Podcast · Music

Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

by Gramophone · English · Music

Weekly conversations about classical music with leading musicians and writers

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 32 min
Latest: 14 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026 · 44 minNew

The Gramophone Listening Room – Episode 5, with Laura van der Heijden & Ben Goldscheider

In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS Audio, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes cellist Laura van der Heijden and horn player Ben Goldscheider to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings. A video version of this podcast is available on the Gramophone website and YouTube channel See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

8 Oct 2026 · 47 min
Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2026: The Winners
In this special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, we explore the full list of winners from this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Editor Martin Cullingford, Deputy Editor Tim Parry, Reviews Editor Gavin Dixon and Editor of Opera Now and Choir & Organ Hattie Butterworth talk through the Category Winners, the Special Awards, and of course the new Recording of the Year – complete with excerpts of every album. Explore the awards issue available now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2 Oct 2026 · 32 min
Apollo 5 on their new album 'Crossings'
Gus and Lily from Apollo 5 join Hattie in the Gramophone studio to discuss their new album, Crossings, out now on the Voces8 label. Mapping a musical journey across the centuries and ancient pilgrimage trail the Via Francigena, the album takes us from Morley's English madrigals to Italian Renaissance polyphony and new commissions from Francis Pott and Apollo 5 soprano, Penelope Appleyard. This week's podcast is sponsored by Concerto Budapest . On 11 October at 19.30 , you can watch Concerto Budapest live on Gramophone.co.uk from Budapest’s historic Liszt Academy , in a special concert…
30 Sep 2026 · 52 min
The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
In a special edition of the Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford travelled to Bergen to spend time with our current Orchestra of the Year, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, as they come to end of their year as holder of that title. He talks to Chief Executive and Managing Director Sigurd Sverdrup Sandmo about the orchestra’s history and its place in regional and national life, and then meets its newly named Chief Conductor Designate, Tabita Berglund. Throughout you can enjoy music taken from the Orchestra’s acclaimed recordings on the Chandos and Lawo labels, as well as…
25 Sep 2026 · 20 min
Lukáš Vasilek on Honegger's Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher
For this week's Gramophone Podcast, conductor Luká&scaron; Vasilek joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his fascinating new recording with the Czech Philharmonic of Honegger's Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher - Joan of Arc at the Stake – newly released on the Animal Music label. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
18 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Cellist Ben Michaels on commissioning music for cello
Cellist Ben Michaels speaks to Hattie Butterworth about his new album on Delphian, 'for cello, by cellists'. Michaels speaks about commissioning cellist-composers, carving out a less typical career as a musician and the versatile identity of the cello. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Roxanna Panufnik on 'Love Songs & Lullabies'
Roxanna Panufnik talks to Editor Martin Cullingford about her fascinating and moving new album of Love Songs and Lullabies, released on the Signum label, as well as about her approach to composing and creativity more widely. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4 Sep 2026 · 33 min
Conductor Philipp von Steinaecker on historically informed Mahler performance
The conductor Philipp von Steinaecker and the Mahler Academy Orchestra recorded Mahler’s Ninth Symphony in 2024 for Alpha Classics using instruments contemporary with the composer and employing historically informed performance practices. The recording attracted much attention and engaged a lot of music lovers’ imaginations. Now, the same performers have turned to the Fifth Symphony. Gramophone ’s James Jolly talked to Philipp von Steinaecker about his history with Mahler’s music and how the Mahler Academy Orchestra created its ‘Mahler sound’ both from its…
28 Aug 2026 · 54 min
The Gramophone Listening Room – Episode 4, with Freddie De Tommaso & Charlie Lovell-Jones
In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS Audio, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes tenor Freddie De Tommaso and violinist Charlie Lovell-Jones to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings. Freddie De Tommaso is a familiar presence on the world's opera stages, not least London's Covent Garden. Known for his verismo roles, he is an exclusive recording artist with Decca Classics. Charlie Lovell-Jones is a violinist who, beyond his soloist career, is concertmaster of John Wilson's Sinfonia of London. See omnystudio.com/listener…
21 Aug 2026 · 42 min
Joby Talbot and Craig Hella Johnson on setting Octavio Paz’s poem ‘Piedra de sol’
In the latest edition of the Gramophone Podcast, composer Joby Talbot and the conductor of vocal ensemble Conspirare Craig Hella Johnson join Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about their fascinating collaboration: a setting of Mexican poet Octavio Paz's epic work, Piedra de sol, newly released on the Divine Art label. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
E560 · 14 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
From the Archive: Charles Villiers Stanford – Exploring the composer's music with Jeremy Dibble
For this week’s Gramophone Podcast we dip into the archives and offer you another opportunity to hear a fascinating conversation about Sir Charles Villiers Stanford , the Anglo-Irish composer, teacher and conductor, the centenary of whose death fell in 2024. The leading expert on the composer, Jeremy Dibble , joins Editor Martin Cullingford to mark the centenary year of Stanford's death. Though arguably still best known today for his church music, we discuss the full breadth of Stanford's works, including his symphonies, songs, chamber music and his operas – the latter a genre he…
E559 · 7 Aug 2026 · 24 min
Pianist Bruce Liu on his moon-themes recital 'Lunaris'
Pianist Bruce Liu ’s new album ‘Lunaris’ is just out from Deutsche Grammophon – it explores the cosmos, the moon and the stars through music, taking in music by Chopin, Beethoven, Scriabin, Mompou, Agnes Obel and others. Gramophone ’s James Jolly caught up with Bruce Liu in Canada earlier this year and, as well as talking about ‘Lunaris’, they discussed the aftermath of Bruce’s Chopin Competition win, and which of the Tchaikovsky piano concertos is his favourite. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
31 Jul 2026 · 32 min
Gavin Higgins and Grace-Evangeline Mason on the Three Choirs Festival
Hattie Butterworth is joined by composers Gavin Higgins and Grace-Evangeline Mason to discuss the Three Choirs Associate Composer programme, the realities to life as a composer and writing choral music. Explore the Three Choirs Festival here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24 Jul 2026 · 56 min
The Gramophone Listening Room – Episode 3, with Thomas Dunford & Lucine Musaelian
In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS Audio, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes lutenist Thomas Dunford and viola da gamba player, singer and composer Lucine Musaelian to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings. Thomas Dunford can only be described as prolific in the recording studio, whether it's with Les Arts Florissants or his own Jupiter ensemble, and Lucine Musaelian is a member of the Bellot Ensemble and Intesa duo, her debut album with the Bellot Ensemble, 'Cupid's Ground Bass', was described by William Yeoman in…
17 Jul 2026 · 28 min
Conductor Dalia Stasevska on her Ukrainian mixtape and the First Night of the Proms
This week’s guest is the Finnish-Ukrainian conductor Dalia Stasevska . Her new ‘Ukrainian Mixtape’, just out from Platoon, showcases four Ukrainian composers – Levko Kolodub, Borys Liatoshynsky, Fedir Yakymenko and Mykola Lysenko – for which she’s joined by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, of which she’s Principal Guest Conductor. James Jolly spoke to her last week by Zoom from her home in Finland about the new album, but also about the First Night of the BBC Proms which finds her and the BBC Symphony Orchestra on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall. You…
10 Jul 2026 · 32 min
George Fu on Schubert and grief
Pianist George Fu joins Hattie Butterworth to speak about his new album of Schubert and how the composer helped him through the loss of his father. They speak about the late sonatas and their complexities, as well as the emotions around recording well-known works. Elsewhere, Fu speaks about his collaboration with the soprano Lotte Betts Dean and the rewarding experience of coming together to record Einsamkeit . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3 Jul 2026 · 30 min
Peter Jablonski and Bomsori Kim on the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz
The music of the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz is undergoing a long-overdue renaissance. Her output was extensive and extraordinarily rich, as both the pianist Peter Jablonski and the violinist Bomsori Kim have proved in their explorations of her work. To celebrate not only Bacewicz’s music but Polish music in general, Gramophone ’s James Jolly spoke to Jablonski and Kim about their individual journeys through Poland's music. The podcast episode it presented in association with the Polish Cultural Institute and PWM Edition , since 1945 Poland’s leading music publisher…
26 Jun 2026 · 32 min
Conductor Teddy Abrams on championing new music in Louisville
Back in 2012 Gramophone gave an award to a wonderful documentary called Music makes a City which tells the story of the Louisville Orchestra, its creation, and its early philosophy. This week’s guest, the conductor Teddy Abrams has been Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra since 2014 and has continued this fabled ensemble’s commitment to championing new music. To coincide with the release of new Pentatone album of music by Andrew Norman and Christopher Cerrone, Gramophone ’s James Jolly spoke to Teddy Abrams about the orchestra and its unique history. The new album…
19 Jun 2026 · 38 min
Matilda Lloyd and Timothy Ridout: The Gramophone Listening Room, Episode 2
In this week's episode of The Gramophone Listening Room, presented in partnership with dCS, host Charlotte Gardner welcomes trumpeter Matilda Lloyd and viola player Timothy Ridout to the studio to share two of their personal favourite recordings. Timothy Ridout is a multiple Gramophone Award-winner whose recent album 'Alto Appassionato' (with pianist Jonathan Ware) was an Editor's Choice in the June issue of Gramophone . Matilda Lloyd is the Royal Philharmonic Society's Young Artist of the Year for 2026. This podcast was made in partnership with dCS Audio Explore the featured recordings on…
E551 · 12 Jun 2026 · 28 min
Mahan Esfahani on Bach's Keyboard Concertos
In this week's edition of the Gramophone Podcast, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani talks about his new recording of Bach's Complete Keyboard Concertos, newly released on the Hyperion label. Why were these pivotal works in the instrument's development written, and how might they have been performed? Esfahani explores these questions, along with many other fascinating topics surrounding the instrument, its repertoire and his own career, in the company of Editor Martin Cullingford. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
E550 · 5 Jun 2026 · 33 min
Klaus Tennstedt at 100: Edward Seckerson recalls a great conductor
The conductor Klaus Tennstedt was born on June 6, 1926. After his arrival from East Germany to the West, he held chief conductor posts with the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg (1979-81), and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (1983-87), with whom he recorded extensively, including a Mahler symphony cycle (of which No 8 won a Gramophone Award back in 1987). To mark the anniversary Warner Classics has issued a 41-CD set of all of the conductor's EMI recordings. Additionally, there is a substantial Tennstedt catalogue on the LPO's own label as well as numerous off-air performances on…
29 May 2026 · 31 min
Colin Matthews on his new album, 'Sea Scapes'
In this week's episode of the Gramophone podcast, the composer Colin Matthews joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about his new album of works for voice and ensemble, Sea Scapes, release on the Onyx label. They discuss the challenge of setting poetry, as well as the joy of working with such collaborators as soprano Claire Booth and conductor Jessica Cottis. This podcast is in association with Wigmore Hall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
22 May 2026 · 26 min
Violinist Hugo Ticciati on O/Modernt's 'Milestones'
In this week's Gramophone Podcast, Hugo Ticciati talks to Editor Martin Cullingford about the fascinating new album from his ensemble O/Modernt, released on the Signum label. Called Milestones, it marks 500 years since the death of Josquin, 50 since the death of Stravinsky, and 30 since that of Miles Davis, by exploring music from all three towering musical figures. Hugo Ticciati talks about the project, and about the unique Gramophone Award-winning group that has recorded it. This podcast is in association with Wigmore Hall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
E547 · 15 May 2026 · 45 min
Celebrating Wigmore Hall at 125 with Director John Gilhooly and author Julia Boyd
On May 31, 1901 London's Wigmore Hall (originally Bechstein Hall) opened its doors, and hosted its first concert. Among the performers were the great Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe and the Italian pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni. Mrs Helen Trust, a much-admired English soprano, performed as did the baritone Raimund von Zur-Mühlen. Supporting the singers were Hamilton Harty and Victor Biegel. To mark this auspicious anniversary, Wigmore Hall is holding a two-week festival from May 25 and, over 24 concerts, welcoming some of today's greatest musicians to perform, including…
8 May 2026 · 21 min
Helen Charlston on 'A Poet's Love'
In this episode of the Gramophone Podcast, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston speaks to Hattie Butterworht in Amsterdam during the run of Michel van der Aa's new opera Theory of Flames to discuss her latest album, A Poet's Love . Centred on Schumann's Dichterliebe , the recording places the celebrated song cycle alongside other works. Charlston reflects on recording such an iconic work, the shifting nature of interpretation, and the powerful interplay between poetry and musical storytelling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
E544 · 1 May 2026 · 44 min
The Gramophone Listening Room, with Plínio Fernandes and Anastasia Kobekina
Today we launch a new edition to the Gramophone Podcasts, The Gramophone Listening Room, in which Charlotte Gardner invites two of today's finest young artists into the studio to explore some of the treasures of the recording archive, both recent and historic. Each chooses two recordings to share and discuss, after which Charlotte suggests a choice of her own for them to discover. Her inaugural guests are guitarist Plínio Fernandes and cellist Anastasia Kobekina, and after listening you can visit Gramophone's website to hear all the featured recordings for yourself. See…
28 Apr 2026 · 32 min
Barnabás Kelemen on celebrating the legacy of the Hungarian Violin School
Jack Pepper meets Festival Academy Budapest co-founder and Artistic Director Barnabás Kelemen to explore his upcoming concerto marathon, the gypsy violin tradition and a packed 2026 Summerfest This podcast has been produced in association with the Festival Academy Budapest. The World Should Know', The Festival Academy's Marathon Concert Series, takes place from May 1-3 at the Grand Hall of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest: https://fesztivalakademia.hu/en/let-the-world-know/ The Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition will be held from June 24 to July 5, while the Festival…
E543 · 24 Apr 2026 · 26 min
Conductor Kirill Karabits on Thomas de Hartmann's opera Esther
Kirill Karabits and the orchestra whose Principal Conductor he was for 15 years, the Bournemouth Symphony, have recorded the opera Esther by Thomas de Hartmann (1885-1956). Written in Paris during the last years of the Second World War, and completed in 1946, Esther is based on the play by Racine which in turn draws on the biblical Book of Esther and tells of Esther's intercession to her husband King Ahasuerus on behalf her fellow Jews living in Persia. The episode is celebrated in the Jewish holiday of Purim every spring. Released by Pentatone, the opera features Corinne Winters in the…
17 Apr 2026 · 18 min
Composer Rachel Portman on 30 years of 'Emma'
In this week's episode of the Gramophone podcast, Georgia Keeley speaks with composer Rachel Portman, marking 30 years since her Oscar-winning soundtrack for Emma (1996), and discussing her approach to writing music for film. Today's podcast is sponsored by Kirker Holidays, creators of short breaks and tailor-made holidays for curious, discerning travellers to cultural destinations throughout Europe and beyond. For more information or to speak to one of Kirker's expert human beings, call 020 7593 2283 or visit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10 Apr 2026 · 27 min
Jordi Savall on Bach's St John Passion
In this week's episode of the Gramophone Podcast, Editor Martin Cullingford is joined by one of the most acclaimed figures of today's musical world, Jordi Savall, to talk about his new recording of Bach's St John Passion, recorded with La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Le Concert Des Nations, and released on the Alia Vox label. Today's podcast is sponsored by Kirker Holidays, creators of short breaks and tailor-made holidays for curious, discerning travellers to cultural destinations throughout Europe and beyond. For more information or to speak to one of Kirker's expert human beings, call…

About Gramophone Classical Music Podcast

Weekly conversations about classical music with leading musicians and writers

Gramophone Classical Music Podcast is a English music podcast from Gramophone. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Gramophone
Language: English
Category: Music
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 32 min
Latest episode: 14 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id944184210
Rights: 2026 Gramophone

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