Pretty Yende, soprano

In 2023, the Verbier Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary. The man behind classical music’s most coveted festival speaks to Gramophone Editor in Chief James Jolly about his relationship with classical music, the journey that led him to create the Verbier Festival, the relationship between genius and character, and some of his most memorable encounters with legendary musical figures like Carlos Kleiber.

Called "without question the most astounding pianist of our age" by The Times, the awe-inspiring Daniil Trifonov opens up in this exclusive interview with Gramophone's James Jolly about the particular challenges of Chopin, his love for the time-honored art of transcription, the complexity of Scriabin's music, the intricacies of choosing a perfectly calibrated concert program, the American composers whose work he wants to take on as an expat living in the U.S., and a whole lot more…

"In classical music, we’re not here to repeat," declares the universally acclaimed Sir Antonio Pappano, "we’re here to bring back, to resuscitate, to make the music jump off the page as if it never existed before." The esteemed conductor talks with Gramophone's James Jolly about the need for constant reinvention, the right approach in bringing contemporary music to more traditional audiences, the special greatness of the London Symphony Orchestra, the changing role of the 21st-century conductor, and the danger of scheduling an early morning flight after an evening performance of Wagner's Götterdämmerung…

"I never start," says Pascal Dusapin of his composing process, "and I never finish—I continue." The brilliant composer—one of the most acclaimed and widely performed of our day—talks with Gramophone's James Jolly about the discipline of great artists, the place of art and music in a war-torn world, his love of opera and the enduring relevance of myths on the opera stage, why French is less musical than English or German, his private music room at home, the beauty of the string quartet as a form, his seven-movement symphony that took twenty years to write (and still may not be finished), and much more…

When Pretty Yende graces you with her radiant presence and magnificent voice on stage, "your soul and my soul meet, and we are never the same." In this moving and thought-provoking conversation with Gramophone's James Jolly, the South African soprano talks about the "supernatural" encounter with Delibes that inspired her to pursue her opera career; the special universal language of music that bonds artist and listener together irrevocably; coming to bel canto repertoire and learning to believe in her talent; the challenge of leaving characters behind when the curtain falls; why English is the hardest language to sing in; the roles she looks forward to playing one day; and much, much more!

There is nothing Christophe Rousset hates more than routine: even with the most commonly played, centuries-old works, "there is always something new to say." One of the most respected figures in the world of Baroque music, the master harpsichordist and conductor who founded the gold-standard ensemble Les Talens Lyriques over thirty years ago speaks with Gramophone's James Jolly about bringing music to life, why conducting his own orchestra is like driving a Rolls-Royce, restoring the reputation of Antonio Salieri in the wake of Miloš Forman's Amadeus, the sensation of time stopping in the space of the concert hall, the operatic qualities of Bach's big works, his fascination with archeology, and much more.

In a crowded field that sees many gifted performers struggle to stand out at the top, Barbara Hannigan distinguishes herself absolutely and effortlessly—by being herself. "I have to be absolutely authentic," she explains. "I cannot try to be a good girl, I cannot try to be a good conductor, I cannot try to follow the rules—because there are no rules, except to be authentic to oneself. And then, if I’m authentic to myself, 95% of the time the orchestra understands completely.”A true original whose soaring, astonishingly agile soprano voice has adorned many a world premiere, and the extremely rare singer of her calibre who has also become one of the best conductors in the world, Hannigan speaks with Gramophone's James Jolly about the inadequacy of labels; the challenges and delights of working closely with contemporary composers; catching the conducting bug in 2012; her love for Haydn and her late, longtime collaborator Reinbert de Leeuw; the importance of eating well on the road; jumping in ice baths after taxing performances of Lulu; and plenty more.

"The first time I saw the violin," says Daniel Lozakovich, "I knew directly: I'm going to be a violinist… It was like some magic spell." Signed to Deutsche Grammophon at the tender age of 15, Lozakovich seems to have been born to make music. In this wide-ranging conversation with Gramophone's James Jolly, the universally acclaimed virtuoso talks about connecting with the past through music, the ineffable perfection of a Stradivarius violin, the immortality of great art, the works he can't wait to incorporate into his repertoire, and more…

One of the leading composers of our day, the great Kaija Saariaho talks to Gramophone editor-in-chief James Jolly about her past and her process, her professional development alongside other legends of composition, the value and extraordinary power of music during difficult times, the evolution and future of classical music, and more…

This episode of musicmakers finds French virtuoso pianist Alexandre Kantorow in conversation with our host, Gramophone editor-in-chief James Jolly, about falling in love with the piano, bursting onto the scene with a resounding win at the Tchaikovsky Competition, the pianists and conductors he most admires, bringing spontaneity to the recording process, the unique challenges of improvisation, and plenty more.