InsideOut Classical Andrea Kleibel, Rebecca Schmid

This episode of An Honest Look features Golda Schultz, a soprano who made her professional start at the Bavarian State Opera and has gone on to become a regular presence at leading houses on both sides of the pond. She spoke about moving beyond the concept of perfection; growing up in South Africa; the characters who most inspire her; and more.
*2:00 – [musical excerpt: “Ach Ich fühl’s” from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte] – making her breakthrough at the Salzburg Festival
*5:29 – living in the land of Mozart (the father) and Richard Strauss
*9:53 – the history of Golda’s hometown, Bophuthatswana, and what it means to be South African
*13:35 – [musical excerpt: “Summertime” from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess] – her first encounter with opera and vocal studies
*16:33 – picking and choosing characters
This interview was originally conducted for the New York Philharmonic
Musical excerpts provided courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera
Intro and outro composed by Miguel Kertsman

NFTs, short for Non-Fungible Tokens, offer new horizons for musicians, artists, and other creative professionals. Achilleas Sarantaris is a musician and philosophy research student who is currently working at the intersection of music and the blockchain space. He is the music producer for the programmable NFT platform async.art.

*2:57 – example of using NFTs in fundraising and collaborative art
*5:55 – [musical excerpt: W.A.Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik NFT] - the promise of financial independence
*8:40 - price discrimination and superfans
*10:23 - digital patronage and classical music
*11:05 - [musical excerpt: W.A.Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik NFT] – AI and the role of platforms

Musical excerpts provided courtesy of Async.
Intro and outro composed by Miguel Kertsman

Alison Tickell is the CEO and founder of Julie’s Bicycle, a London-based charity that promotes action against climate change in the cultural sector. She spoke with us about how classical music institutions can take steps toward reducing their carbon footprint; build understanding about the environmental crisis; and create a more sustainable business model.

*3:54 – [musical excerpt: Stuart MacRae’s Anthropocene] – founding Julie’s Bicycle and collaborating with the Arts Council England
*7:10 – spreading awareness, particularly in the opera industry
*9:56 – [musical excerpt: Stuart MacRae’s Anthropocene] – making culture the paradigm shift
*13:32 – [musical excerpt: Stuart MacRae’s Anthropocene] – the next frontier: climate justice

This interview was originally conducted for the International New York Times
Musical excerpts provided courtesy of Scottish Opera and OperaVision
Intro and outro composed by Miguel Kertsman

The impressario Dominique Meyer began his tenure as artistic director of La Scala in Milan just as the corona pandemic was breaking out in Europe. He spoke with us about the logistical challenges and rewards of steering Italy’s iconic opera house through the crisis and what lies on the horizon as live events return under more normal circumstances.
*2:09 – [musical excerpt: Verdi’s Requiem, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Chailly] – on taking over La Scala during the first lockdown.
*4:24 – striking an agreement with the union
*7:03 – [musical excerpt: Verdi’s Aida, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo
Chailly] – resuming activities without an audience.
*12:04 – [musical excerpt: Verdi’s Requiem Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Chailly] – the commitment of La Scala’s staff to revitalizing the house.

This interview was originally conducted for the International New York Times Musical excerpts provided courtesy of La Scala
Intro and outro composed by Miguel Kertsman

In this episode John Warner, founder and music director of Orchestra for the Earth, describes his orchestra’s initiatives for climate action; what green routing is; and how Mahler’s composition huts inspired a new way of engaging with one of the most important topics we face today.

In this episode, Andrea Kleibel and Rebecca Schmid explore an evolution that has been quietly taking place in the classical music world: the transformation of orchestras and concert presenters into part-time broadcasters. Executives from the Cleveland Orchestra, Konserthuset Stockholm, Vienna Symphony and New World Symphony speak about their strategies, from monetization to infrastructure, and offer their thoughts about the future.