Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast

Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast
  • 5.0 (8)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
  • TWICE MONTHLY

Jon Jacob talks to artists, writers, and audience members about classical music.

  1. 227: Claire Booth

    24 APR

    227: Claire Booth

    Sheffield Chamber Music Festival 2026 curator Claire Booth was asked a blunt question when she was invited her to put together this year's programme: why is selling a song recital so difficult? This year's Sheffield is the answer — or rather, her answer, or the argument. Or maybe its her case for it. Across a week of concerts, she pulls in Ravel's Scheherazade into the orbit of folk tales, positions Judith Weir's King Harald's Saga alongside a repeat performance of Gavin Higgins's Speak of the North, and premieres Julian Philipps's multilingual children's opera Henny Penny. Song sells itself because song tells a story. Recorded in the Royal Opera House café after a day of rehearsals, Claire talks about the Festival, a planned collaboration with Rufus Norris on Beckett, her 2025 RPS Singer Award, and — briefly, and with more disappointment than heat — Timothy Chalamet.

    43 min
  2. 226: Huw Watkins

    26 MAR

    226: Huw Watkins

    Composer and pianist Huw Watkins explores his work, his musical language, his collaborations with musicians including Tamsin Waley-Cohen with whom he has released a new album on Signum, Reflection.

    41 min
  3. 225: Gen Z, Gen A, and Forgotten Older People

    19 FEB

    225: Gen Z, Gen A, and Forgotten Older People

    When branding gets louder than the art.

    7 min
  4. 224: Lizzie Ball

    28 JAN

    224: Lizzie Ball

    A conversation with violinist and singer Lizzie Ball that begins with “big announcement week” energy and opens into a thoughtful exploration of intimacy, collaboration, and how classical music can be presented with integrity, warmth, and curiosity — from Ronnie Scott’s new series to life on and off the stage..

    43 min
  5. 223: Mezzo Soprano Katie Bray

    9 JAN

    223: Mezzo Soprano Katie Bray

    What’s the point of pursuing something you can never reach? Hope, apparently. Mezzo-soprano Katie Bray makes a compelling case. Her new album In Search of Youkali explores Kurt Weill’s musical response to longing, exile, and the fragile idea of belonging.

    36 min
  6. 222: Penelope Appleyard

    22/12/2025

    222: Penelope Appleyard

    Discover Penelope Appleyard's Live from London’s festive Jane Austen programme with Zeb Soanes and pianist Jonathan Delbridge: song, domestic music-making, and Regency wit brought to life in an intimate Christmas performance.

    26 min
  7. 221: Revere Arts' Elise Brown and Class Ceiling

    06/12/2025

    221: Revere Arts' Elise Brown and Class Ceiling

    How do we make the classical music industry inclusive for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds — when even the “comfortable” ones struggle to get a foothold? How does an industry that desperately needs a diverse workforce to survive remove the barriers it has quietly maintained for decades?

    14 min
  8. 220: Composer and Sound Artist Ruby Colley

    10/11/2025

    220: Composer and Sound Artist Ruby Colley

    Composer and sound artist Ruby Colley releases her new album Hello Halo on 14 November 2025 — a work shaped by field recordings, family archives, and her lifelong conversation with her nonverbal brother Paul. It premiered at King’s Place in February, evolved through performances at Aldeburgh’s Britten Weekend, and arrives now as both an album and a film — an invitation to listen differently I met composer Ruby for a cup of tea in Hastings. It was a joyous afternoon — unhurried, thoughtful, all very British. The resulting conversation was about the shared joy of listening — to sound, and to silence. It is one of those of handful of very special podcast interactions which captures the spirit of the moment and returns it in spades, perfect for a dark winter evening. Soothing, consolatory and motivating.

    40 min
See All (464)

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Jon Jacob talks to artists, writers, and audience members about classical music.

Information

  • Creator
    Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast
  • Years Active
    2010 - 2026
  • Episodes
    464
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast
  • Show Website
    Thoroughly Good Classical Music Podcast

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