How do we bring our full musical selves to the stage?

In this Season 6 finale of The Piano Pod, concert pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and artistic leader David Berry joins host Yukimi Song for a rich and deeply personal conversation on virtuosity, improvisation, composition, contemporary music, artistic identity, and the connections that unite seemingly different musical worlds.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School, Berry has built a multifaceted career as a performer, educator, curator, and advocate. Equally at home with Liszt, George Walker, James P. Johnson, contemporary composers, and his own original works, he embodies the spirit of this season’s theme: Creativity and Connection.

Throughout the episode, listeners will hear excerpts from Berry’s own compositions and arrangements, including Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.

Featured Music & Recordings

• Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
• Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
• Danse Andalouse by Joaquín Nin
• James P. Johnson: Yamekraw – A Negro Rhapsody
• Adolphus Hailstork: Chamber Works Featuring the premiere recording of Hailstork’s Piano Quintet Detroit with The Harlem Chamber Players. Spotify
• Tiny Glass Tavern — Let Us Dance, Let Us Sing Featuring David Berry’s performance of Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho. Spotify

Publications

• Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho for solo piano
• David Berry, Since Jesus Came Into My Heart: 10 Stylish Arrangements for Solo Piano Lillenas Publishing Company, 2024

David Berry

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🎙️ SEASON 6 FINALE TRAILER

How do we bring our full musical selves to the stage?

In the Season 6 finale of The Piano Pod 🎙, host Yukimi Song sits down with concert pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and artistic leader David Berry for a rich and deeply personal conversation on virtuosity, improvisation, composition, contemporary music, and artistic identity.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School, Berry has built a multifaceted career as a performer, educator, curator, and advocate. Equally at home with Liszt, George Walker, James P. Johnson, contemporary music, and his own original works, he embodies the spirit of this season's theme: Creativity and Connection.

Join us as we explore what it means to bring heart, soul, and one's authentic musical self to the stage.

🎧 Spirit, Body, and Soul: Pianist David Berry on Virtuosity, Creativity, and Artistic Identity

📅 Premieres Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 8 PM ET

▶️ Watch on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMkiqc0BoAQ

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#DavidBerry #ThePianoPod #ClassicalMusic #PianoPodcast #ConcertPianist #Composition #Improvisation #CreativityAndConnection #EastmanSchoolOfMusic #Juilliard

What does it mean to become a "Sound Liberator"?

In this episode of The Piano Pod, pianist, composer, educator, filmmaker, scholar, and advocate Joe Williams joins host Yukimi Song for a wide-ranging conversation on artistry, legacy, belonging, improvisation, education, and the evolving landscape of concert music.

Currently pursuing a PhD in composition at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Williams has built a multifaceted career championing composers of African descent while developing his own distinctive creative voice. From premiering new works and producing documentary films to contributing scholarship on Florence Price and composing music rooted in liberation, spirituality, and human connection, Williams exemplifies what it means to be a 21st-century artist.

Throughout the episode, listeners will hear musical excerpts featuring works by Florence Price, Maria Thompson Corley, Richard Thompson, Brian Raphael Nabors, and Joe Williams himself.

🎹 Featured Music & Performances

• Brian Raphael Nabors – Piano Sonata No. 2
• Brian Raphael Nabors – Sonata for Cello and Piano (Sterling Elliott, cello; Joseph Williams, piano)
• Florence Price – Fantasie Nègre in E Minor
• James Lee III - Album for the Young at Heart
• Maria Thompson Corley – Lucid Dreaming

👤 Joe Williams

Instagram: @soundliberator

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#JoeWilliams #ThePianoPod #FlorencePrice #BrianRaphaelNabors #MariaThompsonCorley #ConcertMusic #ContemporaryClassical #Juneteenth #PianoPodcast #ClassicalMusic

🎙️ NEW TRAILER: Sound Liberation

What does it mean to be a Sound Liberator?

In our upcoming episode of The Piano Pod, pianist, composer, educator, and scholar Joe Williams reflects on artistry, identity, freedom, Black excellence, and the power of music to preserve histories and connect communities.

“My responsibility is really to free people through my art.”

A powerful conversation on belonging, authenticity, representation, and what it means to move through the world on your own terms.

🎧 Sound Liberation: Joe Williams on Black Artistry, Legacy & Belonging in Concert Music

📅 Premieres Tuesday, June 2 at 8 PM ET

🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zogy7Vs75mo

#ThePianoPod #JoeWilliams #SoundLiberation #Juneteenth #BlackArtistry #ConcertMusic #ContemporaryClassical #Pianist #Composer #ClassicalMusic

In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by Steinway Artist, pianist, and pedagogue Dr. Oscar Macchioni.

Born in Argentina, shaped by years of study in Poland, and now serving as Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the University of North Texas, Macchioni reflects on a life in music that moves across borders — culturally, intellectually, and artistically.

A central focus of this conversation is his album Mostly Tangos: Piano Music from the Americas. But this episode goes far beyond tango itself.

Together, we explore artistic identity, the dangers of labels, concert programming, the evolution of tango into concert music, and how composers such as Astor Piazzolla, William Bolcom, and Karol Szymanowski shaped Macchioni’s artistic world. We also discuss his years teaching in the culturally rich border community of El Paso, Texas, his philosophy on piano pedagogy, and the role universities and artists can play in building meaningful human connection through music.

This episode offers a thoughtful reflection on artistry, cultural identity, education, and how music continues to travel across generations and borders.

🌐 Oscar Macchioni Website

🎬 Oscar Macchioni YouTube

🎹 Borderland Chopin International Competition

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Here is the Trailer for:

Season 6 Episode 18: Beyond Borders: From Argentina to Poland to Texas—Oscar Macchioni Reflects on a Life in Music

In our upcoming episode, we welcome Steinway Artist and renowned piano pedagogue Dr. Oscar Macchioni.

This conversation goes far beyond tango.

Together, we explore: • tango as a universal concert genre • artistic labels and misconceptions • audience engagement and concert programming • Szymanowski and William Bolcom • music across borders and cultures • and the evolving role of classical music today

Born in Argentina, shaped by years of study in Poland, and now based in Texas, Macchioni reflects on a life in music rooted in curiosity, cultural connection, and artistic exploration.

🎧 Season 6, Episode 18 premieres tomorrow — Tuesday, May 19 at 8 PM ET on YouTube and all major audio platforms.

▶️ YouTube Premiere: https://youtu.be/_sDxpwSBb-k?si=npr-uxApcF1eieIF

🎙 Audio Platforms: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/

📝 Meet Our Guest Blog: https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-dr-oscar-macchioni?r=2q1iy3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

#ThePianoPod #OscarMacchioni #ClassicalMusic #Piano #Tango #KarolSzymanowski #WilliamBolcom #PianoPedagogy

In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by concert pianist Anna Shelest.

Her work spans major orchestral collaborations, recording projects, and repertoire advocacy — but this conversation centers on her latest album A Romantic from Kharkiv; Music of Sergei Bortkiewicz and the deeper artistic and cultural meaning behind it.

Together, we explore how music becomes a form of testimony — shaped by memory, identity, and history — and how Shelest’s connection to Kharkiv, Ukraine informs her interpretation of Bortkiewicz’s music. We also discuss her Donna Voce project, her collaboration with conductor Neeme Järvi on Anton Rubinstein’s piano concertos, and her work as part of the Shelest Piano Duo with her husband, Dmitri Shelest.

This episode is sponsored by the Alexander & Buono Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting classical musicians through performance opportunities, recordings, and artistic development.

This episode offers a powerful reflection on rediscovery, cultural heritage, and the role of classical music in today’s world.

📖 Read the blog (Meet Our Guest): Anna Shelest — Concert Pianist

🎧 Listen to Anna Shelest on Spotify

🎬 Explore more video clips on YouTube💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content on Substack

🎵 Listen to the Season 6 Piano Playlist

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🎧 Available on YouTube and all podcast platforms. Subscribe for more conversations on creativity, artistry, and the future of classical music.

🎬 TRAILER — Music as Witness

What does it mean for music to carry memory?

In this upcoming episode of The Piano Pod, concert pianist Anna Shelest traces her roots from Kharkiv, Ukraine—through forgotten voices and the music of women composers she continues to bring into focus.

This is not about novelty. It is about identity, history, and a lifelong artistic search for voice.

Throughout the episode, you will hear music you may not know— but through her playing, it becomes immediate, human, and deeply felt.

Music as Witness — On Ukraine, forgotten repertoire, and the power of music

🎥 Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/3hhPfbBdrSE?si=3oOBMmsjGGdpLwHt

🎧 Listen on audio platforms: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/

📅 Premieres Tuesday, May 5 at 8 PM ET

In this episode of The Piano Pod, we welcome Joy Luck Trio — a newly formed ensemble bringing together pianist Donna Weng Friedman, pipa virtuoso Gao Hong, and erhu virtuoso Karen Han-Ottosson.

Together, these three Chinese-American artists unite piano, pipa, and erhu in a rare chamber collaboration rooted in heritage and shaped by contemporary expression.

In this conversation, we explore how the trio first came together, the histories and sound worlds of the pipa and erhu, what makes these instruments distinct from Western strings, and the remarkable artistic journeys that led each member to this moment.

We also discuss Gao Hong’s expansive career as a pipa virtuoso and composer, Karen Han’s work on major Hollywood soundtracks, Donna’s recent creative accomplishments, and the trio’s artistic vision, repertoire, and the origin of the name Joy Luck Trio.

This episode is about identity, reinvention, artistry, and the excitement of building something new after decades of achievement.

• 📖 Read the Meet Our Guest Blog
• 🌐 Joy Luck Trio Facebook
• 🌐 Gao Hong (Pipa Virtuoso, Composer)
• 🌐 Karen Han-Ottosson (Erhu Virtuoso)
• 🌐 Donna Weng Friedman (Pianist, Filmmaker)

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🎧 Available on YouTube and all podcast platforms. Subscribe for more conversations on creativity, artistry, and the future of classical music.

What happens when piano, pipa, and erhu come together in one ensemble?

Tonight on The Piano Pod, meet Joy Luck Trio — Donna Weng Friedman, Gao Hong, and Karen Han-Ottosson — three acclaimed artists creating a bold new chamber voice rooted in heritage, virtuosity, and contemporary expression.

In this powerful conversation, we explore the origins of the trio, the fascinating histories of the pipa and erhu, remarkable careers spanning concert halls and film soundtracks, and the excitement of building something entirely new together.

🎬 Full episode premieres tonight at 8 PM ET https://youtu.be/3ckAaOLwkjs?si=zxd26EgPelhvrvGe

🎧 Audio released simultaneously:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-piano-pod-a-global-hub-for-innovation/id1542535778

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6tVYe2x1yILfaJm1yjyt2P?si=6e315e2c003b49a6

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fcedc315-c5b7-42d9-b1c9-7eb97b5b290d/the-piano-pod---a-global-hub-for-innovation-education-and-connection-in-classical-piano-music

See you tonight.

#ThePianoPod #JoyLuckTrio #Pipa #Erhu #Piano #MusicPodcast #ClassicalMusic #ChineseAmericanArtists

In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by composer, conductor, & Music Director at Univeristy of Cologne, Michael Ostrzyga

His work spans composition, conducting, editorial scholarship, and large-scale projects — but this conversation centers on his piano writing, especially his recent solo album Perseus.

Together, we explore how music begins — whether from structure, memory, or sound itself — and how these ideas shape a body of work that moves between tradition and exploration. We also discuss his pedagogical work Der singende Wind, his early musical formation, and his recent arrangement of Beethoven’s Mass in C for four-hand piano and harmonium, commissioned by the Harvard Choruses.

This episode offers a deeper look into the relationship between structure and intuition, and how personal experience finds its way into music.

• 📖 Read our blog
• 🌐 Michael Ostrzyga — Official Website
• 🎧 Listen to his music (Spotify):
• 💿 Album — Perseus
• 📘 Der singende Wind - the Singing Wind (Breitkopf & Härtel):
• 🎼 Beethoven Mass in C arrangement - article
• 🎥 Harvard performance of Beethoven's Mass in C

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