The Merzbau Podcast

Dec 08 2022 6 ep. 28 mins 3

The Merzbau Podcast artwork

Welcome to The Merzbau Podcast, a brand new offering from the Merz Trio. Hosted by Merz violinist Brigid Coleridge, the podcast investigates the non-musical interests of musicians and the ways in which these interests might intersect with and inform their artistic practice. Each episode features a guest discussing a work of art that they love, ranging from short stories to stone age sculpture! At least, that's where the conversation begins - as you'll hear, we often end up in surprising places.

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

EPISODE 6: Alex Weiser on Fra Angelico's 'The Last Judgement'

Dec 08 2022 36 mins

For our final episode of Season 1, Brigid speaks with the composer and dear friend-of-the-Merz-Trio, Alex Weiser. Alex introduces us to a painting by the 15th century Florentine artist and monk Fra Angelico, and speaks eloquently about his experience of encountering the painting recently in real life, as well as the particular detail that caught his eye. The conversation also takes

EPISODE 5: Lucy Fitz Gibbon on Bernini's 'Apollo e Dafne'

Nov 30 2022 29 mins

In this week's episode, Brigid speaks to soprano and educator Lucy Fitz Gibbon. Lucy returns us to sculpture in the layered story of her encounter with Bernini's famous interpretation of Greek myth, Apollo e Dafne. Lucy is an eloquent and thoughtful guest, and the conversation spans physical experience in sculpture and performance; the role of story in art creation; the insights re

EPISODE 4: Vivian Weilerstein on Carl Rogers' psychology

Nov 23 2022 28 mins

In this week's episode, Brigid talks to one of the Merz Trio's great mentors: the pianist, chamber musician and educator, Vivian Weilerstein. In a departure from the artworks nominated by guests thus far, Vivian elects to discuss the work of the celebrated American psychologist Carl Rogers. The conversation spans Vivian's childhood and the influence of her parents, her twin interes

EPISODE 3: Jeffrey Mumford on Aelbert Cuyp's 'View of Dordrecht'

Nov 16 2022 24 mins

In this week's episode, Brigid speaks with the renowned composer (and former visual artist!) Jeffrey Mumford. Jeffrey chooses to discuss a wonderfully evocative painting by the 17th century Dutch artist Aelbert Cuyp. Among other highlights, their conversation touches on the ways in which visual art and composition invite relationship with an audience, the different ways they naviga

EPISODE 2: Sini Simonen on Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse

Nov 09 2022 27 mins

In today’s episode, Brigid speaks with the Finnish violinist and quartet player, Sini Simonen. Sini nominates to discuss a book: Virginia Woolf’s novel To the Lighthouse. In a moving and personal conversation recorded remotely during the height of the pandemic, we hear how Woolf’s writing has mediated Sini’s relationship with English; the part that ‘reading’ plays in Si

EPISODE 1: Merry Peckham on Vermeer, Frankenthaler and The Stargazer

Nov 02 2022 27 mins

For our first episode, Brigid speaks to the renowned cellist, chamber musician and educator, Merry Peckham. Merry nominates three (!) works of art to discuss: a stone-age sculpture, a Jan Vermeer painting and a Helen Frankenthaler landscape. In a wide-ranging conversation - that begins with what it means to be part of an audience, and ends up on stage with the performers - we hear