The Classical Circuit
A deep-dive into the intricate world of classical music and all that comes with working in it. Host Ella Lee chats to a bunch of brilliant guests from across the profession, discussing their best career high, their worst career low, and other things that show you a different side to the one you might see on their website.
Instagram: @theclassicalcircuit
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- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 40 minutes
- Episodes
- 45
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
24. Tess Jackson: challenging her self-perception, her Proms debut, and how the National Youth Orchestra shaped her
British Conductor Tess Jackson is the Associate Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra. Originally a violinist, Tess was inspired to take up conducting aged just fourteen, eventually going on to s…
23. Claire Booth: Schoenberg, a project-based career, and bouncing back after nodule surgery
Soprano Claire Booth is internationally renowned for her dedication to a vast repertoire, as well as the vitality and musicianship that she brings to the stage. Opera highlights include the title rol…
22. Kellen Gray: how folk music shaped him, why diverse programming is more than ticking boxes, and how beekeeping restored him after burnout
American conductor Kellen Gray currently holds the position of Associate Artist with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the first of its kind, but leads a vibrant professional life on both sides …
21. Alexandra Whittingham: online authenticity, classical guitar's growing popularity, and finding joy in informal concerts
Alexandra Whittingham is a prominent figure in the guitar world. At the age of 16, she began filming and editing videos of herself playing popular guitar repertoire and posting them online, rapidly c…
20. Guy Johnston: nurturing young talent, finding roots in community and reflections on his BBC Young Musician win at 18
British cellist Guy Johnston has had an exciting and varied career since winning the BBC Young Musician competition in the year 2000. He has performed with many leading orchestras worldwide, and coll…
19. Hattie Butterworth: performance anxiety, OCD, and psychological abuse in conservatoires
*This discussion touches on intrusive thoughts around death and suicide - please skip through if you need to*
Hattie Butterworth is a journalist, cellist and founder of Things Musicians Don’t Talk Abo…
18. David Skudlik: the importance of change, merging entrepreneurship with the arts, and learning to manage a team
David Skudlik is the co-founder and CEO of digital agency Sforzato, a company that provides a variety of digital marketing services to the classical music and wider performing arts sector. Their impr…
17. Chris O'Reilly: the classical recording industry, paying musicians fairly for streaming, and getting rejected from conducting programmes
Chris O'Reilly is the CEO of Presto Music, the UK's leading ecommerce site for classical and jazz recordings, sheet music, music books and musical instruments. With a background in music and musicolo…
16. Florence Lockheart: her role as an editor, how to conduct an interview, and having difficult conversations
Florence Lockheart is the editor of Classical Music Magazine, the only magazine and website dedicated to the classical music industry in the UK. A Classics graduate from Durham University, Florence h…
15. Raffaello Morales: an alternative to concert halls, the commercial viability of classical music, and following his curiosity
Raffaello Morales is the founder and music director of the Fidelio Cafe in London, known and well-loved for their 'classical dinner-concert' series, comprising a one-hour concert by an established mu…
14. Pierre-Laurent Aimard: what he learned from Ligeti, the expectations we have of performers, and why the piano world isn't his priority
French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard is widely known as an authority figure in contemporary music, and also for shedding new light on music of the past. His international concert career has already s…
13. Alexandra Knight: the role of an artist manager, psychological models seen in high-level performers, and sexism in the workplace
Alexandra Knight is the founder and CEO of classical music agency Knight Classical. After reading Music and then Law at Oxford University, Alexandra joined the artist management world, working first …
12. Paul Wee: balancing life as a barrister and pianist, preparing for a recital vs preparing for court, and the difficult decision to not pursue a music career
Paul Wee is an internationally-acclaimed pianist with a love for celebrating the hidden gems of the piano repertoire. His recordings for BIS have been met with great critical acclaim, including being…
11. Timothy Ridout: formative musical experiences, tools for handling an intense schedule, and his BBC Proms debut
Timothy Ridout is one of today’s most sought-after violists, being a former BBC New Generation Artist, a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship recipient and winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artis…
10. Julian Lloyd Webber: music education in schools, working with Yehudi Menuhin, and the injury that ended his cello career
Julian Lloyd Webber's musical life is remarkably varied. As a solo cellist, he has performed with many of the world’s finest orchestras and conductors, as well as every leading symphony and chamber o…
9. Yasaman Mashhouri: choosing music over medicine, presenting music in modern settings, and the problem with competition age limits
Recorder player and baroque violinist Yasaman Mashhouri was born in Tehran, Iran. Her musical education began at the age of ten with the Orff method, then subsequently taking her first violin lessons…
8. Matthew Johnson: the parallels between music and photography, working with dyslexia, and accepting he wasn't going to be a professional cellist
Matthew Johnson is a London-based photographer, best known for his work in classical music and portraiture. Having originally trained as a cellist, his approach to his work is shaped by the knowledge…
7. Sumina Studer: embracing social media as a classical musician, finding inspiration in her students, and creating a bespoke career outside of performing
Sumina Studer is a violinist, educator, and content creator who, having captured the hearts of audiences across multiple social platforms, is passionate about bringing classical music to younger gene…
6. Jamie Walton: building trust with an audience, the art of programming, and what he gained from stepping back from his solo career
Jamie Walton is a cellist, cultural entrepreneur, and Artistic Director of the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival and Ayriel Studios. As a soloist, he has appeared and recorded with the UK’s fin…
5. Jack Pepper: balancing a portfolio career, why university wasn't for him, and the importance of knowing your worth
Jack Pepper is a composer, broadcaster and writer. He is one of the UK’s youngest commissioned composers and in 2019, aged 19, he became the UK’s youngest-ever national radio presenter when he joined…