Lisa Batiashvili, violin

Lisa Batiashvili. Photo: Sammy Hart / DG

"Visions of Prokofiev" is the latest release by Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili. The album includes Prokofiev’s two violin concertos as well as select movements from his famous ballets Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet, and the music for The Love for Three Oranges, newly arranged for solo violin and orchestra by Lisa’s father, Tamás Batiashvili. 

Lisa recently spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell about Prokofiev, who she says has "one of the most incredible imaginations and visions.”

Wu Man, pipa

Internationally renowned pipa virtuoso Wu Man returns to Cleveland for a performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art, but this time she's not alone. Joining her on stage will be the Huayin Shadow Puppet Band for an evening of old-tune traditional music with shadow puppetry. 

Wu Man spoke with Angela Mitchell and performed "Flute and Drum Music at the Sunset." 

Oberlin Students Helping Out

Ritu Mukherjee and Nathanael Leavitt

Last January, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Credo Music teamed up to help hurricane-devastated communities in Puerto Rico and Texas. A group of students did two weeks of intensive chamber music study in Oberlin, then they headed south to work in partnership with local relief agencies and churches. 

Ritu Mukherjee and Nathanael Leavitt spoke with Angela Mitchell. 

Daniel Singer, conductor

Daniel Singer is the Acting Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus, which performed with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra in their winter concert. WCLV broadcast the performance live, and at intermission Daniel spoke with Angela Mitchell.

Stephen Hough, piano

Our WCLV Recording of the Week is by pianist Stephen Hough, his first all-Debussy disc that features Estampes, Images, Children’s Corner, and more. Angela Mitchell caught up with Stephen while he was in New York preparing for a concert at Carnegie Hall. 

Kathie Stewart, flute

Kathie Stewart

Apollo's Fire presents "Three Duels and a Wedding," featuring three double concertos and Bach's Wedding Cantata. Flutist Kathie Stewart, representing the group, spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell. 

Rachel Barton Pine, violin

Rachel Barton Pine

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine recently recorded the concertos of Edward Elgar and Max Bruch with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Litton. She spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell about these concertos, which she says will "get your blood flowing" in these cold winter months. 

Conductor Thierry Fischer

A new 2-disc set of Gustav Mahler's massive Symphony No 8 is out, recorded by the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir under the direction of Thierry Fischer. For a special Symphony at Seven feature, Angela Mitchell spoke with Mr. Fischer. 

Composer Ola Gjeilo

Ola Gjeilo

As winter drags on, you can warm up with a new recording by composer Ola Gjeilo called "Winter Songs." It features original compositions as well as Ola's arrangements of some of his favorite carols, performed by the Choir of Royal Holloway, the 12 Ensemble, and conductor Rupert Gough. Ola spoke about his new recording with Angela Mitchell.

Stephen Rose and Jeanne Preucil Rose, violinists

L to R: Stephen Rose, Jeanne Preucil Rose, Mark Kosower, Jee-Won Oh

On Wednesday, November 15, WCLV broadcast live a faculty recital from the Cleveland Institute of Music. The artists were a pair of married couples: Stephen Rose (violin) and Jeanne Preucil Rose (viola) with Mark Kosower (cello) and Jee-Won Oh (piano). At intermission, WCLV's Angela Mitchell spoke with Stephen and Jeanne. 

Sharon Isbin, guitarist

Photo by J. Henry Fair

Sharon Isbin has been called "the pre-eminent guitarist of our time" (Boston Magazine) and "the Monet of the classical guitar" (Atlanta Journal). She joined forces with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard for latest recording, "Alma Española," a WCLV Recording of the Week. In a conversation with Angela Mitchell, Ms. Isbin spoke about her recording. 

Harpeth Rising

The folk trio Harpeth Rising (violinist Jordana Greenberg, cellist Maria Di Meglio, and banjo player Michelle Younger) performed in Cleveland on July 7, presented by Underground Classical. They stopped by WCLV to give a preview of the show with Angela Mitchell.

Shai Wosner, pianist

What would happen if we got together Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, Liszt, Dvorak, Gershwin, and Ives for a posthumous jam session?

That's the question posed by pianist Shai Wosner with his latest recording "Impromptu." Mr. Wosner spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell from a studio in New York. 

Simone Dinnerstein, pianist

For her latest release, Simone Dinnerstein traveled to Cuba to record Mozart with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra. WCLV featured "Mozart in Havana" as a Recording of the Week, underscoring the ability of music to cross cultural and language barriers. 

Ms. Dinnerstein spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell. 

Simone Dinnerstein. Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco.

Jorge Federico Osorio, pianist

The WCLV Recording of the Week features late piano works by Johannes Brahms and Franz Schubert, performed by Jorge Federico Osorio. Angela Mitchell spoke over the phone recently with Jorge, who lives in Chicago. 

Osmo Vänskä, conductor

In honor of the 125th anniversary of Jean Sibelius' Kullervo, WCLV presented a special program featuring the brand new recording by the Minnesota Orchestra. The 2-disc set also includes Finlandia and the world premiere performance of Migrations by Ollie Kortekangas. 

Angela Mitchell spoke about these works with music director Osmo Vänskä. 

Photo by Kaapo Kamu

Jahja Ling, conductor

WCLV was live at Severance Hall on Wednesday, April 19 for a concert by the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra. They played works by Leonard Bernstein, Frédéric Chopin, and Peter Tchaikovsky. At intermission, Angela Mitchell spoke with conductor Jahja Ling. 

Jan Lisiecki, pianist

Jan Lisiecki, the young Canadian pianist who takes his Polish heritage to heart, has released a new recording of Chopin’s lesser-known works for piano and orchestra, and it was featured as a WCLV Recording of the Week. Jan spoke with Angela Mitchell. 

Photo by Mathias Bothor

Debra Nagy, oboist

Apollo's Fire players take turns in the spotlight for a program overflowing virtuosity. From J.S. Bach’s sunny Orchestral Suite No. 1 to the darkly brooding Oboe Concerto in G minor, to the sparkling and beloved Brandenburg Concertos No. 3 and 4. 

Debra Nagy, who will play the oboe solo in the concerto, spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell. 

Semyon Bychkov and The Tchaikovsky Project

Russian conductor Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic launch "The Tchaikovsky Project," a recording cycle on Decca Classics that will encompass Tchaikovsky's complete symphonies and piano concertos, as well as other selected orchestral works. The first recording in the cycle features the composer's Sixth Symphony ("Pathetique") and Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture. The recording cycle is part of Mr. Bychkov's international, multi-season Tchaikovsky project, Beloved Friend, which also includes concert series in New York and London in 2016'17 and residencies in Paris and Vienna planned for future seasons.

Semyon Bychkov spoke with WCLV's Angela Mitchell.