Classical musicians head to the kitchen

Sarah Willis, French horn player with the Berlin Philharmonic opens her kitchen to fellow musicians… and a TV camera crew

Published: July 18, 2013 at 8:46 am

What’s the most unusual place you’ve heard a concert? With performances now taking place in barns, caves and on beaches, surely there are no more surprises…

Sarah Willis, French horn player with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (pictured right), has introduced yet another situation in which music can be heard. The online German TV show Sarah’s Prelude & Food sees Willis welcome classical musicians into a homely set to play and discuss music.

Sounds normal enough. But the musicians are also cooking at the same time. The show takes place in an open-plan kitchen, which Willis refers to as the 21st-century equivalent of the music salon. The musicians discuss what their career involves on a daily basis, sharing anecdotes while preparing a meal. And, of course, there are a few musical interludes too. However, these are by no means straight-forward – a cello played in oven gloves, anyone?

Willis’s guests for the first season include soprano Anna Prohaska, cellist Alban Gerhardt and conductor Donald Runnicles. It’s not just classical music featured on Sarah’s Prelude & Food: musicians discuss their passions for other genres, including jazz, heavy metal and folk music.

Willis aims to bring classical music from the concert hall into everyday life, and the informal setup sees the guests indulge in easy conversation about their inspirations and creative life while indulging in some dinner over food and a drink. In any case, Sarah’s Prelude & Food certainly reveals a side to leading classical musicians which you won’t have seen before…

You can watch the first epidsode – with soprano Anna Prohaska – online here, in German and with English subtitles.

Katy Wright

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