The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music
The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music

The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music

Yukimi Song

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Episodes

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...where tradition meets innovation. Together, we bring PIANO into the FUTURE.a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano musicHey, 🎹 enthusiasts out there! My name is Yukimi, a classical pianist and educator from NYC and executive producer of The Piano Pod. The Piano Pod🎙 is a one-of-a-kind podcast that delves deep into the fascinating world of classical music, with a specific focus on the 🎹 piano. In a biweekly format, the show explores intriguing discussions with guests breaking exciting new ground in the classical music industry. The Piano Pod aims to nurture a thriving community that embraces innovative approaches to ensure classical music's relevance and vitality in today's dynamic landscape."How can I present the beautiful tradition of classical music to the 21st-century audience in a fun, contemporary, and engaging way?"When I started building a piano studio in the trendy neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan in 2007 while in the NYU graduate program in piano studies, I began to ponder this question. I realized the stark difference in expectations toward classical music and music education between music professionals and the general public. Then, one of the NYU music department's professors suggested I start a podcast: the platform would allow classical musicians to address this disparity and spark conversations about audience engagement.Finally, fast forward to 10+ years later, The Piano Pod was born in the summer of 2020. Since then, I have had the privilege of interviewing A-listers in the classical music industry: international concert pianists, composers, arrangers, digital streamers/influencers, music educators, entrepreneurs, neurodiverse specialists, and performance psychologists.Through fascinating conversations, we have explored how classical music should continue to evolve to remain relevant to our lifestyle, society, and culture. Over the past three seasons, The Piano Pod has achieved remarkable success by reaching faithful listeners on audio platforms and viewers via YouTube.As the show is celebrating the past season's achievements and gearing toward the new season in the fall, my mission as the Executive Producer is crystal clear: to provide a platform for classical musicians and educators to reflect and discuss ways to keep our industry robust and meaningful in this ever-changing world and move it forward in the post-pandemic era.🔗Follow TPP on social media accounts to get the latest news about 🎹.Thanks for listening♥️🎹

Recent Episodes

Schubert Now: Storytelling, Connection, and the Road to the 2028 Bicentennial
JAN 14, 2026
Schubert Now: Storytelling, Connection, and the Road to the 2028 Bicentennial
<p>In this episode of <em>The Piano Pod</em>, host Yukimi Song sits down with concert pianist and recording artist <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-ammiel-bushakevitz?r=2q1iy3&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web"><strong>Ammiel Bushakevitz</strong></a> for a wide-ranging conversation on Franz Schubert, the German Lied tradition, and what makes 19th-century music speak powerfully to 21st-century audiences.</p><p>Ammiel shares insights from his major long-term projects, including <strong>Schubert 200</strong> — a multi-album Lied collaboration building toward Schubert’s bicentennial in 2028 — and his ongoing recording of <strong>Schubert’s complete solo piano works</strong>. We explore intimacy versus scale, collaboration between singer and pianist, audience-building for a new generation, and why Schubert’s music remains profoundly human and relevant today.</p><p>🎧 <strong>Note:</strong> This <strong>video episode concludes around the 51-minute mark</strong>. The <strong>audio version continues further</strong>, with additional reflections on collaboration, teaching, empathy, and artistic legacy. Find the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts.<strong>🎹 Meet Our Guest — Ammiel Bushakevitz</strong></p><ul><li>📝 <strong>Read </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-ammiel-bushakevitz?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;utm_medium=web"><strong>the blog post</strong></a><strong> exploring Ammiel’s artistry and his approach to Schubert</strong></li></ul><p><strong>About Ammiel: </strong>Concert pianist, recording artist, and one of today’s leading interpreters of Schubert and the German Lied tradition. Ammiel performs internationally across six continents and is also the Artistic Director of <strong>Les Voix d’Orphée</strong>, an organization dedicated to song, education, and cultural exchange.</p><ul><li>🔗 Learn more about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bushakevitz.com">Ammiel Bushakevitz</a></li><li>🎧 Listen to all the pieces mentioned during the episode <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa">here</a></li></ul><p><strong>🎧 THE PIANO POD</strong></p><ul><li>💖 <strong>Become a VIP Member / Unlock exclusive content </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com"><strong>HERE.</strong></a></li><li>📫 <strong>Join </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe/"><strong>our newsletter</strong></a><strong>!</strong></li><li>🌐 <strong>Website:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.com"> https://thepianopod.com </a>📱</li><li> <strong>Follow:</strong> IG @thepianopod | FB @thepianopod | TikTok @thepianopod </li><li>🔗 <strong>Linktree:</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/thepianopod"> https://linktr.ee/thepianopod</a></li></ul>
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86 MIN
Extra from Season 6 — The World of Microvids feat. Stefania de Kenessey
DEC 31, 2025
Extra from Season 6 — The World of Microvids feat. Stefania de Kenessey
<p>To close out 2025, The Piano Pod brings you a special year-end bonus episode featuring composer and storyteller <strong>Stefania De Kenessey</strong>. Earlier this season, we explored her MICROVIDS project; today, Stefania takes us behind the scenes of another major undertaking: her opera <em>The Bonfire of the Vanities</em>, based on Tom Wolfe’s iconic novel.</p><p>In this conversation, Stefania reflects on the creative risks, structural challenges, and artistic values behind adapting a 700-page book for the operatic stage. She shares insights on distillation, libretti, character reimagining, and the emotional stakes of composing—offering a rare look at how large-scale musical works take shape.</p><p>You’ll hear Stefania discuss:</p><ul><li>Transforming a sprawling novel into a cohesive opera</li><li>The unique demands of crafting a focused, effective libretto</li><li>Reimagining characters and narrative power dynamics</li><li>What music can unveil that prose alone cannot</li><li>Choosing a darker, more pointed ending</li><li>The exhilarating—and sometimes brutal—reality of composing</li></ul><p>ICYMI: Revisit our full episode on <strong>MICROVIDS</strong> in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.com/the-world-of-microvids-%25f0%259f%258e%25b6-composer-stefania-de-kenessey-on-music-poetry-love/"><strong>Season 6, Episode 3</strong></a></p><p>This episode is a thoughtful reminder that music is not only a craft, but a conviction. Stefania’s perspective highlights how storytelling, ethics, and imagination intersect in contemporary composition.</p><p><strong>Thank you for being part of The Piano Pod community this year.</strong> We return on <strong>January 13, 2026,</strong> with a brand-new episode to kick off the new year.</p>
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18 MIN
Extra from Season 6 — Mada & Hugh Piano Duo on Creativity & Connection
DEC 24, 2025
Extra from Season 6 — Mada & Hugh Piano Duo on Creativity & Connection
<p>✨ <em>Happy Holidays, friends!</em></p><p>This extra segment comes from Season 6, Episode 2 with the award-winning <strong>Mada &amp; Hugh Piano Duo.</strong> Our conversation ran longer than expected, and while this part didn’t make it into the final episode, I couldn’t keep it from you — it’s just too good.</p><p>In this excerpt, Mada &amp; Hugh open up about creativity in its purest form:</p><ul><li>How hobbies and play can recharge us</li><li>Why music connects us beyond perfection</li><li>What it means to reclaim our humanity in an age of technology and AI</li><li>The joy of making music without judgment or pressure</li></ul><p>Their reflections feel like the perfect reminder for this season: creativity is not about perfection, but about presence, freedom, and connection.</p><p>🎧 <strong>Enjoy this bonus episode with Mada and Hugh!</strong> </p><p>Explore More from Mada &amp; Hugh</p><p>📖 Read my blog about their YouTube vlogs: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/p/2d88acbe-bbd0-42a1-aa13-5bc2f0e88a5d">Meet Our Guest: Mada &amp; Hugh</a> Website: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.madahugh.com/">madahugh.com</a> YouTube: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/@madahughpianoduo">@madahughpianoduo</a></p><p>🎬 Listen to the original episode released in September 2025: <em>Four Hands, Boundless Creativity — Mada &amp; Hugh Piano Duo</em> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/2193598/">here</a>.</p><p>💖 Support <em>The Piano Pod</em></p><ul><li>Subscribe to our <em>Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6</em> playlist: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa">Click here</a></li><li>Subscribe to our newsletter: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe">https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe</a></li><li>Website: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://thepianopod.com">thepianopod.com</a></li><li>Social Media: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/thepianopod">linktr.ee/thepianopod</a> </li><li>Listen on all podcast platforms: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://linktr.ee/ThePianoPodAudio">linktr.ee/ThePianoPodAudio</a></li></ul>
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23 MIN
Bells of Nagasaki — Anli Lin Tong on Faith, Lineage, and the Artist’s Callin
DEC 17, 2025
Bells of Nagasaki — Anli Lin Tong on Faith, Lineage, and the Artist’s Callin
<p>What does a piano recital have to do with war, faith, and forgiveness?</p><p>In this episode of <strong>The Piano Pod</strong>, pianist and educator <strong>Anli Lin Tong</strong> shares the story behind <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://easyreadernews.com/in-nagasaki-cathedral-bells-ring-again-after-80-years-st-john-fishers-church-marks-the-occasion-with-a-concert/"><strong>Bells of Nagasaki: Music for Contemplation</strong></a>—a profoundly moving concert created for the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.</p><p>What began as a single song her father used to sing—<em>The Bells of Nagasaki</em>—became a powerful act of remembrance, shaped by the legacy of <strong>Dr. Takashi Nagai</strong>, a survivor who transformed unimaginable loss into a life devoted to peace.</p><p>This conversation moves beyond repertoire and performance into questions rarely asked in classical music:</p><p>• What responsibility does an artist carry when history is still unresolved? • How does sound hold memory when words fail?</p><p>From the history of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://chroniclet.com/news/441023/the-bomb-and-the-bell-a-story-of-two-tolls/"><strong>Urakami Cathedral’s bells</strong></a>, silenced for decades, to Anli’s own journey—moving to the U.S. alone as a child, studying with legendary teachers, and carrying artistic lineage forward—this episode reveals how music can become a moral witness.</p><p>It’s a conversation about remembrance, responsibility, and the quiet power of sound to hold history—and humanity—together.</p><p><strong>Learn More About Anli Lin Tong</strong></p><ul><li>📝 Read <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-anli-lin-tong-concert?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;utm_medium=web">my blog </a>exploring Anli’s artistry and work</li><li>📰 <strong>Press Coverage: </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://easyreadernews.com/in-nagasaki-cathedral-bells-ring-again-after-80-years-st-john-fishers-church-marks-the-occasion-with-a-concert/"><strong><em>Bells of Nagasaki: Music for Contemplation</em></strong></a><strong><em> </em></strong></li><li>🎓 <strong>Juilliard Feature </strong>The Juilliard School highlights Anli’s writing on her teacher <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.juilliard.edu/news/143761/honoring-beloved-teacher"><strong>Mieczysław Munz</strong></a>: </li></ul><p><strong>🎹 THE PIANO POD</strong></p><ul><li>🎵 Subscribe to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa">Season 6 Piano Playlis</a>t — a collection of every piano work mentioned throughout the episodes: </li><li>💖 Become a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com">VIP Member</a> or unlock exclusive content: </li><li>📫 Join<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe/"> our newsletter:</a></li><li>🌐 Website:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.com"> https://thepianopod.com </a>📱 IG: @thepianopod | FB: @thepianopod | TikTok: @thepianopod 🔗 Linktree:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/thepianopod"> https://linktr.ee/thepianopod</a></li></ul>
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94 MIN