The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music
...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♥️🎹
Episodes
What does it mean to become a "Sound Liberator"?
In this episode of The Piano Pod, pianist, composer, educator, filmmaker, scholar, and advocate Joe Williams joins host Yukimi Song for a wide-ranging conversation on artistry, legacy, belonging, improvisation, education, and the evolving landscape of concert music.
Currently pursuing a PhD in composition at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Williams has built a multifaceted career c...
🎙️ NEW TRAILER: Sound Liberation
What does it mean to be a Sound Liberator?
In our upcoming episode of The Piano Pod, pianist, composer, educator, and scholar Joe Williams reflects on artistry, identity, freedom, Black excellence, and the power of music to preserve histories and connect communities.
“My responsibility is really to free people through my art.”
A powerful conversation on belonging, authenticity, representation, and what...
In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by Steinway Artist, pianist, and pedagogue Dr. Oscar Macchioni.
Born in Argentina, shaped by years of study in Poland, and now serving as Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the University of North Texas, Macchioni reflects on a life in music that moves across borders — culturally, intellectually, and artistically.
A central focus of this conversation is his album Mostly Tangos: Pi...
Here is the Trailer for:
Season 6 Episode 18: Beyond Borders: From Argentina to Poland to Texas—Oscar Macchioni Reflects on a Life in Music
In our upcoming episode, we welcome Steinway Artist and renowned piano pedagogue Dr. Oscar Macchioni.
This conversation goes far beyond tango.
Together, we explore: • tango as a universal concert genre • artistic labels and misconceptions • audience engagement and concert programming • Szymanowski...
In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by concert pianist Anna Shelest.
Her work spans major orchestral collaborations, recording projects, and repertoire advocacy — but this conversation centers on her latest album A Romantic from Kharkiv; Music of Sergei Bortkiewicz and the deeper artistic and cultural meaning behind it.
Together, we explore how music becomes a form of testimony — shaped by memory, identity, and history — ...
🎬 TRAILER — Music as Witness
What does it mean for music to carry memory?
In this upcoming episode of The Piano Pod, concert pianist Anna Shelest traces her roots from Kharkiv, Ukraine—through forgotten voices and the music of women composers she continues to bring into focus.
This is not about novelty. It is about identity, history, and a lifelong artistic search for voice.
Throughout the episode, you will hear music you may not know...
In this episode of The Piano Pod, we welcome Joy Luck Trio — a newly formed ensemble bringing together pianist Donna Weng Friedman, pipa virtuoso Gao Hong, and erhu virtuoso Karen Han-Ottosson.
Together, these three Chinese-American artists unite piano, pipa, and erhu in a rare chamber collaboration rooted in heritage and shaped by contemporary expression.
In this conversation, we explore how the trio first came together, the histori...
What happens when piano, pipa, and erhu come together in one ensemble?
Tonight on The Piano Pod, meet Joy Luck Trio — Donna Weng Friedman, Gao Hong, and Karen Han-Ottosson — three acclaimed artists creating a bold new chamber voice rooted in heritage, virtuosity, and contemporary expression.
In this powerful conversation, we explore the origins of the trio, the fascinating histories of the pipa and erhu, remarkable careers spanning c...
In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by composer, conductor, & Music Director at Univeristy of Cologne, Michael Ostrzyga
His work spans composition, conducting, editorial scholarship, and large-scale projects — but this conversation centers on his piano writing, especially his recent solo album Perseus.
Together, we explore how music begins — whether from structure, memory, or sound itself — and how these ideas shape a...
Here is the trailer for Season 6, Episode 15 of The Piano Pod. Guest: Michael Ostrzyga — Composer & Conductor In this episode, we explore his piano writing, centered around his album Perseus — a body of work shaped by structure, memory, and lived experience. In our conversation, we talked about:
- where music begins — sound, structure, or something more intuitive
- how memory finds its way into composition
- expanding the languag...
In this episode of The Piano Pod, concert pianist Han Chen joins TPP for a deep conversation about virtuosity, vision, and what it means to build something meaningful in today’s classical music landscape.
Han Chen is a GRAMMY Award–nominated pianist known for his fearless approach to some of the most demanding repertoire in the piano canon — from György Ligeti’s Complete Piano Études to Beethoven’s Hammerklavier. His recent recordin...
Here is the trailer for our upcoming episode with GRAMMY-nominated pianist Han Chen.
From mastering Ligeti to building Infinite Staircase, this conversation goes beyond performance — into vision, risk, and creating something that lasts.
🎥 Premieres tonight at 8 PM ET: https://youtu.be/2JqDeHYSk58?si=QgFPTfWf0ch_7WBl
🎧 Audio: https://linktr.ee/thepianopodaudio
Read Our Blog: https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-gues...
Accents of Love: Vivian Fang Liu on Artistry, Belonging, and Music for the Next Generation
The Piano Pod — Season 6, Episode 13
In this episode of The Piano Pod, pianist, singer-songwriter, composer, educator, and music researcher Vivian Fang Liu joins host Yukimi Song for a powerful conversation about identity, creativity, and the role of music in shaping the next generation.
Vivian Fang Liu is a classically trained pianist whose wor...
Here is the trailer for our upcoming episode of The Piano Pod.
Concert pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer Vivian Fang Liu joins us for a powerful conversation about music, identity, and belonging.
From her award-winning children’s albums to cross-genre artistry shaped by classical piano, Vivian shares how her work brings together performance, storytelling, and education to empower the next generation.
Composer Sean Hickey joins The Piano Pod to discuss Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind — his monumental piano cycle inspired by Yuval Noah Harari’s bestselling book.
From imagined orders and human cooperation to empire, biology, AI, and the future of artistic sustainability, this episode explores what it means to create — and remain human — in a rapidly changing world. Performed by pianist Vladimir Rumyantsev, Sapiens translates...
🎥 Here is the trailer for our new eps featuring Sean Hickey, Composer/Record Label Executive
Composer Sean Hickey joins The Piano Pod to discuss Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind for the Piano — his monumental piano cycle inspired by Yuval Noah Harari’s bestselling book.
From imagined orders and human cooperation to empire, biology, AI, and the future of artistic sustainability, this conversation explores what it means to creat...
This surprise bonus episode was created in collaboration with Mannes School of Music at The New School.
In this conversation, I sit down with Pavlina Dokovska — internationally active concert pianist, Chair of the Piano Department at Mannes School of Music, and Artistic Director of the Mannes International Piano Festival — to explore what it truly means to build artists in today’s musical and cultural moment.
We discuss serious piano...
🚨 Bonus Episode Drops Tonight
Here’s the trailer.
Building Artists Through Music & Mentorship with Pavlina Dokovska
What does it really take to build an artist?
In this special collaboration, The Piano Pod sits down with Pavlina Dokovska — internationally active concert pianist, Chair of the Piano Department at Mannes School of Music, and Artistic Director of the Mannes International Piano Festival — for a candid conversation on s...
In this episode of The Piano Pod, host Yukimi Song sits down with pianist, composer, visual artist, and poet Asiya Korepanova for a wide-ranging conversation on extreme repertoire, transcription as a creative act, long-form artistic commitment, and what it means to think at scale as a musician today.
Born into a deeply musical family in Izhevsk, Russia, and now based in the United States, Asiya’s career is defined by projects many w...
🎬 Official Trailer — Fearless Visionwith Asiya Korepanova
For our upcoming episode of The Piano Pod, host Yukimi Song sits down with Asiya Korepanova — pianist, composer, visual artist, and poet — for a deep conversation on long-form artistic commitment, transcription as a creative act, and what it means to build a life in music shaped by depth, curiosity, and fearless vision.
Asiya is known for her daring piano transcriptions and f...
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