About

The history of classical music in the twentieth century has traditionally been dominated by critics, composers and creatives.

Modernist music has taken centre stage, while styles that engaged a broader public – from early to romantic – have been sidelined.

Instead, this project starts with the people who listened to classical music, using fan mail sent to Leonard Bernstein and newly-collected oral histories.

It will tell their stories in podcasts, videos, and academic publications.

Our new history will give voice to the pleasures and displeasures that everyday listeners found in classical music.