This interview is also linked to the podcast and video versions. I met Coleman Itzkoff when he was on stage playing cello and dancing for the contemporary ballet “Procession” with the National Ballet of Canada; he’d also curated the music and I was immediately curious about his path. I was also aware that he performed quite a bit with a previous guest of mine, Clay Zeller-Townson of Ruckus Early Music. I got into a chat with Coleman backstage about his interest in new music, baroque music, dance and theatre.  When we got to this interview several months later I was intrigued to learn about his youth as a serious skate boarder, and you’ll hear us explore several connections between that athleticism and both playing the cello and dancing. You’ll hear Coleman share how he became a co-founder of AMOK, insights about some of the ways he’s been able to access higher levels of creativity, and tributes to many of his mentors including Ralph Kirshbaum, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber. We start the conversation with some beautiful connections with his very musical family. 

This is the full transcript of my episode with Margaret Maria, who is a wonderful cellist who’s a unique composer. The episode in podcast and video format is linked here as well. Margaret’s compositions are all written by layering cello lines in some gorgeous and emotive aural tapestries. Her personal story is interesting and moving: she started the cello as a teenager, was admitted to the University of Toronto at age 16 without graduating from high school, and was then admitted to the prestigious Curtis Institute. She went on to have a successful career as a member of the Vancouver Symphony and then Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, which is how I came to know her. She gave up her job with the NAC after a few years, and embarked on a new life as a composer, meanwhile continuing to teach. Some of her work as an educator has been with the Orkidstra program, which she has been involved with since it’s inception in 2007. It’s a social development program that serves over 650 youth from over 62 linguistic and cultural backgrounds by building community through free music programs. This episode has a lot of powerful music, and the complete track of Blessing of Awakening is available as a bonus episode.

Transcript of interview with cellist Rachel Mercer, with links to both podcast and video. In this conversation, we discuss the arc of her career so far as a chamber musician, soloist, principal cellist, the late Yehonatan Berick, an amazing violinist and pedagogue, who was her life partner, "Our Strength, Our Song" with her sister, the wonderful violinist Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner and many other chamber music collaborations and unique projects, as well as her way of approaching music. Rachel very generously made a special recording of the Prelude from J.S. Bach's fifth solo suite in C minor BWV 1011 and her heartfelt introduction to the power of this music is right after our conversation.