening to other instruments.
19 August 2025, 12:22 pm
22 minutes 18 seconds
Soundboard: Yulianna Avdeeva
‘When I perform a piece, I‘m co-composing.’
Chopin International Piano Competition winner and Steinway Artist Yulianna Avdeeva discusses her most recent recording project for Pentatone: Dmitri Shostakovich’s Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87.
30 July 2025, 2:39 pm
20 minutes 49 seconds
Soundboard: Sunny War
‘You Can Just Make Stuff’
The songwriter Sunny War talks about her eclectic influences, when less is more, her Americana dream, and taking inspiration from her racist neighbors.
14 July 2025, 3:31 pm
30 minutes 45 seconds
Soundboard: Steve Roach
‘Primordial’
Ambient and electronic music composer Steve Roach discusses his musical philosophy and process.
19 June 2025, 5:47 pm
31 minutes 46 seconds
Soundboard: Nels Cline
‘I Want To Honor Their Voices’
Guitarist Nels Cline talks about having no fixed voice, Wilco, pretension, and going down with the set list.
23 May 2025, 4:34 pm
23 minutes 24 seconds
Soundboard: Joe Lovano
'All The Things You Are'
Saxophonist Joe Lovano joins Soundboard live from Big Ears Festival to discuss influence, tone, sound, improvisation — and what's in a name.
16 May 2025, 4:59 pm
33 minutes 2 seconds
Soundboard: John Paul Jones
'Willingness To Do Different Things'
Steinway Artist John Paul Jones, live from Big Ears Festival, talks about his influences, his sound, and his process.