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: Víkingur Ólafsson explores Mozart & Contemporaries
In his newest recording for Deutsche Grammophon (released September, 2021), Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson explores Mozart’s music in the context of composers who came before him and who helped Mozart shape his distinctive and immediately recognizable style. Ólafsson speaks with program director John Pitman about how he made connections between Mozart and Carl Philipp Emanuel…
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John Pitman Review: Sheku and Isata find their “Muse”
“Muse” is the name of the debut recording by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason. The siblings have recorded together before, in the 2020 release, “Carnival of the Animals”, and have performed live many times. “Muse” includes two major 20th century cello sonatas, by Samuel Barber (1932); and Sergei Rachmaninov (1901), as…
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John Pitman Review: Berlin-based Seong-Jin Cho Returns to Chopin
John Pitman, All Classical Portland’s Director of Music and Programming, interviews pianist Seong-Jin Cho about the sixth and latest album. Returning to the music of Frédéric Chopin with Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2, Cho’s CD was recorded in April of 2021, in Hamburg and London. Seong-Jin shares with John the process, and the special challenges,…
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John Pitman Review: Record label gives Jean-Yves Thibaudet “Carte Blanche”
To mark a milestone birthday and celebrate a new chapter in his relationship with the label, French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet was given “carte blanche” by the Decca classical label to choose personal music that he has never recorded before—a selection that reflects on the people and pieces that have impacted his life as an artist…
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John Pitman Review: “Fire and Light” by Chickasaw composer, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate
John’s guest is Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ (Im-pih-CHAH-chah-ha) Tate, whose 2009 composition, Lowak Shoppala’ (LO-wak SHO-pah-la), an epic retelling of Chickasaw stories, received its world premiere recording this year. Jerod shares his own stories of growing up in a household of Western classical music, and strong ties to his indigenous roots as well. Buy “Fire and Light”…
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John Pitman Review: Roots: Debut recording by violinist Randall Goosby
John interviews Randall Goosby, whose debut on the Decca label, “Roots,” was released this summer (and is being played on All Classical Portland regularly). The disc is an exploration of music written by Black composers and of composers inspired by Black American culture. Randall tells John Pitman about the importance and responsibility of bringing underrepresented…
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John Pitman Review: Kenji Bunch debuts “Lost Freedom” with George Takei
John Pitman, director of Music and Programming at All Classical Portland interviews Portland composer Kenji Bunch about an important world premiere happening a few states away, at the Moab Music Festival in Utah, on September 4. Inspired by the autobiographical accounts of the incarceration of United States citizens – Japanese-Americans, in World War II –…
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John Pitman Review: Conspirare’s The Singing Guitar
The Austin, Texas-based choir, Conspirare, give voice to poets and writers from across the spectrum of nationality and gender in their latest recording, The Singing Guitar. Founder and director, Craig Hella Johnson, commissioned new works from composers such as Reena Esmail, Nico Muhly, and Kile Smith that highlight the words of the Sufi poet Hafiz,…
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Dialogo: Debut by cellist John-Henry Crawford
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, cellist John-Henry Crawford has already made strides in the field of classical music, in one case as First Prize winner of the 2019 International Carlos Prieto Competition; and more recently with this debut release, Dialogo. Crawford chose the title after the unaccompanied cello work by Hungarian composer, György Ligeti. In it,…
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Balkan Guitarist Miloš Debuts New Guitar Concertos
Montenegro-born, and London-based classical guitarist Miloš, celebrates his 10th anniversary with the recording label Decca by releasing The Moon and the Forest, which includes two concertos written for him. Miloš (whose full name is Miloš Karadaglić), asked two composers as famous for their film music as for their concert works: Joby Talbot (who has residences…
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.
