“...I wrote that script, I recorded it, and I was like, ‘this is what I’m going to do. This is how I’m going to promote my career. This is how I’m going to further my career and this is how I’m going to do it the way I want to do it.”
Stephen Trygar is a historical musicologist, podcaster, writer, producer, and voice actor engaged in revitalizing the music of the past and making it more accessible for modern audiences. His journey to understanding the music of our past has led him to being an advocate for new music, creating podcasts that explores the musical world and sheds light on the world’s cultures: The Composer Chronicles and Cultured, But… Not Really. Stephen’s approach to writing follows a similar path, aiming to uncover hidden parts of our musical world that has been lost to history or swept under the rug.
Recently I was a guest on Stephen’s podcast, The Composer Chronicles. The conversation was so enjoyable that we kept it going for another hour and a half even after we stopped recording. To me, it felt like we had a great rapport. The dynamic was strong and we both genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. That is why I am so excited to have Stephen on the podcast. He was at odds with the typical career trajectory of a musicologist: becoming a professor. So he created his own path. His perspective and approach to musicology is the perfect example of what it looks like to forge a career in classical music.
We talk a lot about what the role of musicologist is today, as well as his podcast, how bread helped shape our language, the issues with censorship, Tchaikovsky and the phenomenal biography written by his brother, our frustration with operas being performed in the language it wasn’t written in, and so much more on episode 28 of the Making Noise Podcast.
I hope you enjoy it!
Follow Stephen's work: alexandrianmedia.org
Follow him on the socials: @stephenjtrygar
Listen to our conversation on The Composer Chronicles
The Life and Letters of Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky by Modeste Tchaikovsky
Amazon
Free eBook
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartradio, and my website
where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.