2-time GRAMMY-nominated Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator, Conductor and Drummer Tim Davies, joins the show for the first time!

He is one of the busiest conductors and orchestrators in Hollywood. His film and TV credits include La La Land, Trolls, Minions, Ant-Man, Empire, The Peanuts Movie, The Muppets, Lego Ninjago and Frozen. He is also the most prolific orchestrator and conductor in the world of video games having worked on multiple titles from the God of War, Infamous, Sims, Resistance and Batman: Arkham series.

He is also becoming known in the concert hall having conducted Frozen Live with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, and Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions with the Baltimore and San Diego Symphonies. In January 2018 Davies conducted the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, for the first time, featuring his arrangements for Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds.

In fact, Davies remains an active arranger as well. He has arranged for albums by chart-topping artists Amy Winehouse, Akon, Miguel, Cee Lo Green and for orchestras all over the world from the Los Angeles Philharmonic to The Netherlands Metropol Orkest. He plays drums and writes for his own group, the 18-piece Tim Davies Big Band, and received Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Composition in 2010 and 2016.

Recently Davies has been in demand as a composer, beginning with a collaboration with two-time Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla on the score to the Fox animated film The Book of Life. This was also the beginning of a relationship with producer/director Guillermo del Toro, which led to writing additional music for Crimson Peak and now creating the Annie-nominated score for his TV show, Trollhunters, produced by Dreamworks Animation for Netflix.

In 2013 he launched his orchestration blog www.debreved.com, which has since become an important resource for composers and orchestrators all over the world.

We talk about how his development in Australia, how he got his start in the film, tv and video game industry, his approach to orchestration and composing, the many films and video games that he’s worked on such as Frozen and Last of Us, his Big Band and much, much more!

35. From Frozen to Last of Us, top Hollywood conductor and orchestor | Tim Davies

Pulitzer Prize Winner and 2-time GRAMMY winner Dr. Jennifer Higdon joins the show for the first time!

Dr. Higdon received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Bowling Green State University, an Artist Diploma from The Curtis Institute of Music, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been awarded honorary doctorates from the Hartt School and Bowling Green State University.

Higdon enjoys more than 200 performances a year of her works. Her orchestral work, blue cathedral, is one of the most performed contemporary orchestral works in the repertoire, more than 600 performances since its premiere in 2000.

Her works have been recorded on over 60 CDs. Higdon has twice won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition: first for her Percussion Concerto in 2010 and in 2018 for her Viola Concerto. Higdon received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto, with the committee citing the work as "a deeply engaging piece that combines flowing lyricism with dazzling virtuosity."

Her first opera, Cold Mountain, won the prestigious International Opera Award for Best World Premiere in 2016; the first American opera to do so in the award’s history.

Dr. Higdon currently holds the Rock Chair in Composition at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Her music is published exclusively by Lawdon Press.

We talk about her remarkable journey through music starting from childhood, we discuss her compositional style and method, many of her acclaimed compositions, we get her take on the great composers of the past and much more!

33. From Late Bloomer to Pulitzer Prize Winning Composer | Dr. Jennifer Higdon

Matt Savage is an exciting young jazz piano phenomenon that is exciting the jazz world with his brilliant piano playing and compositions. We discuss his early albums, how he learned to improvise, his favorites recordings and influences, his approach to arranging and reharmonization, his classical compositions, his favorite classical composers, his latest album "Piano Voyages" and much, much more!

13. Jazz piano prodigy & genius talks about his music and style | Matt Savage

The Nikhil Hogan Show is the premier music interview podcast where great musicians are interviewed to give their insights on music! Past guests have included multiple GRAMMY winners, Pulitzer prize winners, MacArthur Genius Fellows and many more acclaimed artists!