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About This Podcast
The untold story of classical music fandom.
What does it mean to “be a fan” of something? We usually associate the phrase with raucous sports enthusiasts or wild popular music devotees – the likes of Swifties and Stans, Beatlemaniacs or the Beyhive. With its silent audiences and erudite atmosphere, classical music probably doesn’t spring immediately to mind.
But classical music fandom totally exists, and we’ve got the receipts to prove it!
Join hosts Dr. Kate Guthrie and Dr. Flora Willson on a journey through the untold story of classical music fandom. In Series 1, we uncover a historic collection of fan mail sent to none other than the Leonard Bernstein – composer of West Side Story, celebrity conductor, and pin-up for a generation of classical music lovers. We also interrogate some of the original fan mail writers, asking what motivated them to put pen to paper over a half a century ago.
Always entertaining, at times deeply moving, and sometimes rather raunchy, Dear Maestro gives a glimpse into the feverish desires and heart-felt longing that drive people’s passion for classical music.
Find out more at https://www.dearmaestro.org or get in touch at [email protected]
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Recent Episodes
Trailer: Dear Maestro
Send us Fan MailVisit www.dearmaestro.org for bonus content, including letters read-out and discussed by their writers.Email us at [email protected] - we'd love to hear from you!Producers: Rowan…
S1E1 Dear Mr. Bernstein
What do crockery and sweat have to do with the history of classical music? The answer lies with its fans.Meet hosts Dr. Kate Guthrie and Dr. Flora Willson as they discuss why we need to talk about…
S1E2 This is no fan letter
From ‘Swifties’ to ‘Trekkies’, ‘Potterheads’ to ‘Twihards’, fans of popular culture often proclaim their fandom with pride. But the idea of fandom still seems to make the classical music world…
S1E3 Longhair music
For decades, critics have been slamming the classical music world for its elitism. Meanwhile, fans insist that classical music is for everyone. What’s all the fuss about?In this episode, we ask: why…
Emotional summits
Ask any classical music boffin, and they’ll tell you that you can’t just listen to classical music. It’s a skill that you have to learn. But what about our gut response to music – where does that…
S1E5 Look at that gorgeous body!
Classical music usually conjures up images of civilised rather than raunchy behaviour. But many of Bernstein’s fans found him seriously sexy – and they were not afraid to tell him.In this episode, we…
S1E6 My friends snigger
The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, the Sex Pistols … the soundtracks of teenage self-discovery are many. Rarely do we think to include classical music on such a list – but Bernstein’s young fans…
S1E7 Just an act?
Autotune scandals, controversies about artists selling-out, disagreements over the “right” way to play Beethoven: if these tell you one thing, it’s that we expect artists to be authentic. But how do…
S1E8 Feeling desperate
Anyone who’s ever been a real fan will know what it feels like to long for something – to meet a celebrity, for tickets to a gig, to own that rare collectible. In so many ways, fandom promises to…
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Dear Maestro has published 9 episodes since October 2025, covering topics in Arts.
Dear Maestro is currently dormant with new episodes hourly. Average episode length is 33m.
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