What does it take to bring orchestras from all 50 states together around one piece of music?

In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes welcomes acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Biegel, whose extraordinary career has taken him from the great concertos of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff to the forefront of contemporary American music.

Jeffrey shares his remarkable journey from childhood hearing loss to discovering the piano as his first true means of expression. He reflects on studying with legendary Juilliard teacher Adele Marcus, the importance of singing through the instrument, and why a lifetime of experience shapes the sound we create.

The conversation explores Jeffrey's passion for commissioning new music, his collaborations with living composers, and the ambitious Rhapsody National Initiative, which has brought Peter Boyer's Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue to orchestras across America in celebration of Gershwin's legacy and the nation's 250th anniversary.

Along the way, Jeffrey offers candid insights into the future of classical music, the importance of trust and collaboration in orchestras, and why music has a unique power to unite people across differences.

From Gershwin to Giovanni Allevi, this is a conversation about artistic discovery, musical entrepreneurship, and the extraordinary things that happen when musicians create opportunities rather than wait for them.

Manhattan Intermezzo Jeffrey Biegel, piano Brown University Orchestra Paul Phillips, conductor Naxos Records

Featuring works by Neil Sedaka, Keith Emerson, Duke Ellington, and George Gershwin.

Giovanni Allevi: Piano Concerto No. 1, III. Allegro Jeffrey Biegel, piano Orchestra Sinfonica Italiana From the album Equilibrium (2017) Bizart S.r.l.

Peter Boyer: Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue (2023) Jeffrey Biegel, piano London Symphony Orchestra Peter Boyer, conductor Naxos Records

Jeffrey Biegel: https://jeffreybiegel.com

One Symphony: https://onesymphony.podbean.com

Support One Symphony: https://patreon.com/onesymphonywithdevinpatrickhughes

Before Rick Steves became one of America’s best-known travel teachers, he was a piano teacher.

In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with Rick Steves for a wide-ranging conversation about classical music, travel, culture, and the surprising connections between them.

Rick shares how teaching piano helped shape his approach to teaching travel, why understanding the context behind a piece of music can transform the way we hear it, and what the music of a place can reveal that its museums, food, architecture, and history sometimes cannot.

Their conversation travels from flamenco in Spain and fado in Portugal to Grieg in the Norwegian fjords, Smetana and Czech identity, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and the role music played in shaping the national identities of Europe.

Rick and Devin also explore travel as a journey from tourist to traveler to pilgrim, the value of culture shock, and how both music and travel can take us outside ourselves and deepen our understanding of other people.

They also discuss Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, which Rick describes as a concert “designed for people who didn’t know they liked classical music.”

Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey — Colorado performances:

October 8 | Symphony of the Rockies | Denver https://www.symphonyrockies.org/events

October 9 | Boulder Symphony & Music Academy | Boulder https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/rick-steves-europe-a-symphonic-journey

Learn more about Rick Steves: https://www.ricksteves.com/

Learn more about A Symphonic Journey: https://www.ricksteves.com/symphony

One Symphony is hosted by conductor Devin Patrick Hughes.

In One Symphony’s first live, in-person interview, Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with conductors Kristin Ditlow, Karin Hendrickson, and Emily Moss before an audience at the University of New Mexico.

Representing the worlds of opera, orchestra, and wind band, the three conductors explore the craft of conducting, mentorship, musical authority, rehearsal technique, trust, and the balance between listening and leading. They also discuss their different paths to the podium, the relationship between conductor and ensemble, what various musical traditions can learn from one another, and why collaborative music-making remains essential.