The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music

The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music

by Yukimi Song
Performing ArtsMusic Interviews
Season 7

Carrying Memory Forward: Pianist, Composer & Author Inna Faliks on Odesa, Stranger Things, and the Courage to Reimagine

Season 7 begins with Yamaha Artist, composer, author, and UCLA professor Inna Faliks. In this conversation, we explore her recent album Stranger Things: Piano Works from a Young Refugee’s Backpack, the childhood compositions she carried with her from Odesa, her 2024 album Manuscripts Don’t Burn, her relationship with literature and contemporary music, Gabriel Prokofiev’s Minimoog concerto, her memoir Weight in the Fingertips, and the teachers and experiences that shaped her artistic voice. From memory and migration to artistic curiosity and reinvention, Inna’s story opens our Season 7 theme: Culture & Courage. 🎧 Sounds of Inspiration — Season 7 Playlist: Listen to music mentioned throughout Season 7, including selections from Inna Faliks’s latest album, Stranger Things, on YouTube or Spotify [Inna Faliks] 🌐 Website 🎧 Spotify 📱Instagram [The Piano Pod] 📩 Subscribe to The Piano Pod newsletter and receive our free PDF, 12 Lessons from Season 6. 🌐 Website
S7 · E1
Sep 22, 2026
1:01:15

Steel, Violet, Rage at Carnegie Hall - SEASON 7 ALUMNI EPISODE 1

Bonus
This episode is brought to you by the Alexander & Buono Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping promising classical musicians launch and sustain their careers while cultivating new audiences for classical music. Learn more Pianists Anna and Dmitri Shelest of the Shelest Piano Duo join Maestro Michael Hall, Artistic Director of the Brandywine Valley Symphony, for a conversation about music, collaboration, and the upcoming U.S. premiere of Ukrainian composer Oleh Bezborodko’s Steel, Violet, Rage. On October 18, the Shelest Piano Duo will perform with the Brandywine Valley Symphony Chamber Orchestra at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The concert opens Razom for Ukraine’s fourth annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival, taking place across New York City from October 18 through November 6. The program also features Valentyn Silvestrov’s The Messenger, Philip Glass’s Tirol Concerto, and Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. In this episode, Anna, Dmitri, and Maestro Hall discuss the ideas connecting these works, the unusual demands of performing a concerto for piano four hands and orchestra, and what music can preserve and communicate during a time of war. This episode is presented with the support of the Alexander & Buono Foundation. CONCERT INFORMATION Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 🎟️ Get Your Tickets PERFORMANCE EXCERPTS • Leonard Bernstein: Overture to Candide, arranged for piano four hands by Charlie Harmon — Anna and Dmitri Shelest • Valentyn Silvestrov: The Messenger, piano solo version — Anna Shelest • Oleh Bezborodko: “Steel” from Steel, Violet, Rage — Anna and Dmitri Shelest • Philip Glass: Truman Sleeps from The Truman Show — Anna Shelest Please note: Truman Sleeps is included as an additional performance excerpt and is not part of the October 18 concert program. LEARN MORE 🎹 Anna Shelest and the Shelest Piano Duo: HERE 🎻 Brandywine Valley Symphony: HERE 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Cultural Festival 2026: HERE 🇺🇦 Razom for Ukraine: HERE FOLLOW THE PIANO POD 📩 Subscribe to The Piano Pod newsletter and receive our free PDF, 12 Lessons from Season 6: HERE 🌐 Visit The Piano Pod: HERE If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe to the channel, share the episode, and tell us what stayed with you in the comments. #ThePianoPod #ShelestPianoDuo #UkrainianMusic
S7
Oct 6, 2026
45:55

OFFICIAL TRAILER: Two pianists. One piano. A U.S. premiere at Carnegie Hall.

Trailer
Here is the trailer for Steel, Violet, Rage at Carnegie Hall, a special Season 7 Alumni Episode of The Piano Pod. Pianists Anna and Dmitri Shelest of the Shelest Piano Duo join Maestro Michael Hall, Artistic Director of the Brandywine Valley Symphony, to take us behind their October 18 performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The concert opens Razom for Ukraine’s fourth annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival and features the U.S. premiere of Ukrainian composer Oleh Bezborodko’s Steel, Violet, Rage—a concerto for piano four hands and orchestra. 📺 Watch the full episode beginning Tuesday, October 6, at 8:00 p.m. ET: https://youtu.be/G-TaXMoWDu0 🎟️ Concert tickets: https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2026/10/18/shelest-piano-duo-with-the-brandywine-valley-symphony-chamber-orchestra-michae-0100pm This special episode is brought to you by the Alexander & Buono Foundation: https://www.alexanderbuono.org/ LISTEN TO OUR SEASON 7 PLAYLISTS Explore the piano works mentioned throughout Season 7 of The Piano Pod. 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6eSQjDR7tMVdeicHO23FwV ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQF8HfwotO3k #ThePianoPod #ShelestPianoDuo #MichaelHall #UkrainianMusic #CarnegieHall #CultureAndCourage
S7
Oct 5, 2026
1:36

Official Trailer: "Carrying Memory Forward" feat. Inna Faliks

Trailer
From childhood compositions carried out of Odesa to performing a concerto on Minimoog, Inna Faliks has built an artistic life around memory, curiosity, and reinvention. What happens when the music you wrote as a child returns decades later? Here’s the trailer for the Season 7 premiere of The Piano Pod: Carrying Memory Forward, featuring Yamaha Artist, composer, and author Inna Faliks. We talk about her latest album, Stranger Things: Piano Works from a Young Refugee’s Backpack, her other boundary-expanding recordings, memoir, and collaboration with Gabriel Prokofiev. 🎹 Premieres Tuesday, September 22 at 8 PM ET. ▶️ Set a reminder for the premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHO7Swp5Aw
S7
Sep 21, 2026
1:40

Welcome to Season 7: Culture & Courage

Bonus
Welcome to Season 7 of The Piano Pod: Culture & Courage. After six seasons and more than 100 episodes, the show is entering a new chapter. In this short introduction, host Yukimi Song shares what is changing, why the podcast is moving to a monthly schedule, and how her own evolving identity and work inspired this season’s theme. What remains unchanged is the heart of The Piano Pod: thoughtful, authentic conversations that look beyond professional biographies to discover the people and stories behind the work. Season 7 officially begins on September 22 with Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks. Follow The Piano Pod on your favorite podcast platform and join us for the season ahead.
S7
Sep 15, 2026
8:07
Season 6

Spirit, Body, and Soul: Pianist & Composer David Berry on Virtuosity, Creativity, and Artistic Identity

How do we bring our full musical selves to the stage? In this Season 6 finale of The Piano Pod, concert pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and artistic leader David Berry joins host Yukimi Song for a rich and deeply personal conversation on virtuosity, improvisation, composition, contemporary music, artistic identity, and the connections that unite seemingly different musical worlds. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School, Berry has built a multifaceted career as a performer, educator, curator, and advocate. Equally at home with Liszt, George Walker, James P. Johnson, contemporary composers, and his own original works, he embodies the spirit of this season’s theme: Creativity and Connection. Throughout the episode, listeners will hear excerpts from Berry’s own compositions and arrangements, including Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. Featured Music & Recordings Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child Danse Andalouse by Joaquín Nin James P. Johnson: Yamekraw – A Negro Rhapsody Adolphus Hailstork: Chamber Works Featuring the premiere recording of Hailstork’s Piano Quintet Detroit with The Harlem Chamber Players. Spotify Tiny Glass Tavern — Let Us Dance, Let Us Sing Featuring David Berry’s performance of Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho. Spotify Publications Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho for solo piano David Berry, Since Jesus Came Into My Heart: 10 Stylish Arrangements for Solo Piano Lillenas Publishing Company, 2024 David Berry Website Facebook The Piano Pod Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content on Substack Season 6 Piano Music Playlist Nominate Guests for Season 7: Culture and Courage HERE #DavidBerry #ThePianoPod #PianoPodcast #ClassicalMusic
S6 · E20
Jun 16, 2026
1:26:40

Sound Liberation: Joe Williams on Black Artistry, Legacy & Belonging in Concert Music

What does it mean to become a "Sound Liberator"? In this episode of The Piano Pod, pianist, composer, educator, filmmaker, scholar, and advocate Joe Williams joins host Yukimi Song for a wide-ranging conversation on artistry, legacy, belonging, improvisation, education, and the evolving landscape of concert music. Currently pursuing a PhD in composition at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Williams has built a multifaceted career championing composers of African descent while developing his own distinctive creative voice. From premiering new works and producing documentary films to contributing scholarship on Florence Price and composing music rooted in liberation, spirituality, and human connection, Williams exemplifies what it means to be a 21st-century artist. Throughout the episode, listeners will hear musical excerpts featuring works by Florence Price, Maria Thompson Corley, Richard Thompson, Brian Raphael Nabors, and Joe Williams himself. 🎹 Featured Music & Performances Brian Raphael Nabors – Piano Sonata No. 2 Brian Raphael Nabors – Sonata for Cello and Piano (Sterling Elliott, cello; Joseph Williams, piano) Florence Price – Fantasie Nègre in E Minor James Lee III - Album for the Young at Heart Maria Thompson Corley – Lucid Dreaming 👤 Joe Williams Instagram: @soundliberator 🎙️ The Piano Pod 💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content here 🎵 Season 6 Piano Playlist 🎙 Nominate Guests for Season 7 HERE 📫 Join Our Newsletter HERE 🌐 Website #JoeWilliams #ThePianoPod #FlorencePrice #BrianRaphaelNabors #MariaThompsonCorley #ConcertMusic #ContemporaryClassical #Juneteenth #PianoPodcast #ClassicalMusic
S6 · E19
Jun 2, 2026
1:41:51

Beyond Borders: From Argentina to Poland to Texas—Oscar Macchioni reflects on a life in music

In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by Steinway Artist, pianist, and pedagogue Dr. Oscar Macchioni. Born in Argentina, shaped by years of study in Poland, and now serving as Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the University of North Texas, Macchioni reflects on a life in music that moves across borders — culturally, intellectually, and artistically. A central focus of this conversation is his album Mostly Tangos: Piano Music from the Americas. But this episode goes far beyond tango itself. Together, we explore artistic identity, the dangers of labels, concert programming, the evolution of tango into concert music, and how composers such as Astor Piazzolla, William Bolcom, and Karol Szymanowski shaped Macchioni’s artistic world. We also discuss his years teaching in the culturally rich border community of El Paso, Texas, his philosophy on piano pedagogy, and the role universities and artists can play in building meaningful human connection through music. This episode offers a thoughtful reflection on artistry, cultural identity, education, and how music continues to travel across generations and borders. 🌐 Oscar Macchioni Website 🎬 Oscar Macchioni YouTube 🎹 Borderland Chopin International Competition 📖 Read the “Meet Our Guest” blog 💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content 🎵 Season 6 Piano Playlist 🎙 Nominate Guests for Season 7 📫 Join Our Newsletter 🌐 The Piano Pod Website 📱 Follow The Piano Pod Instagram Facebook TikTok 🔗 All Links
S6 · E18
May 19, 2026
1:48:53

Music As Witness feat. Concert Pianist, Anna Shelest

In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by concert pianist Anna Shelest. Her work spans major orchestral collaborations, recording projects, and repertoire advocacy — but this conversation centers on her latest album A Romantic from Kharkiv; Music of Sergei Bortkiewicz and the deeper artistic and cultural meaning behind it. Together, we explore how music becomes a form of testimony — shaped by memory, identity, and history — and how Shelest’s connection to Kharkiv, Ukraine informs her interpretation of Bortkiewicz’s music. We also discuss her Donna Voce project, her collaboration with conductor Neeme Järvi on Anton Rubinstein’s piano concertos, and her work as part of the Shelest Piano Duo with her husband, Dmitri Shelest. This episode is sponsored by the Alexander & Buono Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting classical musicians through performance opportunities, recordings, and artistic development. This episode offers a powerful reflection on rediscovery, cultural heritage, and the role of classical music in today’s world. 📖 Read the blog (Meet Our Guest): Anna Shelest — Concert Pianist 🎧 Listen to Anna Shelest on Spotify 🎬 Explore more video clips on YouTube💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content on Substack 🎵 Listen to the Season 6 Piano Playlist NOMINATE GUESTS FOR SEASON 7: https://forms.gle/z3Q78dtTBbe5hdYr9 📫 Join our Newsletter 🌐 Visit our Website 📱 Follow The Piano Pod on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok 🔗 Access all links via Linktree 🎧 Available on YouTube and all podcast platforms. Subscribe for more conversations on creativity, artistry, and the future of classical music.
S6 · E17
May 5, 2026
1:49:11

Joy Luck Trio -- Groundbreaking Pipa-Erhu-Piano Trio

In this episode of The Piano Pod, we welcome Joy Luck Trio — a newly formed ensemble bringing together pianist Donna Weng Friedman, pipa virtuoso Gao Hong, and erhu virtuoso Karen Han-Ottosson. Together, these three Chinese-American artists unite piano, pipa, and erhu in a rare chamber collaboration rooted in heritage and shaped by contemporary expression. In this conversation, we explore how the trio first came together, the histories and sound worlds of the pipa and erhu, what makes these instruments distinct from Western strings, and the remarkable artistic journeys that led each member to this moment. We also discuss Gao Hong’s expansive career as a pipa virtuoso and composer, Karen Han’s work on major Hollywood soundtracks, Donna’s recent creative accomplishments, and the trio’s artistic vision, repertoire, and the origin of the name Joy Luck Trio. This episode is about identity, reinvention, artistry, and the excitement of building something new after decades of achievement. 📖 Read the Meet Our Guest Blog 🌐 Joy Luck Trio Facebook 🌐 Gao Hong (Pipa Virtuoso, Composer) 🌐 Karen Han-Ottosson (Erhu Virtuoso) 🌐 Donna Weng Friedman (Pianist, Filmmaker) 📱 Follow The Piano Pod 💖 Become a VIP Member / Unlock Exclusive Content https://thepianopod.substack.com 🎵 Sounds of Inspiration (all the music mentioned in Season 6: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa 📫 Join Our Newsletter https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe 🌐 Website https://thepianopod.com 🔗 All Links https://linktr.ee/thepianopod 🎧 Available on YouTube and all podcast platforms. Subscribe for more conversations on creativity, artistry, and the future of classical music.
S6 · E16
Apr 21, 2026
1:20:50
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