Over the weekend, I was able to go backstage at Music Hall for a few minutes to meet Grammy-winning producer Elaine Martone. She and Chelsea VandeDrink of Cincinnati Public Radio were making a live recording of the Pops “American Originals” concert, to be the Pops’ 95th album.They were tucked in the recording booth/opera props room near the stage.

(Read the review and see a photo gallery here.)

Elaine, of course, has been coming down to Cincy for years from Cleveland, where Telarc is based, for all of Erich Kunzel’s Pops recordings — as well as for those of the CSO — with hubby and Telarc co-founder Bob Woods. (Telarc was later bought by Concord Records and the award-winning production team left in 2009.)

Like most major orchestras, the CSO now has its own label for recording, and Elaine, who is up for Producer of the Year at the Grammy Awards next month, is still very busy. I asked her three questions:Read More »