Phillip Gainsley's Podcast

Episode 87: J. Warren Mitchell

He's been called "The New Pavarotti." You must hear this to believe it. Most recently, Jay made his Southwestern Oklahoma recital debut in Altus, OK and was featured in recital to honor opera diva and Oklahoma native, Leona Mitchell. In addition, Jay recorded and released a new digital album, The Recital Album, featuring recital repertoire and opera arias. Also, he completed work on a special video recording project featuring newly composed art songs from acclaimed composer, Rosephanye Powell....

Episode 86: Alexander Shelley

Alexander is currently music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, and principal associate conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra . He was recently appointed and artistic and music director-designate of Artis-Naples and the Naples (FL) Philharmonic. He is a thrilling guest with much to offer on many topics....

Episode 85: Laurie Winer, author of "Oscar Hammerstein and the Invention of The Musical"

t was a thrill to chat with Laurie, whose impeccable research, combined with her writing and editing skills, resulted in a fascinating biography of Oscar Hammerstein II, starting with his grandfather’s day in vaudeville, and continuing up to his paternal relationship with the late Stephen Sondheim. Her insights and analysis are helpful in understanding this great man of the musical theater. And we learn about Oscar’s activities outside the theater world and his efforts to make the world a better...

Episode 84: Michael Brindisi

Michael Brindisi returns to our podcast to discuss Chanhassen Dinner Theaters’current production of The Prom and its next production, Jersey Boys. Michael and his ownership team have placed inclusion, diversity and equity in the forefront of its production policy and audiences have responded enthusiastically. It is always a pleasure to speak with Michael!

Episode 83: Janet Horvath

Janet is a retired associate principal cellist with the Minnesota Orchestra, and a world-wide recitalist. Her recently-relerased book, The Cello Still Sings tells of being a daughter of Holocaust survivors who kept the horror to themselves for most the their children’s lives. It was only in her father’s last year did Janet learn the details of what her parents endured. Listen to her narrative, and stay with us as we play a recording of Janet’s Kol Nidre, played in Landsberg, Germany, 70 years to...

Episode 82: Michael Chance

Most of Michael’s time is devoted to The Grange Festival, created in 2015. The first performances at The Grange were in 2017. To date, the festival has staged 15 operas and numerous other events, including masterclasses, recitals and two international singing competitions. It’s idyllic!

Episode 81: Jennifer Homans

Over ten years in the making, Jennifer Homans's treatise on choreographer George Balanchine introduces us to this complicated artist in a light not heretofore shown. With Lincoln Kerstein, Balanchine created the School of American Ballet, and then the New York City Ballet. One cannot study Balanchine without studying Russian history, at least immediately preceding the Revolution up to the early 80s. In her Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century, Jennifer touches all bases. Jennifer probably cou...

Episode 80: Richard Will

Richard Will’s treatise, “ Don Giovanni Captured”, subtitled “Performance, Media, Myth” (The University of Chicago Press) reviews the history of recording Mozart’s Don Giovann i - wax cylinders, 78 RPMs, 33⅓ RPMs (long-playing records), CDs, VHSs, DVDs, and streaming. He supplies us with examples of his analyses with plenty of recorded excerpts in the book’s companion website. Listen, as he compares Giovanni’s “Serenade” (to Elvira’s maid) of Victor Maurel (1904) with Ezio Pinza (1930), and then...

Episode 79: Jess Gillam

Jess is a London-based saxphonist, presenter and broadcaster. What she has done with the sax is revolutionary. Her enthusiam is contagious.

Episode 78: Anne Midgette, critic and writer on the arts and other important topics of our time.

Anne Midgette, critic and writer on the arts and other important topics. She wrote criticism for The New York Times and The Washington Post

Episode 77: Michael Fabiano

Michael Fabiano is more than a world-class opera performer. In 2016 he co-founded ArtSmart. The first program of its kind, ArtSmart is bringing professionally-taught voice lessons to 12 students every week, free of charge. Michael devotes his personal time and attention to this program, now available in nine states.

Episode 76: I am proud to feature low-voice ensemble Cantus, widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century.

Episode 75: Giancarlo Guerrero is a six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor and Music Director of the Nashville Symphony and NFM Wrocław Philharmonic. Enjoy our conversation about his personal history and his outstanding career.

Episode 74: Musician/Pianist Anita Ruth has been active in the Twin Cities theater and music circles for over 50 years. After serving as music director for over 80 shows at the Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, she has led a varied and exciting life as a freelance mus

Episode 73: What a thill it was to meet with Ann Morrison and Jim Walton, the Mary and Frank of the original Broadway cast of Merrily We Roll Along! We were joined by Grammy-winner Thomas Z. Shepard who produced the show’s original Broadway cast recording, Alexander

Episode 72: Jon Kimura Parker, pianist whose charm equals his musicianship, which says a lot! He's performed with orchestras around the world, all to rave reviews. He is also a creative partner with the Minnesota Orchestra.

Episode 71: Andrew Keener and Rob Suff are two of the most discerning classical music recording producers. We talk about the status of the industry today and the challenges of producing high-quality recordings.

Episode 70: Jack Everly has a rich music history. Currently the "pops" conductor for four symphony orchestras, he was music director for the American Ballet Theater, and conductor of some of this country's best known Broadway shows. He has also been the music direc

Episode 69: Kevin Puts is a symphony, concerto and opera composer whose "Silent Night" permanently placed him among this country's most important opera composers. His "The Hours" opens at the Metropolitan Opera on November 22.

Episode 68: Scott Yoo, music director, violinist, mentor and host of the PBS Great Performances series, "Now Hear This". Scott has conducted all of the major orchestras in the U.S., Europe and Asia. His recordings are at once numerous and discerning.

Episode 67: Dr. Joseph Holt has an extraordinary background in music. He's an accomplished pianist and choral director, and he serves as host for Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning's "Music Mondays."

Episode 66: Jonathan Solars: After leaving a professional career as a violinist, Jonathan worked with René A. Morel and later partnered with Florian Leonhard. His understanding of sound, gained through years of professional training and performance practice, combin

Episode 65: Meet Hershey Felder, who spoke with us from his home in Florence, Italy. And listen to a brief audio clip from his 2020 film, "Mozart and Figaro."

Whether as Beethoven, Gershwin, Berlin, Tchaikovsky, or Bernstein, Hershey Felder introduces us to these men of music in a way never before presented. He becomes these composers. Here him in this episode become Lorenzo da Ponte, Mozart's librettist for The Marriage of Figaro , Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutt i.

Episode 64: Laurence Maslon, author, teacher and broadcaster on the Broadway musical and its delivery from 12 square blocks in Manhattan to our living rooms

Episode 63: Tim Page, 1997 Pulitzer Prize winning critic for the Washington Post, is a Glenn Gould scholar having edited and compiled The Glenn Gould Reader. In 2018 he wrote his very personal memoire , "Parallel Play," Before the Post, he wrote for The New York Ti

Episode 62: Robert Spano : After 20 seasons as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, he now continues his association there as music director laureate. In 2022 he assumes a new position as music director of the Fort Worth Symphony while remaining music

Episode 61: Duane Schuler

Duane Schuler is a preeminent theater, opera and ballet lighting designer who has taken his art to a new level by working with architects and engineers in the lighting of new and restored structures. Duane comes from a long line of theatrical lighting designers going back over 50 years. Enjoy our enlightening conversation!

Episode 60: Mona Golabek

Mona Golabek's 2002 book, The Children of Willesden Lane, a True Story of Hope and Survival, chronicles her mother’s experience with the Kindertransport. Mona is a celebrated concert pianist for whom the expression "Hold on to your music" has a deeply personal meaning. Our conversation was truly moving.

Episode 59: Charles Lazarus, trumpet soloist, composer and bandleader. Charles has created and starred in four original orchestral shows featuring his jazz ensemble: “A Night in the Tropics,” “American Riffs,” “Fly Me to the Moon” and "Our Love is Here to Stay," a

Episode 58: "Bud" Selig talks about his Milwaukee roots, his love of baseball, and the need for philanthropy to sustain the performing arts and the fine arts.