Crescendo Conversations is a podcast series hosted by Dr. Zen Zeng, in which global leaders share four pieces of music that shaped their identity, resilience, and leadership.

Through music, they reveal what years of conventional interviewing never reaches: how they actually think under pressure, navigate complexity, make ethical decisions, and find meaning in their work and life.

Crescendo Conversations is where Interpretive Intelligence meets the lives of people who lead at the highest level. It is not a leadership podcast. It is a listening experience.

Hosted by Dr. Zen Zeng: concert pianist, conference interpreter, founder of Interpretive Intelligence, and author of Crescendo: A High-Achiever's Journey from Perfection to Freedom.

Episodes available on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon and Apple Podcasts.

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Four Songs and One Life

Episode 1:

Prof. Paul Kelly

Former Chief Medical Officer of Australia.

Episode 2:

Martin Dougall

Global Partner of Forensic Network and Solutions, KPMG

Episode 3:

Lewis McDonald

Global Leader of the Energy Sector, HSFK

Episode 4:

Brendan Berne

Former Australian Ambassador to France & APAC

Episode 5:

Rich Brennan

Former Regional Director of Emergency Operations

World Health Organisation.

Episode 6:

Jessica Gethin

Conductor, Artistic Director

  • Zen has a unique ability to connet people and ideas across disciplines and cultures, She brings insight, humanity, and precision to everything she does: A rare combination that makes her stand out."

    —Prof. Paul Kelly, former Chief Medical Officer of Australia.

  • "Zen is very talented at drawing her guest out of their shell, thank you for a unique experience!"

    —Brendan Berne, Former Australian Ambassador to France and APAC.

  • "Zen is an artist of remarkable sensitivity, integrity and imagination — she extends that same creative spirit and authenticity beyond the concert platform, sharing her artistry and insight in a new and meaningful way."

    —Jessica Gethin, Australian Conductor and Artistic Director

  • “What emerges is rarely what anyone expected to say, and almost always what needed to be heard.”

    —Zen Zeng, host of Crescendo Conversations.

  • "Zen speaks from the heart of a concert pianist, the mind of a philosopher, and the soul of an authentic traveller. Steeped in the lessons of experience and expertise, Zen personifies deep thinking, weaving together the lessons of music, metaphor and meaning in ways that challenge and inspire."

    —Martin Dougall, Global Senior Partner of Forensic Networks and Solutions, KPMG.