The Big Interview

Chanel’s global head of arts and culture sits down with Robert Bound to share her take on the evolving international art market, and how the brand endeavours to champion trailblazing artists. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Turner Prize-winning British sculptor speaks to Robert Bound about his creative process and his fascination with the emotional qualities of materials.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former president of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski meets Andrew Mueller in Warsaw to discuss his remarkable political career, why he decided to lead Poland into the EU and Nato, and what it was like to sit across a table from Vladimir Putin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop sits down with Emma Searle to discuss the joys and challenges of leading an orchestra and how, despite rejections and being told, “Girls can’t do that,” she persisted to become the first woman to lead major orchestras in Europe, South America and the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Canadian journalist sits down with Emma Nelson to discuss her career as a war correspondent, being abducted on assignment in Afghanistan and how this trauma refuelled her mission to tell the stories of those caught in conflict.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Photographer Firooz Zahedi sits down with Rob Bound to discuss his special friendship with Elizabeth Taylor and how he went from growing up in conservative Iran to capturing Hollywood glamour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former prime minister of Finland sits down with Markus Hippi to discuss his remarkable political career, Finland's decision to join NATO, and the war in Ukraine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edward Enninful: the editor in chief of British ‘Vogue’ sits down with Sophie Grove to discuss his new memoir, ‘A Visible Man’, growing up in Ghana and what it was like working with some of the most iconic fashion trailblazers, including Kate Moss, Anna Wintour and Naomi Campbell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Design heavyweight Alberto Alessi sits down with Josh Fehnert to discuss the ills and advantages of running a family business and the fine line between art and design. Plus: a few choice tips for success in business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The award-winning photographer has turned his camera on political figures and global superstars, including the Obamas, Prince and Muammar Gaddafi. He sits down with Charlie Filmer-Court to discuss his life’s work and what it was like to be an inch away from Vladimir Putin as he captured his photograph. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Belarusian-American democratic activist and political strategist sits down with Christopher Cermak to discuss what it was like to work on Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, his imprisonment in Belarus and his lifelong goal to help opposition politicians challenge authoritarian regimes in eastern Europe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The women’s rights attorney and former Nasa engineer speaks to Emma Nelson about working on the male-dominated space programme in the 1960s, what it was like to help retrieve the Apollo 13 astronauts after their mid-flight disaster and why she’s concerned about the threat to Roe vs Wade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vikas Swarup, the Indian author and former diplomat, tells Georgina Godwin about his postings across the world, pivoting to writing after a decades-long diplomatic career and his international best-selling book ‘Q&A’, which was adapted into the hit film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The astronaut and engineer speaks with Andrew Mueller about working in space, her previous life as a fighter pilot and the toughest job she’s had: being a mother.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katharine Hayhoe, the Canadian atmospheric scientist, sits down with Andrew Mueller to discuss the climate crisis and her new book ‘Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did a young scientist in East Germany become a spy for the KGB, live a secret double life as an undercover agent in the US and, years later, get American citizenship? The former Soviet spook tells Andrew Mueller about his extraordinary life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US singer-songwriter sits down with Andrew Mueller to discuss her musical career fronting alternative rock bands Throwing Muses and 50FootWave, her solo albums, and her new book ‘Seeing Sideways: A Memoir of Music and Motherhood’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former first lady of Ukraine sits down with Emma Nelson to discuss her upbringing in Chicago, her husband’s poisoning during his election campaign and what it was like to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second Japanese woman in space talks to Georgina Godwin about the International Space Station’s robotic arm, adjusting to life back on Earth and what the war in Ukraine could mean for space exploration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soyeon Yi, South Korea’s first and only astronaut, speaks to Georgina Godwin about her trip to space, the view from the International Space Station and a complicated return to Earth in which she landed among nomads in Kazakhstan – and inspiring the next generation of Stem leaders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astronaut, geologist and science communicator Sian Proctor joins Andrew Mueller to discuss making space more accessible, overcoming setbacks and being the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran Nasa astronaut Nicole Stott sits down with Andrew Mueller to discuss her time on the International Space Station and what life in Earth’s orbit taught her about solving challenges on the planet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The politician and former South African ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay looks back on his career and shares the lessons he learned while working with Nelson Mandela.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finland’s first-ever female head of state looks back on her remarkable career in public service and shares her take on the prospect of Finland joining Nato. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best female chess player of all time sits down with Andrew Mueller to discuss her remarkable life and career.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President of Christie’s in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Dirk Boll, sits down with Monocle’s Robert Bound to discuss what it takes to oversee one of the world’s most prestigious auction houses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former president of Estonia speaks to Andrew Mueller about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and what this means for Estonia and other Baltic nations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The West Indies cricket legend looks back on his time as a fast bowler in the 1970s and 1980s and shares why he decided to write a deeply personal book about prejudice he faced both on and off the pitch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CV of German board-management expert, Janina Kugel, reads like a vertical line pointing upwards. In this edition, Monocle’s Emma Nelson sits down with the former chief human resources manager of Siemens to discuss leadership and the future of work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South African freedom fighter and former Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs sits down with Monocle’s Andrew Mueller to discuss his influential role in the anti-apartheid struggle, and how he managed to resist the impulse to take revenge against the bomber who cost him his right arm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former president of Colombia and Nobel Peace prize winner, Juan Manuel Santos, speaks to Monocle’s Andrew Mueller about his efforts to end more than 50 years of civil war in his country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former president of Colombia and Nobel Peace prize winner, Juan Manuel Santos, speaks to Monocle’s Andrew Mueller about his efforts to end more than 50 years of civil war in his country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Groundbreaking photographer Tyler Mitchell speaks to Robert Bound about his meteoric rise after shooting both Beyonce and vice-president Kamala Harris for the cover of ‘Vogue’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Groundbreaking photographer Tyler Mitchell speaks to Robert Bound about his meteoric rise after shooting both Beyonce and vice-president Kamala Harris for the cover of ‘Vogue’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Canadian former astronaut speaks to Andrew Mueller about his storied career as a space station commander, and the sheer pressure of dealing with dangerous situations in space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fearless author of ‘Wild Swans’ speaks to Monocle’s Georgina Godwin about her award-winning books and experience growing up inside Mao Zedong’s communist China.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belarus’s exiled opposition leader speaks to Monocle’s Tomos Lewis about the state of the resistance movement and her hopes for the country’s future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kick off a new season of The Big Interview with something magically different. Monocle’s Emma Nelson speaks to world-renowned conductor Benjamin Zander, the founder of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, about the transformative power of classical music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our final episode of a special series of conversations ahead of the US elections, Chicago-born visual artist and urban planner Theaster Gates talks to Tomos Lewis about making art, redeeming spaces that have been left behind and the ongoing existence of racial violence in the US.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Academy award-winning actress and legendary campaigner talks to Tomos Lewis about the importance of protest, using her celebrity platform for social change and why she is inspired by a new generation of activists. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former radio host and founder of the conservative news website The Bulwark talks to Chris Cermak about a career of two halves: before and after the rise of Trump, losing listeners to Trumpism and how to win them back over to the moderate fold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third episode of our US election series, Karen Donfried, the president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, talks to Chris Cermak about the challenges for the transatlantic relationship and how to get the alliance back on track, regardless of who takes the White House in November. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The veteran Fox News anchor was the man tasked with moderating the fractious first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. In our second episode in our special US election series, Tomos Lewis speaks with Wallace about the state of US media, what makes a good question and why after a long career in journalism, moderating a presidential debate is still a nerve-wrecking event. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first episode of a special series on the US election, Monocle’s Tomos Lewis sits down with Ben Rhodes, the former speechwriter, foreign-policy adviser and deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama. He talks about how the US has changed since the Obama years and about his new podcast “Missing America”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than 40 years, the Swiss artist and photographer has worked for all the major fashion houses and publications including ‘Vogue’ and ‘Vanity Fair’. The subject of his forthcoming book is his grandfather, Alfred Comte, a legendary Swiss aviation pioneer. He sits down with Tyler Brûlé to reflect on the golden age of commercial air travel and on the extraordinary life and achievements of his grandfather.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now a columnist for ‘The New Yorker’, the prize-winning journalist and author spent over two decades covering the resurgence of totalitarianism in Russia. Gessen’s latest book ‘Surviving Autocracy’, turns a lens on the US. Andrew Mueller spoke to Gessen about meeting Putin, Donald Trump’s America and how to find the tools, and the language, to recognise an autocracy, and survive it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the greatest ever players of Australian Rules football, former Sydney Swans captain Adam Goodes was also named Australian of the Year in 2014 for his advocacy for his fellow Indigenous Australians. In a rare interview, he talks to Andrew Mueller about connecting with his aboriginal roots, confronting racism on and off the football field and about changing things for the better for future generations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philosopher and author AC Grayling is one of the foremost thinkers of our time. He is founder of and master at the New College of the Humanities and has written and edited more than 30 books. He sat down with Monocle’s Georgina Godwin to talk religion, humanism and the role ethics can play in our lives, electoral reform and more. All of which are discussed in his latest book, ‘The Good State: On the Principles of Democracy’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The twice former prime minister of Australia speaks to Andrew Mueller about his life in politics – the stakes, the achievements and how precarious the job of PM can be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is one of the world’s pre-eminent classical soloists. For 40 years the German performer has collaborated with distinguished composers and musicians, winning numerous awards. She talks to Monocle’s Robert Bound about Beethoven, her Stradivarius and sending biscuits to John Williams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.