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Spoleto Backstage: Kreisler, Golijov, Tchaikovsky, And Alisa Weilerstein

South Carolina Public Radio

In this episode of Spoleto Backstage, Geoff Nuttall and Bradley Fuller revisit another unforgettable program from the past decade of the Spoleto Festival USA Chamber Music Series. Before moving to the music itself, the two hosts talk about what makes this 2016 concert a top-pick performance. Opening the program are two dazzling violin showpieces by Fritz Kreisler—his Praeludium and Allegro, as well as the Caprice Viennois, Op. 2. Violinist Benjamin Beilman performs both, accompanied by pianist Pedja Muzijevic. Composer Osvaldo Golijov then introduces his “Drag Down the Sky” (an aria from the opera Iphigenia), performed by baritone Tyler Duncan and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. The concert concludes with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s captivating String Sextet in D minor, “Souvenir de Florence,” Op. 70. After the music, Geoff is joined by star cellist Alisa Weilerstein for a conversation covering everything from her current projects to a memorable interaction with pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim. 

Attending a concert might be off the table right now, but you can relax just where you are as South Carolina Public Radio brings the concert to you with this podcast. Spoleto Backstage offers a curated lineup of phenomenal musical moments from past seasons of Spoleto Festival USA as chosen by violinist and chamber music series artistic director Geoff Nuttall. Geoff joins Bradley Fuller, host and producer of South Carolina Public Radio’s Sonatas & Soundscapes, for insights and fun conversations about how he picked his favorite performances form the past ten years. Geoff and Bradley also hear from some of the fascinating stars of the festival’s chamber music series, learning more about their careers, the music they perform, and a range of amusing behind-the-scenes happenings.

You can subscribe to Spoleto Backstage in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

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Originally from Greenwood, SC, Bradley Fuller has maintained a deep interest in classical music since the age of six. With piano lessons throughout grade school and involvement in marching and concert bands on the saxophone, Bradley further developed musical abilities as well as an appreciation for the importance of arts education.