As Director of Music and Programming at All Classical Radio, it is my special privilege to interview some of the world’s most talented and dynamic artists. I’ve featured conversations with the likes of pianist Marc-André Hamelin, composer Christopher Tin, and actor and conductor John Malkovich, among many others. Often these conversations revolve around a new album, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself that I can’t pass up! I love sharing my discoveries with you in my reviews and interviews, and I hope you enjoy getting to know the voices shaping classical music today, and tomorrow.
John Pitman’s recent posts:
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John Pitman Reviews: Huang Ruo’s ‘An American Soldier’
All Classical Radio’s Director of Programming John Pitman’s latest Arts Blog interview is a timely one, in conjunction with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Memorial Day. Composer, pianist, and vocalist Huang Ruo’s latest recording An American Soldier is a powerful and moving opera based on the true story of a young Chinese…
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John Pitman Reviews: Yevgeny Sudbin’s ‘Ver La Flamme’
Renowned for his interpretations of the music of Russian composer and mystic, Alexander Scriabin, celebrated pianist Yevgeny Sudbin is host John Pitman’s latest guest for this Arts Blog interview. On Sudbin’s newest album, Ver La Flamme (Toward the Flame), the pianist shares his deep knowledge and appreciation for the music of the early 20th century…
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John Pitman Reviews: Les Korngold’s Korngold Symphony
Imagine if we could hear, decades after a composer has passed, a note-for-note set of instructions of what how they intended their music to be heard? It’s rarer than you might think. In this Arts Blog, program director John Pitman has a conversation with the grandson of the Austrian born composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold –…
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John Pitman Reviews: Simone Dinnerstein’s ‘The Eye is the First Circle’
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein’s latest album, The Eye is the First Circle, features iconic American composer Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata. The album is a live recording of Dinnerstein’s multimedia production at the Alexander Kasser Theater in Montclair State University, New Jersey. The Eye is the First Circle was inspired in part by a quote from…
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John Pitman Reviews: Joshua Roman’s ‘Immunity’
Cellist Joshua Roman began to experience something beyond a case of Covid, early in the pandemic. It soon became apparent that the virus had advanced to become long Covid, which consists of symptoms that vary widely from one person to the next. While coming to terms with this life-changing condition, Joshua had to learn a…
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John Pitman Reviews: John-Henry Crawford
All Classical Radio’s Director of Music and Programming John Pitman recently spoke with John-Henry Crawford. Since the Louisiana-based cellist’s 2021 debut, Dialogo, Crawford has always had “dialogues” with the composers whose music he performs, and his album featuring Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, is no exception. John-Henry has known these…
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John Pitman Reviews: Augustin Hadelich’s ‘American Road Trip’
Violinist Augustin Hadelich was born in Italy to German parents, and then moved to the U.S. two decades ago to study at Juilliard, where he has lived ever since. Hadelich and his music embody the idea of the “American melting pot,” as does his new album, American Road Trip. On the album, he reflects as…
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John Pitman Review: John Malkovich in ‘The Music Critic’
John Pitman, All Classical’s Program Director, recently caught up with Hollywood actor and classical musician John Malkovich. Hear their hilarious chat about Malkovich’s The Music Critic, released last year from a recording made in 2020. Malkovich shares what went into this funny and fascinating recording, based on the live show, where the actor reads actual…
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John Pitman Review: Christopher O’Riley’s ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’
In May 2024, pianist Christopher O’Riley was in Portland for a concert with his good friend, cellist Matt Haimovitz. All Classical Radio’s Program Director, John Pitman, invited Christopher for an interview in the Roger O. Doyle Performance Studio, the day before their concert. Christopher shared his knowledge, talent, and insight about Bach and the upcoming…
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John Pitman Review: Danish String Quartet’s ‘Keel Road’
In April, the Danish String Quartet performed the world premiere of a new work written for them by English composer Thomas Adès at Carnegie Hall. For this edition of John Pitman’s Reviews, John has invited All Classical Radio host Warren Black to speak with the Quartet about the premiere and get a preview of their…
Your Host
John Pitman
I am a native Portlander who grew up in a household filled with classical music. My career in classical music radio and the history of All Classical are identical, as I have been a part of this organization since the summer of 1983. So, you could say that All Classical Radio and I have grown up together! So much has changed, and I’ve been witness to – and a part of – so much growth at this amazing, unique classical music radio station.
When not at work, I might be found trying to tame the plants and trees that grow so well in this Pacific Northwest climate, attending concerts, taking road trips with my wife, reading, watching films, or trying out some new recipe in the kitchen.
John Pitman is All Classical Radio’s host Sundays from 3:00 PM PT to 6:00 PM PT, and Saturdays from 3:00 PM PT to 9:00 PM PT, which includes his weekly Saturday evening series, The Concert Hall.
