Herbert Meets: Lady Jess
Lady Jess by Zach Hyman
Lady Jess is a New-York based violinist who between touring with Beyoncé, Max Richter and the The Roots also co-artistic directs the Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra, whose mission is to promote the work of underrepresented groups in classical music with a priority on music by women and people of colour. I wanted to get an insight into Lady Jess’ ethos and background and what had contributed to making her the committed and unapologetic artist she is today. read more
Herbert Meets: Sofiane Pamart
Sofiane Pamart by Romaine Garcin
Sofiane Pamart is a French pianist and composer that is determined to shake things up. Having trained at the National Conservatory of Lille from the age of 7, hip-hop was always a genre more aligned to his lifestyle and attitude and he has since become one of the most in demand collaborators in the French hip-hop scene. The gap between the conservatory and his life has driven Sofiane to lead a ‘piano revolution,’ which reclaims the instrument as something for everyone and he has created a universe that has inspired a new generation to look at the piano differently. In the wake of the release of ‘Planet Gold’ his 18-track solo piano album centred around different places across the world, we spoke about his beginnings, inspiration for the album and his mission as an artist. read more
Herbert Meets: Büşra Kayıkçı
Büşra Kayıkçı by nebulozo
Büşra Kayıkçı is an Istanbul-based composer, pianist and interior architect that has created a gentle world of sounds which have inspired many, making her a household name in the neoclassical world. I was fascinated to understand more about Büşra, how she came to composition and how the many disciplines she practiced were able to live together in her everyday life. When we spoke, I came to realize that these many expressions were all one natural expression of who she was and their easy synthesis was a result of Büşra’s authenticity and knowledge of self. read more
Herbert Meets: Roderick Cox
Roderick Cox by Grayson Lauffenburger
Styled by Pauline Hetger
Roderick Cox is a Berlin-based conductor that grew up in Macon, Georgia and that has already made his mark on the world stage with recent and upcoming appearances including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Houston Grand Opera, and Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Deutsches-Symphonie Orchester. I came across a video of Roderick conducting Tchaikovsky 4 Symphony and was mesmerised with his physicality, musicality and power as he led the orchestra through the movement and wanted to know more about the conductor. When we spoke, I discovered that despite his gentle Southern manner, Roderick possessed a determination, persistence and vision that had and would continue to drive him to wherever he wanted to go. read more
Herbert Meets: Eric Christian Von Fricken
Eric Christian Von Fricken by Chris Millington
Eric Christian Von Fricken is a Brooklyn based pianist and composer with a deeply romantic musical style influenced by the sounds of Chopin, Liszt, Ravel and Satie. Eric’s innate understanding of listeners has led him to grow an engaged and growing Instagram family of almost a quarter of a million fans. I was intrigued to understand more about his ethos, influences and how he cracked the social code. read more
Herbert meets: Isabel Hagen
Feature Shot by Celeste Sloman
Isabel Hagen is a stand-up comedian and classically trained violist that combines the two in an unexpectedly charming way. As well as collaborating with Björk, Max Richter, The National, and Steve Reich, she had her debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon just before the lockdown. I was curious to understand more about this artist as well as the challenges she faced carving her unique path and discovered that Isabel has thoughtful, focused and passionate energy which also resonates from everything she does. read more
Herbert Meets:Uèle Lamore
Uèle Lamore by Daphné Giquel
Uèle Lamore is a Paris-based composer, conductor and arranger whose sound is a true blend of her musical and personal experiences and make it both distinctive and exciting. We talked about her journey from rock guitarist to conductor, founding her own orchestra, her upcoming EP ‘Tracks’ and reworking Puccini for her upcoming Plunderphonia project with Berlin-based 7K!/ !K7 Records where she is re-working one of the greatest Italian composers of all time. read more
Herbert Meets: Zara Hudson Kozdoj
Zara Hudson Kozdoj by Denzel Gaisie
Zara Hudson Kozdoj in a London-based cellist in the final year of her Masters at The Royal College of Music. She is also a member of Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe with majority black and minority ethnic musicians.
I wanted to find out more about her experiences as a performer and her thoughts on the wider classical ecosystem and if it needed to change to stick with a younger generation. read more
Herbert Meets: Darian Thomas
Darian Thomas Self-Portrait.
I wanted to find out more about Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary artist Darian Thomas after hearing and his track ‘Marble,’ which was released on May 29th part of a stunning compilation ‘String Layers’ from 7K!
After getting to know him a bit better, it turned out that much like his music, Darian is a multi-faceted, exacting and forward-thinking artist that is carving his own exciting creative path. read more
Herbert Meets: Casual Melancholia
Casual Melancholia by Alexandre Desmidt
When I watched pianist and composer ‘Casual Melancholia,’ play the piano on an Instagram live a couple of weeks ago, there was a studious delicacy to his playing and a charm that was palpable even through the tiny screen. I went straight to Spotify and listened to the first track listed ‘Memory’ (first track of EP ‘Birth’) and was immediately transported. When we spoke, it turned out that the artist, like his playing was charming, studious and a little bit magic. read more
