🎹 New Episode Alert: Bach Reimagined - Artistic Innovation of Timeless Music for All Audiences

An intimate, thought-provoking conversation with pianist and arranger Eleonor Bindman on The Piano Pod, offering a glimpse into her passion for Bach

This episode, coming Tuesday, May 20, dives deep into Eleonor Bindman’s lifelong devotion to Johann Sebastian Bach, her innovative and uniquely accessible four-hand piano transcriptions of the Brandenburg Concertos and trailblazing transcriptions of the Cello Suites for solo piano for all levels, and her mission to make classical music more accessible, joyful, and meaningful to musicians at every level.

Reimagining Bach for Today’s Pianists

Eleonor’s work has brought fresh light to Bach’s music, bridging centuries and inviting new audiences to experience its magic. In our conversation, we explore her latest album, Absolute, which features her piano transcriptions of Bach’s Lute Suites and the luminous Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro. We talk about the creative and technical challenges of bringing these works, written initially for the long-lost lautenwerk—to life on the modern piano, while preserving their intimate, dance-like charm.

For Eleonor, transcribing Bach is not merely an academic exercise. It is an expression of love, a means to open doors for both amateur and professional pianists. She passionately articulates her desire for Bach’s music to be accessible to a broader circle of players, from ambitious beginners to lifelong enthusiasts, and underscores why every pianist should have the opportunity to fall in love with Bach on their own terms.

Beyond the Notes: Collaboration, Duets, and Musical Connection

One of the most delightful parts of our conversation is Eleonor’s deep love of four-hand piano duets. Her Brandenburg Duets project with Jenny Lin became a bestseller—for good reason. Eleonor discusses her challenges in transcribing these works, carefully researching each orchestral instrument to adapt the parts for four-hand piano. She notes that earlier arrangements by the well-known German composer Max Reger (1873 – 1916) often left the primo part full of intricate material while the secondo merely tapped out harmonies and beats, creating a pianistically unbalanced arrangement. Eleonor aimed to redistribute the complexity equally between primo and secondo, crafting a fuller soundscape and a genuine joint effort that enhances the experience for both pianists and audiences, making four-hand duets especially fulfilling. She reflects on the underappreciated pedagogical power of duets, describing how they teach coordination, communication, attentive listening, and the sheer joy of making music together.

Making Classical Music Accessible and Alive

We also discuss the bigger picture: how to engage young students, why early exposure to classical music matters, and how to empower adult amateurs who often feel excluded from the “serious” music world. Eleonor’s projects, from Stepping Stones to Bach—a compilation of J.S. Bach's well-known melodies—and Cello Suites for Solo Piano, her cello suite transcriptions, are both designed with amateur pianists in mind, combining remarkable artistry and pedagogical depth while maintaining the essence of Bach’s original music. They are not just about creating new repertoire; they are about creating meaningful, accessible pathways into the music we love. These projects highlight the value of offering high-quality arrangements explicitly crafted for learners and enthusiasts alike.

Eleonor pushes back against rigid traditions, advocating for a freer, more personal approach to Bach’s music. She champions ornamentation, improvisation, and variety—not as gimmicks, but as essential elements of a living art. She says, 

“There is no one way to play Bach.”

It is an invitation to explore, experiment, and connect.

A Journey of Artistry and Advocacy

Eleonor’s journey—from her early days in Riga, Latvia, to studying in the U.S., to international performances and acclaimed recording projects—testifies to resilience, artistic curiosity, and creativity. Throughout our conversation, she reflected on the challenges and triumphs of earning recognition as an arranger and educator. We also explored her many successes, from acclaimed publications and celebrated albums to her strong streaming presence on Spotify and her engaging YouTube channel, where she shares instructional videos, performance tips, and behind-the-scenes insights, connecting audiences to Bach’s music with an educational, approachable, and high-level artistic touch, reaching a growing global audience. Together, these achievements reveal the essence of a 21st-century classical musician and underscore why her work matters, demonstrating how one artist can expand the reach and relevance of classical music today while celebrating the enduring magic of Bach’s polyphony.

Why You Should Listen to This Episode:

This episode celebrates not only Eleonor Bindman’s extraordinary work but also Bach’s timeless ability to inspire, challenge, and uplift us. Whether you are a professional pianist, a piano teacher, or an amateur musician returning to the keyboard, her insights will resonate deeply. They also teach us how to engage everyday audiences creatively, reflecting Eleonor’s broader mission to make classical music accessible to all and providing examples of how even small interpretive choices can invite listeners in, ensuring that classical music remains relevant and timeless. Her message is simple yet profound, leaving a lasting emotional impression: music is life and belongs to all of us.

🎧 Tune in on Tuesday, May 20, at 8:00 pm ET on The Piano Pod’s YouTube channel and your favorite podcast platform.

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