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

by Yukimi Song

Season 2

Season 2, Episode 11: Lee D. Stockner--Educator/Author/Creator of a New Language of Music

S2 · E11

Mar 9, 2022

1:03:35

The Piano Pod, Season 2, Episode 10: Ching-Wen Hsiao & Konstantinos Valianatos--Concert Pianists & Faculty Members at The Tianjin Juilliard School

TPP team had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Ching-Wen Hsiao and Dr. Konstantinos Valianatos—Concert Pianists, Valianatos-Hsiao Piano Duo, & Faculty Members at the Tianjin Juilliard School—for Season 2 Episode 10! During the interview session which took place a few days before Chine New Year 2022, we got to hear: Ching-Wen and Konstantinos’ exciting careers as solo and duo pianists. The time when they were students at the Juilliard School in the U.S. The inside scoop of The Tianjin Juilliard School What’s like to live in China during/after the pandemic 🤩 Did you know that Juilliard opened its first overseas campus in Tianjin, China, in the fall of 2021!? 🧐 Where is Tianjin—how far from Beijing? 🤓 What programs do they offer at TJS? [Dr. Ching-Wen Hsiao: Steinway Artist] Dr. Hsiao has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia in venues including Carnegie’s Issac Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Rubinstein-Saal at Munich Steinway Haus, and Taiwan Concert Hall. She made her concerto debut at the age of 16 with the Cebu Youth Symphony in the Philippines with four performances of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. She was the first prize winner at the Taiwan Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, Steinway's Solo Piano, and Concerto Competitions. Dr. Hsiao also received an “Outstanding Scholarship” Award from Southeastern University, a Big 12 Faculty Fellowship from West Virginia University, and the “Rising Star Award” in Taiwan. She currently serves as an ensemble coach in graduate studies and piano faculty at a pre-college division at The Tianjin Juilliard School. 🌐 Dr. Hsiao’s Website: https://www.chingwenhsiao.com/ 👩‍🏫 Dr. Hsiao’s Profile on TJS website: https://www.tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn/index.php/faculty/ching-wen-hsiao 🎹 Ching-Wen and Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble: https://youtu.be/sTSEiChoLiE [Dr. Konstantinos Valianatos: Soloist & Chamber Musician] As an award-winning musician, Dr. Valianatos won first prizes at the International Seiler Piano Competition, the International Ibiza Piano Competition, the Senigallia International Piano Competition, the San Gemini International Piano Competition, and the Aspen Music Festival Competition, among others. As an advocate for new music, Dr. Valianatos works with living composers and has premiered their works, such as Christos Hatzis’s piano work, Face to Face. He has also collaborated with numerous orchestras and performed in venues such as the White House, Salle Cortot in Paris, Carnegie Halls, Benedict Music Tent, and Harris Concert Hall in Aspen. He was honored by the President of Greece, Kostis Stefanôpoulos, with the highest accolade from the Academy of Athens in Greece for his work and artistic integrity. Dr. Valianatos currently serves as a piano faculty member and ensemble coach at a pre-college division at The Tianjin Juilliard School. 👨‍🏫 Dr. Valianatos’ profile on TJS website: https://www.tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn/faculty/konstantinos-valianatos 🎹 Konstantinos, Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble, and Shenyang at Tianjin Grand Theater:

S2 · E10

Feb 23, 2022

1:05:15

The Piano Pod, Season 2, Episode 9: David A. Jones--Composer, Educator, Creator of Rhythm Warriors Piano Zone

TPP team had a wonderful conversation with Mr. David A. Jones, film composer and educator. He is also co-creator/composer/music producer of the new Musical Animated Edutainment TV series, Rhythm Warriors, produced by Emofront and Presto Music in association with Sparky Animation Studios for this fun episode. Mr. Jones recently launched a new piano/music theory course for young students called “Rhythm Warriors Piano Zone,” which presented at a 3-day online event called the Ultimate Music Business Summit, which took place a few weeks ago. The summit is an annual online event for music entrepreneurs to gain cutting-edge ideas and information. Mr. Jones is also the director of the UK-based music production company, Presto Music Production, and Presto Music School, the largest independent music school in the U.K. What if there were adorable animated characters 🦸‍♀️🦹‍♀️🦸to coach your students/children during their daily piano practice through your digital devices? Start watching this episode to find out more about David’s latest piano/theory course, Rhythm Warriors Piano Zone! [David A. Jones] https://prestomusicproduction.com/styles.html [Links] Rhythm Warriors: FB: https://www.facebook.com/Rhythm-Warriors-106531494862865 Web: http://www.rhythmwarriors.com/ Presto Music Production: Website: Prestomusicproduction.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/prestomusicproduction Presto Music School: Website: https://www.prestomusicschool.co.uk/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/PrestoMusicUK IG: https://www.instagram.com/prestomusicschool/ Music School Business Builder: Website: https://online.prestomusicschool.co.uk/businessbuilder YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6YiWr2BMkQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicschoolbusinessbuilder [The Piano Pod] thepianopod.com Hi 🎹 lovers out there! We are The Piano Pod, a bi-monthly podcast🎙 show, hosted by Yukimi Song and Clara Zhang--classical pianists & educators from NYC. Our podcast show is for anyone who plays the piano for fun, loves listening to the piano music, is currently pursuing a career in piano or works professionally in the music industry, or someone curious about the world of piano music! Twice a month, we interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the music industry. Started during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to adjust to the new musical reality, the goals of The Piano Pod are to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era.

S2 · E9

Feb 9, 2022

1:08:28

Season 2, Episode 8: Lowell Liebermann--Composer & Steinway Artist

TPP had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Lowell Liebermann, one of America's most frequently performed and recorded composers, and a multiple-award recipient. He has written over 140 works in all genres, several of which have become standard repertoires, such as Sonata for Flute and Piano, and Gargoyles for solo piano. Dr. Liebermann has been commissioned by many ensembles and instrumentalists, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Emerson String Quartet, and flutist Sir James Galway. Dr. Liebermann is a Steinway Artist, who has also written an extensive amount of piano solo and ensemble music. Last year, he released his debut solo-piano album, Personal Demons (https://www.steinway.com/music-and-artists/label/personal-demons-lowell-liebermann), under the Steinway & Sons label—the repertoire includes his compositions and works by Busoni, Liszt, and (Czech composer,) Kabelach. Dr. Liebermann currently serves as a distinguished composition faculty member and the head of the composition department at Mannes School of Music, where he founded the Mannes American Composers Ensemble, devoted to performing works of living American composers. His latest project, a solo-piano album of world premiere recordings by contemporary British composer David Hackbridge Johnson, “The Devil’s Lyre,” will be released on February 4, 2022, under the Steinway & Sons label. This recording will be available on all music streaming services and CDs. For more information, please visit https://www.lowellliebermann.com/. [Dr. Lowell Liebermann] 👩🏻‍💻https://www.lowellliebermann.com/ 🎼 https://www.lowellliebermann.com/works-by-dateL 💿 https://www.lowellliebermann.com/cds-and-downloads-new 😄 https://www.facebook.com/Liebermanncomposer 😁 https://www.facebook.com/Liebermannmusic 🤳@ liebermannmusic 🐦 @ liebermannmusic [The Piano Pod] Hi 🎹 lovers out there! We are The Piano Pod, a bi-monthly podcast🎙 show, hosted by Yukimi Song and Clara Zhang--classical pianists & educators from NYC. Our podcast show is for anyone who plays the piano for fun, loves listening to the piano music, is currently pursuing a career in piano or works professionally in the music industry, or someone curious about the world of piano music! Twice a month, we interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the music industry. Started during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to adjust to the new musical reality, the goals of The Piano Pod are to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era. Follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/thepianopodnyc

S2 · E8

Jan 26, 2022

1:15:12

Season 2 Episode 7: BLKBOK--Neo-Classical Pianist, Composer, & Yamaha Artist

We had the great fun and honor interviewing Mr. BLKBOK https://www.youtube.com/c/BLKBOK —a neo-classical pianist, composer, and Yamaha Artist who had worked as a lead pianist and musical director with A-list pop singers such as  ☑️ Rihanna ☑️ Justin Timberlake ☑️ Demi Lavato ☑️ John Mayer  💿 BOK (😁 yup, now we get to call him that way!) recently released a new album “Black Book”, a compilation of his original piano pieces, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2018 film, Green Book.  📼 Besides his debut album, His first Mixtape release, CVRART, and current Mixtape project, Angels Watching Over Me, with world-renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee, illustrate the innovative and disruptive musical landscape.   🎹 He was recently named a Yamaha Artist and added to their classical piano roster, of which only 125 worldwide🌏.  We also invited Mr. Ray Mak, YouTube Star, https://www.youtube.com/c/RayMak (do you remember Ray? He was our guest of Season 1 Episode 5: https://thepianopodnyc.simplecast.com/episodes/the-piano-pod-season-1-episode-5-ray-mak-youtube-star-and-digital-entrepreneur) as the guest co-host of the episode!  Wanna hear him perform live? 🎟Book BOKBOK's tour in 2022  👇👇👇  https://www.blkbok.com/events 😎😎😎 [BLKBOK—guest of Episode 7] Neo-classical Pianist, Composer, and Yamaha Artist  🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/blkbok  🤳IG: https://www.instagram.com/blkbok  📺YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/BLKBOK

S2 · E7

Dec 8, 2021

1:12:18

The Piano Pod, Season 2, Episode 6: Ricardo A. Hernandez--Entertainment/Corporate Attorney

TPP had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Ricardo Hernandez, Entertainment/Corporate attorney, from Nashville, TN, for this episode. We had such great conversations, covering the latest Taylor Swift dispute with her record label company, the pandemic aftermath, and tips on how to achieve a long, successful career in the music industry. [Guest: Ricardo A. Hernandez] Ricky is an associate in the Nashville office of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP whose experience primarily lies in the fields of entertainment, intellectual property, and corporate law, with a broad knowledge base in the areas of music, technology, commercial lending, mergers & acquisitions, and day-to-day corporate matters. Ricky’s experience as a Certified Public Accountant allows him to see the obstacles and concerns of his clients from many different perspectives. Ricky’s broad range of experience in complex corporate and entertainment transactions provides him with the opportunity to better understand the marketplace and which in turn allows him to be the best advocate for his client. Throughout the course of his career, he has advised private companies of varying sizes in all stages of growth and development as well as through a variety of exit opportunities. His practice areas: 👉 Corporate Law and Transactions 👉 Entertainment and Media 👉 Intellectual Property 🌍 https://shackelford.law/profiles/rica... 📧: rhernandez@shackelford.law [Guest Co-Host: Aggeliki Psoni] For this episode, we invited Ms. Aggeliki Psoni, Greek/Jazz singer and Real Estate attorney, as a guest co-host! Aggeliki is a friend of Clara--and Yukimi also got to meet Aggeliki and work with her (and with Clara!) for a fun Halloween gig in CT recently. Aggeliki is the one who introduced us to Ricky, and we also asked her to join us as a guest co-host. 📺 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEX... 🥰 https://www.instagram.com/aggelikiliki/

S2 · E6

Nov 24, 2021

59:37

Season 2, Episode 5: Dr. Alexandria Le - Concert Pianist, Educator, and Arts Advocate

We had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Alexandria Le, concert pianist, Yamaha Artist, educator, and arts advocate.  A winner of over twenty first-prize music awards, her performance career has seen her play everywhere from Carnegie Hall and the Salle Cortot to the jails of Riker’s Island. After establishing her career in New York for over 15 years, she returned to her hometown, Las Vegas, to form the nonprofit organization Notes with a Purpose.  Since its inception several years ago, it has already engaged thousands of children and adults in the Las Vegas area through outreach concerts and special events.   [Dr. Alexandria Le] Alexandria Le, pianist and Las Vegas native, has appeared as a soloist on the world’s most illustrious stages, such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and Salle Cortot in Paris, and in the most intimate of venues, such as the French Embassy in New York City and the Parrish Museum in the Hamptons. Her performances have been broadcast over radio stations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle.  A winner of over twenty first-prize music awards, she is a laureate of the Pro Musicis International Award and the Ackerman Chamber Music Competition. She was the pianist for two years with Ensemble Connect, the resident ensemble of Carnegie Hall, and appeared regularly in Carnegie Hall’s concert series. She has also performed with principal members of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, American Brass, and Canadian Brass. She has worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Steve Reich and John Corigliano, and has commissioned and premiered new works, including a solo piano piece (Competing Demands) dedicated to her by Ryan Carter. Alexandria graduated from the Las Vegas Academy, where she was an inaugural inductee in their Hall of Fame. She holds piano performance degrees from the Eastman School of Music and SUNY Stony Brook, where she received her Doctorate of Musical Arts. She was named a Yamaha Artist in 2015, of which fewer than 100 worldwide are on their classical piano roster. After establishing a career in New York, she returned to her roots in Las Vegas to make a difference in people’s lives. In 2016, she founded Notes with a Purpose, an award-winning music nonprofit that has enriched the lives of over 15,000 elementary schoolchildren and disenfranchised adults. Through performances, community outreach, and private piano teaching, she is committed to daily adding beauty and cultural growth to her hometown.  🎹 Alexandria’s Website 🌐 Notes with a Purpose Website

S2 · E5

Nov 3, 2021

56:54

The Piano Pod, Season 2, Episode 4, Part 2: Claire Marie Lim - Music Technologist, Educator & Activist

Part 2 of 2. TPP had the privilege of interviewing Claire Marie Lim, also known as dolltr!ck, for this episode. A professor in the Electronic Production & Design department at Berklee College of Music, she specializes in instruction for live electronic performance, production, and programming, and is an advocate of womxn and Asian representation in music technology. She is an Ableton Certified Trainer, Bitwig Certified Trainer, and Apple Certified Pro. In music education and arts activism, Claire collaborates with the Girls Rock Campaign, Beats By Girlz, and the Queens Public Library network, and has received support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and Queens Council on the Arts. She develops curriculum for various ages and experience levels, having consulted for the International Center of Photography, Queens College, Coursera, and the Berklee network. Claire also independently runs the doll troop, a mentorship experience where K-12 girls can shadow her in electronic songwriting sessions and live shows.

S2 · E4

Oct 27, 2021

28:40

The Piano Pod, Season 2, Episode 4, Part 1: Claire Marie Lim - Music Technologist, Educator & Activist

Part 1 of 2. TPP had the privilege of interviewing Claire Marie Lim, also known as dolltr!ck, for this episode. A professor in the Electronic Production & Design department at Berlkee College of Music, she specializes in instruction for live electronic performance, production and programming, and is an advocate of womxn and Asian representation in music technology. She is an Ableton Certified Trainer, Bitwig Certified Trainer, and Apple Certified Pro. In music education and arts activism, Claire collaborates with the Girls Rock Campaign, Beats By Girlz, and the Queens Public Library network, and has received support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and Queens Council on the Arts. She develops curriculum for various ages and experience levels, having consulted for the International Center of Photography, Queens College, Coursera and the Berklee network. Claire also independently runs the doll troop, a mentorship experience where K-12 girls can shadow her in electronic songwriting sessions and live shows.

S2 · E4

Oct 20, 2021

41:06

The Piano Pod, Season 2, Episode 3, Part 2: Josh Massicot - Keyboardist, Author, Songwriter, and Educator

Part 2 of 2. For Season 2 Episode 3, TPP was privileged to interview Josh Massicot: keyboardist, author, songwriter, and educator. We invited him for this episode for his approach to music education and particularly for his views on the Rolling Stone article (March 8, 2021): "Julliard Must Modernize, Or It Will Die," written by Emma Sutton-Williams. As a keyboardist, Josh has performed both with major symphony orchestras and shared the stage with international touring acts. For the past thirteen years, he has served on the faculty of Nazareth College, where he teaches piano lessons, pedagogy, and functional piano. His textbook, Functional Piano for Music Therapists and Music Educators: An Exploration of Styles, is a required text for college and graduate students both domestically and internationally. Josh is also a successful singer-songwriter, and his alt-Americana group, “Stella Hill,” has two EPs that are available to stream and download on all major music platforms. Recently, Josh became the production manager at Concerts at Point of the Bluff Vineyards, where he oversees all aspects of day-of-operations for some of the biggest international touring acts and artists in the world.

S2 · E3

Oct 13, 2021

41:45

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