In Tune Highlights

Conductor Masaaki Suzuki talks to Sean Rafferty, ahead of a concert in St John's Smith Square with the Bach Collegium Japan. When Suzuki first suggested recording a complete cycle of Bach's cantatas to the director of the BIS record label, his proposal was met with "uncontrollable laughter". However, hearing Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan won the record executive over, and the rest is history. Suzuki tells Sean Rafferty how he was drawn to Bach, why vocal training in Japan makes Japanese singers ideal for his music, and, now that the Bach cycle is complete, and what the future holds beyond the music of the great master.

Conductor Valery Gergiev on the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition taking place in Moscow and St Petersburg June-July this year, and his thoughts on who should become the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra's new chief conductor.

Mike Leigh, the revered British director behind the likes of Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake and last year's Mr Turner, talks to Sean Rafferty about his exciting new venture in to the world of opera with a brand new ENO production of Gilbert and Sullivan's classic Pirates of Penzance. Joined by the opera's conductor David Parry, Leigh talks about how he was finally convinced to make an opera, his love of Gilbert and Sullivan, and the daring act of going for an entirely straight and authentic production, in tribute to what he sees as the genius of the two men.

Violinist Isabelle Faust talks about playing chamber music, and about the greatness of the Brahms Violin Concerto.

Tenor Stuart Skelton and soprano Rebecca von Lipinski talk to Sean Rafferty ahead of their appearance as Florestan and Leonore in a special performance of Beethoven's only opera Fidelio this Friday (8th May) with the BBC Philharmonic at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

Semyon Bychkov, fresh from winning the best conductor prize at the International Opera Awards, talks to Suzy Klein about his upcoming concerts at the Royal Academy of Music and with the London Symphony Orchestra, as well as his visit to the BBC PROMS this season with the Vienna Philharmonic and an early passion for volleyball.

Singer-songwriter Olivia Chaney talks to Suzy about her influences, from Purcell to Joni Mitchell, and the release of her debut album, 'The Longest River'.

Serbian-born pianist Ivan Ilic on Debussy, Scriabin, and watering his plants.

Violinist David Garrett discusses life on the road, reaching new audiences and the hard work required in building a fan base.

One of the world's greatest percussionists, Dame Evelyn Glennie, on how to listen, her project commissioning new music for percussionists, and performing a world premiere for a new instrument, the Aluphone, at the 2015 Proms as part of her 50th birthday celebrations.

Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes on his complete cycle of Beethoven piano concertos at the 2015 Proms, marking the grand finale of his 'Beethoven Journey' with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Violinist Jack Liebeck and Professor Brian Cox talk to Suzy Klein about the nature of time, the universe & everything ahead of the upcoming Oxford May Music festival which starts next week. Brian Cox will give two lectures on time at the festival which will be followed by Jack Liebeck's Trio Dali and clarinettist Paul Dean performing Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time.

Adrian Chandler, violinist and director of the acclaimed early music ensemble La Serenissima, talks to Sean Rafferty about reviving the Violino in Tromba Marina (a 3 stringed metallic sounding violin) favoured by Vivaldi and constructed and researched by Chandler himself. Adrian will be playing the instrument in a special La Serenissima concert at Cadogan Hall this weekend.

Conductor Omer Meir Wellber on working as Daniel Barenboim's assistant, mimicking other conductors, playing the accordion, charity work and his debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Conductor of the mighty New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert, joins Sean to talk about the orchestra's residency at the Barbican, and the all-consuming demands made on an American Musical Director.

Cellist Matthew Barley talks to Sean Rafferty about HK Gruber's hugely challenging cello concerto which he will perform at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall this Friday (17th April) with the BBC Philharmonic and Gruber himself conducting.

Conductor Paavo Jarvi is currently in the UK to continue his great Nielsen Symphony Cycle with the Philharmonia Orchestra, performing Symphony No.4 throughout the week. Paavo talks to Sean Rafferty about the greatness of Nielsen's works, plus the challenges of his new CD of Shostakovich Cantatas, including the the political impact of peforming these patriotic Soviet pieces in Estonia recently.

Star trumpeter Alison Balsom on touring Bramwell Tovey’s piece 'Songs of the Paradise Saloon' with London Philharmonic Orchestra and the need to practice the natural trumpet

Composer James Macmillan talks to Sean Rafferty about his St Luke Passion and the relevance of Passions today. James himself will be conducting his St Luke Passion at King's College, Cambridge live on BBC Radio 3 on Good Friday at 7.30 before the piece receives its London premiere at the Barbican Hall on Easter Sunday.

As In Tune reveals the nominations for this year's RPS Music Awards, Sean Rafferty talks to tenor Mark Padmore who is nominated in the Singer category alongside baritone Christian Gerhaher and soprano Nine Stemme. Mark talks about his current role in Bach's St Matthew Passion, performed on period instruments by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.