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Welcome to From A Cellist's Perspective - The Podcast! The podcast dedicated to tackling the big issues facing young professionals and music students as they make their way in the classical music industry. In this series, we'll be delving deeper into the issues that matter most to you.
So give it a listen and subscribe and get the answers you've been searching for.
Episode #1
Conor Gricmanis: Challenging misconceptions and bullying
Baroque violinist, Conor Gricmanis talks to me about life as a Baroque violinist: challenging popular misconceptions surrounding historical performance, overcoming bullying at music college and breaking the stigma of being a "problematic student".
Episode #2
John Shortell: Keeping women safe in our industry
I talk to Head of Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion for the Musicians' Union about the problems facing women in the music industry. What is our Union is doing to keep us safe? including details of their Safe Space Scheme, gaslighting and the changes their hoping to make to government legislation.
Episode #3
Heidi Parsons: Treat your body like an Olympian
Sports massage therapist Heidi Parsons talks to me about how musicians can look after their bodies in a better and healthier way! As audition season looms, we can often forget to carve out time for our health focusing solely on our practice and our instruments but what's the lasting impact this has on our careers?
Episode #4
Roger Wilson: Black Lives in Music
This week I talk to Black Lives in Music, Director of Operations, Roger Wilson about the problems facing Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse people in the music industry. What role does education take in changing attitudes? What can musician's do if they're facing discrimination in the work place? And what can those of us who haven't faced discrimination because of the colour of our skin do to become allies to those who have.
Episode #5
Brompton Quartet: The Art of Quartet Playing
How do you bridge the gap between student and graduate quartet? How do you make it financially viable? How do you prioritise your other commitments? This week I sit down with the Brompton Quartet to talk about the inner workings of quartet life. Getting the crucial answers to those all important questions.
The Musicians
Calyssa Davidson
Award-winning American violinist Calyssa Davidson is a versatile artist whose wide range of interests has led her to perform throughout the world with major orchestras, bands, in musicals, and record solo violin for several feature and independent films as well as television including the BBC.
Along with performing in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, and Wigmore Hall, Davidson has led recording sessions at Abbey Road, Air Edel, and Angel Studios and has recorded the solo violin score for the BBC TWO documentary series The Story of China and wrote and recorded the solo violin scores for the BBC TWO documentary Normandy ’44: The Battle Beyond D-Day and BBC FOUR documentary Shakespeare’s Mother: The Secret Life of a Tudor Woman. She can also be heard on the Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance soundtrack from the LIFETIME original movie with the same title.
Davidson has been featured on soundtracks for various video games, trailers, and adverts and has performed alongside Grammy-award winner Rick Springfield, Alfie Boe, and Rick Wakeman. She can also be seen in Springfield’s music video, Christmas With You.
Most recently, Davidson was solo violinist for Tim Firth's (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots) new musical Now Is Good at the Storyhouse Theatre, which earned a 4-star review in The Guardian. Within the last year, Davidson has also been the solo violinist for the West End premiere of the musical Broken Wings and co-led the 29-piece orchestra at the London Coliseum for the world premiere of Rumi: The Musical.
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ZOLLINO
ZOLLINO is a British composer.
His music has been widely performed in the UK at the CBSO Centre, Leeds Lieder Festival, and Royal College of Music, among others; internationally in Germany, the US, and Japan; and broadcast on Amazon Prime Video, ITV, and Transmission RoundHouse.
He is currently undertaking doctoral research in composition at the Royal College of Music under the supervision of Alison Kay and Diana Salazar, supported by the Frank Bridge Studentship and the Kit and John Gander Award. His research into generative, modular, and reactive compositional systems are explored within a series of new works, Constellations. He also holds a Master of Composition (MComp) with Distinction from the Royal College of Music, and a Bachelor of Music (BMus) in Composition with First Class Honours from the London College of Music, supported by the Nina Williams Scholarship.
Recent works include Hydra for voices and orchestra, written for the Gulbenkian Orchestra as part of the enoa workshop Composing for Voices and Orchestra, mentored by Kaija Saariaho and supported by Britten Pears Arts, received its world premiere in Lisbon, July 2022; and Lynceus, written for the Hermes Experiment, was workshopped at the RMA Student Conference in Plymouth, January 2022.
He has taught music privately and in schools across London and the US since 2013.
Meera Priyanka Raja
British-Indian cellist Meera Priyanka Raja studied at the RCM supported by the Musicians’
Company Help Musicians UK. She is currently a Musician’s Company Young Artist.
As a soloist and chamber musician, Meera has performed across the country and Europe in
venues including the Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall. Her experience in Indian Classical
Music has led her to play on the album, ‘Essence of Raga Tala.’
Meera regularly performs with Her Ensemble, Chineke! Orchestra as well as theatre productions in
the West End. She loves exploring new works and enjoys doing so with the London Sinfonietta.
Meera was recently principal cellist with the South Asian Symphony Orchestra.