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Author: Chiara

Berlin, January 2018  Berlin Philharmonic Winds

It´s always a treat to be able to film with my colleagues from my orchestra. They are for me simply the best musicians in the world and this ensemble is very close to my heart. We have been playing chamber music since I joined the orchestra and as you can see from this episode, we love playing together!

The Berlin Philharmonic Winds make up an ensemble of eight winds and double bass. (Why is a double bass even allowed to play with us? Find out on this episode!) If you have never encountered Harmoniemusik before, then this episode is especially for you – it is such a wonderful form of classical music and  is guaranteed to lift your spirits. Don´t miss the extra video of our encore: Musetta´s aria from La Bohème…Enjoy!

Cover photo: Peter Adamik

Sapporo, Geilo, Holstebro, Lucerne

I love music festivals and have been so happy to feature them in this compilation episode of my favourite festivals we have had on the programme so far: The Pacific Music Festival in Japan, the Ice Music Festival in Norway, the Klassiske Dage Festival in Denmark and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Lucerne…we really do get around, and I love it!

Havana, Cuba – October 2017  – Adalberto Álvarez

I was loving being in Havana for some very special episodes of Sarah´s Music. I had planned an episode all about Son, the traditional Cuban dance music and wanted to do a short interview with a Cuban Son specialist. A good friend of mine, Gonzalo Grau, put me in contact with Ali Álvarez, Adalberto´s son, who not only got his Dad to agree to an interview with me, but had him invite us to his house. I decided that a little interview in the middle of an episode was not nearly worthy of Adalberto, who is known affectionately by the Cubans as “El Caballero del Son”. So here is a whole episode dedicated to this wonderful and inspiring musician, with my huge thanks to him, his son Brayan for playing for me and to Ali for setting the whole thing up.

I´m listening to nothing else at home right now and dancing around my apartment – once you see this episode, you will be doing the same!

Havana, Cuba October 2017  – Las Estrellas di Chocolate

Let´s dance Son! Loved, loved, loved this episode! I´ve always loved to dance salsa but here I realised I knew very little…but thanks to my very patient teachers, I managed to have a ball (literally) at the end of the episode!

Bailando Son!

Chris Martin, principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, live from the NY Philharmonic Archives in New York.

With special thanks to Barbara Hawes and her Archive team for allowing us to use this wonderful space for the Horn Hangout!

Feb. 9th, 2018

A special tribute to Julie Landsman, professor for horn at the Juilliard School and former principal horn of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, featuring her former students who became her colleagues in the Met orchestra: Michelle Baker, Anne Scharer, Julia Pilant and Barbara Jöstlein Currie, who joined us virtually from San Diego.

Live from the Juilliard School in New York – thanks to Adam Meyer and his team for making it possible, and a huge thanks to Jim Patterson of Patterson Hornworks for supporting this Hangout. It means a lot to us!

New York, February 8th, 2018

Gail Williams and Johannes Brahms…live from the Bienen School of Music, Evanston, Illinois

This was a wonderfully spontaneous Horn Hangout – Tim and I turned up at the Bienen School, Gail was rehearsing the Brahms Horn Trio and in typical Gail style, she said it was absolutely fine to livestream the rehearsal and she would answer some online questions after. Gail is a legend!

Feb 7th, 2018

Tradition, Teamwork and Tone

The Chicago Symphony Horn Section talk to Sarah during a special Horn Hangout live from Orchestra Hall about their horn playing tradition, their teamwork and the Chicago sound. People from all over the world joined in with their questions, check out the comments in the chat.

Chicago, February 6th, 2018

Photos courtesy of the CSO Archives

Gene Pokorny – CSO Brass, C Tuba & Curly

Gene Pokorny, principal tuba of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and president of the Three Stooges Fan Club, talks to Sarah Willis live from Orchestra Hall in Chicago. Thanks to everyone who joined in with their questions from all over the world – Gene is simply a legend!

Havana, Cuba October 2017  – Havana Horns

This was one of the most enjoyable episodes of Sarah´s Music I have filmed so far. I am so proud of all our Havana episodes, but this one, which features the wonderful Havana Horns, is especially close to my heart.

Thanks to the Cuban European Youth Academy and the Balthasar-Neumann Foundation, I went to Havana to give a masterclass to any horn players who might be interested. Not knowing what to expect, I turned up to a packed room at the Lyceum Mozartiano and it was for me and the Cuban horns love at first sight. Their passion for the horn is incredible and I was determined to come back and make an episode of Sarah´s Music just about them, their lives and their music. Six months later I made it back to Havana with my fabulous production team and this episode is the result.

There are so many people to thank, I hardly know where to start, but thanks Lea and Cris from the Balthasar-Neumann Foundation for bringing me over, Chris Rowe and Jochen Beckmann, my wonderful cameramen who sweated through 6 days of filming with me (because it was hot…!)  Jesper Thomsen for the Making Of photos and, of course, Susana, Carla, Arlet, Ernesto and Elio, the original Havana Horns whom I simply adore – estoy muy orgullosa de ustedes!