Sunday Baroque Conversations

Sunday Baroque Conversations 137: Edward Klorman

Edward Klorman is a violist and Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin - Madison's Mead Witter School of Music. In 2025 he published his book, BACH: THE CELLO SUITES, exploring what makes these seemingly humble unaccompanied cello compositions so extraordinary and lasting. Over the centuries, they have become the "holy grail" for every serious cellist, and have migrated from the practice room to the concert stage, films, and beyond. Cellists including Yo-Yo Ma and Janos Starker have revisited Bach's Cellos Suites multiple times. Professor Klorman chatted with Suzanne about what makes Bach's music so great.

Sunday Baroque Conversations 136: Chris Shepard

What would it take to present THE COMPLETE BACH? Thanks to an extraordinary 11-year project underway in Worcester, MA, you can find out! Starting in 2024 and continuing through March 21, 2035, Music Worcester is presenting a series of concerts encompassing all of Johann Sebastian Bach's massive compositional output. Chris Shepherd is Artistic Director of THE COMPLETE BACH, and he talked with Suzanne about how and why this project came to life.

Sunday Baroque Conversations 135: Vladimir Soares

The talented recorder player Vladimir Soares made a recording with harpsichordist Fabian Grosch of Flute Sonatas by Anna Bon di Venezia that I have admired (and played regularly on Sunday Baroque) for years. Vladimir Soares was introduced to music through the Orquestra Villa-Lobos, a social project that provides free musical education to children in the South of Brazil. Soon, he was graduating from the Arts Institute in Porto Alegre and winning competitions. He continued his training at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart, earning his Master's in Chamber Music in 2015 and a Master's in Recorder in 2016 under the guidance of Professor Hans-Joachim Fuss and Andrea Buchert. He also earned the Laurea Prize, which has not been given to a recorder player since 1991. VladimirSoares (with help from translator Jessica Oliveria) spoke with me about his life in music.

Sunday Baroque Conversations 134: Simone Dinnerstein 2025

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein has many loves – her family, her hometown, her musical collaborators, and Johann Sebastian Bach's music, to name just a few. The proud Brooklyn resident founded her musical ensemble and called it BAROKLYN. They named their 2025 debut album Complicité, a term she first heard from her son, who studied the teachings of the French theatre practitioner, Jacques Lecoq. Suzanne spoke with Simone Dinnerstein about Complicité, how the concept relates to the album and her group, and how she feels about being a conductor now.

Sunday Baroque Conversations 133: Matthew Suttor

New Zealand-born composer and educator Matthew Suttor's passion for music began when he was a small child. Throughout his career he has explored many facets of music making, with a particular interest in computer music and, now, the use of AI in music and as a creative catalyst. That's what led him to "collaborate" with AI to write his opera about Alan Turing, the British mathematician whose work was key to breaking Nazi codes during World War II. Far ahead of his time, Turing was interested in – and cautious about – AI, and Suttor's opera I AM ALAN TURING explores the nuances and prescience of Turing's life and work. Suzanne spoke with Matthew Suttor about his life in music, including his path to incorporating computers and technology into his musical toolbox, and his philosophy of teaching creativity.