Best Radio TSO Podcasts (2024)

1
American Reporters in China with Mike Chinoy

2M ago

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This is my last show for Rti, but I am keeping the show going on a new feed! If you want to keep listening to the show, you can find it at https://shows.acast.com/the-strait-up-podcast Today on the show I have a very special guest, Mike Chinoy. Mike was the first head of CNN's Beijing Bureau which opened in 1987, and led the coverage of important e…

1
Taiwan's policies for working mothers, with Professor Grace Huang

3M ago

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Most people are probably aware that Taiwan has an aging population. In fact, Taiwan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. According to the National Development Council, Taiwan’s fertility rate in 2022 was 0.87. That makes it either the lowest or nearly lowest in the entire world, with similar rates to South Korea, Hong Kong, and Puerto Ri…

1
Revisiting Taiwan as a "living hell" for road safety with Dr. Tsu-jui Cheng

4M ago

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Today we tackle an issue that is unavoidable if one lives in Taiwan, which is road safety. And I don’t just mean road safety for drivers on the road, but also for pedestrians on the sidewalk. However as you will discover in this episode, Taiwan often lacks sidewalks on many roads. Roads in Taiwan thus must share their narrow spaces among pedestrian…

1
U.K. Parliamentary support for Taiwan with House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Alicia Kearns

5M ago

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Today, I am very honored to have on the show Alicia Kearns, Chairperson of the U.K. House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Alicia’s committee released a report a few weeks back which contained some very strong language regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty and how the U.K. government should handle the Taiwan issue moving forward. We talk about that a…

1
Why are wages in Taiwan so low? With Roy Ngerng

6M ago

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Today I bring you another episode focusing on what is, on its face at least, a domestic issue in Taiwan, but I bring it to you with a comparative international perspective. That issue is Taiwan’s minimum wage, and why is it so low compared to other developed countries? My guest today is Roy Ngerng, a researcher and writer who has worked on issues s…

1
Taiwan's presidential candidates with TJ Ting

7M ago

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Hello and welcome to the Strait Up Podcast, a show about international affairs with a focus on East Asia and of course Taiwan. That focus on Taiwan will be much tighter in the next several episodes including today, as I take a look at several issues that affect Taiwan, but which have an international component. And today, that topic is Taiwan’s upc…

1
The effectiveness of China's coercion against Taiwan and Singapore-Taiwan relations with Ian Chong

7M ago

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Today I bring you a conversation with Ian Chong, associate professor at the National University of Singapore and Nonresident Scholar at Carnegie China, which is part of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC. Ian’s research has focused on topics such as the international relations of Northeast and Southeast Asia, and import…

1
Rightsizing the China threat with Michael O’Hanlon

8M ago

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In the 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy, the U.S. refers to China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.” Certainly, the confrontation between the two sides has played out on numerous fronts, most notably regarding Taiwan. But is America taking its diplomatic rhetoric and policy changes too far in attempting to address the cha…

1
The Geopolitics of Cross-Strait Tourism with Ian Rowen

9M ago

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Hello, welcome to the Strait Up Podcast, the show where we talk about international affairs with a focus on East Asia and of course Taiwan. I’m your host Chris Gorin, coming to you from Taipei, Taiwan. Obviously, there are now and always have been significant political tensions between China and Taiwan. But what about people-to-people relations and…

1
Former AIT Chairman Richard Bush on US-Taiwan Relations

10M ago

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Well, today we have a very special guest indeed. My guest is none other than Richard Bush. Bush has had a long and storied career. Bush served as the chairman and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the unofficial US embassy in Taiwan, from 1997-2002. He is currently a nonresident senior fellow in the Center for East Asia P…

1
Asia's views of US-China competition with Zuri Linetsky

10M ago

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Hello and welcome to the Strait Up Podcast, the show about international affairs with a focus on East Asia and of course Taiwan. Tensions between the United States and China have been at historic highs recently. Taiwan is of course at the center of much of the tension. But how do other countries who have relations with both China and the United Sta…

1
Taiwan Independence Advocate Minze Chien

10M ago

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This week, I bring you the last of my interviews conducted during a recent trip to Washington DC. This time we have the President of FAPA (Formosan Association for Public Affairs) Minze Chien (簡明子). FAPA is a DC-based organization whose mission is to educate US policymakers about Taiwan, with the goal of establishing official diplomatic relations b…

1
Taiwan's diplomatic allies with Russell Hsiao of the Global Taiwan Institute

11M ago

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This week, we have another interview recorded during a recent trip to Washington DC. This time, we have Russell Hsiao, executive director of the Global Taiwan Institute, a DC-based think tank focusing exclusively on Taiwan related issues and research. Russell is also a senior fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, and adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum. …

1
Mahler Mania

11M ago

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In our final episode of Toledo SymphonyLAB, we once again dive into the music of Gustav Mahler - whose Third Symphony brings the TSO season to a close. Special return guest (and musicologist) Effie Papanikolaou shines light both on the man and the music, joining conductor Alain Trudel and Mahler enthusiast Zak Vassar (who also happens to be the TSO…

1
TSO @ 80!

11M ago

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We preview and celebrate the upcoming season of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra as they mark 80 years of serving the community with great music.

1
Maritime Safety between Japan, Taiwan and US and G7 thoughts with Yuki Tatsumi

11M ago

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This weekend, the G7 meeting will be held in Hiroshima, Japan. In light of that, in this episode of the podcast I bring you another interview with a top expert in Japanese security policy, this time we have Yuki Tatsumi of the Stimson Center in Washington DC. This is another in this podcast's DC series of interviews conducted in person during a rec…

1
Summer Music

12M ago

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We welcome warmer weather with a preview of the Toledo Symphony's chamber program, Summer Music. In addition to seasonal selections from Samuel Barber and Wolfgang Mozart, we learn all about a world premiere on the program, called Mojave Sketches for brass quintet and percussion. The composer, Navdeep Singh Galen, plus one of the performers, TSO Pr…

1
Japan's view of Taiwan w/ Jeffrey Hornung (RAND Corporation)

12M ago

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As tensions have heated up in the Taiwan Strait the past several years, public conversations about Taiwan, its defense and the various scenarios arising from a military conflict remain focused on the militaries of China, the US, and Taiwan. However, one topic which is of great interest to me is how other neighboring countries would get involved. Ja…

1
Getting to Know a Kerson

12M ago

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We spend the hour getting to know Kerson Leong, who brings his violin to the Peristyle as soloist for Béla Bartók's Second Violin Concerto. Kerson leads us through the intricacies of Bartók's music, and recounts his early interest in the instrument (that is, after his parents discouraged Kerson's original choice, the double-bass - fearing transport…

1
Czech Parliament Speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová

12M ago

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In our premiere episode, host Chris Gorin has a conversation with Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of the Czech parliament) Markéta Pekarová Adamová. This conversation was recorded just after her return from her trip to Taiwan where she led a delegation of more than 150 people from government, academia, and business. She discusses wh…

1
The Art of Art

12M ago

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As the Toledo Jazz Orchestra offers up its final performance of the season, we take the opportunity to examine the complex and virtuosic artistry of Toledo's own Art Tatum. We hear behind-the-scenes stories and marvel at Tatum's uncanny ability to transform simple melodies into one-of-a-kind showpieces for piano. We also uncover some fun facts whic…

1
Yo-Yo Ma in Toledo

1y ago

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We celebrate the return of superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma to the Peristyle with a full house of Toledo Symphony personalities, including special guest Amy Chang (who is also a cellist). Hear stories and get to know Yo-Yo Ma through our conversation (and "Quiz"-versation), as he's not only a performing artist, but a driving force in the effort to use mu…

1
Cinderella

1y ago

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We highlight the Toledo Ballet's production of Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella with guest appearances from the show's choreographer Eric Otto and the conductor of the program Jonathan McPhee. Think you know your Cinderella? Find out in our Fairy-Tale Quiz of the Day!

1
Taiwanese cuisine

1y ago

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Food journalist Clarissa Wei shares what makes Taiwanese unique and different than Chinese cuisine.

1
Parker plays Tchaikovsky

1y ago

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We delve into the wonderful wide world of Dimitri Shostakovich and his powerhouse Symphony No. 5 (which the TSO plays this weekend!). Also, we welcome the star of the show, Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker, who makes his Toledo Symphony debut with one of the most beloved concertos of its kind, the "Tchaik I" - a.k.a. Piotr Tchaikovsky's first pia…

1
Tsai and McCarthy

1y ago

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President Tsai Ing-wen will transit in the US and meet with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. Natalie Tso speaks to Tamkang University Professor Alexander Huang about how China may react to the plan to meet in California and whether these high profile meetings benefit Taiwan.

1
Hangin' with Matt Catingub

1y ago

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We spend the hour with arranger, composer, Big Band leader, Pops conductor, pianist, saxophonist, and (whew!) vocalist, Matt Catingub – who brings his talents to the Peristyle with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra. Get to know Matt as he talks about his mother, the singer Mavis Rivers (who signed on with Frank Sinatra's label in the late '60s), tells stor…

1
Taiwanese Cuisine

1y ago

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Insider chats with food journalist Clarissa Wei about Taiwan's most iconic dishes.

1
US arms sales to Taiwan

1y ago

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The US has approved US$619 million worth of arms sales to Taiwan including missiles for its F16 fighter jets, and will be sending more troops towards Taiwan. Natalie Tso speaks with military strategist Tamkang University Professor Alexander Huang about the significance of these packages.

1
April's Fool

1y ago

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It's our April Fools Day special, as hilarity ensues with special guests Tony Geftos and Derek Emch joining us in the studio. Learn about our favorite pranks, hear some fake news reports (thank you, Tony!), and play "one true, two false" with newspaper headlines. Care to test your trivia knowledge? Try our quiz about the many shades of April. Liste…

1
Tsai and McCarthy

1y ago

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Insider talks with Tamkang University Professor Alexander Huang about the upcoming high profile meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

1
Female ambassadors

1y ago

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Natalie Tso speaks with Belize Ambassador Candace Pitts and Taiwan's ambassador to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim about their work and their insights for women today.

1
Puccini Forever!

1y ago

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It's opera enthusiast time, as we welcome tenor Zach Borichevsky by phone to talk about his upcoming Puccini extravaganza at Rosary Cathedral with the TSO. We also take the opportunity to get to know Zach and his Toledo history, plus we nerd out on great tenors in our "drop-the-needle-and-name-that-tenor" quiz. What makes a singer great? Listen and…

1
Foreigners Working in Taiwan

1y ago

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Insider talks to All Hands Taiwan and Jessica Stone, author of Crossing the Divide, about working in Taiwan and cross-cultural environments.

1
Take the "A" Train

1y ago

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It's a one-on-one between TSO Music Director Alain Trudel and WGTE's Brad Cresswell, as they preview the Toledo Jazz Orchestra's concert on March 23rd. The concert throws a spotlight on Jazz at Lincoln Center, with charts from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, including some of their most popular songs. We also dig into Alain's dual life as class…

1
Music in our Schools

1y ago

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We celebrate Music in our Schools month with an overview of educational activities from the Toledo Symphony, and get to know the TSO's latest addition: Community Engagement Coordinator Ellie Lee. Joining in the discussion is the TSO's Vice President (complete with fanfare) of Education & Community Engagement, Rachel Schultz. So you think you're fam…

1
Japan can deter China from attacking Taiwan

1y ago

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Oriana Skylar Mastro, Center Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, believes that Japan can help avert a war in the Taiwan Strait. Join Natalie Tso as she speaks with Mastro about why she think Japan should do more to deter China from attacking Taiwan.

1
Taiwan's transitional justice

1y ago

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Tune into to see why the issue of transitional justice is so key to understanding Taiwan.

1
Classical Women

1y ago

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Get to know mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen, who solos with the Toledo Symphony in songs by Alma Mahler. We hear Nina's story (that's pronounced NIGH-na by the way), and we learn about her activism and work in creating the Asian Opera Alliance, which advocates for greater representation of Asian voices both on the stage and behind the curtain. An…

1
Would Japan help defend Taiwan?

1y ago

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Japan should help avert a war in the Taiwan Strait. That's what Oriana Skylar Mastro, Center Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, thinks. Natalie Tso speaks with Mastro about how Japan can help deter China from attacking Taiwan.

1
Flying Dancers

1y ago

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Classical and Hip-Hop collide in this episode, which features special guest Jorge Casco, Executive Director of the Fly Dance Company. Fly Dance joins the Toledo Symphony for one performance only, combining the visceral energy of street dance with the most popular tunes from the classical repertoire. Jorge provides a behind-the-scenes look at how th…

1
Violence against Asian women

1y ago

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In the wake of recent mass shootings in Asian American communites, Natalie Tso speaks with Grace Huang, Director of Policy at the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence about the prevalence of domestic violence against Asian women and its relevance to mass shootings.

1
Midori in Toledo

1y ago

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As the excitement builds for superstar violinist Midori with the Toledo Symphony, we offer a one-on-one with TSO Music Director Alain Trudel who gives expert insight into the program, including the piece that Midori brings to the Peristyle: the beloved Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Listen in, learn all about the music on the concert — and even test …

1
Taiwan and Honduras

1y ago

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Amidst concerns over a possible switch in diplomatic ties, Insider speaks with Honduran Ambassador Harold Burgos about Taiwan-Honduras ties.

1
Won't You Be Our Valentine?

1y ago

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It's our Valentine's Day special, SymphonyLAB style! Join us for sweet radio bon-bons and other auditory treats as we swap stories and learn about the many facets of love in our Jeopardy-themed quiz of the day. And as our gift to you, we present a special radio play – but with a twist! For the first time in TSLAB history, we turn to artificial inte…

1
Francophiles, Unite!

1y ago

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We take a look at the Toledo Symphony's all-French program, with special guest Mélisande McNabney, who solos in Francis Poulenc's harpsichord concerto at the Peristyle. Also joining us a bit later in the program is the Grammy award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, who provides insight into the music on the concert, which she leads with the TSO. An…

1
Year of the Rabbit

1y ago

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Happy Lunar New Year! Taiwan Insider brings you the latest from the Year of the Rabbit in Taiwan.

1
The Alliance of Democracies

1y ago

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Alliance of Democracies Foundation Executive Director Jonas Perello-Plesner talks about his two months in Taiwan and how democracies can work together to defend Taiwan.

1
The Juliet Letters

1+ y ago

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In this episode, we welcome soprano and arts administrator Mickey Emch back to the fold. Mickey is the vocal soloist for Elvis Costello's classical-esque take on one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, The Juliet Letters. We'll examine the music from this concert, including Beethoven's first string quartet and music for brass trio by Canadian composer…

1
Lithuania's Fight for Democracy

1+ y ago

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Insider speaks with Member of Lithuanian Parliament Dovilė Šakalienė

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