Crescendo Conversations

Zen Zeng

Titles describe, music reveals. Crescendo Conversations is an interview series hosted by concert pianist and space-curator Zen Zeng, in which senior leaders share four pieces of music that shaped their identity, career, and life. In choosing four pieces, guests reveal something no CV or keynote ever could: the fear behind a decision, the doubt before a breakthrough, the ordinary humanity inside an extraordinary life. Each conversation moves through four territories: origins, interior moments of change, core values, and present direction. What emerges is not a leadership masterclass. It is something rarer: honest, unhurried conversation that reduces the distance between people and inspires listeners to step forward in their own lives. Season One features a former Chief Medical Officer, a Global Senior Partner at KPMG, a former Australian Ambassador, a former WHO Director, a leader of global energy sector, and an award-winning Australian conductor. For high-functioning professionals who value depth, joy, and purpose, and who have outgrown ordinary content.

Episodes

  1. Lewis McDonald, Global Leader of the Energy Sector — Four Songs, Three Continents, One Life.

    2d ago

    Lewis McDonald, Global Leader of the Energy Sector — Four Songs, Three Continents, One Life.

    Lewis McDonald is the Global Managing Partner, Energy Sector at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer — one of the most senior energy lawyers in the world, with a career built around some of the largest energy deals on the planet. In this episode of Crescendo Conversations, Lewis shares the four pieces of music that have shaped his identity, his career, and his life: Living on a Prayer (Bon Jovi), Private Universe (Crowded House), Best of You (Foo Fighters), and Everything in Its Right Place (Radiohead). We talk about what Lewis calls "cognitive athletes" — and why the way high-performing people think about pressure and recovery needs to change. We talk about an $11 billion energy deal in Mozambique, and what it actually meant for the people whose lives it touched. And partway through our conversation, Lewis picked up a guitar and played. Music credits: Living on a Prayer — written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child. Piano: Zen Zeng. Private Universe — written by Neil Finn. Performed live by Lewis McDonald. Best of You — written by Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett. Piano: Zen Zeng. Everything in Its Right Place — written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway. Piano: Zen Zeng. Crescendo Conversations is hosted and produced by Zen Zeng, concert pianist. To register your interest in upcoming Crescendo events and behind-the-scenes content, visit zenzeng.net/connect. #CrescendoConversations #CrescendowithZen

    1h 24m
  2. "It takes me straight back home." Martin Dougall on Dignity — the song that holds everything he was built on.

    Episode 2

    "It takes me straight back home." Martin Dougall on Dignity — the song that holds everything he was built on.

    Home. Family. Community. The belief that you build something slowly, and you build it right. Martin Dougall, Global Senior Partner in Forensic Solutions at KPMG, shares the song that has never left him — and the values that haven't either.

    1 min
  3. Who I Am Before the Title: Prof. Paul Kelly on Music, Family and a Life Well-Lived.

    May 19

    Who I Am Before the Title: Prof. Paul Kelly on Music, Family and a Life Well-Lived.

    Before he became Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly was a child who loved music. A son. A husband. A keen-fisherman. Someone who felt most alive in particular moments that had nothing to do with a title. In this first conversation of Crescendo Conversations, Prof. Paul Kelly shares four pieces of music that trace the full arc of a life — where he came from, what lit him up, what the weight of the pandemic revealed about him, and what music he is walking toward now. What emerges isn't a career retrospective. It's something far more interesting: a portrait of a person who has held enormous responsibility and remained, quietly, himself. This is a conversation about family, belonging, courage and hope, told through the only language that bypasses everything we've learned to perform. "Zen is a great conversationalist. I didn't know what to expect before the interview, and now I feel grounded, elated and honoured." — Prof. Paul Kelly Music credits:Clarinet Concerto in A, K622, Mov.II.   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Reginald Kell (clarinet), Zimbler Sinfonietta American Decca, recorded in 1950.   Mdidi Faith Mussa Used with permission   Spiegel im Spiegel (for violin and piano) Arvo Pärt George Vi (violin) & Zen Zeng (piano) Used with permission   Ave Maria Franz Schubert Claire Dux (soprano & piano) Parlophone Odeon Series, recorded in 1933.

    1h 6m
  4. WHY Crescendo Conversations?

    Episode 2

    WHY Crescendo Conversations?

    What are the four songs that shaped your life, career and identity?

    5 min
  5. "The Moment I Felt Most Alive" | Prof. Paul Kelly

    Episode 1

    "The Moment I Felt Most Alive" | Prof. Paul Kelly

    "Can we do that again?" In this teaser for Crescendo Conversations, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Paul Kelly, steps away from the podium to share the moments that define his vitality. From the birth of his children to a breathless, high-speed cycling descent through the Alps with his wife, Jenny, Paul discusses the power of being present. Full episode launches April 21, 2026.

    1 min

Trailers

About

Titles describe, music reveals. Crescendo Conversations is an interview series hosted by concert pianist and space-curator Zen Zeng, in which senior leaders share four pieces of music that shaped their identity, career, and life. In choosing four pieces, guests reveal something no CV or keynote ever could: the fear behind a decision, the doubt before a breakthrough, the ordinary humanity inside an extraordinary life. Each conversation moves through four territories: origins, interior moments of change, core values, and present direction. What emerges is not a leadership masterclass. It is something rarer: honest, unhurried conversation that reduces the distance between people and inspires listeners to step forward in their own lives. Season One features a former Chief Medical Officer, a Global Senior Partner at KPMG, a former Australian Ambassador, a former WHO Director, a leader of global energy sector, and an award-winning Australian conductor. For high-functioning professionals who value depth, joy, and purpose, and who have outgrown ordinary content.

Information

  • Creator
    Zen Zeng
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Zen Zeng. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Crescendo Conversations