The Open Ears Project

Episoade

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  Introducing Classical Music Happy Hour with Emanuel Ax 30.04.2026 3min

  Hello Open Ears fans, pianist Emanuel Ax is dropping into the feed to introduce Classical Music Happy Hour, a new podcast he hosts that you might enjoy. The show is all about the joy in chatting about music with all sorts of people, including some of Manny’s dearest friends like pianist Yuja Wang, composer John Adams, actor David Hyde Pierce, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. So grab a drink and join Manny Ax for music, merriment and conversation.
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  Introducing Our Common Nature with Yo-Yo Ma 12.11.2025 33min

  Ana González is here to introduce you to her new podcast, Our Common Nature, a musical journey with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. When the world stopped in 2020, Yo-Yo Ma started thinking about how music can reconnect people to the natural world. In this limited podcast series, Yo-Yo goes around the country to places where people have deep connections to the earth. 
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  Janna Levin on Mozart’s Unfinished Ambitions 17.06.2024 24min

  Janna Levin, a theoretical cosmologist and professor of astronomy and physics, talks about Mozart, black holes, and life’s unfinished work.
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  Hanna Arie-Gaifman on Bach and Survival 10.06.2024 15min

  Hanna Arie-Gaifman shares a story about why this Bach sarabande reminds her of her cousin, Zuzana Ruzickova, who survived the Holocaust and went on to become an acclaimed harpsichordist.
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  Caroline Shaw on Mendelssohn and Possibility 03.06.2024 11min

  Composer, violinist, and vocalist Caroline Shaw shares memories of playing Mendelssohn’s “Octet for Strings” as a music student and how it helped spark a lifelong love for chamber music.
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  Nick Ferrone on Why Barber’s “Adagio” Gets a Bad Rap 27.05.2024 24min

  Nick Ferrone is a real-estate agent by day and harmonica player by night. In this episode, he talks about his abiding appreciation for Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.”
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  Lucy Boynton on Chopin and Getting Into Character 20.05.2024 13min

  Actress Lucy Boynton remembers her childhood as one surrounded by music. Here, she shares a favorite piano piece by Chopin and reflects on the power of music to establish tone in filmmaking.
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  Martha Lane Fox on Perseverance and Beethoven 13.05.2024 17min

  Entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox recounts how Beethoven’s music allowed her to gain confidence and find her voice again.
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  Steve Reich on Why Medieval Music Sounds So Fresh 06.05.2024 25min

  Steve Reich talks about the influence of 13th-century French composer Pérotin on his own compositions and why medieval music feels fresh to contemporary ears.
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  Anne-Sophie Mutter on Why Bach Is Always the Answer 29.04.2024 12min

  Acclaimed violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter muses on how Bach’s music has accompanied her through moments of sorrow and joy alike.
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  Víkingur Ólafsson on the Unpredictable Futurism of Rameau 22.04.2024 16min

  Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, known for his facility with canonic and contemporary music alike, muses on the unpredictability of both his homeland of Iceland and the Baroque “futurist” Rameau.
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  Garth Greenwell on Finding Refuge in the Music of Britten and Pears 15.04.2024 19min

  Novelist Garth Greenwell reflects on growing up in rural Kentucky and how he found hope and an example of queer love in Benjamin Britten’s music.
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  Jennifer Egan on Chopin's Narrative Masterclass 08.04.2024 21min

  Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jennifer Egan explains what Chopin’s music taught her about writing.
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  Rowan Williams on Bach and the Daily Discipline of Silence 01.04.2024 13min

  The former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams reflects on how listening to Bach feels a lot like prayer.
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  Dexter Filkins on Tension, Tenderness, and Ravel 25.03.2024 21min

  While covering the Iraq War, journalist Dexter Filkins witnessed impossible scenes of suffering. Here, he speaks about finding respite in the music of Ravel.
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  Marin Alsop on Beethoven and Humanity’s Infinite Potential 18.03.2024 25min

  Conductor Marin Alsop guides us through the unforgettable finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and how this music serves as a testament to human connection.
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  Nathalie Joachim on the Connection Between Brahms and Haiti 11.03.2024 20min

  Grammy-nominated flutist and composer Nathalie Joachim talks about her love for Brahms and the musical connection to her family’s native Haiti.
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  Elizabeth Day on Jacqueline du Pré’s Elgar and Navigating Loss 04.03.2024 11min

  Novelist, broadcaster and "How to Fail" podcast host Elizabeth Day talks about encountering Jacqueline du Pré’s rendition of Elgar’s Cello Concerto and how it helped her navigate life and loss.
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  Damien Sneed on Dreams, Family and Franz Liszt 26.02.2024 25min

  Musician Damien Sneed tells a story about performing Franz Liszt’s “Un sospiro” for his family and how it let him loosen his grip around ideas of adoption, rejection and acceptance.
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  Deborah Frances-White on Chance Encounters and Mozart 19.02.2024 12min

  Right after Deborah Frances-White heard Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” for the first time, she shared a serendipitous encounter with a stranger that could have been lifted from an opera plot.