Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman is available wherever you listen to podcasts. The video and transcript are linked here on my website, where you can check out my episodes catalog and sign up for Sneak Peeks for upcoming guests: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/jeremy-mastrangelo

This week’s guest is violinist Jeremy Mastrangelo, who’s a wonderful colleague of mine in Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. He’s known in our greenroom as a great storyteller, onstage as an excellent musician, and having heard him give brilliant masterclasses I can attest to his excellence as an educator as well. This episode is infused with Jeremy’s wit and wisdom as well as a couple of beautiful violin performances. We talk about violin shopping in Cremona, teenage life at Interlochen Academy, the difficulties and joys of a career as an orchestral musician, family, and the benefits of deepening our understanding of the composers we play. You will find that one of the wonderful stories in this episode reveals an unexpected discovery!

This independant podcast needs your support. Can you help with $3? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:11) Jeremy’s brother Dave, his childhood starting violin

(10:31) Bach Aria from Goldberg Variations

(13:23) Dave Mastrangelo arrangements

(15:05) orchestra audition process

(19:11) working conditions, collective agreements, Syracuse orchestra experience, Sara Mastrangelo

(27:21) please support the podcast!

(28:00) different roles and chairs in the orchestra

(30:31) Interlochen

(34:13) intro to Piazzolla etude

(35:45) Piazzolla Tango Etude no. 3

(39:34) dealing with uncertainty, pandemic Syracuse then Ottawa with Pinchas Zukerman

(45:37) ideal orchestra experiences, role of conductor and players

(50:15) Cremona with wife Sara, Italian heritage, Vittorio Villa

(55:54) Jeremy’s violin teachers Rafail Sobolevsky, Bill Preucil, Hal Grossman, Paul Kantor

(01:03:26) Rafail Sobolevsky story

(01:10:13) Sally Thomas, James Ehnes

(01:14:12) cooking

(01:16:07) great books about composers and performers

(01:20:37) solo experiences, stress dreams, benefits of knowing more about the composers

(01:28:16) one final orchestra story

Avi Kishna is a Dutch sarod player based in Amsterdam, of Indo-Surinamese heritage. You’ll get to know the sarod as an instrument and hear Avi’s perspectives on Dutch society and his interesting collaborations. Among his mentors is his inspiring father, Ramdew Kishna, a multi-talented musician, director, and painter, who played a pivotal role in shaping Avi's musical journey along with his guru, Koustuv Ray. As a young man, Avi embarked on a successful career as in sales and marketing, but during this time he pushed music aside, and I found it deeply touching to hear how he was able to come back to music with the wisdom of having left such an important part of himself behind. You’ll hear about Avi’s project working with schools in Amsterdam to help provide music programs in underserved communities and this episode features some of his sarod music. Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube channel, and I’ve also linked the transcript here to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/avi-kishna

Can you buy this podcaster a coffee to support this series? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!

Here you'll find the links to Avi's projects like Raga Reflections, where to stream and buy his music, upcoming performances, including a video with dancer Shailesh Bahoran (which we talk about): https://www.sarodbyavi.com/

Link to Muziek Educatie Centrum Amsterdam: https://www.muziekeducatiecentrum.nl/jeugd-fonds-sport-cultuur-amsterdam

Follow me on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Episode with sitar player Mohamed Assani: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/mohamed-assani

Episode with bansuri player Milind Date:

https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/milind-date-bansuri-player

Complete Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:42) the sarod

(11:57) Indo-Surinamese heritage and history

(16:16) South Asian music in the Netherlands

(19:38) dancer Shailesh Bahoran

(25:00) excerpt from While She Sleeps

(28:06) bringing different music together, Soundscape Sessions

(38:01) please support this podcast!

(38:39) Ramdew Kishna, Avi’s father

(43:27) racism and inclusion

(50:53) sarod guru Gungun Kaustuv Ray

(56:14) learning from others

(57:56) Raga Reflections

(01:04:19) Darbari

(01:08:00) sales and marketing career, return to music

(01:13:05) giving back through music education

Eliza Marshall is a British flute player acclaimed for her expressive multi-style playing and in this episode we’re celebrating her new album “Eternal Birth” in which this award-winning flautist and composer channels over two decades of international collaboration into a bold, genre-defying album, with a rich cinematic soundscape, blending classical, folk and world traditions, with haunting flutes, whistles, bansuris, spoken word, percussion and electronics. Recorded in both the UK and Senegal, the album features an extraordinary line-up of world-class andGrammy Award-Winning musicians: Ady Thioune, Ansumana Suso, Drew Morgan , Dónal Rogers, and Lena Jonsson .

Eliza shared her rich musical life: her studies with Michael Cox, her varied career including performing on the long-running West-End show The Lion King in London, touring with Peter Gabriel, and the joys and challenges of using a loop pedal. She shared insights about the importance of the folk band Ranagri in her life, her multi-disciplinary project Freedom to Roam, her love of the Hebrides Islands, the importance of re-wilding, and finding the courage to push boundaries and take risks.This episode is being released a few days before the release of Eternal Birth; you’ll find the pre-order link on Eliza’s website. I was really inspired to exchange ideas with Eliza about living a life rich with connection and creativity.

Show notes take you to linked episodes you'll love, the video, transcript, podcast Newsletter to get access for exclusive information about upcoming guests, and support link for this independent project for which I do all the many jobs! (also podcast merch)

Complete Show Notes

Eliza Marshall Website

Photo: Jason Sheldon

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:04) album “Eternal Birth”, Lena Jonsson, with clip of They Listen

(06:29) layering textures, interest and research into music of Africa, percussionist Ady Thioune

(09:13) youth Steiner Education, trip to Buea,Cameroon

(11:13) about Roots Entwined, with clip of track 2

(13:28) many different flutes, collaborating with Joby Talbot

(17:40) about track 3, Our Times Reborn with clip

(19:56) joy in composing, Reich influence, Sarah Jeffery

(21:45) Michael Cox, learning different flutes and styles

(26:25) Freedom to Roam project

(31:32) Dónal Rogers, Ranagri, staying with projects long-term

(36:08) linked episodes and buying me a coffee to keep this podcast going

(37:08) Leah improv and podcast, Hebrides Islands, re-wilding

(43:03) loop pedal, Linsey Pollak, getting outside your comfort zone, The Lion King job

(53:45) Ansumana Suso on kora, safeguarding the fertility of the Earth, with clip of track 6 On and On

(56:49) Ady Thioune, trips to Senegal

(01:02:48) Rebeca Omordia, Omo Bello, my podcast

(01:05:55) playing with Peter Gabriel

(01:08:30) mortality with clip track 7 Dust to Dust

(01:12:14) Stevie Wonder, studio work, love of film music, album cover meaning

(01:16:56) Embracing our interconnectedness, with clip of track 8 Interconnected, self-care