Strings Attached

Lola Descours is a very successful Bassoon player. We spoke about playing a "manly"  instrument as a woman, having little role models as a young woman and becoming a role model with time.  We spoke about dealing with your own disadvantages and what is it like to live in different places, talking different languages - does it influence the way you make music. I hope you enjoyd it as much as I did. Please rate or review the podcast and if you have any questions you can do it on my instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   or my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com    

I am so excited to finally share with you the second season of strings attached! The first 4 episodes are dedicated to feminine role models. In this episode I chat with star violinist Clara-Jumi Kang about her path to success, who were her role models and what's it like to be one herself. She speaks openly about loving being alone, learning to appreciate the intense life style of a soloist. I hope you enjoyd it as much as I did. Please rate or review the podcast and if you have any questions you can do it on my instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   or my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com  

It doesn't happen often that I get to talk with a fellow podcaster, someone who asks me questions as well. This bonus episode is a joint episode with Pallavi Mahidhara, the host of "the conscious artist" podcast. We ended up having a very honest conversation about life as a musician, dreams and dealing with oneself.    Thank you for taking a moment to fill up this form: https://bit.ly/stringsattachedsurvey   The conscious artist podcast: https://linktr.ee/consciousartistpodcast   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com    

I was lucky to share the stage with Sir Andras Schiff a few times and now I got to have a chat with him about what is listening for him, about art and politics and about old friendships. We share a sad memory of the late pianist Radu Lupu and try to figure out what is it like being a star pianist.   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com   music in this episode is courtesy of Verbier festival, performed by the Verbier festival chamber orchestra conducted by Gabor Takacs.    

Stephan Koncz plays cello in the Berlin Philharmonic and before that in the Vienna Philharmonic, probably the best orchestras in the world. He talks about the differences between the 2 and how difficult was it to prepare for an audition for such an orchestra. He speaks about his childhood in a home filled with music and what is for him the importance of learning to playing with other rather than playing alone. Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com   music in this episode is composed and performed b Stephan Koncz and is courtesy of Stephan Koncz.   

Emmanuel Witzthum is a consultant and lecturer on such topics as - transformation processes in the arts and strategic business development in the arts in the 21st century. At the same time he combines work as composer, artistic director and creator of artistic digital experiences. He currently serves as Head of Creative Development for the Jerusalem Season of Culture and as the curator of the creative resident program at the ZEISS Innovation hub at KIT.   We spoke about how can art heal, how we as artists should try and figure things out and not just get everything ready made for us and how feeling comfortable is not safe!   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram :   https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com      

Martin Fröst is a world known clarinet player. I had the fortune to share the stage with him a few times and see how he moves on stage, how he tries to create new pieces in order to change a bit the way we perceive classical music. we spoke about different art forms, to look at the bigger picture, how struggling with your limitations could actually bring you further than you've imagined and that after all that we should try and enjoy it more!   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com   Music in this episode is courtesy of the Verbier festival and is performed by the Verbier festival chamber orchestra, conducted by Gabor Takacs.       

Do music competitions help you to get your career moving? how difficult is it to prepare for a competition?  I sat down with Juan Perez Floristan, winner of the Rubinstein piano competition to ask him exactly that and more. I found a very thought through young artist who spends a lot of time by himself, a teacher and a storyteller.   Juan Perez Floristan YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@juanfloristan/featured   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com    

Making changes in life is hard. leaving a job in the Berlin Philharmonic is even harder!  Ori Kam made this transition from an all star orchestra to a top level string quartet - Jerusalem quartet.  We talk about the difference between a large ensemble and a small one,  what is the pressure level like in the Berlin Phil, what does he love about the intimacy of the string quartet.   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com     Music in this episode is performed and recorded by the Toscanini string quartet. 

I have been playing the violin since I was a child, checking off all the right boxes till I got the coveted orchestra job. In this episode I am talking to my friends whom I have known for years about their path and do they love playing in an orchestra.  My guests are - Yoonshin Song - concertmaster of Houston Symphony, Alexandros Sakarellos - Detroit symphony, Filip Fenrych - Falls symphony, Jeff Dyrda - Winnipeg symphony, Vivek Jayaraman - the Florida orchestra   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com Music in this episode is courtesy of the Verbier festival and is performed by the Verbier festival chamber orchestra, conducted by Gabor Takacs.     

Blythe and Martin Engstroem are a unique couple, there are a few years of age difference between them, She is a musician and he is the head of the Verbier Festival in the Swiss alps. Somehow together they manage to combine work and family life together, pushing this 30 years old festival forward, to create and manage the musical dreams of many more generations to come.   Follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram :   https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com Music in this episode is courtesy of the Verbier festival and is performed by the Verbier festival chamber orchestra, conducted by Gabor Takacs.     

Dietmar Mueller - Elmau is the owner of the magical Schloss Elmau luxury hotel in Germany. We speak about the differences between hime and his grand father from whom he inherited the hotel, about the war in Russia and the energy crisis and mainly about the importance of music in our lives.    follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com  

There are a few people I can say for a fact that they influenced and challenged me to become a better musician. Gabor Takacs-Nagy is one of them!  After having a successful career as a violinist in the world renowned Takacs quartet, Gabor had to leave the violin because of physical issues in his hand. This led to a beautiful and fruitful career as a conductor. We talk about dealing with fears, team player vs solo person and how does he keep being so positive.    I would love to hear from you: Facbook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685 instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com   music in the episode is performed by the Verbier festival chamber orchestra and is courtesy of the Verbier Festival.

When Brendan Kane and I recorded this conversation a few months ago he was just a guest visiting Tel Aviv. In the mean time he moved here and got the principal bass player of the Israel Phil orchestra position.  we talk about choosing the bass as an instrument, how did he prepare for his Met audition and can one teach to be a Groovy classical bass player?   follow and comment this episode on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com Bass solo in the episode played by Brendan Kane is recorded for this podcast. 

Hagar Ben Ari is a fantastic electric bass player. She is on prime time TV since many years as a Bass player on the James Corden show. She's a roll model for many women and speaks freely about being an only women in a men dominant environment. We talked about what's the Bass part in the band, why does she think that the bass is actually very feminine and what are her plans for the future.   visit the podcast page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685 email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en

Herve Boissière is the head and founder of medici.tv Thanks to his vision (and a bit of luck as he says) he founded a streaming service of classical music which became the standard of the way we consume concerts nowadays and in a way was ahead of its time.  We talk about his passion for music, His adoration for musicians and what are his plans for the future. Herve shares an advice I think I will try to implement in my daily life.   like our Facebook page Strings attached: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   medici.tv website:https://www.medici.tv/en/   email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com

How difficult is it to tell a story? an honest one that reflects the truth of all its participants.  I sat down with Dina Kraft, an experienced  journalist (New York Times, Haaretz, Christian Science monitor) and tried to figure out how does she manage to bring to life different stories with her words. Dina tells a few heart wrenching stories that bring both of us to tears.   I would love to dedicate this episode to my friend Josh Mitnick - Husband, father and a journalist who passed last year. much too soon.   visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   Email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com follow me on instagram : https://www.instagram.com/asaf_maoz/?hl=en  

Sometimes it takes an open mic to have an interesting conversation with a friend. I had such a pleasure talking to my friend Ari Vilhjalmsson. Ari is a wonderful violin player from Iceland who moved a few years ago to Tel Aviv. we spםלק about his interesting heritage, his story of getting to know Björk and what's it like for him to live in Tel Aviv.  I am happy to shine a spotlight on a musician and a friend I think you should know.   for comments and questions please visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072552783685   or email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com

For long time I thought there must be a connection between music and Math and what's the best way to find out if I am right - ask the Math professor. Marcus du Sautoy, a world known math professor, published numerous books, Ted lectures and of course a Netflix show! is a guest in this episode where we talk about symmetry, how to listen to a musical piece and film Good Will Hunting.    if you wish to comment or ask anything feel free to visit the Facebook page "Strings attached podcast":   https://www.facebook.com/Strings-Attached-Podcast-100484429044973   you can email me: asafpodcast@gmail.com   the music in this episode is from Bach - Goldberg variations, performed by Hadar Cohen, Yoni Gertner and Gal Nyska. thank you for allowing me to play your beautiful playing. Picture: Oxford University Images/Joby Sessions

Siting with Maestro Zubin Mehta for a conversation felt like talking to a living legend. I was lucky to play with him numerous times and we got to know each other a bit. I share with him our first encounter. He took me to his childhood musical memories, to his father that was his great inspiration, to some great conductors he was fortunate to study with. Listening to this episode one can learn a few things from this great man.   on a personal note - am so happy that this is the very first episode I am airing in this new podcast. please visit my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Strings-Attached-Podcast-100484429044973   or send me an email:  asafpodcast@gmail.com   Original jingle music written to this podcast by Asaf Dar. thanks man!