Phillip Gainsley's Podcast

Karita Mattila continues to captivate audiences worldwide in a career spanning more than four decades. The Finnish soprano is celebrated for her compelling dramatic portrayals and acclaimed interpretations of 20th-century and contemporary repertoire.In 2026/27, Karita returns to Finland for an opening concert with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, an 80th Anniversary Gala with the Tampere Philharmonic, and continues with debuts at the Verbier Festival in Salome, as Herodias, and the Sarasota Opera in Jenůfa, as Kostelnička.Last season, Karita appeared in the closing concert of the Sibelius Festival in Lahti and a recital in Iitti, Finland, and led masterclasses at the Finnish National Opera. She also returned to the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Dresdin Philharmonie for concert performances of Elektra, as Klytämnestra.  Her distinguished career has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Order of the Lion of Finland (First Class Commander), Musical America’s Musician of the Year, the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for her performances in Jenůfa (Kostelnička) and The Makropulos Case (Emilia Marty).Karita Mattila studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Liisa Linko-Malmio and later with Vera Rózsa. A sought-after mentor, she has recently led masterclasses at the Peabody Institute, Lauluakatemia Helsinki, the Birgit Nilsson Museum, Wigmore Hall in partnership with the Sibelius Academy and Keval Shah, and Savonlinna Music Academy.

It’s homecoming time on the main stage of Chanhassen Dinner Theaters.  Tamara Kangas Erickson returns to the theater as president and artistic director 45 years after starring as one of the von Trapp Family Singers in The Sound of Music.Tamara and the late Michael Brindisi forged a strong artistic partnership beginning in 2004, with her first serving as  resident choreographer on Michael’s artistic team, when he was president and artistic director. Together, they collaborated on more than 50 musical productions at Chanhassen.  Tamara has also directed productions for Chanhassen such as Musical of Musicals: The Musical and Respect: The Musical Journey of Women. Her recent directing credits also include Little Women, for Artistry, and the Off-Broadway production of This One’s for the Girls. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is the nation’s largest professional dinner theatre. Since 1968 it has hosted nearly 13 million visitors. It is a fully-professional, producing musical theater company.   I'm so happy Tamara could join me, as the company opens its production of Annie.

Quinn Kelsey has been called “the premier Verdi baritone of his generation” His Rigoletto has become the standard.His mastery of Verdi’s baritone roles extends far beyond Rigoletto.  He has contributed his artistry to the title roles in Macbeth, Simon Boccanegra, and Falstaff, as well as Renato in Un ballo in maschera, Il Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore, Amonasro in Aida, Germont in La traviata, and Don Carlo in Ernani. While Verdi forms the cornerstone of Kelsey’s artistry, his versatility as a performer is evident in his ability to shine in other repertoire. He has achieved great success in a number of career-defining roles, including his richly-sung Marcello in Puccini’s La bohème and his darkly compelling interpretation of Scarpia in Tosca,He made his debut at The Royal Danish Opera, singing the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth in concert and now is due to repeat the role at the Metropolitan Opera.Quinn appeared with his hometown opera company, Hawaii Opera Theatre, for the world premiere of Herb Mahelona’s Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree.Quinn’s artistry has earned him numerous accolades, including The Metropolitan Opera’s Beverly Sills Artist Award in 2015 and the prestigious Opera News Award in 2022. He was a finalist of the Plácido Domingo Operalia Competition in 2004, and represented the United States in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2005.

Gary William Friedman is a versatile composer best known for his groundbreaking score for the TONY nominated, OBIE Award winning musical The Me Nobody Knows.In addition to the theater, his music spans the genres of jazz, film, symphonic and liturgical works. His orchestral, operatic and dance works have been commissioned and performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Lancaster Music Festival, the Columbus Symphony, The Festival at Sandpoint, Idaho, and Encompass New Opera Theatre. In addition to scoring features and highly acclaimed television films, he served as music director for television's The Electric Company, for which he wrote many songs including the popular "Spider Man Theme Song".

Bill McLaughlin was a classical music radio host, a music educator, a musicologist, a composer and a conductor.  He was a Peabody Award–winning classical music radio host. In 1980, he launched the popular St. Paul Sunday Morning on NPR.  Later he hosted Exploring Music, heard on the WFMT network.  He was known for his ingratiating personality. Bill was also a professional orchestra musician, over three decades as a conductor, and a decade as a composer.Trained as a trombonist, Bill took up conducting in1969 after completing a Master of Music degree in conducting at Temple University, studying under Robert Page. He also worked with William R. Smith, associate conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the esteemed Max Rudolf. He had stints with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Eugene Symphony, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony, leaving his mark wherever he served.  

At age 16, violinist Ariana Kim made her debut with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and at age 24, she was appointed acting concertmaster of the Louisiana Philharmonic.  Ariana made her New York recital debut at Carnegie’s Weill Hall during her doctoral studies at Juilliard and she is now a tenured professor at Cornell University.  Equally devoted to contemporary and long-established literature, Ariana held a 10-year position with the New York New Music Ensemble Ne(x)tworks and she is currently in her 19th season with The Knights. The 2024-2025 season brought a 6-performance residency at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and she gave a rare performance of Bartok’s Violin Concerto No. 1 at Jordan Hall in Boston with the Cornell Symphony.  Her solo album, (un)common thread, explores improvisation through the lens of Mozart and Beethoven sonatas alongside world folk music, with collaborators Roger Moseley (fortepiano) and Shane Shanahan (percussion) was recently released on Tiger Turn Records.  

Courtney Lewis is currently celebrating 11 years with the Jacksonville Symphony, having established himself as one of his generation’s most dynamic conductors.Deeply committed to new music, Courtney has worked with many of today's leading composers. In Jacksonville, recent and upcoming commissions include works by Carlos Simon, Tarik O'Regan, Lowell Liebermann, Courtney Bryan and Conrad Tao.In the summer of 2022, Coutney Lewis returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, making his debut at the Hollywood Bowl.In May 2023, Courtney made his debut at the Opéra national de Paris Ballet, conducting Thomas Adès’ Dante.Recently, Courtney led the Minnesota Opera in its revival production of Silent Night, composed by Kevin Puts with libretto by Mark Campbell, recorded on the Naxos label.

Stephanie Childress is principal guest conductor of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and she is a rising star on both sides of the Atlantic, equally at home in opera and in concerts.Born in London to a non-musical family, as a teenager she would often skip classes and spend her afternoons watching stage and orchestra rehearsals at the English National Opera, eventually dropping out of school to pursue musicology at the University of Cambridge, aged 16. Stephanie has received much critical acclaim over her interpretations of Mozart’s operas, and she will make her Paris Opera debut in Spring of 2027 with Don Giovanni.She is passionate about cross-disciplinary projects, whether they involve cinema, theatre, dance, or a DJ set. Reimagining the concert experience lies at the heart of her artistic mission, and in June 2026 she collaborated with director Tom Morris on an exploration of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 at St John’s Smith Square in London.In 2020, she gained international recognition following her second-prize win at the conducting competition ‘LaMaestra’. She previously undertook a residency at the Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, a division of the French Embassy in the United States. 

     James Robinson is a stage director and arts administrator who has worked at opera houses throughout the world.  His double-calling is unique.     He currently is Seattle Opera’s fifth general and artistic director.  As I record this, we regret the recent passing of SpeightJenkins, a predecessor of James Robinson at Seattle Opera between 1983 and 2014.      James Robinson had been the artistic director at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for 16 years, where he directed numerous world premieres. He also mounted innovative revivals of operas by John Adams, Ricky Ian Gordon and Philip Glass.      James Robinson has directed three productions for the Metropolitan Opera: George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Terence Blanchard’s Champion and Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the company’s first opera by an African American composer.  He’s due back at the Met next March with Kevin Putz’s and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night.  James Robinson has directed numerous productions for Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, and the Santa Fe Opera.

Daniel Okrent is the author of seven books, most recently, “Stephen Sondheim Art Isn’t Easy,” of which The Guardian said: “The entire book is sheer delight and Okrent, formerly an editor at The New York Times and a baseball fanatic who effectively invented the modern fantasy baseball league, does a terrific job of telling Sondheim’s life story alongside shrewd analysis of his body of work.”Other reviews have been just as positive, and why not?  It’s the most comprehensive story yet of Stephen Sondheim the man and Stephen Sondheim the composer.  It’s a real pleasure to have him with me on this episode.