Latvian cellist and conductor Margarita Balanas has played at venues around the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. She’s performed as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra among many others, and conducted orchestras including the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, and is the founder and music director of the ANONIMI orchestra and charity.

As children, Margarita and her siblings raised money by busking in order to afford the travel and entry fees to be able to play in competitions. Her incredible tenacity and motivation took her to London and the Purcell School, then the Royal Academy of Music, and lead her to becoming assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi. Margarita shares this incredible journey with us, as well as a number of pieces she has performed with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas, as part of that journey.

Follow Margarita on Instagram @margaritabalanas and on her website www.margaritabalanas.com

A British composer, writer and broadcaster, Stephen Johnson has a long and eclectic career. His book titles include Discover Music of the Classical Era, The Eighth: Mahler and the World in 1910, and How Shostakovich Changed My Mind, not to mention his curation of a book of ghost stories. His compositions include a String Quartet for the Brodsky Quartet, andBehemoth Dances for the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. He was also a long-time broadcaster with the BBC’s classical radio channel, Radio 3, particularly for his acclaimed program Discovering Music. He’s been called “The authoritative British voice of classical music”.

This conversation dips into Stephen's vast musical knowledge, and he very candidly talks about music's role in mental health and his own struggles with illness. He also shares some of his experiences a the BBC and the catalysts for some of his writing.

This program was recorded at the 2024 Australian Festival of Chamber Music. The 2025 Festival runs from 25 July to 2 August in Townsville. For more information, and to become a Friend of the Festival which entitles you to priority tickets, visit afcm.com.au

A celebrated pianist, Alexander Boyd is appreciated for his sensitivity and the integrity of his interpretations. He made his concerto debut at the age of just 11 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He’s since performed at London’s Wigmore Hall and St Martins in the Fields, as well as throughout Europe, the US and Australia. He’s also a composer, having written music for three films.

He has a pair of new albums out in March, one of Chopin's Ballades and other works, the other an album of Fandangos. Alexander talks about the development of these albums, and also gives some lovely insights into the life of a professional pianist.

Soprano, actress and producer Amy Manford has delighted audiences young and old with her gorgeous voice and magnetic stage presence. Audiences will recall her highly acclaimed run as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Arts Centre, having already played the role in the West End. She’s performed with Andrea Bocelli and for the British Royal Family. She’s also quite the arts entrepreneur, having co-founded MM Creative Productions. Their production, Disney in Concert, is back by popular demand, returning to the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne Arts Centre in March.

Amy spent her early childhood not as a singer, but as a gymnast, until a knee injury changed her trajectory. Her natural talents took her to the Royal College of Music in London, and she hasn't looked back since. Amy shares the challenges and opportunities of running a production company, and being part of one of the world's most famous entertainment brands. She introduces some of her own recordings, including one of her own compositions.

A French pianist applauded for his versatility and wide-ranging repertoire, Cédric Tiberghien has an openness to explore innovative concert formats and dynamic chamber music partnerships. He’s recorded over 20 solo albums and over 15 collaborative ones, has played concerts and recitals in all parts of the world, with the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, the London Philharmonic, the Sydney Symphony, among many others.

He was fascinated by a grand piano when he was 2 years old, and started lessons as soon as he was able. In this conversation, Cédric takes us through his approach to music and performance with joy and excitement, and his musical selections demonstrate the full breadth of his approach to his craft.

Cédric Tiberghien performs The Cage Project with Musica Viva at the Sydney Festival on 23-25 January, before heading to Canberra and Melbourne.

In Conversation begins a new year with a conductor whose passion for music is irrepressible. Australian born Daniel Smith is now based in Italy, and proudly bears the Italian honour of Australian Cultural Ambassador. Following his highly successful debut with The Mariinsky Orchestra, Daniel has guest conducted the Czech Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, amongst many others.

Daniel shares stories of his hard fought career milestones, from cornering maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti in a Sydney Opera House lift to beg him to take him on as a student, to his breakthrough being the only conductor to be awarded Laureate in four of the most prestigious international conducting competitions in a single year. He speaks with great passion on his plans to share culture with as broad an audience as possible.

Daniel Smith conducts The Barber of Seville for Opera Australia, which plays at the Sydney Opera House until 28 February.

Composer Ann Carr-Boyd has helped shape Australian classical composition for over 60 years. She was a trail blazer from the very beginning, being the University of Sydney’s first ever Master of Arts in music. As well as composition, she’s been involved in broadcasting, teaching, as well as lexicography, having contributed to the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

We delve into Ann's long lasting and groundbreaking career, to hear the insights of this remarkable contributor to the development of the Australian compositional voice.

A conductor beloved by Australian audiences for nearly 50 years, Graham Abbott has conducted all the state symphony orchestras, most of our major opera companies, and many of our choirs. He’s also a well-respected broadcaster, most particularly for the ABC program Keys to Music, and has more recently developed a reputation as one of our premier music tour leaders. After many decades of waving his arms about, he’s decided that he will bring his conducting career to a close with a composer he has dedicated much of his career to and one of the most famous pieces of music ever written – Handel’s Messiah.

Graham shares his adoration of Handel and gives us an understanding of how he worked and where Messiah fits into his greater oeuvre. He talks of his love of radio broadcasting, and his role as a music tour leader. His skills in all these areas manifest themselves throughout the program through his musical selections.

Graham Abbott conducts Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for Handel's Messiah at the Sydney Opera House from 13-15 December.