48 episodes
The Open Ears Project WQXR & WNYC Studios
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- Music
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4.9 • 36 Ratings
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Part mixtape, part sonic love-letter, The Open Ears Project is a podcast in which people share the classical track that means the most to them and why. Created by journalist and former WQXR Creative Director Clemency Burton-Hill, each episode offers a brief and soulful glimpse into human lives, helping us to hear this music — and each other — differently. Guests from the worlds of film, books, dance, comedy and fashion as well as firefighters, taxi drivers, and teachers share cherished musical memories and remind us that extraordinary things happen when we simply stop and listen.
Transcripts are posted to individual episode pages as they become available.
The Open Ears Project is produced by WQXR and WNYC Studios.
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Lucy Boynton on Chopin and Getting Into Character
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Customer Reviews
Lovely
This podcast is a gift! My favourite by far, I am so glad they brought it back. The most beautiful part of my day every time I listen to it.
Wonder
In a creative writing class, we were asked to play with the notion of “wonder” and to share the words that elicit it’s meaning. This podcast and the selection of pieces propelled me into that exercise and facilitated the exploration of the meaning of wonder much more easily than simply trying to somehow spontaneously conjure its meaning. Each piece, each voice, each story and each note invite us into the exploration of the meaning of wonder. A warm, kind, and powerful invitation to immerse oneself, to let oneself be swept away, to allow oneself to be swayed to and fro from memory to feeling to deep emotional reckoning...an invitation to let go of thoughts.... to let the mind wander, and to allow the body to wake, to hear with all of our senses....what a wonderous and wonderful and wonder provoking gift.
Brilliant
What a brilliant idea for a podcast. Lovely short and sweet episodes. I started with Eddie Izzard’s episode and now I’m hooked.