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Connor Chee is a Navajo pianist and composer known for combining his classical piano training with his Native American heritage. Chee made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12 after winning a gold medal in the World Piano Competition. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, Chee's solo piano music is inspired by traditional Navajo chants and songs. Some of his recordings have been accompanied by music videos filmed on the reservation, directed by Navajo filmmaker Michael Etcitty Jr. Suzanne spoke with Connor Chee about his life in music, including his 5th album SANDPAINTINGS (released in 2026), a sixteen-movement solo piano cycle inspired by the artistic principles and structural design of traditional Diné (Navajo) sandpaintings.

The poet Robert Frost said, "I am not a teacher, but an awakener." Reynard Burns awakened the creativity and talent of countless students in his 34 years as a public school orchestra director on Long Island. Mr. Burns also plays piano and bass, and is a prolific composer and arranger whose talents and interests span many musical genres. His compositions include music for orchestra, wind ensemble, concert band, jazz ensemble, and more, and have been performed throughout the United States and abroad. Suzanne spoke with Reynard Burns about his life as a teacher and composer, as well as his post-retirement lectures and workshops that focus on classical music of composers of African descent.

Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider's musical language is widely varied. She has written intimate instrumental solos, vocal works, chamber music, and  large-scale orchestral music. Her music has been performed by major orchestras in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York, as well as by Emerson String Quartet, eighth blackbird, A Far Cry, The Knights, and Roomful of Teeth. Suzanne spoke with Snider about her approach to music making, and her 2026 album of orchestral works, whose title cut is Forward Into Light, a commission for the New York Philharmonic inspired by the American women's suffrage movement.

The largest chamber music competition in the world is based in South Bend, Indiana and was founded by a music loving furniture salesman in 1973. The Fischoff National Chamber Music Association is a comprehensive organization that helps to launch the careers of young emerging chamber musicians, and supports grassroots musical education and outreach.  Not only is the competition live-streamed online, there is also a rich performance archive available on its website. Suzanne spoke with Josh Aerie who is the Executive Director of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association about its ambitious mission.

Edward Klorman is a violist and Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin - Madison's Mead Witter School of Music. In 2025 he published his book, BACH: THE CELLO SUITES, exploring what makes these seemingly humble unaccompanied cello compositions so extraordinary and lasting. Over the centuries, they have become the "holy grail" for every serious cellist, and have migrated from the practice room to the concert stage, films, and beyond. Cellists including Yo-Yo Ma and Janos Starker have revisited Bach's Cellos Suites multiple times. Professor Klorman chatted with Suzanne about what makes Bach's music so great.

What would it take to present THE COMPLETE BACH? Thanks to an extraordinary 11-year project underway in Worcester, MA, you can find out! Starting in 2024 and continuing through March 21, 2035, Music Worcester is presenting a series of concerts encompassing all of Johann Sebastian Bach's massive compositional output. Chris Shepherd is Artistic Director of THE COMPLETE BACH, and he talked with Suzanne about how and why this project came to life.

The talented recorder player Vladimir Soares made a recording with harpsichordist Fabian Grosch of Flute Sonatas by Anna Bon di Venezia that I have admired (and played regularly on Sunday Baroque) for years. Vladimir Soares was introduced to music through the Orquestra Villa-Lobos, a social project that provides free musical education to children in the South of Brazil. Soon, he was graduating from the Arts Institute in Porto Alegre and winning competitions. He continued his training at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart, earning his Master's in Chamber Music in 2015 and a Master's in Recorder in 2016 under the guidance of Professor Hans-Joachim Fuss and Andrea Buchert. He also earned the Laurea Prize, which has not been given to a recorder player since 1991. VladimirSoares (with help from translator Jessica Oliveria) spoke with me about his life in music.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein has many loves – her family, her hometown, her musical collaborators, and Johann Sebastian Bach's music, to name just a few. The proud Brooklyn resident founded her musical ensemble and called it BAROKLYN. They named their 2025 debut album Complicité, a term she first heard from her son, who studied the teachings of the French theatre practitioner, Jacques Lecoq. Suzanne spoke with Simone Dinnerstein about Complicité, how the concept relates to the album and her group, and how she feels about being a conductor now.

New Zealand-born composer and educator Matthew Suttor's passion for music began when he was a small child. Throughout his career he has explored many facets of music making, with a particular interest in computer music and, now, the use of AI in music and as a creative catalyst. That's what led him to "collaborate" with AI to write his opera about Alan Turing, the British mathematician whose work was key to breaking Nazi codes during World War II. Far ahead of his time, Turing was interested in – and cautious about – AI, and Suttor's opera I AM ALAN TURING explores the nuances and prescience of Turing's life and work. Suzanne spoke with Matthew Suttor about his life in music, including his path to incorporating computers and technology into his musical toolbox, and his philosophy of teaching creativity.

New York-based musician Caroline Shaw is a singer, violinist, composer, and producer who performs in solo and collaborative projects. Growing up in Greenville, NC, her introduction to music came through her mother -- a Suzuki music teacher -- and by listening to her local public radio station! The multi-faceted musician is an innovator whose creative outlets include commissions for a variety of performers and ensembles, singing with the vocal band Roomful of Teeth, and composing for TV, film and stage projects such as the Ken Burns/PBS documentary Leonardo Da Vinci and the FX/Hulu show Fleishman is in Trouble. She has earned 5 Grammy awards, and in 2013 – at age 30 -- she became the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her composition, PARTITA FOR 8 VOICES. Suzanne spoke with Caroline Shaw about her life in music.

Eric Milnes is a professional instrumentalist and conductor who is also deeply committed to teaching and to fostering amateur talent. Along with instrumentalist Mélisande Corriveau, Milnes is co-director of Quebec's critically acclaimed period instrument orchestra and vocal ensemble, L'Harmonie des Saisons. They're the ensemble-in-residence for BURLINGTON BAROQUE, founded in 2024 to present concerts of historically informed performance in the Burlington, VT area. Eric Milnes spoke with Suzanne about his many musical projects.

From the time she was very young, Thorgy Thor (née Shane Thor Galligan) was an outgoing bundle of energy. Her parents signed her up for a variety of activities, including sports and music, to keep her engaged and to burn off some of that excess energy. Developing skills playing violin, viola, and cello led Thorgy Thor to major in music at The Hartt School (CT), and at SUNY Purchase (NY). After graduation, she was a playing and teaching music by day, and finetuning her skills as a drag queen, ultimately leading to her co-creating her program Thorgy and the Thorchestra. She now tours with her show, which ranges from classical orchestral music to pop favorites, to perform with orchestras all over. Thorgy Thor spoke with Suzanne about the power and importance of music in her life.

Violinist Kristin Lee was born in Seoul, Korea and came to the United States at age 7. At the time she spoke no English and the once-chatty, outgoing little girl suddenly found herself isolated, lonely, without friends. Immersing herself in music helped her bridge that gap, make friends, and find her calling. Kristen Lee spoke with Suzanne about how her experience as a foreign-born citizen of this country has affected her life, including many of her choices as a musician.

Debra Nagy plays baroque oboe, and the historical performance expert is also founding director of the chamber group Les Délices. The award-winning Cleveland-based group has a reputation for performing less well-known music of the baroque era. Debra Nagy spoke with Suzanne about how she finds the music she programs for Les Délices, and the creative process that brings together research, composition in historical styles, improvisation, and artistic collaboration.

The Grammy-nominated Neave Trio consists of violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura. They state their goal simply: To Engage. To Exchange. To Connect. Their 2024 album ROOTED features works centered around folk music by composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Bedrich Smetana, Joseph Suk, and Frank Martin. Neave Trio spoke with Suzanne about their collaborative process, and the touching story of how their ensemble got its name.