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The Open Ears Project

WQXR & WNYC Studios

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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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 18 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • S2 · E22
    April 30 · 3 min

    Introducing Classical Music Happy Hour with Emanuel Ax

    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.

  • Nov 12, 2025 · 33 min

    Introducing Our Common Nature with Yo-Yo Ma

    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. 

  • S2 · E20
    Jun 10, 2024 · 15 min

    Hanna Arie-Gaifman on Bach and Survival

    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.

  • S2 · E19
    Jun 3, 2024 · 11 min

    Caroline Shaw on Mendelssohn and Possibility

    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.

  • S2 · E17
    May 20, 2024 · 13 min

    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.

  • S2 · E3
    Feb 26, 2024 · 25 min

    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.

  • S2 · E2
    Feb 19, 2024 · 12 min

    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.

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes