Meet Anna Shelest!

Sorel Classics recently released a new album from pianist Anna Shelest. We frequently feature Anna and her husband Dmitri on WGUC, and we’re always excited to receive their latest recordings. Anna performs solo repertoire for this album, which includes music by women composers. I had the privilege of chatting with her not long after the album’s release and she told me how the idea for this disc first came about.


She enjoyed the process of narrowing down the repertoire to include on the album.

Anna went on to explain the significance of the album’s title, Donna Voce.

She finds inspiration from women musicians of the past.

It’s certainly easier being a woman musician in 2019 than in the nineteenth century!

I was curious how she first came to play the piano.
 

And of course, I had to ask what she enjoys doing when she’s not playing the piano (my favorite question!)
 

Tune to 90.9 WGUC to hear the latest from Anna Shelest, including her Donna Voce album.

Interview with Anthony McGill

Many of you may remember Anthony McGill from when he served as Associate Principal Clarinetist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra back in the early 2000s. You also may have seen him perform at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009. He currently holds the Principal Clarinet position with the New York Philharmonic and appears frequently as a soloist with North America’s top orchestras. Mr. McGill was kind enough to carve a few minutes out of his busy schedule to chat with me about his latest release on the Cedille label that he recorded alongside his brother Demarre
McGill, Principal Flutist with the Seattle Symphony. He told me how this new album came about.


He went on to talk about how he and his brother first came to play music.


This album contains two world premiere recordings that were both written for the McGill brothers.



I asked him to share a few interesting tidbits about these new works.



Of course, I had to ask if he was a fan of WGUC during his time living in Cincinnati!



While living in Cincinnati, he came to discover his favorite pastime (besides clarinet, of course!)


Be sure to tune to 90.9 WGUC for the latest from Anthony McGill! You won’t be disappointed.

Meet Stephen Baum

Over the past several months, we’ve taken the time to meet several of WGUC’s on-air hosts. There is quite a bit involved with running a radio station beyond the personalities you hear each day. For instance, Cincinnati Public Radio has a full-time Master Recording Engineer whose job it is to record local performances to be used on air. Have you ever heard a broadcast on 90.9 from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra? Or what about the May Festival Chorus, Cincinnati Opera, Linton Music Series, or the Vocal Arts Ensemble? You owe the recording and production credit for these outstanding broadcasts to Stephen Baum. Learn a little more about Stephen below, in an interview I had with him back in 2018.