Shows / Ask The Maestro
Ask The Maestro
Ask The Maestro is your daily front-row seat to the hidden world of classical music. Conductor Robert Emery steps onto the podium to answer the questions you’ve always wondered about — from the drama of the orchestra to the secrets behind the score. Engaging and straight to the point, each episode uncovers the stories, traditions, and secrets of the concert hall — one question at a time. Listen daily and stay curious. Send your question to ask@robertemery.com
Episodes
Ask The MaestroDay 120: Unusual Facts – Edward Elgar
Robert Emery reveals some fascinating and lesser-known facts about Edward Elgar. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on…
Ask The MaestroDay 119: Unusual Facts – Maurice Ravel
Robert Emery shares some surprising and unusual facts about Maurice Ravel. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 118: Unusual Facts – Antonín Dvořák
Robert Emery shares some unexpected stories from the life of Antonín Dvořák. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask…
Ask The MaestroDay 117: Unusual Facts – Gustav Mahler
Robert Emery explores intriguing and unusual facts about Gustav Mahler. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 116: Unusual Facts – George Frideric Handel
Robert Emery highlights fascinating facts about the life and music of George Frideric Handel. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 115: Unusual Facts – Hector Berlioz
Robert Emery reveals unusual stories about the colourful life of Hector Berlioz. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on…
Ask The MaestroDay 114: Unusual Facts – Antonio Vivaldi
Robert Emery shares surprising insights into the life of Antonio Vivaldi. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 113: Unusual Facts – Sergei Rachmaninoff
Robert Emery uncovers some remarkable and unusual facts about Sergei Rachmaninoff. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on…
Ask The MaestroDay 112: Unusual Facts – Johannes Brahms
Robert Emery shares little-known details about the life of Johannes Brahms. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask…
Ask The MaestroDay 111: Unusual Facts – Richard Wagner
Robert Emery explores some surprising facts about Richard Wagner. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The Maestro…
Ask The MaestroDay 110: Unusual Facts – Giuseppe Verdi
Robert Emery highlights unusual stories from the life of Giuseppe Verdi. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 109: Unusual Facts – Igor Stravinsky
Robert Emery reveals a few unexpected facts about Igor Stravinsky. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 108: Unusual Facts – Claude Debussy
Robert Emery uncovers some intriguing details about Claude Debussy. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 107: Unusual Facts – Franz Schubert
Robert Emery shares some lesser-known facts about Franz Schubert. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The Maestro…
Ask The MaestroDay 106: Unusual Facts – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Robert Emery explores unusual facts about the life and music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 105: Unusual Facts – Johann Sebastian Bach
Robert Emery reveals some curious stories from the life of Johann Sebastian Bach. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on…
Ask The MaestroDay 104: Unusual Facts – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Robert Emery shares a few surprising things you may not know about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 103: Unusual Facts – Edvard Grieg
Robert Emery highlights some fascinating and unusual facts about Edvard Grieg. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask…
Ask The MaestroDay 102: Unusual Facts – Erik Satie
Robert Emery explores some unexpected and quirky details about Erik Satie. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 101: Unusual Facts – Franz Liszt
Robert Emery reveals lesser-known stories from the life of Franz Liszt. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask The…
Ask The MaestroDay 100: Unusual Facts – Ludwig van Beethoven
Robert Emery uncovers some surprising and unusual facts about Ludwig van Beethoven. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered…
Ask The MaestroDay 99: Have you ever gone to the wrong venue for a concert?
Robert Emery shares whether he has ever accidentally gone to the wrong venue for a performance. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to…
Ask The MaestroDay 98: Have you ever experienced a cultural or language mishap while touring?
Robert Emery shares a cultural or language mishap he experienced while traveling for concerts. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 97: Have you ever been stuck in a city you didn’t know, with no hotel or transport?
Robert Emery shares whether he has ever been stuck in a city without a hotel or transport while touring. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…
Ask The MaestroDay 96: Have you ever been stranded at an airport overnight and still had to make it to a show?
Robert Emery shares whether he has ever been stranded at an airport overnight before a performance. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery…
Ask The MaestroDay 95: What’s an ostinato or a riff in classical music, and why do composers use them?
Robert Emery explains what an ostinato or riff is and why composers use repeating musical ideas. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to…
Ask The MaestroDay 94: What are key signatures, and why do pieces in minor keys often feel sad or emotional?
Robert Emery explains what key signatures are and why music in minor keys often sounds more emotional. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…
Ask The MaestroDay 93: Why do musicians make funny faces when they play?
Robert Emery explains why musicians sometimes make funny facial expressions while they play. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 92: What does counterpoint mean, and how do all those different melodies fit together without sounding messy?
Robert Emery explains what counterpoint means and how multiple melodies can fit together beautifully. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…
Ask The MaestroDay 91: People talk about fugues a lot, especially with Bach — what exactly is a fugue?
Robert Emery explains what a fugue is and why composers like Johann Sebastian Bach are famous for them. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…
Ask The MaestroDay 90: I’ve noticed things like D.C. or D.S. written in music — what do those tell the musicians to do?
Robert Emery explains what markings like D.C. and D.S. mean in sheet music. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask…
Ask The MaestroDay 89: I always hear people mention 4/4 or 3/4 time — what does that actually mean when we’re listening to the music?
Robert Emery explains what time signatures like 4/4 or 3/4 actually mean when we hear the music. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to…
Ask The MaestroDay 88: Sometimes music sounds unusual or mysterious — is that because of different keys or modes?
Robert Emery explains why some music sounds mysterious or unusual because of keys or modes. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 87: Why is a tuning fork shaped the way it is, and how was the standard pitch (A440) chosen
Robert Emery explains why tuning forks are shaped the way they are and how the standard pitch of A440 was chosen. Got a music-related question? Send it over to…
Ask The MaestroDay 86: Which composer had the most children?
Robert Emery reveals which composer had the most children and how that affected their life. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 85: What piece of classical music has the biggest orchestra in it (like Mahler or Strauss works)?
Robert Emery explains which pieces require the largest orchestras in classical music. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered…
Ask The MaestroDay 84: Who was the youngest famous conductor or prodigy (like Stokowski started young)?
Robert Emery shares who the youngest famous conductor or prodigy might have been. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on…
Ask The MaestroDay 83: What is the “concertmaster” and how did that role start?
Robert Emery explains what the concertmaster does and how that role began in orchestras. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 82: Why does the conductor’s score look different than individual parts?
Robert Emery explains why a conductor’s score looks very different from the individual parts musicians use. Got a music-related question? Send it over to…
Ask The MaestroDay 81: Who was the first famous female conductor?
Robert Emery explains who the first famous female conductor was and why she was important. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 80: Which composition is the longest (by duration) or has the most musicians on stage?
Robert Emery explores which musical composition is the longest or requires the most musicians on stage. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…
Ask The MaestroDay 79: Why do orchestras wear formal dress (tails/tuxedos), and is it still required
Robert Emery explains why orchestras traditionally wear formal dress such as tails and tuxedos. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to…
Ask The MaestroDay 78: What do Op. (opus) numbers or K. (Köchel) numbers mean in a title?
Robert Emery explains what Opus numbers and Köchel numbers mean in the titles of musical works. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to…
Ask The MaestroDay 77: Have you ever composed your own music or written arrangements?
Robert Emery shares whether he has ever composed his own music or created arrangements. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 76: How do cartoons or non-classical art (like “Fantasia” with Leopold Stokowski) influence how people see conductors?
Robert Emery explains how cartoons and films like Fantasia have shaped how people imagine conductors. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…
Ask The MaestroDay 75: What do you think about pop/contemporary music – do any artists inspire you?
Robert Emery shares his thoughts on pop and contemporary music and whether any artists inspire him. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery…
Ask The MaestroDay 74: What are the steps to be a conductor?
Robert Emery explains the steps someone typically takes to become a conductor. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask…
Ask The MaestroDay 73: Which composer or musical piece is your absolute favorite to conduct, and why?
Robert Emery shares which composer or musical piece he most enjoys conducting and why. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 72: How do conductors communicate with section leaders or the concertmaster (first violin) in rehearsal?
Robert Emery explains how conductors communicate with section leaders and the concertmaster during rehearsals. Got a music-related question? Send it over to…
Ask The MaestroDay 71: How do you prepare for a rehearsal or a concert? How many hours/days before do you study the score?
Robert Emery explains how conductors prepare for rehearsals and concerts and how long they study the score. Got a music-related question? Send it over to…
Ask The MaestroDay 70: What happens during an orchestra rehearsal? What do conductors do in rehearsals?
Robert Emery reveals what actually happens during an orchestra rehearsal and what the conductor focuses on. Got a music-related question? Send it over to…
Ask The MaestroDay 69: How do you conduct a piece that has no strict beat, like a free-form introduction?
Robert Emery explains how a conductor approaches a passage that has no strict beat, such as a free-form introduction. Got a music-related question? Send it…
Ask The MaestroDay 68: What is a fermata (hold) or a caesura (pause) in music, and how does a conductor signal it?
Robert Emery explains what a fermata or a caesura means in music and how a conductor signals them. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery…
Ask The MaestroDay 67: What's your favorite instrument to ignore?
Robert Emery jokingly reveals which instrument in the orchestra he secretly enjoys ignoring. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 66: What is the point of melodic minor scales?
Robert Emery explains the purpose of melodic minor scales and why they are used in music. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be…
Ask The MaestroDay 65: What’s your opinion on tuning apps for orchestra playing? The apps D seems too high for my hearing and the G seems too low. Is it true that orchestra players should use the app tuning?
Robert Emery explains his opinion on tuning apps and whether orchestral musicians should rely on them. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…
Ask The MaestroDay 64: So your first/only instrument is the piano, how about a very short tutorial and show us what you can do?
Robert Emery reassures a new learner that it’s never too late to start the piano and shares what someone might aspire to play. Got a music-related question?…
Ask The MaestroDay 63: How do you deal with nerves?
Robert Emery shares how he manages nerves before stepping on stage to conduct. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to be answered on Ask…
Ask The MaestroDay 62: How do you deal with the acoustics in a room?
Robert Emery explains how conductors adapt when performing in rooms with challenging acoustics. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert Emery to…
Ask The MaestroDay 61: What is the layout of the orchestra?
Robert Emery explains the traditional layout of an orchestra and why the instruments sit where they do. Got a music-related question? Send it over to Robert…