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 Review: Neave Trio’s ‘A Room of Her Own’
All Classical Radio’s Program Director, John Pitman, shares his recent conversation with two members of the Neave Trio. They speak about their latest recording titled “A Room of Her Own.” This is the second of their recordings amplifying the voices of women composers in classical music. Their first, “Her Voice,” was released in 2019. Violinist…
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John Pitman Review: Miloš’s ‘Baroque’
Miloš, the superstar guitarist who has recorded the standard guitar repertoire, explored the Beatles, as well as the experience of isolation, returns with a carefully-curated collection of music of the 18th century. Baroque is the guitarist’s rediscovery of music that he was taught when a student, to which he now brings his own interpretation and…
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John Pitman Review: James Newton Howard’s ‘Night After Night’
For this edition of John Pitman’s Reviews, John has invited All Classical Radio’s Edmund Stone, host of our syndicated film music program, The Score, to review a beautiful new recording reimagining original film scores. Night After Night celebrates one of the richest collaborations between a contemporary film director and a composer – an all-new recording…
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John Pitman Review: Thibaut Garcia’s ‘El Bohemio’
All Classical Radio’s Program Director John Pitman shares his first-ever interview with Thibaut Garcia, discussing the guitarist’s latest release, El Bohemio (Erato/Warner Classics). A tribute to the remarkable Paraguayan guitarist, composer and poet Agustín Barrios (1885-1944), Garcia tells John about the origins of his love of this music, what he learned about this somewhat enigmatic…
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John Pitman Review: Randall Goosby ‘Violin Concertos’
All Classical Radio’s program director, John Pitman, chats with American violinist Randall Goosby about his second album with Decca Classics. The dynamic young soloist brings freshness to a concerto he first encountered as a teenager: Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, and shimmering performances of Florence Price’s two Violin Concertos, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and…
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John Pitman Review: Plínio Fernandes’s ‘Bacheando’
Plínio Fernandes is a London-based Brazilian guitarist who has just released his second album. Bacheando explores the long-established influence of Bach’s music on Brazilian composers. Chief among them is Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), whose series titled Bachianas Brazileiras fuse the Baroque-age forms of Bach with the rhythm and styles of Brazilian music. He recently spoke to All…
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John Pitman Review: Carlos Simon’s ‘Together’
Composer Carlos Simon has received numerous awards and nominations for works such as 2021’s Requiem for the Enslaved. He recently spoke to All Classical Radio host John Pitman about his latest album Together, a 10-track project that came about from the desire to simply make music with friends and colleagues, after the long period of…
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John Pitman Review: Andrew Brownell’s ‘Shades of Night’
Andrew Brownell is a pianist and former Portlander who, in the mid-1990s would occasionally stop by the All Classical studios for an interview with John Pitman. Often, Andrew would play something on the piano, or accompany violinist Nicholas Crosa (now part of Pink Martini), for an upcoming recital. Brownell recently stopped by for a chat…
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John Pitman Review: Eric Whitacre & Voces8 ‘Home’
All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman recently spoke with American choral composer Eric Whitacre, who has a career now spanning over three decades, is one of the world’s most popular composers among audiences and choirs alike. Several of his works have been recorded multiple times, but even then, the composer sees opportunities when one special…
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John Pitman Review: Benjamin Grosvenor Schumann & Brahms
All Classical Portland’s Program Director John Pitman recently spoke with British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, whose new recording touches on the relationships of Johannes Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann. Grosvenor chose works that link together Brahms as a young man meeting Robert and his wife, pianist and composer, Clara Wieck Schumann, and Brahms later in…
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.
