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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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

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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

[THE PIANO POD]

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Here is the trailer for Season 6, Episode 15 of The Piano Pod. Guest: Michael Ostrzyga — Composer & Conductor In this episode, we explore his piano writing, centered around his album Perseus — a body of work shaped by structure, memory, and lived experience. In our conversation, we talked about:

• where music begins — sound, structure, or something more intuitive
• how memory finds its way into composition
• expanding the language of the piano
• writing for different kinds of performers
• how personal experience shapes artistic work

🎥 YouTube Premiere tonight at 8:00 PM ET (April 7): https://youtu.be/M_932Hlo-Xg?si=UB8J69nP3tM03Fyi

🎧 Audio (available on all platforms): https://linktr.ee/ThePianoPodAudio

📕Read our blog about Michael Ostrzyga: https://thepianopod.substack.com/p/meet-our-guest-michael-ostrzyga-composer

Join us tonight.

In this episode of The Piano Pod, concert pianist Han Chen joins TPP for a deep conversation about virtuosity, vision, and what it means to build something meaningful in today’s classical music landscape.

Han Chen is a GRAMMY Award–nominated pianist known for his fearless approach to some of the most demanding repertoire in the piano canon — from György Ligeti’s Complete Piano Études to Beethoven’s Hammerklavier. His recent recording of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement with conductor John Jeter and the Malmö Opera Orchestra has brought renewed attention to one of the most compelling American concertos of the 20th century.

Beyond performance, Han is also a curator and creator. His large-scale project Infinite Staircase pairs all 18 Ligeti Études with 18 newly commissioned works by living composers, expanding the repertoire while rethinking what a piano program can be.

This episode offers a rare look into the mind of a pianist who is not only performing at the highest level, but actively shaping the future of classical music.

In This Episode, We Talk About

• Florence Price and the legacy of her Piano Concerto
• Ligeti’s Complete Piano Études and technical/interpretive challenges
• Infinite Staircase — a 36-work project pairing Ligeti with new commissions
• Creative programming as artistic identity
• Commissioning new music and working with living composers
• Juilliard training and mentorship under Yoheved Kaplinsky
• Expanding the role of the pianist in today’s classical music world

Learn More About Han Chen

• Website
• Instagram
• Meet Our Guest: Han Chen

The Piano Pod

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Here is the trailer for our upcoming episode with GRAMMY-nominated pianist Han Chen.

From mastering Ligeti to building Infinite Staircase, this conversation goes beyond performance — into vision, risk, and creating something that lasts.

🎥 Premieres tonight at 8 PM ET: https://youtu.be/2JqDeHYSk58?si=QgFPTfWf0ch_7WBl

🎧 Audio: https://linktr.ee/thepianopodaudio

Read Our Blog: https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-han-chen-concert-pianist?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Accents of Love: Vivian Fang Liu on Artistry, Belonging, and Music for the Next Generation

The Piano Pod — Season 6, Episode 13

In this episode of The Piano Pod, pianist, singer-songwriter, composer, educator, and music researcher Vivian Fang Liu joins host Yukimi Song for a powerful conversation about identity, creativity, and the role of music in shaping the next generation.

Vivian Fang Liu is a classically trained pianist whose work spans classical performance, cross-genre songwriting, children’s music, and music education research. Her award-winning children’s album Accents of Love (2023) invites young listeners to celebrate their voices, languages, and identities through imaginative storytelling and vibrant musical production.

Throughout the conversation, Vivian shares the inspiration behind her children’s music, her journey immigrating to the United States at age fifteen, and how themes of belonging, cultural identity, and resilience shape both her artistry and her educational work.

This episode explores how music can empower children to embrace who they are while also building bridges across cultures and communities.

Listen to Vivian Fang Liu

• Chinese Pop Original

Children's Music

• Belong
• I Is Love
• Talk to the Fishes with Your Inner Voice
• Silence
• All Accents Are Art

Learn More About Vivian Fang Liu

• Website
• Instagram
• Spotify

Meet Our Guest: Vivian Fang Liu https://substack.com/home/post/p-190096545

The Piano Pod

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