The Open Ears Project WQXR & WNYC Studios
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- Music
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tom Hiddleston on Arvo Pärt and the Infinite
Actor Tom Hiddleston recalls a powerful experience with nature, Arvo Pärt’s music, and the power of art to remind us of our humanity.
Customer Reviews
Uplifting
Thank you for new and uplifting music. I’ve kept this podcast in my playlist over the long wait just praying it would return And here it is!
Astounding! Thank you, Open Ears Project
Listening to the Open Ears Project is like discovering a treasure box filled with the most exquisite and intimate love letters. Each episode shares a different guest’s abiding love for a particular piece of classical music and their intimate and deeply personal story associated with that piece - and then the playing of the piece. Have tissues handy :)
Happy It’s Back
I loved this podcast when it first aired and I was bummed it was on hiatus for so long! Very glad it’s back and excited to hear more classical pieces. Some are very famous and recognizable, some I’ve never heard before. It’s a great mix and nice to hear the guests’ stories.