Join host Stefania Passamonte as she welcomes Russian concert pianist Sofja Gulbadamova to discuss her remarkable career performing at prestigious venues across Europe and the United States. Sofja shares the deeply moving story of her performance at Teatro Colón in Bogotá, where she performed Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto Op. 7 as part of a celebration of female composers and musicians—an all-female orchestra and conductor performing works exclusively by women composers.
The conversation takes a poignant turn as Sofja discusses her dedication to composer Ernst von Dochnanyi and the profound historical significance of his Second Piano Concerto. She reveals how Dochnanyi composed this work in the aftermath of World War II, having lost two sons—one executed at a concentration camp after attempting to assassinate Hitler—and having survived false accusations of war crimes. Through her passionate analysis, Sofja draws compelling parallels between Dochnanyi’s work and other war-affected compositions by Mahler and Shostakovich, demonstrating how trauma and historical tragedy are woven into the music’s dramatic fabric.
Sofja also reflects on the role of international piano competitions in a young artist’s career, sharing her philosophy that while competitions can be important stepping stones, emotional resilience and artistic integrity matter far more than winning. She emphasizes that performing for oneself and honoring the composers one loves is ultimately what drives an artist forward, even when competition results don’t reflect the quality of one’s work.
Main Topics
Sofja Gulbadamova has performed extensively at prestigious European and American venues including Cité de la Musique, Salle Cortot in Paris, and made her UK debut at The Piano International England festival
Her performance of Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto Op. 7 at Teatro Colón in Bogotá was part of a historic all-female concert celebrating women composers for a Colombian foundation's 20-year anniversary
Sofja is dedicating her career to recording the complete works of composer Ernst von Dochnanyi, whose Second Piano Concerto holds deep personal significance due to his tragic World War II experiences
Dochnanyi composed his Second Piano Concerto after losing two sons in the war and surviving false accusations of war crimes, with the work reflecting themes of trauma and historical tragedy similar to Mahler and Shostakovich
Sofja is a prize winner at multiple international competitions including the Aix-en-Provence International Piano Competition and the Francis Poulenc Piano Competition
She emphasizes that international competitions, while important, should not define an artist's value or emotional wellbeing, and that performing for oneself and the composers one loves is what truly matters
Musical sensitivity and artistic integrity are more important to Sofja than competition results, and she encourages young artists to maintain resilience when facing rejection or unfair judging
Full TranscriptHello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on women's radio station The Program, whe...▼
Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on women's radio station The Program, where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical Cultural Panorama. Today on Future Classic Women Awards, we will be talking to Sofia Kulbaldamova, a concert pianist from Russia. Sofia concertized extensively throughout Europe and the United States at prestigious venues such as Cité de la Musique and Salle Cortot in Paris, the Arsenal in Metz, the Staatskapelle Weimar, the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, the state radio and television in Russia, and she had her UK debut at the top 10 piano festival in Europe The Piano International England, and that bit followed with the brilliant concert at St. Martin in the Fields from the World Concert Piano Series. Welcome, Sofia! Hello, Stefania, thank you. Sofia, we have heard of an amazing, remarkable event that connects you straight to the programme of the Future Classic Women Awards. Your concert at the Teatro Colón in Bogotá with the Piano Concerto Op. 7 by Clara Schumann. Clara Schumann is the muse of this program. She was an amazing concert pianist. She's the music that we hear in the beginning and at the end of the program. So can you tell us about this performance in Colombia? Well, it was very, very special because I got an invitation 3 years ago to perform for a special event. It was a celebration of a foundation, Colombian foundation, that is dedicated to women only. And they were— they had a 20-year anniversary. So in this concert, the program was consisting only of works by female composers. And one of the centerpieces was, of course, the Clara Schumann piano concerto. That is beautiful. Which is amazing. The conductor was female, the whole orchestra was female, so there were only women on stage. Amazing. And it was a real feast. We enjoyed it very, very much. Beautiful. Unfortunately, we don't have a recording of the performance. No, unfortunately. I think there is a recording, but I don't have it. Ah, what a pity. But we do have a recording of another concerto that is very dear to you. Oh yes, that's a composer to whom I'm dedicating myself since many, many years, Ernst von Dochnanyi, who was, by the way, a real celebrity, not only in England, of course, but in the whole world. But in England, he concertized extensively since his early youth. He started had actually a remarkable career as a pianist when he was only 20 years old. And one of his first tours was in England, and since then he came regularly. He had very good friends there, and the premiere of the second piano concerto that we are talking about was also in England. It took place in Sheffield, Birmingham, and London. There were three concerts in a row. In December 1947 with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Thomas Beecham. Fantastic. And it was a tremendous success, this performance. So I'm very curious to listen to a bit of it. So we chose the first movement of the Second Concerto, of the Second Piano Concerto by Donani. Why is it so special to you, apart from the fact that you decided to dedicate yourself to the composer, so you recorded with the whole— you are planning to record the entire repertoire by Donnani. But you told me a very impressive story about this concerto. Yes, well, I must say that every work by Donnani is really very, very dear to me, and this concerto, it has a profound personal meaning for the composer because he started composing it after the Second World War. Which of course was a disaster to everyone who somehow was affected by the war. But for Döchnanyi, it was a real drama because not only he has lost, uh, two sons in the war in a very cruel way, because his oldest son Hans was executed at the concentration camp in Berlin after having participated in the bomb attack on Hitler. And as, as if this was not enough, there came a very strange and also totally false rumor about Rakhmani being accused of war criminal. Wow. Which was a big fat lie. But you know, when it came through all the radio channels, after this radio proclamation about a person who was so well known in the whole world, it was a catastrophe which actually almost destroyed his whole existence. And so after all that, he was able to clear himself of course, of this accusation. But the traces of this catastrophe, they were everywhere for many, many years for him. Even though he left Europe and he, after having spent a year in Argentina, he left to America where he stayed until his death. But, um, you know, this drama, yeah, of course it was, um, it's very clear in the country. It's very, it's, yeah, it's very clear in the concerto. And you also can really hear the whole war thematic. It's a little bit like, you know, like for example Mahler's Sixth Symphony, where you, you can hear the march of the Nazis. Yes. Even though it was written so much earlier, but they could predict everything. And also the 7th Symphony of Shostakovich. I think these works are very connected in their dramatic approach of this subject. Brilliant. Shall we just listen to it then? Shall we listen to— then let's listen to Donani Piano Concerto No. 2. The first movement. Nanny Piano Concerto No. 2, First Movement, released in 2017 by HD Classic and played by the amazing pianist Sofia Gulbadamova. We will be back after a short break. WRS Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. Sarah's Universal Soul Show. What does your soul or spirituality mean to you? Welcome to Future Classical Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station. Welcome back, I'm Russ Kane. You're listening to In Conversation With on Women's Radio Station. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy. And we're open. 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We provide conflict resolution and community engagement services Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers, and their children and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradiostation.com or thea-project.co.uk. Women's Radio Station is a fresh new broadcasting platform driven by love and passion. Connecting women around the world in a global network is all about diversity. From opinions, career, ethnicity, education, we aim to show the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and a platform for your voice. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Mirai B Limited, we are a virtual PA consultancy We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 077 868 48 998 for further information. Mireille B Limited, making the life of the business owner successful. Woman's Radio Station is passionate about communication and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programmes. Email presenters@womensradiostation.com if there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter. Do get in touch. WRS, Woman's Radio Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. I'm Isabel Manivi, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look Go on Women's Radio website. Call me on 07984 422 171. I'm listening. Hi, I'm Vivienne Arts, President of Women in Banking and Finance. Are you a woman working in the financial services sector in the UK? If you are not already a member, then you are missing out on a fantastic network which has been inspiring women for 40 years. We are a not-for-profit organisation empowering women to network, learn and inspire each other at every stage of their career through our highly sought-after events. We aim to improve diversity by working closely with government leaders and firms through our UK branches. Find out more at www.wibf.org.uk and join a network to transform your career. Hi, I'm Sandy Goddard, founder of The Room Upstairs, a different kind of business women's network. Imagine a lunch or dinner party sitting next to great connections, people who might help you. You have fun, do business, build relationships. Top women speakers, good food, and no membership fees. That's not selling, that's connecting. Join me and economist Ruth Lee, CBE, 26th July, and have your say on Britain and Brexit. Find out more at theroomupstairs.co.uk. Women's Radio Station is a not-for-profit community interest company supporting women Education is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station. The program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today we're talking to Sofia Gulputamova, a Russian concert pianist with an active career, a performer and researcher. Sofia is a prize winner of many international competitions in USA, Spain, France, Germany, Russia. She won first prize at the International Piano Competition in Aix-en-Provence, the 6th International Francis Poulenc Piano Competition in France, as well as the Rosario Marciano competition in Vienna, Austria, and the André Dumouriez in Belgium. Sophia, how— Sophia, sorry— how important is competition for a young artist? Well, I think they can be very important, but another thing is not to— how should I, how should I say that— one should not take them too seriously um, in terms of emotions, you know, because sometimes it just doesn't work the way you imagined or the way you deserved, also very often. And then one should not let it destroy you or discourage you because, um, it can happen. Musicians are sensitive people, and of course Some competitions are, how should I say, they are more important to us than the others for various reasons. If, for example, you go to a competition which is dedicated to a composer which you really passionately love and you know that you gave all what you could and it went really well and then suddenly you're out and the world can break down. I know what I'm talking about. I know, I know, I know. I have done it too. Exactly. I think we all know how much it can hurt and how unfair it can be. And I think the best is just to close this door and tell to yourself that you're better than that. And then there are other people who are able to see it. And finally, we are doing it for ourselves and not for somebody. And of course, we're doing it also for this composer who was so dear to us. That's why it also hurts that much. But if— sorry, yes, no, no, absolutely. Well, on my personal experience from competition, uh, what I, I see it like the Olympic Games, uh, so, you know, you go there and you got the top pianists from the world And, uh, and everybody's amazing. So really, the fact that you don't go through, uh, the first, second, third round, whatever, is not necessarily because, uh, you didn't play well. It's a question of being, you know, the people in the jury, I don't know, more touched by the performance of someone else. Or, and also there is so much pressure often that, of course, that maybe you like to to give so much more, and that's just not happening. Yes, of course. And I mean, a competition, it's not comparable with a concert. Yes, exactly. That's why I wanted to say. Never. Never. It's just a totally different story. And one can prepare until you die. One can prepare yourself mentally, but all that suddenly can disappear when you just go on stage and feel totally paralyzed. Terrible. I'm so happy to be out of that age, you know, to participate in competitions, frankly speaking. But, um, of course they can bring you also a lot of good. First of all, uh, and this doesn't really have to do anything with music, but you find wonderful friends there because I think our reputation, the pianist reputation, is much worse than we are in reality. Yeah. And what, you know, We have in common this very dear friend of me, and I guess of you as well, that is Rustem Saidkulov. And I met him at the Busoni competition. I still remember he played for me, I think it was the Wanderer Fantasia by Schubert. Beautiful. And you know, we were competing against each other, but he, I don't know, he liked the way I was playing and he wanted to hear my opinion on the piece and that. That's quite special. I mean, so you are going there competing against each other because you all want to win, but of course you also know you're all in the same— I say in the same boat, and that exactly creates such a strong bond, isn't it? And of course, if, um, if you like the person, who cares if you compete against each other or not? I mean, when you go on stage, it's not about playing against somebody. It's just giving everything you have, and if the result is good, the better. But of course, we were also always supporting each other very much. And, um, I have a very, very dear friend, Ksenia Kuzmenko, whom I met at one of the first competitions that I ever participated. I was 16, and since then we're wonderful friends, and I really don't want to miss this person in my world and in my life. And there are other examples. And also, it's wonderful to, to meet great musicians. Sometimes it really happens. And I'm always happy when I can listen to them and admire them and learn from them. Oh yeah, so this is something very, very nice. And then For example, like the competition that you just mentioned in Aix-en-Provence, it's 10 years ago that I won it. But imagine, just in a few days, I will be returning to Aix-en-Provence to perform a Mozart concerto at the festival that takes place. It's the same organizer, and it's taking place at the same month when the competition also will be. You know, as a prize winner, sometimes you are lucky enough also to become maybe even friends with those who are in charge of organizing, and then they remember you and they re-invite you. And it's wonderful because this is actually what we are going on competitions for, to play concerts afterwards, to be able to enlarge our net, our performance net, and I'm very, very happy that I'm going back there. Well, shall we listen to from— so one of the very dear composers that you probably played in competition sometime. How about the Donani Windmung? Yes, let's Listen to some of it. And this was Windmung, A Bustertin Number One by Donnani. Released in February 2018 by Capriccio in the Donani Piano Works album. Sofia, what could you tell us about this album? Well, what I can say is that without this piece, Widmung, that we've just heard, there probably wouldn't be any album, or at least not in this constellation, because I played it as an encore in a beautiful festival dedicated to rarely played piano music in Germany. And this led to an invitation which I'll tell you about later. Yeah, totally. I— we have to talk so much about this festival. So after the break, see you soon. Welcome to Women's Radio Station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about 2 to 3 kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's Radio Station, we want to hear from you. This is Women's Radio Station. You're listening to Avril Price with Kitchen Sink Spirituality. It's Anna Kennedy talking all things autism, and my guest today is Karen Nunn. I listen to Women's Radio Station. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Do you dream of a wedding on the beach, or maybe in the middle of a vineyard? 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Email presenters@womensradiostation.com if there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter. Do get in touch. WRS, Woman's Radio Station. Voice of Women Worldwide. Hi, I'm Valentina Barbacci, and I'm the Executive Director of Media Matters for Women. We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own, and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website at MediaMattersForWomen.org. Mireille Bill Limited. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar. We update your client database. We take care of your property in France and in London. 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I'm Patsy, and we're open. As a trans woman living in the centre of London in 2018, the show's about all the barriers I face on a daily level, but it's also about our life stories, how we got to where we are, how we stayed positive in the face of adversity, and being more than just a label. It's about finding one's true authentic self, but it's also about your stories too, so send Send us a tweet, send us an email at presenters@womensradio. The voice of women worldwide. Women's Radio Station is a not-for-profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station. Our guest today is Sofia Gulbadamova, a Russian pianist with an amazing international career. Sofia, we were talking about this recital at the Rarity of Piano Music in Husum, Germany. And that was the thing that led to the releasing of your latest album, Donani Piano Works by Capriccio. Um, what can you tell us about this funny story? Um, well, you know, there is a little, uh, story before, because by that time I was living in Paris and I decided, um, to move away. So at the same time I had to pack my things and to prepare for this festival, which was a huge task because, you know, the festival itself is only featuring their compositions which are rarely performed, which is a beautiful idea, and I love it because that's also what I'm trying to do. And so I was practicing practically all the time, and I was very close to a nervous breakdown. And in this condition, sometimes you have like, uh, predictions, you know, in your mind. And there was a thought that came to me several times, um, and it was that after the concert, somebody will come to me and suggest to record a CD. However, I didn't pay any attention to that, and then the recital was over. I played some encores, and one of them was this Widmung that we've heard before. And I must say that I almost made a love declaration to Dovnanyi, saying on stage what this was and how much this composer means to me. And then after the concert A man came to my garderobe introducing himself as a sound engineer who worked also for Berlin Radio, and he offered me to record at Dochnany CD. And I'm profoundly thankful to him because not only that it was a dream for me since many, many years, but it also led to another recording which I also made. I already made himself in Saint Petersburg. As you know, it's a double CD, this Piano Works edition, and one of them was recorded in Berlin and another one with a totally different team in Saint Petersburg. And, uh, so, you know, without this little piece, maybe we wouldn't have the album. That, that is amazing. That is amazing. You told me another thing about this, um, this rarity of piano music. It was a very long program, wasn't it? Oh yes, it's impressive. Exactly. Well, the, the very first recital that I gave there was 3 hours long. That's true. And how do you survive 3 hours of playing? There were intervals at least, or like, it was after an hour? How do you do that? No, no, after the, the first interval, the, the usual break was after 1 hour 40 minutes. Oh my gosh, you know, played all by heart. Yes. Um, and then in the second half, uh, it was 1 hour plus some encore. Wow. I don't know honestly how I survived because it was, um, it was great in a way, of course, because most of the program I had to learn for this one performance. But also, I also put some works there that were already known to me and very dear to me, like, like some Poulenc pieces, the novelettes, three novelettes, and Doch Nanny, four pieces, opus 2, that are also on this album, on the CD, on the double CD. And I don't know, this is one of the highlights that you remember all your life. You ask yourself, how was this possible that you survived? And we were just very greedy with the director. We both wanted certain pieces on the program and we absolutely didn't think about the timing. It was a good lesson, I think, for both of us. So shall we— from this, from this concert, there is a piece that really catch my, my attention, the Croquembouche No. 10 by Pédanon, by Delvincourt. Can you tell us something? What does it mean, Croquembouche? Croquembouche— well, the whole cycle, it consists of little pieces, miniatures, and then the names he gave to these pieces, they actually attribute to sweets. Ah, and, and desserts, like nibbles, uh, in English, you know, when you get, you know, drinks and nibbles. So it's tiny little nibbles of music, basically. And what is it? How is this sweet? I adore sweets, so let me— me too. But, but you know, the problem is that some of these desserts, they are not even available anymore. So unfortunately, because I also love sweets, I, I would like to know what this is, but maybe I will figure out. Thank you for the hint. All right, so let's listen to Delvin Kurk, Kraken Bush Number 10, Pidinon by Sofia Gulbadamova. And this was, um, Croquembouche No. 10 Pédanon by Delvin Kour, played by Sofia. Sofia, um, so we said these are sweets, right? So do you have anything special that you eat before going on stage, or that you do before going on stage? Yeah, well, of course, I think we all do certain rituals. Um, for example, I think that bananas are It's perfect before going on stage. And also some chocolate can do— it's good. That's what they do. Yeah. Yes, me too. And when I was small, there was a special sort of chocolate which still exists in Russia. It's called Inspiration. And on the box you could see the building of Bolshoi Theatre with two dancers. Okay. And there are little, uh, how do you call it, bricks of chocolate. And I was allowed one of them before each exam or each concert that I had to play as a kid. And so of course I strongly connect this chocolate with, with the stage and with concert experience and also with exams. And I must I must say that until today, whenever I have the chance to get this chocolate also here or bring it with me from Russia, it gives a very special feeling somehow. And it's very uplifting. All right. Wonderful. So psychology is very important for us, I guess. Brilliant. Okay. So we will be back shortly after the break and we will talk more with Sofia. Thank you. WRS, Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. News, music, science, fashion, comedy, and much more on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Talking Travel with myself, Kay, on Women's Radio Station. Women speak about 20,000 words a day. That's 13,000 more than the average man. Welcome back to From Sonnet to Song. I'm Isabel Schuler. I'm Martha Reid. WRS, Women's Radio Station. Hi, I'm Sandy Goddard, founder of The Room Upstairs, a different kind of business women's network. Imagine a lunch or dinner party, sitting next to great connections, people who might help you. You have fun, do business, build relationships. Top women speakers, good food, and no membership fees. That's not selling, that's connecting. Join me and economist Ruth Lee CB and have your say on Britain and Brexit. Find out more at theroomupstairs.co.uk. Women's Radio Station is passionate about communication, and we'd love any thoughts and feedback on our programmes. Email presenters@womensradiostation.com if there's a topic you'd like to hear about or want to contact your favourite presenter. Presenter. Do get in touch. WRS, Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. Hi, I'm Vivienne Arts, President of Women in Banking and Finance. Are you a woman working in the financial services sector in the UK? If you are not already a member, then you are missing out on a fantastic network which has been inspiring women for 40 years. We are a not-for-profit organisation empowering women to network, learn, and inspire each other at every stage of their career through our highly sought-after events. We aim to improve diversity by working closely with government leaders and firms through our UK branches. Find out more at www.wibf.org.uk and join a network to transform your career. Women's Radio Station is a fresh new broadcasting platform driven by love and passion, connecting women around the world in a global network. Is all about diversity. From opinions, career, ethnicity, education, we aim to show the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and a platform for your voice. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. You know women are great at organizing things and saving money. 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If you purchase a 5L bottle for a business, this creates around 2 hours of employment for somebody who is blind, disabled, or has a long-term health condition. For more information, please visit www.thesoapcode.org, or for business inquiries, please email b2b@thesoapcode.org. Women's Radio Station is a not-for-profit community interest company supporting women Education is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station. Our guest today is Sophia Gulpademova, a Russian pianist that we heard amazing stories about her career. There is a very funny one that you told me, you know, touring, you know, the job of a concert pianist that is running around the world, if you like, for concerts. Oh yes, there are a few of them, but this one was— it's very funny now. At the moment when I was sitting inside of the boiling pot, it was less funny, to be honest, because I was, I was supposed to play a recital in Germany, about 1 hour from Saarbrücken. By that time I lived in Paris, but not exactly in the city. I was living in the suburbs, which means that of course you need a lot of time to get to the railway station. Okay. And I was sick. I put my alarm clock, it was set at 6 o'clock in the morning. And when I woke up, I had such a lovely feeling. It was nice. It was a nice morning. And I thought, hmm, it feels great. And then the second thought was, but it should not feel great at 6 o'clock in the morning. Yeah. And then one look on the, on the clock told me that I was very, very right to not feel good about that because it was 11 instead of 6. And within 10 minutes, I had somehow to pack my things, jump into normal clothes, wake up my neighbor because I've lost my voice. And I couldn't, I couldn't even call a taxi. No way. And all that within 10 minutes. And I had And with, you know, with this no voice at all, I had to explain to friends who were supposed to pick me up in Germany that I am late and please, please come to Saarbrücken and pick me up, otherwise I won't be able to make it to the concert. And then of course everything comes together. You're stuck in a traffic jam and there is only one window open to purchase a new ticket, etc., etc. You arrive in Germany and your friends tell you, we are stuck in the traffic jam now and unfortunately we won't make it. No, so please take a taxi. And that's when I finally arrived and the concert organizer saw me and asked me if I came with the taxi from Saarbrücken. You can imagine it was over an hour. What? So expensive as well. Oh, yes. And then instead of an answer, he has got a long coughing monologue because I was not able to talk. I had a huge bronchitis. Yeah. It was just terrible. And he looked at me and asked, why didn't you cancel? What? What? And this Thought even didn't cross my mind in all these hours that I was fighting, you know, to come there in time. But the good thing about it is that in the concert you are so relaxed. Yes. After that disaster, nothing worse can happen. Oh my gosh, I can't believe it. It happened to me once as well. I was in London living with flatmates and I was supposed to take the train to go to Paris. And the train was very early, and so there was no tube available, and I was going to plan— I planned to take a bus, a bus night, and I put the alarm, and again, and again as well, I didn't wake up in time. So I woke up 5 minutes before the bus came, and I don't know how I managed to brush my teeth, get dressed, and run. I was flying. People in the street saw me flying. I managed. I did it. When I came back home, you know, I used to have flatmates that they love to sit in my room while I was practicing, and they were inspired that there was a writer, there was a singer, and, uh, and they were just, you know, and they said, what happened to you? I mean, the, the bedroom was like if a bomb exploded. There was always, you know, yeah, but we made it. So shall we listen to something that instead it's completely opposite, uh, um, opposite mood? That is Film Music, uh, by Dohnanyi from your latest album. Yes, yes, it's a beautiful piece which was written after a balloon flight that Dohnanyi made with his friend. Um, he wrote that he felt so indescribably happy on this flight, like it couldn't be compared with anything else. And actually, this piece is out of a cycle where every single piece is dedicated to a certain friend from his Vienna time, because he was leaving Vienna to, um, to go to Berlin and to teach at the conservatory. And this was a dedication to his Viennese friends. Beautiful. Then let's listen to Sphere Music by Donani. And this was Sphere Music by Donani from the latest album by Sofia Gulbada Nova. Released in February 2018 by Capriccio. If you have any questions that you would like to ask us, to our guest, our nomination for our Future Classic Women Awards, please email presenter@womensradiostation.com or tweet us @WomensRadioStation for a chance to win 2 tickets at our concert of the finalists of the Future Classic Women Awards. A big thanks to our guest, Sofia, Sofia Gulbadamova, for the great chat and the beautiful music played today. Thank you, dear Stefania. Thank you for the invitation. It was a pleasure. And you've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 AM and 10 PM London time. If you want to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to the presenter's page, Stefania Passamonte, Future Classic Women Awards, on womensradiostation.com. Thank you for listening. WRS, Women's Radio Station, voice of women worldwide. This is Amy Liu, voice of China at Women's Radio Station. Welcome to Future Classical Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station. After a long day, I like to sit in my bath with a glass of wine and listen to women's radio. I'm Ross Kane, You're listening to In Conversation With on Women's Radio Station. To see what other programs we have on Women's Radio Station, head to our website womensradiostation.com. I'm Isabel Manvey, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. 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