Main content

Jess Gillam with... Karim Kamar

Jess Gillam and pianist Karim Kamar share some of their favourite music. With tracks by Rachmaninov, Stevie Wonder, Chopin and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Jess Gillam and pianist Karim Kamar share some of their favourite music. Karim has an amazing musical story - after loving playing as a kid but never studying properly, at 25 he decided to quit his job and learn the piano seriously to become a professional musician. He spent years painstakingly learning how to play - and has since released 6 albums and performed at some of the most iconic music venues from Ronnie Scott’s to the Royal Albert Hall. He’s also a bit of a star on social media with millions of fans who follow his adventures of him playing the many street pianos you find around the country.

His music picks are all based around the piano - from the pure romance of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, to the video game imagination of Ryuichi Sakamoto and the latin funk of Stevie Wonder. Meanwhile Jess finds a new inspiration in Sibelius's Third Symphony, one of her teenage soundtracks in Massive Attack and an uneasy waltz by Shostakovich.

Playlist:

MILES DAVIS: Nardis [Bill Evans Trio]
SHOSTAKOVICH: Jazz Suite no.2 – Waltz no 2 [Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Riccardo Chailly (conductor)]
RUYICHI SAKAMOTO: Seven Samurai: Ending Theme
RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto no 2 – 2nd mvt Adagio sostenuto [Khatia Buniatishvilli (piano), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Jarvi (conductor)]
MASSIVE ATTACK: Hymn of the Big Wheel
CHOPIN: Waltz op.64 no.2 in C sharp minor [Arthur Rubinstein (piano)]
SIBELIUS: Symphony no.3 – 2nd mvt Andantino [³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Philharmonic /John Storgards (conductor)]
STEVIE WONDER: Another Star

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sat 2 Sep 2023 12:30

Music Played

  • Darius Milhaud

    Brazileira (Scaramouche)

    Performer: Jess Gillam. Performer: Andee Birkett. Performer: Zeynep Ozsuca-Rattle. Ensemble: Tippett Quartet.
    • Decca Classics.
  • Karim Kamar

    Recalibrate

    • Small mvmts.
  • Bill Evans Trio

    Nardis

    • Riverside.
  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Suite for jazz band (Waltz 2)

    Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Shostakovich: The Jazz Album - Brautigam, Masseurs.
    • Decca.
    • 13.
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto

    Seven Samurai - Ending Theme

    • KAB.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Concerto no. 2 in C minor Op.18 for piano and orchestra - slow movement

    Performer: Khatia Buniatishvili. Performer: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.
    • Sony.
  • Massive Attack

    Hymn of the Big Wheel

    • Wild Bunch Records.
  • Frédéric Chopin

    Waltz op.64 no.2 in C sharp minor

    Performer: Arthur Rubinstein.
    • Alto.
  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony no 3 - 2nd mvt

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Berlin Philharmoniker.
  • Stevie Wonder

    Another Star

    • Motown.

Broadcast

  • Sat 2 Sep 2023 12:30

Why are more young people listening to classical music?

Why are more young people listening to classical music?

20yo classical musician and presenter Jess Gillam is here to improve your playlist game.

Podcast