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

Overview
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 music

Hey, 🎹 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

Official Trailer ✅ "Between Worlds" Mirna Lekić on Cultural Crossings, Sonic Identity, and the Art of Connection
DEC 7, 2025
Official Trailer ✅ "Between Worlds" Mirna Lekić on Cultural Crossings, Sonic Identity, and the Art of Connection
<p>Here is the <strong>TRAILER — Between Worlds: From Sarajevo to New York: A Conversation on Cultural Crossings, Sonic Identity, and the Art of Connection feat. Mirna Lekić</strong></p><p>This week on <em>The Piano Pod</em>, I sit down with pianist and champion of new music <strong>Mirna Lekić</strong> for a conversation that moves between cultures, sound worlds, and the deeper layers of artistic identity. From Sarajevo to New York, we explore cultural crossings, sonic imagination, and the power of music to connect and ground us.</p><p>✨ <strong>The full episode drops this Tuesday, December 9 at 8pm ET</strong> — and I’d love for you to join us.</p><p>📺 <strong>Set Reminder for </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/k4c2rTiXswQ?si=oMOP9kqoX_y2Ykhf"><strong>the YouTube Premiere</strong></a></p><p>🎧 <strong>Audio episode will be available </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/"><strong>everywhere</strong></a><strong> simultaneously</strong></p><p>📝 <strong>Learn more about Mirna and her album <em>MIRAGE</em> on </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-mirna-lekic?r=2q1iy3&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web"><strong>Substack</strong></a> </p><p>See you on Tuesday for a powerful conversation on cultural crossings, sonic identity, and the art of connection.</p>
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1 MIN
Bonus Episode: Introducing the Zainichi Music Project
NOV 23, 2025
Bonus Episode: Introducing the Zainichi Music Project
<p>Happy Thanksgiving! In this bonus episode, I’m sharing something deeply personal — a part of my identity I’ve rarely spoken about publicly. I am a third-generation Zainichi Korean, born and raised in Japan, and I’m finally stepping into that history through a new creative initiative called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nyfa.org/projects/project-info/?id=YS2055"><strong>The Zainichi Music Project</strong></a>, now sponsored by the <strong>New York Foundation for the Arts</strong>.</p><p>This episode marks the beginning of that journey — a project that will grow into a living archive of research, new music commissions, recordings, interviews, and documentary work.</p><p><strong>In this episode, I talk about:</strong></p><ul><li>What the word <strong>Zainichi</strong> actually means,</li><li>How Japanese colonial rule — not immigration — brought our community into Japan,</li><li>How postwar restructuring and the San Francisco Peace Treaty left Zainichi Koreans stateless,</li><li>What it meant to be born and raised in a country that never fully recognized us as citizens,</li><li>And why this project is my way of honoring our history, resilience, and creative legacy.</li></ul><p>For those who want to go deeper, please read my Substack essay, <strong>“</strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/p/reclaiming-voice-through-sound"><strong>Behind the Mic: Reclaiming Voice Through Sound</strong></a><strong>,”</strong> where I share more about my experience growing up Zainichi.</p><p>Thank you for listening — and for being part of The Piano Pod community. If you’d like to follow this new project, you can subscribe to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://zainichimusicproject.substack.com/">Substack</a> and follow @zainichimusicproject on Instagram and TikTok.</p><p>More soon, and thank you for supporting this next chapter.</p>
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6 MIN
The Embodied Pianist: Elena Riu on Presence, Breath, and Artistic Freedom
NOV 19, 2025
The Embodied Pianist: Elena Riu on Presence, Breath, and Artistic Freedom
<p>In this episode of The Piano Pod, I sit down with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://elenariu.co.uk/">Elena Riu</a> — pianist, groundbreaking recording artist, educator, and yoga/mindfulness teacher — whose work has reshaped how we think about artistry, embodiment, and the future of piano performance. Elena has long been a force of quiet revolution. </p><p>Long before conversations about inclusivity and expanded repertoire entered the mainstream, she was commissioning bold new works, centering Latin-American and women composers, and exploring how breath, movement, and somatic awareness can transform the way we play and teach music. </p><p>This conversation travels across the full spectrum of her artistry — from embodied performance to cultural identity, from the menstrual cycle as a source of creativity to breaking nineteenth-century norms about who pianists should be and what they should play. If you’ve ever wondered how breath shapes sound, how identity shapes expression, or how artists can create courageously beyond convention, this is a conversation you won’t forget. </p><p>[Explore Elena’s Work] </p><p>Salsa Nueva — Score (16-piece anthology): </p><ul><li>📘 Purchase on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.stretta-music.net/riu-salsa-nueva-nr-160104.html?afl=068b6803d8c65693dd415198db4aa5e3">Stretta</a></li><li>📘 Purchase on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/products/7191313--salsa-nueva">Presto Music</a> </li></ul><p>Salsa Nueva — Album (with Latin percussionist Wilmer Sifontes): </p><ul><li>🎧 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://somm-recordings.com/recording/salsa-nueva-vibrant-salsa-meets-classical-piano-music/">SOMM Recordings</a></li></ul><p>Out of the Blues / R&amp;B Collection — Score: </p><ul><li>📘 Purchase on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/products/7187313--elena-rius-r-b-collection">Presto Music</a> </li></ul><p>Piano Icons for the 21st Century (Linn Records):</p><ul><li>🎧 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Piano-Icons-21st-Century-Elena/dp/B00NG39MCU">Amazon</a> </li></ul><p>🌐 Elena’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://elenariu.co.uk/">Website</a></p><p>✨ If you enjoyed this episode… </p><ul><li>Please like, comment, and subscribe — it truly helps our community grow. </li><li>Follow The Piano Pod on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/ThePianoPod">social media </a>for more conversations at the intersection of creativity, connection, and the evolving world of classical music. </li><li>📝 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-elena-riu-pianist?r=2q1iy3">My blog</a> on Elena &amp; her album Salsa Nueva: </li><li>🎵 Listen to our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa">Sounds of Inspiration</a> – Piano Works from Season 6 Playlist </li></ul><p>Thank you for listening — and for supporting a space where artists can be fully themselves. </p><p>#ThePianoPod #Season6 #ElenaRiu #EmbodiedMusician #EmbodiedPianist #ClassicalMusic #Piano #SalsaNueva #MindfulnessForMusicians #Somatics #YogaForMusicians #NewMusic #LatinAmericanComposers #CreativeCourage #PianistLife</p>
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92 MIN
Official Trailer ✅:  "The Embodied Pianist" Pianist Elena Riu on Presence, Breath, and Artistic Freedom
NOV 17, 2025
Official Trailer ✅: "The Embodied Pianist" Pianist Elena Riu on Presence, Breath, and Artistic Freedom
<p>Get ready for our next episode of The Piano Pod: The Embodied Pianist with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://elenariu.co.uk/"><strong>Elena Riu</strong></a> — pianist, groundbreaking recording artist, educator, and yoga/mindfulness teacher.</p><p>In this powerful conversation, we explore embodied performance, somatics, breath, creativity, cultural identity, and even the menstrual cycle as a source of artistic insight. Elena’s work challenges long-held assumptions about what pianists should play, how they should train, and how the body shapes sound.</p><p>In this episode, Elena and I talk about:</p><ul><li>✅ Her journey from Venezuela to the UK — and how navigating multiple identities shaped her artistry</li><li>✅ The creation of Salsa Nueva and the importance of commissioning new works</li><li>✅ What it means to challenge 19th-century biases about repertoire and artistic identity</li><li>✅ Her work as an embodied pianist and how somatics, breath, and movement transform playing</li><li>✅ Collaboration with dancers, visual artists, poets, and composers</li><li>✅ Why she opens taboo conversations like creativity and the menstrual cycle among biologically female performers</li></ul><p>🎬 Set a reminder for the premiere tomorrow at 8 pm ET: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/exIQxYGbQw8">https://youtu.be/exIQxYGbQw8 </a></p><p>🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to the audio episode (Spotify, Apple, Amazon &amp; more) available tomorrow, November 18 at 8:00pm ET: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/">https://rss.com/podcasts/the-piano-pod/ </a></p><p>📝 Read my full review of Elena’s groundbreaking album Salsa Nueva on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-elena-riu-pianist?r=2q1iy3&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=true">Substack </a></p><p><strong>#ThePianoPod</strong> <strong>#Season6</strong> <strong>#ElenaRiu</strong> <strong>#EmbodiedPianist</strong> <strong>#SalsaNueva</strong> <strong>#LatinAmericanMusic</strong> <strong>#NewMusic</strong> <strong>#ContemporaryPiano</strong> <strong>#SteinwayArtist</strong> <strong>#WomenInMusic</strong> <strong>#Somatics</strong> <strong>#MusiciansHealth</strong> <strong>#ClassicalMusicReimagined</strong></p>
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1 MIN
"This Is Jazz" 🎹 Pianist & Educator Quentin Walston on Jazz for Everyone
NOV 12, 2025
"This Is Jazz" 🎹 Pianist & Educator Quentin Walston on Jazz for Everyone
<p>🎶✨ <strong>What if jazz could be taught as naturally as language—where freedom, creativity, and collaboration drive learning?</strong></p><p>Welcome to <em>Season 6, Episode 5</em> of <em>The Piano Pod</em>, featuring <strong>Quentin Walston</strong> — pianist, composer, educator, and founder of <em>This Is Jazz™</em>. In this conversation, we explore how Quentin bridges performance, pedagogy, and entrepreneurship through his acclaimed book <em>How to Teach Jazz &amp; Improvisation</em> and his growing online platform empowering educators worldwide.</p><p>In our talk, Quentin shares: </p><ul><li>✅ His mission to make jazz approachable for every student </li><li>✅ How his book helps teachers with little or no jazz background start confidently </li><li>✅ Turning small classroom moments into creative breakthroughs </li><li>✅ Building a thriving online community for jazz educators </li><li>✅ Balancing artistry and business as a modern musician </li><li>✅ His personal journey — from discovering jazz as a child to releasing his album <em>Retro Future</em></li></ul><p>👉 Stay tuned until the end for rapid-fire fun and key insights on creativity, confidence, and cultivating joy through improvisation.</p><p>🎼 <strong>Explore Quentin’s Work</strong> </p><ul><li>🌐 Website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://quentinwalston.com">quentinwalston.com</a> </li><li>📘 Book: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://thisisjazz.com/book"><em>How to Teach Jazz &amp; Improvisation</em></a> </li><li>🎵 Platform: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://thisisjazz.com"><em>This Is Jazz</em></a> </li><li>💿 Album: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://quentinwalston.com/music"><em>Retro Future</em></a></li></ul><p>🎧 <strong>The Piano Pod</strong> 💖 Subscribe or unlock exclusive content: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thepianopod.substack.com">thepianopod.substack.com</a> 🎵 Listen to our <em>Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6</em> playlist: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa">YouTube Playlist</a> 📫 Join our newsletter: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://bit.ly/40kiukh">Sign Up</a></p><p>Stay Connected: </p><ul><li>🌐 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://thepianopod.com">thepianopod.com</a> </li><li>🚨 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linktr.ee/thepianopod">linktr.ee/thepianopod</a> </li><li>📱 Instagram: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/thepianopod">@thepianopod</a> </li><li>😃 Facebook: <a target="_new" rel="noopener" class="decorated-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/thepianopod">@thepianopod</a> </li><li>⏳ TikTok: @thepianopod</li></ul>
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72 MIN