Music Matters Folgen

Tom Service talks to drummer, conductor and composer Tyshawn Sorey. A musician very much in demand across both classical and jazz circles, Tyshawn discusses his continuing mission to break down boundaries in music and his recent piece ‘Monochromatic Light’, written for the 50th anniversary of Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas, for which he took inspiration not just from the artwork of Mark Rothko, but the piece Morton Feldman wrote for the opening of the space in 1971.Tom also speaks to conductor and writer John Mauceri about his new book, The War on Music: Reclaiming the Twentieth Century, in which he argues the extent to which 20th-century music was shaped by World War I, World War II and the Cold War. John tells Tom why he believes a century of cultural politics has resulted in certain composers not being sufficiently appreciated, and thus not played enough in concert halls today.We also hear from the composer Lavender Rodriguez who tells us how they’re inspiring young people across the north west of England to become the next generation of music creators through Manchester Camerata’s Hidden Histories project; and we turn to TikTok, speaking to some of the finest young musicians and classical institutions about how they are using the hugely popular social media app to take classical music to new audiences. Tom talks to violinist Esther Abrami, composer and conductor Alma Deutscher and London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Kath Trout.

Tom Service talks to Sir Bryn Terfel about an extraordinary life performing at opera houses and concert halls all over the world. He talks about how his career took flight after winning the Lieder Prize at Cardiff Singer of the World in 1989, as well as his partnerships with conductors like Georg Solti and Claudio Abbado and the composer Stephen Sondheim. Bryn Terfel brings drama to the stage through great characters such as Wotan, Scarpia, Sir John Falstaff and Leporello, with music by Wagner, Puccini, Verdi and Mozart. He tells Tom about the importance of being a great storyteller and gives advice on how to deal with the emotional intensity of the drama. Sir Bryn Terfel talks about how it all began, singing folksongs in Wales, and about how we can look forward to hearing him perform in the future as he prepares for The Flying Dutchman by Wagner at Grange Park Opera this summer and a UK tour in the autumn.

Tom Service meets the British Italian tenor Freddie De Tommaso ahead of his starring role in Madame Butterfly at the Royal Opera House. Conductor André J Thomas, who has just been announced as LSO Associate Artist, tells Tom about his life in choral music and his project to unite the voices of gospel and community choirs from across London. There's also a report on the innovative music programme to help rehabilitate inmates at Karachi Central Jail in Pakistan, and news of a project taking music into schools in Bristol.