American conductor and cellist Jonathon Heyward is the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. It's remarkable that he's achieved such prominent positions at just 31-years-old. On this Season 5 finale of Speaking Soundly, Jonathon sits down with David to reflect on his meteoric rise, the serendipitous moments in his childhood that led to his flourishing career, his evolution as a musician, and how he earned the nickname "Converse Conductor.”

Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share the podcast with your friends if you liked this episode!

Check out Jonathon Heyward on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Apple Music, or the web.

To learn more about the orchestras Jonathon directs visit the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center.

Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.

Follow David on Instagram.

You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

Photograph of Jonathon Heyward by Laura Thiesbrummel.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American mezzo-soprano and three-time Grammy Award winner Joyce DiDonato is "perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation" (The New Yorker), but her path to stardom was anything but easy and linear. In this special episode of Speaking Soundly, recorded live at Lincoln Center, Joyce discusses the challenges in her early career and how she moved through them with grit, how her father gave her permission to pursue a life on the stage, and why her heart still belongs in a choir. David and Joyce reflect on meaningful performances in their lives and the power of music to connect us to moments and heal.

Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode!

Check out Joyce DiDonato on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web.

Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.

Follow David on Instagram.

You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

Photograph of Joyce DiDonato by Sachyn Mital, © Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grammy nominated American tenor Lawrence Brownlee has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times) and as a voice for activism and diversity in the classical music industry. The pickleball fanatic discusses his Metropolitan Opera auditions, why the high C's aren't the only notes that matter, and what it was like to be cast as Tamino in The Magic Flute before he had ever seen an opera. Reflecting on his childhood rooted in gospel music, Lawrence shares how "music was inside of him" from the age of nine, what he felt at age twelve from the reaction to his first solo, and how he was inspired by The Three Tenors, specifically Pavarotti. Recounting the time an agent told him he'd never succeed because of his height and race, Lawrence talks about where he finds his confidence and what it's like to get a standing ovation mid-performance.

Check out Lawrence Brownlee on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web.

Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.

Follow David on Instagram.

You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

Photograph of Lawrence Brownlee by Zakiyah Caldwell Burroughs

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman.

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2024 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.