Pianists Not Practicing

Chloe Weston

Welcome to Pianists Not Practicing — A biweekly show that catches classical pianists out in the wild - outside of the practice room (!!) - and spills all the juicy details about their lives. We dive into candid, unfiltered conversations with pianists at all stages of their careers—from seasoned pros to fresh-faced grads. OK fine, we’ll talk about practicing — let’s be real — but we’ll also get into everything else: the creative process, career twists and turns, mindset, body care, and all the behind-the-scenes realities of being a musician. So, whether you’re looking for inspiration, solidarity, or you just wanna hang out in the practice room hallway, talk shit, and avoid practice with us — you’re in the right place. We’re all in this together. Hosted by Canadian classical pianist, Chloe Weston You can keep up with Pianists Not Practicing on Instagram @ChloeWestonPianist and YouTube @ChloeWestonPianist

  1. 4d ago

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Montreal…with JULIANE GALLANT

    Part 1 Welcome to our episode with the dynamic pianist turned conductor Juliane Gallant. This is a monumental moment for pianists not practicing - our first episode with a conductor! This episode is an amazing origin story about an incredible musician who made her way from small town New Brunswick Canada all the way to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England, and back again to Canada - now settled in Montreal. She made her way through the world of solo piano, traversing into the world of collab piano, art song and opera, and she ultimately found her true calling conducting on the podium during a beautiful moment of destiny calling. In this episode we dive into the decisions and opportunities that have shaped her journey so far, and the skills and strengths that contribute to her success as a conductor. Her story is an amazing example of what can happen when you say yes to the signals and opportunities that are placed in your path - and the power of being open to possibility! Juliane’s positivity, energy and truly collaborative spirit shines through in this episode. I can’t wait for you to hear it! Check out Juliane’s work at www.julianegallant.com and follow her on insta @julianegallant ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Montreal…with JULIANE GALLANT
  2. Jul 9

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Calgary…with MARK LIMACHER

    Welcome to our episode with the incomparable Mark Limacher - composer, arranger, orchestrator, pianist (and chef extraordinaire) - who is back on pianists not practicing to celebrate our recording of the concerto that he wrote for me in 2025! One year after the premiere, we recap the recording of RUMINATIONS with Kensington Sinfonia in Calgary as part of Adam Zinatelli’s album (Principal Trumpet of the Calgary Phil!) by Leaf Music this fall. In this convo we dive into the joys and terrors of recording in the studio, his compositional process, and it would not be a convo with Mark unless it got very philosophical and existential - we answer all of your burning questions: what is the recording industry doing to us as artists? Will AI take over our jobs as musicians!? What does Beethoven have to do with writing new music now? Tune in to hear all of Mark’s thoughts on these questions and to hear a full recap of our week in Calgary recording his piano concerto! Watch the premiere here! Listen to this episode about the premiere of RUMINATIONS last year! A huge thank you to Adam Zinatelli for bringing us altogether to create this music for his album. Thank you to Gen Micheletti and Andrea Case and the members of Kensington Sinfonia and our additional orchestra members from the Calgary Phil for playing so beautifully and being such wonderful collaborators. Thank you to Timothy Steeves and James Clemens-Seely - our amazing recording team. And once again thank you to the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts for making this entire dream possible. Check out Mark’s work at www.marklimacher.com and follow him on insta @mark.limacher You can hear his latest album that he co-wrote and orchestrated: Caity Gyorgy with Strings ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Calgary…with MARK LIMACHER
  3. Jun 11

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Toronto…with KEVIN AHFAT

    Part 1 This episode with Kevin is filled with his signature spunky charisma as he shares with us his inspirations, triumphs and trials as a pianist freelancing in Toronto. Just check out this intro!: An artist that “leaves no question about his riveting presentation and technical finesse” (Seattle Times), Canadian pianist KEVIN AHFAT is acclaimed to be “poised to become one of the young heirs of the classical piano realm, with a bold, boundary-pushing, millennial style matched by refined execution” (Vanguard Seattle). Possessing “a balanced mix of expressiveness and virtuosity” (Musical America), he “summons plenty of thunderpower in the big moments, but clearly values musicianship over mere showmanship” (American Record Guide). I mean - lets go! In this episode we dive into what it takes to build an audience and a community around you that wants to support your work through genuine human connections, finding your own voice and pursuing opportunities that truly speak to you and inspire you, and my absolute favourite - how pacing yourself in your work, not just in practice, but in the long process of building a career - step by step - can have such an impact on your wellbeing and longevity in this field. Staying consistent in the small daily steps, and believing in the process of building slowly over time can lead us away from burnout and towards joy. Check out Kevin’s work at www.kevinahfat.com and follow him on insta @kevinahfat You can see the foldable keyboard Kevin loves here! ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Toronto…with KEVIN AHFAT
  4. May 14

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Toronto…with Dr. SHULAMIT MOR

    Part 1 Welcome to our episode with Dr. Shulamit Mor, a concert pianist who started her professional performance career at age 10. After concertizing internationally, she made a career transition to psychology, and focussed her research and clinical work on issues related to the performing arts. In addition to her work with performers of all kinds, she has conducted workshops on topics such as: performance anxiety, maximizing optimal performance, the pursuit of excellence, creative blocks, and the pedagogy of teaching music. Dr. Mor is an expert on mental rehearsal, performance anxiety, optimal performance and career transition. Her perspective through the lens of a performer and psychologist uniquely positions her to provide us with incredible insights and strategies as we pursue ease and joy on stage. She works with musicians in her private practice, as well as at the Mor Centre for Performance Psychology where she helps artists and performers flourish and thrive in their pursuit of excellence. This convo features her journey as a pianist, her transition to her profession as a psychologist, and is filled with strategies and new perspectives that we can adopt to help serve our artistry and strengthen our performance mindset. Check out the Mor Centre for Performance Psychology Check out her latest book chapter: Managing Psychological Disturbances in Performing Artists ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Toronto…with Dr. SHULAMIT MOR
  5. Apr 30

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Los Angeles…with TRACY WONG

    Welcome to our episode with the queen of creativity and innovation who truly does it all from performing, to teaching to administration - we explored her extremely varied and exciting career from her early days premiering with orchestra in Russia at the age of 9, to her current life-changing work with students at the Colburn school in Los Angeles as Assistant Director of Colburn’s Center for Innovation and Community Impact where she also teaches a course she created and entitled: The Enterprising Creative. Tracy is such an innovator whose creativity knows no bounds - she is always driven by curiosity and exploration - and this is reflected in her education as a double major in psychology and music as an undergrad, to her work now with students weaving together entrepreneurship and arts advocacy. I’m so excited for you to hear this convo because you will learn all about her approach to creating an aligned careerhow to be an advocate for the arts and evenhow to create your own elevator pitch (?!) So, if you’re in need of a little inspiration today - buckle up and enjoy! Follow Tracy on instagram: @artist.at.play Check out her website: www.tracywongpiano.com Check out the book Design Your Life ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Los Angeles…with TRACY WONG

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to Pianists Not Practicing — A biweekly show that catches classical pianists out in the wild - outside of the practice room (!!) - and spills all the juicy details about their lives. We dive into candid, unfiltered conversations with pianists at all stages of their careers—from seasoned pros to fresh-faced grads. OK fine, we’ll talk about practicing — let’s be real — but we’ll also get into everything else: the creative process, career twists and turns, mindset, body care, and all the behind-the-scenes realities of being a musician. So, whether you’re looking for inspiration, solidarity, or you just wanna hang out in the practice room hallway, talk shit, and avoid practice with us — you’re in the right place. We’re all in this together. Hosted by Canadian classical pianist, Chloe Weston You can keep up with Pianists Not Practicing on Instagram @ChloeWestonPianist and YouTube @ChloeWestonPianist

You Might Also Like