A new classical music podcast with bit of a difference has just been launched.
'Whisky High Notes' will explore the art of the pairing classical music with the finest of spirits, and is being presented by composer agent and whisky lover, Dr. Naomi Belshaw.
Hosted at the Soho Whisky Club in London, the series sees guests from across the classical music industry chat about the depth, breadth, and craft of these two specialisms.
Whisky and music
Dr. Naomi Belshaw is a composer manager and agent who has held pivotal roles across the music industry. Her experience spans positions at PRS for Music, PRS Foundation, and WildKat PR, and she currently serves as the Chair of the Three Choirs Festival.
Originally an archaeologist and a classical violinist, Naomi started pairing whisky with music on her blog in 2020 as a way to step away from the stresses of daily life.
She told 4BR: "I wanted to share this idea further by inviting guests to discuss the shared breadth, depth, and beauty that exists between classical music and whisky."
Sam McShane
The first guest is Sam McShane, Artistic Director of Kings Place, on an episode entitled, 'From Kings Place to the Isle of Harris' in which the duo talks through the lens of four compositions and their perfectly matched whiskies.
Sam talks about her musical career (she started on tenor horn) and the musical choices, whilst Naomi balances her own 20 years of whisky enthusiasm and classical music industry expertise to guide listeners through her understanding of the subtleties of colour, weight and scent of the spirit to match it.
There are also some 'quick-fire' questions to spark initial conversations, such as Scottish versus world whisky, Glencairn versus tumbler, and much more.
Ultimate high
The journey concludes with the ultimate 'musical high note' the guest is still seeking in their career, and the whisky they imagine pouring the day they finally reach it.
Following Sam McShane over coming weeks are violinist Dan Shilladay; composer Dobrinka Tabakova; music journalist Ben Hogwood; music producer Alexis Paterson; composer Daniel Kidane; writer and critic Ben Poore and conductor Jessica Cottis.
