43 episodes
The Open Ears Project WQXR & WNYC Studios
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- Music
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4.9 • 19 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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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.
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Jennifer Egan on Chopin's Narrative Masterclass
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
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
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
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
Grammy-nominated flutist and composer Nathalie Joachim talks about her love for Brahms and the musical connection to her family’s native Haiti.