Pitch Me Classical

YolanDa Brown sits down with the stage managers of the LPO to discuss how a concert actually gets on the stage: from finding a piano that can be hit with chains, to awkward instrument logistics on to…

YolanDa Brown asks where it all began for three LPO players, and how they made a passion into a profession. 

From Lyndon’s early brass band days, to David’s primary school string inspiration, and Emma…

YolanDa Brown sits down with violinist and pianist Julia Fischer and asks what it means to be the LPO’s Artist in Residence for their current season. How does it feel to lead the orchestra from a sol…

Welcome to Series 4!

To kick off the new series, YolanDa Brown sits down with violinist Nynke Hijlkema and clarinet player Thomas Watmough to discuss the experience of having a family while working as…

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 3. Why do the musicians do what they do? And how do you combat the fear of fear? 

Plus, a revelation from conductor Karina Canellakis, th…

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 2. How do you audition for an orchestra, from the London Philharmonic to New York to Berlin? And how can you use nerves to actually impr…

YolanDa Brown takes us through some of the best bits of Series 1. What’s so bad about an emergency sandwich, how many pairs of pants should you pack for a tour, how do you repair cracks on a double b…

YolanDa Brown sits down with tuba player Lee Tsarmaklis, violinist Lasma Taimina and bassoon and contrabassoon player Simon Estell to find out the truth about audiences, from the unique perspective o…

Come and join us for LPO Offstage LIVE at Henry Wood Hall! YolanDa Brown sits down with the LPO’s recordings consultant Matthew Freeman, violinist Fiona Higham and piccolo player Stewart McIlwham to …

Facing the fear of fear, admitting you might not always want to go to those after concert drinks, and searching for the best strengthening exercises to avoid injury as a musician and a conductor are …

YolanDa Brown uncovers some of the mysteries of buying an orchestral instrument with cellist David Lale and horn player Mark Vines. From commissioning a brand new cello, to finding that ‘perfectly co…

YolanDa Brown gets the scoop on what it’s like to play Mahler’s ‘Titan’ Symphony from the musicians themselves. Horn player Martin Hobbs shares his favourite moment in the piece, where the horns actu…

YolanDa Brown chats to Damian Davis (from his van!) about the celebrated LPO truck, complete with a hydraulic lift and kitchenette, and asks how he safely transports hundreds of instruments to concer…

YolanDa Brown catches up with Brett Dean to find out what it means to be a Composer in Residence at an orchestra like the LPO, and how you tackle the daunting task of writing for so many instruments.…

From nervous jazz trumpet solos to a singing orchestra and musical collaborations, today YolanDa Brown talks to trumpeter Anne McAneney and violinist Vesselin Gellev about how they’ve crossed musical…

When we all went into lockdown, David Burke and Nathan Prince dreamt up a way to bring the LPO into our homes in new, imaginative ways. From innovative lighting to performing amongst the empty seatin…

In the crypt underneath Henry Wood Hall, the LPO librarians work round the clock to prepare scores for the orchestra, a central cog in the LPO’s wheel. Today, YolanDa discovers how this mysterious wo…

YolanDa Brown sits down (yes - in real life!) with cellist Kristina Blaumane and violinist Fiona Higham to get the scoop on what it’s like sharing a music stand with someone, sometimes for many years…

YolanDa Brown catches up with oboist Alice Mundy and percussionist Henry Baldwin to get their thoughts on one of the wildest pieces of classical music ever written, Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Be…

YolanDa Brown talks to cellist Francis Bucknall, cor anglais player Sue Böhling and violinist Kate Oswin to find out about some of the music that changed their lives… Music is powerful. It can move, …