In this conversation with composer and biographer Jan Swafford, we examine the growing role of DEI and “wokeness” in shaping the arts — and the consequences for music.

Are artistic standards being replaced by ideology? What happens when politics begins to define value in art?

A conversation on music, culture, and what ultimately endures.

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Jan Swafford is a composer and the author of acclaimed biographies of Yves, Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms, widely regarded as among the leading modern studies of these composers.

In this episode of the OAMusic Podcast, pianist and cultural entrepreneur Orlando Alonso speaks with violinist and composer Yury Revich about his new album Peace.

Based in Vienna, Revich has built an international career that bridges classical tradition and contemporary creativity. In this conversation he discusses the idea behind the album, the role of music in times of global uncertainty, and the unique cultural environment of Vienna today.

The discussion ranges from Bach and Satie to the philosophy of beauty, the responsibilities of artists in the modern world, and why music remains one of humanity’s most powerful languages.

Yury's Website: https://yuryrevich.com/

Link to the album Peace on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3TlohB8TvXt5QEEy6I5j4u?si=bX7zEW6CQqCynrVSgO2hPA

I was born in Cuba and lived there until I was nineteen years old.

In this video I reflect on what concepts like international law mean to people who actually live under a dictatorship. Much of the global conversation about Cuba happens in academic, legal, or political circles far removed from the lived experience of the Cuban people.

For those who grow up under a system where basic rights are routinely violated, international law can often feel distant, abstract, and powerless.

This is a personal reflection on that reality—and on what might come next for Cuba.