Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Season 7 begins with Yamaha Artist, composer, author, and UCLA professor Inna Faliks.

In this conversation, we explore her recent album Stranger Things: Piano Works from a Young Refugee’s Backpack, the childhood compositions she carried with her from Odesa, her 2024 album Manuscripts Don’t Burn, her relationship with literature and contemporary music, Gabriel Prokofiev’s Minimoog concerto, her memoir Weight in the Fingertips, and the teachers and experiences that shaped her artistic voice.

From memory and migration to artistic curiosity and reinvention, Inna’s story opens our Season 7 theme: Culture & Courage.

🎧 Sounds of Inspiration — Season 7 Playlist: Listen to music mentioned throughout Season 7, including selections from Inna Faliks’s latest album, Stranger Things, on YouTube or Spotify

[Inna Faliks]

🌐 Website

🎧 Spotify

📱Instagram

[The Piano Pod]

📩 Subscribe to The Piano Pod newsletter and receive our free PDF, 12 Lessons from Season 6.

🌐 Website

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

From childhood compositions carried out of Odesa to performing a concerto on Minimoog, Inna Faliks has built an artistic life around memory, curiosity, and reinvention.

What happens when the music you wrote as a child returns decades later?

Here’s the trailer for the Season 7 premiere of The Piano Pod: Carrying Memory Forward, featuring Yamaha Artist, composer, and author Inna Faliks.

We talk about her latest album, Stranger Things: Piano Works from a Young Refugee’s Backpack, her other boundary-expanding recordings, memoir, and collaboration with Gabriel Prokofiev.

🎹 Premieres Tuesday, September 22 at 8 PM ET.

▶️ Set a reminder for the premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHO7Swp5Aw

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Welcome to Season 7 of The Piano Pod: Culture & Courage.

After six seasons and more than 100 episodes, the show is entering a new chapter. In this short introduction, host Yukimi Song shares what is changing, why the podcast is moving to a monthly schedule, and how her own evolving identity and work inspired this season’s theme.

What remains unchanged is the heart of The Piano Pod: thoughtful, authentic conversations that look beyond professional biographies to discover the people and stories behind the work.

Season 7 officially begins on September 22 with Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks.

Follow The Piano Pod on your favorite podcast platform and join us for the season ahead.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Know someone who embodies Culture & Courage?

I'm currently curating Season 7 of The Piano Pod and looking for musicians, educators, composers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and creative leaders who are expanding what it means to be an artist today.

If someone comes to mind—or if that person is you—I would love to hear from you.

Please submit your nomination here:

Nominate Guest Here

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

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

• Website
• Facebook

The Piano Pod

• Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content on Substack
• Season 6 Piano Music Playlist
• Nominate Guests for Season 7: Culture and Courage HERE

#DavidBerry #ThePianoPod #PianoPodcast #ClassicalMusic

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

🎙️ 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

🎙️ Listen on all major podcast platforms:

https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/

💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content

https://thepianopod.substack.com

🎙️ Nominate a Guest for Season 7: Culture and Courage

https://forms.gle/NPxggt25PU2CaKFD9

🌐 Website

https://thepianopod.com

📸 Instagram

https://instagram.com/thepianopod

📘 Facebook

https://facebook.com/thepianopod

🔗 All Links

https://linktr.ee/thepianopod

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

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

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

🎙️ The Piano Pod

• 💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content here
• 🎵 Season 6 Piano Playlist
• 🎙 Nominate Guests for Season 7 HERE
• 📫 Join Our Newsletter HERE
• 🌐 Website

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

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

🎙️ 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

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

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

📖 Read the “Meet Our Guest” blog

💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content

🎵 Season 6 Piano Playlist

🎙 Nominate Guests for Season 7

📫 Join Our Newsletter

🌐 The Piano Pod Website

📱 Follow The Piano Pod

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

🔗 All Links

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

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

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

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

NOMINATE GUESTS FOR SEASON 7: https://forms.gle/z3Q78dtTBbe5hdYr9

📫 Join our Newsletter

🌐 Visit our Website

📱 Follow The Piano Pod on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

🔗 Access all links via Linktree

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