Season 5 Episode 12: "Blurred Boundaries: Classical Meets Jazz" feat. Ophelia Gordon, Concert Pianist & Recording Artist
FEB 26, 2025105 MIN
Season 5 Episode 12: "Blurred Boundaries: Classical Meets Jazz" feat. Ophelia Gordon, Concert Pianist & Recording Artist
FEB 26, 2025105 MIN
Description
<p>📣 This Episode is Brought to You by the New York Piano Group. Find Your Piano Community with the New York Piano Group!<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.newyorkpianogroup.org/"> 🔗 Learn more </a></p><p>🎶 <strong>Can a composer truly belong to both the jazz and classical worlds?</strong></p><p>In this episode of <em>The Piano Pod</em>, we sit down with concert pianist and recording artist <strong>Ophelia Gordon</strong>, a leading interpreter of <strong>Nikolai Kapustin’s</strong> music. Known for her seamless fusion of classical technique with jazz freedom, Ophelia shares her journey of <strong>trusting her instincts, finding her voice, and redefining musical boundaries</strong>.</p><p><strong>Topics We Explore:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Trusting Yourself</strong> – The journey of self-discovery and staying authentic in a field rooted in tradition. </li><li><strong>Kapustin’s Legacy</strong> – The ongoing debate: Is his music jazz or classical? </li><li><strong>Improvisation & Freedom</strong> – How Ophelia brings spontaneity into structured compositions. </li><li><strong>Musical Identity & Influence</strong> – Growing up in a jazz-loving household, training in classical music, and even studying at the BRIT school. </li><li><strong>Bridging Two Musical Worlds</strong> – Creating jazz-style lead sheets for Kapustin’s etudes, inviting improvisation into his structured compositions. </li><li><strong>Finding Kapustin in a Time of Crisis</strong> – How discovering his music became pivotal in her life. </li><li><strong>Upcoming Album: <em>Between the Lines</em></strong> – Behind the scenes of her all-Kapustin recording, set for release in <strong>Fall 2025</strong>.</li></ul><p><strong>Watch exclusive excerpts of Ophelia’s performances of Kapustin’s works throughout the episode!</strong></p><p>What do you think—<strong>is Kapustin more jazz or classical?</strong> How do you define authenticity as a musician? Drop your thoughts in the comments!</p><p>[Ophelia Gordon - Pianist, Recording Artist, and Leading Kapustin Interpreter]<strong> </strong></p><ul><li>📸 Instagram & TikTok: @OpheliaGordon </li><li>🌍 Website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://OpheliaGordon.com">OpheliaGordon.com</a></li></ul><p>[The Piano Pod]</p><p><strong>💖 </strong>Subscribe for free or unlock <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe">exclusive materials </a>with a paid subscription.</p><p><strong>🎗️ Support Our Work: </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bit.ly/3EsvRDg">Make a donation</a></p><p><strong>🎵 Subscribe to our </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bit.ly/405Wd8e"><em>Sounds of Inspiration</em></a><em> (</em>all the music and piano pieces mentioned during our conversations)</p><p><strong>Stay Connected:</strong></p><ul><li>Latest News: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/thepianopod">https://linktr.ee/thepianopod</a><strong> </strong></li><li>Website:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.com"> https://thepianopod.com </a>📱 Instagram: @thepianopod </li><li>Facebook:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://facebook.com/ThePianoPod"> </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://facebook.com/ThePianoPodNYC">https://facebook.com/ThePianoPodNYC</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://facebook.com/ThePianoPod"> </a></li><li>TikTok: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://tiktok.com/@thepianopod">@thepianopod</a> </li></ul><p>#Kapustin #Jazz #ClassicalPiano #Pianists #ClassicalPianists #JazzPianist #MusicIdentity #Improvisation</p>
![<description><p>📣 This Episode is Brought to You by the New York Piano Group. Find Your Piano Community with the New York Piano Group!<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.newyorkpianogroup.org/"> 🔗 Learn more </a></p><p>🎶 <strong>Can a composer truly belong to both the jazz and classical worlds?</strong></p><p>In this episode of <em>The Piano Pod</em>, we sit down with concert pianist and recording artist <strong>Ophelia Gordon</strong>, a leading interpreter of <strong>Nikolai Kapustin’s</strong> music. Known for her seamless fusion of classical technique with jazz freedom, Ophelia shares her journey of <strong>trusting her instincts, finding her voice, and redefining musical boundaries</strong>.</p><p><strong>Topics We Explore:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Trusting Yourself</strong> – The journey of self-discovery and staying authentic in a field rooted in tradition. </li><li><strong>Kapustin’s Legacy</strong> – The ongoing debate: Is his music jazz or classical? </li><li><strong>Improvisation &amp; Freedom</strong> – How Ophelia brings spontaneity into structured compositions. </li><li><strong>Musical Identity &amp; Influence</strong> – Growing up in a jazz-loving household, training in classical music, and even studying at the BRIT school. </li><li><strong>Bridging Two Musical Worlds</strong> – Creating jazz-style lead sheets for Kapustin’s etudes, inviting improvisation into his structured compositions. </li><li><strong>Finding Kapustin in a Time of Crisis</strong> – How discovering his music became pivotal in her life. </li><li><strong>Upcoming Album: <em>Between the Lines</em></strong> – Behind the scenes of her all-Kapustin recording, set for release in <strong>Fall 2025</strong>.</li></ul><p><strong>Watch exclusive excerpts of Ophelia’s performances of Kapustin’s works throughout the episode!</strong></p><p>What do you think—<strong>is Kapustin more jazz or classical?</strong> How do you define authenticity as a musician? Drop your thoughts in the comments!</p><p>[Ophelia Gordon - Pianist, Recording Artist, and Leading Kapustin Interpreter]<strong> </strong></p><ul><li>📸 Instagram &amp; TikTok: @OpheliaGordon </li><li>🌍 Website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://OpheliaGordon.com">OpheliaGordon.com</a></li></ul><p>[The Piano Pod]</p><p><strong>💖 </strong>Subscribe for free or unlock <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe">exclusive materials </a>with a paid subscription.</p><p><strong>🎗️ Support Our Work: </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bit.ly/3EsvRDg">Make a donation</a></p><p><strong>🎵 Subscribe to our </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bit.ly/405Wd8e"><em>Sounds of Inspiration</em></a><em> (</em>all the music and piano pieces mentioned during our conversations)</p><p><strong>Stay Connected:</strong></p><ul><li>Latest News: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/thepianopod">https://linktr.ee/thepianopod</a><strong> </strong></li><li>Website:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.com"> https://thepianopod.com </a>📱 Instagram: @thepianopod </li><li>Facebook:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://facebook.com/ThePianoPod"> </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://facebook.com/ThePianoPodNYC">https://facebook.com/ThePianoPodNYC</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://facebook.com/ThePianoPod"> </a></li><li>TikTok: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://tiktok.com/@thepianopod">@thepianopod</a> </li></ul><p>#Kapustin #Jazz #ClassicalPiano #Pianists #ClassicalPianists #JazzPianist #MusicIdentity #Improvisation</p></description>](https://us-central1-podcastguru-217d6.cloudfunctions.net/gcf_get_image?image_url=https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/4a/06/62/4a066233-d9c4-fa4d-0644-46d12ec092fa/mza_9124341932086785491.png/600x600bb.jpg&width=300&height=300&api_key=xqFmUFX5BHLBTA)
