Cellist Max Ruisi and violinist Eloisa-Fleur Thom on their new release on Platoon

Errollyn Wallen on her new book 'Becoming A Composer'

In this episode, composer Errollyn Wallen spoke to Hattie Butterworth about her new book, out now on Faber, mapping her trajectory as an artist, extensive recordings and philosophy on life.

Bach's Goldberg Variations Reimagined with Rachel Podger and Chad Kelly

This Gramophone Podcast explores a beautiful Channel Classics recording by Brecon Baroque of Bach's Goldberg Variations in a fascinating arrangement by Chad Kelly who, together with violinist Rachel Podger, joins Editor Martin Cullingford to talk about it. 

Decca Icons: Benjamin Britten

In this episode, James talks to the Financial Times and Gramophone critic Richard Fairman about this towering figure in British musical life. Britten recorded for Decca, as composer, pianist and conductor, for most of his adult life and left a peerless catalogue of recordings, including one of the classics of the gramophone, the War Requiem.

Tan Dun on his 'Buddha Passion'

In this Podcast, Gramophone Editor Martin Cullingford caught up with the multi Award-winning composer Tan Dun to explore his work, Buddha Passion, and to hear his fascinating thoughts on composing, conducting and on music in general.

Plínio Fernandes on his album, Saudade

Guitarist Plínio Fernandes's debut album for Decca Gold, 'Saudade', is a very personal album drawing on his Brazilian roots. From music at the heart of the classical guitar repertoire such as Villa-Lobos's Five Preludes, to collaborations with Sheku and Braimah Kanneh-Mason and arrangements of popular songs, it's a wonderful portrait of both Fernandes as an artist and of the guitar's place in Brazilian musical life. Gramophone's Editor Martin Cullingford met up with Plínio Fernandes to explore the album.

John Williams on writing a new violin concerto for Anne-Sophie Mutter

Anne-Sophie Mutter premiered John Williams’s Second Violin Concerto, written for her, in Boston in July 2021 and DG recorded the work shortly after. Anne-Sophie Mutter premiered John Williams’s Second Violin Concerto, written for her, in Boston in July 2021 and DG recorded the work shortly after. James Jolly caught up with John Williams by phone earlier this year to talk about the new violin concerto, Williams's concert music and his love of conducting.

Anne Dudley on how a new piano inspired her lockdown album

The Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley speaks to us about her album, 'Crossing the Bar', created during lockdown. Gramophone's James Jolly went to speak to her at Angel Studios in Islington about the album, but also about her work in music across so many different genres.

Paul Hillier on Jóhann Jóhannsson's Drone Mass

A recording of Drone Mass by the late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson is released today by Deutsche Grammophon, performed by Theatre of Voices and ACME, and conducted by Paul Hillier. In today's Gramophone podcast, Hillier joins Editor Martin Cullingford to recall the creative process of working with Jóhannsson, and to explore this fascinating work and the experience of recording it.

Composer Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman is known to millions for his scores for over 100 movies, including many collaborations with the director Tim Burton, not to mention his inimitable title music for The Simpsons. In the summer of 2019 he released a new album on Sony Classical containing his Violin Concerto and Piano Quartet. The concerto, written for and played by Sandy Cameron, joined by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by John Mauceri, was the subject of a conversation Gramophone's James Jolly had with Elfman. But they started by talking about the emergence of the specialist film composer in the past 50 or so years.