Welcome to SongCast, CSI's podcast network

Latest Episodes

Song Cycle Holiday Party!

We're wrapping up 2025 by bringing Cincinnati Song Initiative's podcast hosts together for our annual Holiday Party! Join us in looking back on a wonderful year with peaks and pits from all of our hosts, then test your knowledge with games like "Guess that Song" and "Two Truths and a Lie: Composer Edition." Which composer walked the streets of Paris with a hammer in his suit pocket? Which composers did - and didn't - study with Nadia Boulanger? (Spoiler: even our hosts get stumped plenty of times!)Thanks for a great year of song, and here's to a musically rewarding 2026!Follow Song Cycle with Sam Martin and Laura Strickling here.Follow So Lit Song Lit with Ellen Rissinger and Toni Marie Palmertree here.Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about their network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Holiday Party!

We're wrapping up 2025 by bringing Cincinnati Song Initiative's podcast hosts together for our annual Holiday Party! Join us in looking back on a wonderful year with peaks and pits from all of our hosts, then test your knowledge with games like "Guess that Song" and "Two Truths and a Lie: Composer Edition." Which composer walked the streets of Paris with a hammer in his suit pocket? Which composers did - and didn't - study with Nadia Boulanger? (Spoiler: even our hosts get stumped plenty of times!)Thanks for a great year of song, and here's to a musically rewarding 2026!Follow Follow the Lieder with Mandee Madrid-Sikich here.Follow So Lit Song Lit with Ellen Rissinger and Toni Marie Palmertree here.***Have a question you want answered by Laura and Sam on a future episode? Share your thoughts with a voice memo or written note through our new #TeamArtSong Mailbag!Nominate a phenomenal artist in your local community for a shoutout in our Songsters in Your Neighborhood segment!***Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Bonus: Song Cycle Holiday Party!

We're wrapping up 2025 by bringing Cincinnati Song Initiative's podcast hosts together for our annual Holiday Party! Join us in looking back on a wonderful year with peaks and pits from all of our hosts, then test your knowledge with games like "Guess that Song" and "Two Truths and a Lie: Composer Edition." Which composer walked the streets of Paris with a hammer in his suit pocket? Which composers did - and didn't - study with Nadia Boulanger? (Spoiler: even our hosts get stumped plenty of times!)Thanks for a great year of song, and here's to a musically rewarding 2026!Follow Song Cycle with Sam Martin and Laura Strickling here.Follow Follow the Lieder with Mandee Madrid-Sikich here.***So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Ingeborg Bronsart

Ingeborg Bronsart (1840-1913) was a concert pianist who continued her musical career even after her marriage. She was close with many of the important composers of the time, including Berlioz and Wagner, as well as studying piano with Lizst. Bronsart also composed operas, which shines through in her Lieder compositions!Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:Die LoreleyOp. 25 Drei LiederSang wohl, sang das VogeleiHeidenrösleinIch stand in dunkeln TräumenAbendlied (Op. 16 No. 1)Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.***So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Pauline Viardot (ft. Dr. Melanie Taylor)

Pauline Viardot (1821-1910) was one of the most important musicians of her time. An opera singer and concert pianist as well as a composer, she spoke at least 5 languages fluently and composed stylistically correct in each of those languages! She also taught voice and composed many of her songs to teach her students. This episode focuses on her French mélodies. We are very excited to have Dr. Melanie Taylor, soprano, with us for this episode; she did her doctoral thesis on Pauline Viardot's songs, and has lots of incredible stories of her life to share with us! Her thesis was titled The Songs of Pauline Viardot-Garcia: Proposed Alternatives to Commonly Assigned Repertoire in the University Voice Studio.Musical clips performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:HavanaiseHaï luliBonjour mon cœurMazurka No. 31 in Ab (Chopin)Seize ansRecorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.***So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertreeYou can find out more about Dr. Melanie Taylor at her website.

Hosts

Brian Sikich

Brian Sikich

Host of Follow the Lieder
Ellen Rissinger

Ellen Rissinger

Host of So Lit Song Lit
Laura LeVoir

Laura LeVoir

Host of Song Cycle
Laura Strickling

Laura Strickling

Host of Song Cycle