40 episodes

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.

The Open Ears Project WQXR & WNYC Studios

    • Music
    • 4.9 • 534 Ratings

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.

    Dexter Filkins on Tension, Tenderness, and Ravel

    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.

    • 21 min
    Marin Alsop on Beethoven and Humanity’s Infinite Potential

    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.

    • 25 min
    Nathalie Joachim on the Connection Between Brahms and Haiti

    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.

    • 20 min
    Elizabeth Day on Jacqueline du Pré’s Elgar and Navigating Loss

    Elizabeth Day on Jacqueline du Pré’s Elgar and Navigating Loss

    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.

    • 11 min
    Damien Sneed on Dreams, Family and Franz Liszt

    Damien Sneed on Dreams, Family and Franz Liszt

    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.

    • 25 min
    Deborah Frances-White on Chance Encounters and Mozart

    Deborah Frances-White on Chance Encounters and Mozart

    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.

    • 12 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
534 Ratings

534 Ratings

Malware? ,

A wonderful delight

Truly the greatest podcast available. What’s better than storytelling and some wonderful pieces of music. Cheers to many new seasons. Thank you!

Pelnav ,

Pelnav

Wonderful easy and interesting way to listen to classical music. The artists are so fascinating to listen to as they share how they hear these pieces.

CCCCope ,

It’s back!

We waited so long for Season 2, and thankfully, gloriously it’s back. Thank you, thank you. The music is wonderful, the commentary is deliciously good.

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