Talking Classical Podcast

Ep. 81: Camilla Kerslake

Camilla is a BRIT nominated English opera singer, who was the first signing to Gary Barlow’s Universal label, Future Records. She’s performed in arenas and stadiums all over the world, and recently made the transition from having a hugely successful career as a classical crossover artist to opera singer, recently performing for the Royal Opera House and English National Opera as their first Associate Artist. We met at the Royal Opera House over the October half term where we discussed everything from what it was like to have a high profile career as a classical crossover artist, making the transition to opera singer, training and preparation, and juggling motherhood with performing and auditioning. And you may have seen Camilla’s husband Chris Robshaw, former captain of the England rugby team, on your TV recently as he was a contestant on the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing (the British version of Dancing With The Stars). Of course, we had to talk about what that whole process was like particularly with having young children and an elderly dog!Thank you to Romany Anderson and Amelia Elgey at the Royal Opera House for setting us up with a room and allowing us to come there for the recording; Emily Ball for helping to organise the interview; Camilla for your patience and giving up your time so generously, coming in especially to do this despite having very little sleep the night before looking after a baby, the rain, and a half-hour delay starting the interview. -https://musicpartnership.co.uk/camilla-kerslakehttps://kerslakerobshawfoundation.com-Janáček's The Makropulos Case runs until 21 November 2025 at the Royal Opera House. Tickets from £10! Handel's Ariodante runs from 9-21 December 2025 at the Royal Opera House.

Ep. 80: Seb Philpott

Seb Philpott is a multi-faceted freelance trumpeter who has played in a variety of ensembles such as orchestras, period instrument groups, jazz bands and West End pit bands. Seb is also a presenter of the hugely popular Three in a Bar podcast, which features interviews with a wide range of people from across the music and performing arts industry. I interviewed Seb's co-host Verity Simmons so I thought it would be a lovely idea to hear from the other side. Seb and I met last year at Blackheath Halls during the annual London International Festival of Early Music.  I was excited to meet Seb as I had listened to his podcast for a while and was excited to hear more about the process of putting together a music podcast. We had an enjoyable hour or so talking about topics such as the process of putting together a music podcast, performing in different musical contexts and styles, singing, memorable performances, confidence, and growing up on the Les Misérables soundtrack. -sebphilpott.com threeinabar.com-Seb plays the trumpet with the European Union Baroque Orchestra in Bach's Cantata "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen," BWV 51.

Ep. 79: Iestyn Davies

 I'm so pleased to share a conversation I recorded back in September with Iestyn Davies. Iestyn is one of the world's most sought after countertenors. A noted interpreter of Handel, his repertoire also extends beyond the traditional confines of the Baroque repertoire, having recently released a disc of English song, and relishing the challenges of contemporary music, as you'll hear later in this conversation. Iestyn and I talked about a range of topics, including his favourite Handel roles, his thoughts on Baroque ornamentation, acting, what it was like working with Sir Mark Rylance, the countertenor repertoire, and maintaining a career in the classical music industry, including some of his thoughts about the advantages and disadvantages of competitions and the music college system. I'd seen Iestyn a few months before in a concert performance of Handel's opera Orlando back in the summer with the Academy of Ancient Music at the Barbican; a terrific afternoon of music. We spent the first part talking about this concert, leading into a discussion about some of the more cumbersome aspects of Handel's writing and in concert performances. Thank you very much Iestyn for your time, as well as your patience, your good humour and wise words throughout the hour or so we spent talking!

Ep.78: Matthew Barley

Last month, I was delighted to speak to cellist and composer Matthew Barley. His latest album, Light Stories is a deeply personal exploration of his own journey from darkness to light. Having experienced, a psychotic drug incident as a teenager. Matthew found solace in his cello playing and music-making as you'll hear in a moment. Matthew and I talked about the genesis behind his Light Stories project, which not only includes his album but also a series of multimedia concert performances this autumn across the UK. Further dates are to be announced. Matthew also has planned to set up an arts foundation to help young people learn more about the importance of good mental health practices through music and the performing arts. Additionally, we discussed improvisation within a classical music context, and our own experiences of mental health. If you're affected by any of the issues in this podcast. Please do contact a helpline or seek medical help. Thank you also to Rebecca and Flora at RDMR for putting me in touch with Matthew for this interview. Additional music: The Dreaming by Matthew Barley from Light Stories released on 27 September, 2024 on Signum Classics. https://matthewbarley.com

Ep.77: Adam Cooper

On this podcast, sometimes I like to venture outside of the traditional confines of the classical music world and speak to people who have a relationship with classical music but work in different art forms. My guest on this episode is just that. Adam Cooper is a dancer, choreographer, director and all-round performer. He's best-known as a former Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet, and for originating the role of the Swan in Sir Matthew Bourne's re-invention of Swan Lake. Adam and I met back in April at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, a lovely intimate theatre just an hour away from London. Check out their events programme and do take a visit if you're in the area! In our conversation, we talked about a lot of different areas, including: being in a musical family, the role of music in his personal and performing life, studying music at the Royal Ballet School, choreographing, creating new scores, and the challenges of singing and dancing; often, simultaneously! This was a really fascinating insight into a different perspective on dance, performing and choreography. Adam's playing the role of Zac in the musical A Chorus Line, which is about to complete a London run at Sadler's Wells and then continues on a UK tour until the beginning of October. Many thanks to Adam and also to Stephanie, Fran and Molly at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre for making us feel so welcome during our recording! - https://www.mradamcooper.com