My guest today is Professor of Viola at the Hochschule für Musik in Dresden, Neasa Ní Bhriain. Hailing from Dublin, she started out playing violin and in 2008 moved to Rostock in Germany to study it. However she had always been drawn to the viola, the critical middle voice of the string quartet, and during her studies there switched to it, before completing further studies in Leipzig and Weimar and then winning the position of solo viola in the Staatskapelle Weimar in 2018.A passionate exponent of contemporary music and its creative soundscapes, she combines her work as a performer and teacher with a zeal for composition and improvisation, and has written and performed numerous works for viola and pedals.Curious to know more about her journey, the challenges of switching instruments, and her approach to guiding the next generation of musician, I sat down with Neasa where I began by asking how she starting playing music…. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Daniel Sebastian Scholz
My guest this week is Professor of Musicians Health with a special focus on mental health in Lübeck, Prof. Dr. Daniel Sebastian Scholz.Hailing from Tübingen in southern Germany, he is a trained psychologist and jazz musician, and initially studied psychology in Marburg before studying jazz composition in Osnabrück whilst completing his doctorate in Hannover. In 2022 he took up his current position in Lübeck, in the process becoming the first professor of this kind in Germany. Alongside his day to day work with musicians, he frequently gives seminars on stage fright, and self esteem, and has authored and co-authored numerous studies including one exploring low self esteem and performance anxiety and how it can predict depression in musiciansCurious to know more about his journey, the issues facing musicians today, and how he helps them, I sat down with Daniel, where I began by asking when he first started playing music …. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Deborah Kelleher
My guest today is director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and current President of the European Association of Conservatoires, Deborah KelleherA native of Dublin, she studied music in Trinity College Dublin, later becoming a teaching fellow in UCD, whilst also teaching in the then DIT College of Music, and working in FM3, the precursor to RTE Lyric FM.However, her sights were always set on leadership, which compelled her to study an MBA and in 2010, in the midst of the Great Recession she became director of the RIAM. Under her stewardship, the Academy has became an associate college of Trinity College Dublin, curricula has been reformed, and most noticeably, the city centre campus has been redeveloped, doubling its teaching and practice studios, and adding new rehearsal and performances spaces, including the Whyte Recital Hall.Curious to know more about her journey, the unseen reality of leading an artistic institution, and the challenges facing conservatoires and artists in the future,, I sat down with Deborah where I began by asking how she started playing music… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Giacomo Smith
My guest today is superstar jazz clarinettist, Giacomo Smith.Born in Italy, Giacomo grew up in upstate New York and initially wanted to learn saxophone, but was persuaded to start with clarinet, and went on to study clarinet classically in Boston University and McGill in Montreal. However, the lure of jazz was always there, inspired by both his mothers affinity for Dave Brubeck, and a roommate who loaned him a cd of Hubert Rostaing playing with Django Reinhardt.This sparked an interest in the early days of jazz, and its unique soundworld, and later let to him founding a band called Kansas Smittys, playing music inspired by that era.Famed for his elegant playing and effortless vituosity, he frequently performs worldwide and is in high demand as a soloist, collaborator, and record producer, and in early 2025, when Giacomo was in Ireland, performing with Guy Barker and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, we sat down to talk, where I began by asking him when he started playing clarinet… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Fiachra Garvey
Bringing Season 1 of Harmonically Speaking to a close is Irish pianist, Fiachra Garvey.Growing up in the countryside in Wicklow, his two passions are music and animals, and on leaving school he faced a dilemma regarding choice of career, studying both music and veterinary for a year before deciding on former at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.Upon completing his masters with first class honours and distinction, at the Royal Academy of Music in London,, he faced that all too familiar challenge of transitioning from student to professional.Already a laureate of numerous international competitions, he mastered this, building on a successful career as a solo pianist and chamber musician, by founding two highly regarded festivals - the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival and Classical Vauxhall.Wishing to gain an insight into his career path, the challenges it entails, and how he thinks musicians need to evolve in an ever more competitive environment, I sat down to talk with Fiachra, where I began by asking how he came to pick piano…. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Harmonically Speaking is the podcast that meets high achievers from the field of music and gives listeners an insight into their lives.Hosted by clarinettist Macdara Ó Seireadáin each episode explores what sparked their passion, their career to date and their future plans, as well as challenges and setbacks they have faced along the way.With a wide range of guests from orchestral musicians and soloists, to conductors, administrators, instrument makers and more, this podcast aims to educate and inspire fellow musicians, aficionados and anyone who is curious about what a life in music really entails. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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