A Conversation with Composer Caroline Shaw

A Conversation with Composer Caroline Shaw

Author: Joshua Weilerstein October 18, 2024 Duration: 47:32

Caroline Shaw is one of the most fascinating, innovative, and brilliant composers of our time. Since winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2013, she rocketed onto the scene and has stayed there ever since, writing music that has captivated audiences around the world. In this conversation, which dates back to 2020(so there is a bit of pandemic talk at the beginning), we talked about her musical upbringing, the shock and surprise of her Pulitzer win, her compositional process, and much much more. This was a really fun and edifying conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 


There’s a particular kind of curiosity that draws people to classical music, but the sheer scale of the repertoire can feel overwhelming. Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast, hosted by conductor Joshua Weilerstein, meets that curiosity right where it is. Think of it as a series of open conversations about the music itself, designed to be equally engaging for someone hearing a symphony for the first time and for a lifelong devotee. Episodes might feature a thoughtful interview with a performing artist, offering a glimpse behind the curtain, or they could focus entirely on a single piece, peeling back its layers to explore why it resonates. Weilerstein guides these explorations with clarity and enthusiasm, moving seamlessly from foundational concepts to more nuanced details about different musical eras. The entire premise of this podcast is built on a genuine belief that this music belongs to all of us. It’s about replacing any sense of intimidation with connection and understanding. While past seasons are gradually being re-released, each episode stands as its own invitation to listen more deeply.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 284

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Degenerates: Music Suppressed By The Nazis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:39
The center of Western Classical Music, ever since the time of Bach, has been modern-day Germany and Austria. You can trace a line from Bach, to Haydn to Mozart to Beethoven to Schubert to Schumann, Brahms, and Wagner, an…
David Krauss, Principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:42
David Krauss is the Principal Trumpet of the Met Opera orchestra, and in this conversation, we talked about his beginnings on the trumpet, the differences between playing in a symphonic orchestra vs. an opera orchestra,…
Beethoven Op. 18 String Quartets, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:32
Note: This episode will be a lot more enjoyable if you listen to Part 1 first! As we turn towards the final three quartets of the set, we'll see a lot of the same characteristics of the first 3; a perfect classical era p…
Beethoven Op. 18 String Quartets, Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:37
In 1798, Beethoven, all of 28 years old, was about to begin a project that would take him to the last days of his life, a project that would result in some of the most far-reaching, most cosmic, most life-affirming, most…
Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:09
In almost every one of the past shows I've done about Shostakovich, the name Joseph Stalin is mentioned almost as much as the name Dmitri Shostakovich, and of course, there's a good reason for that. Shostakovich's life a…
10 Pieces You've (Probably) Never Heard, But Need to Listen To! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:37
Everyone knows Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Even if United Airlines hadn't made the piece ubiquitous, it seems like the one piece of classical music almost everyone knows besides the beginning of Beethoven's 5th symphony…
Ives, "Three Places in New England" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:25
In 1929, the conductor Nicolas Slonimsky contacted the American composer Charles Ives about performing one of his works. This was a bit of a surprise for Ives, since he had a checkered reputation among musicians and audi…
Louise Farrenc Symphony No. 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:31
In the mid 19th century, the way to make yourself famous in France as a composer was to write operas. From Cherubini, to Meyerbeer, to Bizet, to Berlioz, to Gounod, to Massenet, to Offenbach, to Saint Saens, to foreign c…
Saint-Saens, The Carnival Of The Animals [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:57
In 1922 a review appeared in the French newspaper Le Figaro: "We cannot describe the cries of admiring joy let loose by an enthusiastic public. In the immense oeuvre of Camille Saint-Saëns, The Carnival of the Animals is…
Brahms Symphony No. 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:30
Welcome to Season 9 of Sticky Notes! We're starting with a bang this season with Brahms' incomparable 4th symphony. This symphony takes the listener on a journey that unexpectedly ends in a legendarily dramatic and storm…