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
Rachmaninoff: The Isle of the Dead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:36
How do you orchestrate a painting? How do you take the detail and the visual imagery of a painting and translate that into something that is so vivid that even if you've never seen the painting before in your life, you c…
The Music of Ukrainian Composers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:08
While the inspiration for the show today is likely obvious, I'm also very happy to get the chance to share this wonderful music with you, separate from the current horrors going on right now. Here's a little quiz for you…
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:43
In 1888, Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony was premiered. It was enthusiastically received by the audience, and by Tchaikovsky's friends. But Tchaikovsky's nemesis, the critics, were not so happy with the piece. One utterly tor…
Fauré Requiem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:33
In 1902, the great French composer Gabriel Faure said this: "It has been said that my Requiem does not express the fear of death and someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus that I see death: as a happy d…
Stenhammar Symphony No. 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:30
The year is 1910. Imagine that you are a young composer, and the music world is in flux all around you. Mahler is dying, and with his death many agreed that the great Austro-German symphonic tradition that stretched from…
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherezade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:42
Rimsky-Korsakov, above anything else, is regarded as a master of orchestration, the art of creating orchestral sound and color. As Rachmaninoff said about Rimsky-Korsakov's music: "When there is a snowstorm, the flakes s…
R. Nathaniel Dett: The Ordering of Moses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:31
In May of 1937, R. Nathaniel Dett's oratorio "The Ordering of Moses" was premiered by the Cincinnati Symphony. The performance was carried live on national radio by NBC, but about 3/4's of the way through the piece, the…
The Music of Ingram Marshall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:27
"I never really thought of them as walls. I thought of them more as boundaries. Walls are a much more serious matter. You're not supposed to be able to get through, while boundaries at least you can crossover and I think…
Sibelius Symphony No. 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:35
Sibelius never gets mentioned on "most" lists, the most innovative, modernistic, romantic, beautiful, conservative, ugly, violent, peaceful etc. In fact, no one is ever sure where to put him on these lists, and that's pa…
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:52
Last week I told you the story of the genesis of Shostakovich's 5th symphony. We talked politics, but we also talked about just the music itself. Today, I'll take you through the second half of the symphony, again first…