Piano Whisperer

Piano Whisperer

Ben Klinger

On this podcast we'll be exploring the surprisingly vast world of pianos and pianists. Please join us as we interview all kinds of interesting and talented people and provide behind-the-scenes encounters with all-things-piano.

1 hour 8 minutes

The Incomparable Matt Rollings

Countless artists would have sounded different without him. Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award-winning producer, pianist, and songwriter, Matt Rollings, has played on thousands of albums, produced monumental recordings, has been awarded ACM Best Pianist/Keyboardist ten times, and has influenced a plethora of pianists with his matchless artistry and inimitable approach to the piano. If that weren’t enough, he’s also a fabulous story-teller, as you’ll hear in this episode! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

12 August 2022, 9:00 am
41 minutes 32 seconds

Chopin Made Her Do It

As a teenager in a land far away from home, in a remote village in Spain, she heard the sound of piano playing emanating from a spare room in the local library. Though she didn't play herself, she was drawn to this old upright, and she found herself visiting it frequently to explore all it had to offer. This led miraculously to finding a teacher in this tiny village, who introduced her to Chopin. That's all it took for her to make a life decision to become a concert pianist, at 15! Several scholarships and degrees later, concert pianist Haley Myles has become a laureate of seven international competitions, produced three albums, written two editions of a book and has developed a prolific and captivating online presence. If you need some inspiration and motivation, this episode is for you! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

23 May 2022, 9:00 am
42 minutes 13 seconds

Tony DeSare Did it His Way

Tony DeSare did not follow the typical road to success. But he knew who he was, and he knew what he loved. He played and sang his way to Carnegie Hall, headlined with major symphony orchestras and has amassed four top ten Billboard jazz albums. He has been featured on major TV and Radio programs, has become an award-winning composer and film scorer and now has a huge online following. His authenticity shines through in this episode, as he shares candidly about his journey from the early years through Covid times and into the future. This episode flies by! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org

30 July 2021, 9:00 am
41 minutes 24 seconds

Reinventing What it Means to be a Concert Pianist

How does a lifelong performer and prolific recording artist keep his fans engaged during a time when live events aren't happening? Acclaimed concert pianist, Frederic Chiu, has reinvented the concert pianist life with his Friends Club, his Classical Smackdown program and by not limiting his performances to the pianos he's playing! How does that happen? Check out this episode! For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

24 May 2021, 9:00 am
32 minutes 3 seconds

Reflections of a Wise Young Artist

Internationally-acclaimed recording artist and performer, Ariel Pocock, began playing piano at a very early age. In fact, she doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t play. Her recording success and constant performance schedule came to a halt when Covid hit. Now she reflects on who she really is as an artist. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

2 April 2021, 4:00 pm
30 minutes 10 seconds

Following Your Path in the Music Business

The people who succeed in the music business use what they’ve been given. They usually don’t make themselves into someone they're not. Journeyman musician and engineer, Alex Lowe, has been true to his own path and has found his musical niche. Hundreds of recordings, movies and TV shows later, he talks about his journey and how each step led to the next in his career in the music business. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

4 March 2021, 10:00 am
44 minutes 3 seconds

Destined to be a Concert Pianist in NY

Do you believe in fate? Sometimes there seem to be forces at work in our lives, forces that have us on a particular track, which seems inescapable. Katya Grineva's life is full of meant-to-be scenarios. We discussed growing up in Russia, her miraculous attendance of Horowitz's Return-to-Moscow concert, her studies with Pavel Messner, her ability to overcome out-of-tune pianos, and how the music unfolds during her performances. She has performed more times than any other solo female pianist in the history of Carnegie Hall, and now, during Covid, she continues to play amazingly intimate concerts on Zoom. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

26 August 2020, 9:00 am
45 minutes 29 seconds

The Life of a Concert Pianist

If you get to know anyone well enough, you’ll discover a rich life story you couldn’t have imagined. But, the life of a concert pianist usually involves some unique twists and turns: crazy performance situations, international travel, life-changing mentors and personal relationships with pianos! In this episode, talented concert pianist, Shuann Chai, candidly shares her story of becoming who she is, the ups and downs of being a performer, her new recording “Kuhl, nicht Lau,” and her relationship with Mike, an 1820 Rosenberger piano. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

14 July 2020, 9:00 am
41 minutes 15 seconds

Her Story - Conductor Lina Gonzalez-Granados

As Oscar Wilde famously said, "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Talented, dynamic and award-winning conductor, Lina Gonzalez-Granados, has made her mark in the music world by doing just that. Her resume is impressive, for sure, but her understanding of life and how to walk your own path in a competitive world is inspiring. Our conversation spanned everything from growing up during the Colombian Armed Conflict to becoming one of the leading proponents of Latin American composers to founding her own chamber orchestra, Unitas Ensemble. For show notes and hashtags, please visit: www.pianowhisperer.org.

17 June 2020, 8:24 am
46 minutes 7 seconds

A Conversation with Kays

Film composer and director, Kays Al-Atrakchi, shared his story about growing up in the world's most captivating city (Florence), relocating to the home of Disney (Orlando), playing in a high school rock band with Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty), studying film scoring at Berklee College of Music, and working for some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. His clients include Warner Bros., Universal, Sony Pictures, Lions Gate, ABC, NBC, Disney Channel, SyFy, Lifetime, MTV, Showtime, Discovery Channel and many more.
#pianowhispererpodcast #podcast #piano #film #filmmusic #filmscore #berkleecollegeofmusic #musicbykays #moviesbykays #kaysfilmmaker #resonaterecordings #atlantissanya
Show notes:
www.musicbykays.com
www.moviesbykays.com
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0015685/ (list of works)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r8ORaUXOps&feature=youtu.be (Grand opening of Atlantis-Sanya)
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-derek-diamond/from-composing-to-filmmaking-YVyIn5NOe8T/ (podcast with Derek Diamond)

13 March 2020, 4:00 am
27 minutes 9 seconds

The PianoGuy Behind the Scenes

Craig Knudsen could have lived his life in the spotlight, but instead he found himself quietly impacting the lives of millions from behind the scenes. From his technology creations with Yamaha to his work with YouTube sensations, ThePianoGuys, he is inspiring countless music-makers of all ages and genres. #pianowhispererpodcast #podcast #piano #thepianoguys #yamaha #clavinova #disklavier Show notes: ThePianoGuys Avatar Music Video ("Behind The Scenes"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x0cn9VoR-Q ThePianoGuys "Technology Guy" video: https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/central-valley-today/the-piano-guys-technology-guy/ Kookie Karaoke info: https://hub.yamaha.com/kooky-karaoke/ Follow the Lights info (video): https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/craig-knudsen Smart Pianist App info: https://hub.yamaha.com/keyboard-tips-learn-to-play-your-favorite-songs/

3 February 2020, 5:02 pm
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