Before Rick Steves became one of America’s best-known travel teachers, he was a piano teacher.

In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with Rick Steves for a wide-ranging conversation about classical music, travel, culture, and the surprising connections between them.

Rick shares how teaching piano helped shape his approach to teaching travel, why understanding the context behind a piece of music can transform the way we hear it, and what the music of a place can reveal that its museums, food, architecture, and history sometimes cannot.

Their conversation travels from flamenco in Spain and fado in Portugal to Grieg in the Norwegian fjords, Smetana and Czech identity, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and the role music played in shaping the national identities of Europe.

Rick and Devin also explore travel as a journey from tourist to traveler to pilgrim, the value of culture shock, and how both music and travel can take us outside ourselves and deepen our understanding of other people.

They also discuss Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, which Rick describes as a concert “designed for people who didn’t know they liked classical music.”

Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey — Colorado performances:

October 8 | Symphony of the Rockies | Denver https://www.symphonyrockies.org/events

October 9 | Boulder Symphony & Music Academy | Boulder https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/rick-steves-europe-a-symphonic-journey

Learn more about Rick Steves: https://www.ricksteves.com/

Learn more about A Symphonic Journey: https://www.ricksteves.com/symphony

One Symphony is hosted by conductor Devin Patrick Hughes.

In One Symphony’s first live, in-person interview, Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with conductors Kristin Ditlow, Karin Hendrickson, and Emily Moss before an audience at the University of New Mexico.

Representing the worlds of opera, orchestra, and wind band, the three conductors explore the craft of conducting, mentorship, musical authority, rehearsal technique, trust, and the balance between listening and leading. They also discuss their different paths to the podium, the relationship between conductor and ensemble, what various musical traditions can learn from one another, and why collaborative music-making remains essential.

Host and conductor Devin Patrick Hughes welcomes pianist David Korevaar to One Symphony for a rich conversation on Beethoven’s piano sonatas and Korevaar’s newly released complete recording of the cycle on Prospero Classical. Together they explore why Beethoven still feels so relevant today, how the sonatas trace his artistic evolution, and why they can feel like the closest thing we have to a musical autobiography.

The conversation moves from the familiar nicknamed sonatas — including the Moonlight, Tempest, and Les Adieux — into the deeper world of Beethoven’s middle and late periods, from the symphonic scale of works like the Appassionata to the daring vastness of the Hammerklavier and the transcendent farewell of Op. 111. Along the way, Korevaar reflects on Beethoven’s sonatas as a compositional laboratory, the challenge of hearing beyond the famous openings, the role of patrons and titles, recommended entry points for new listeners, and the enduring mystery of Beethoven’s metronome markings.

All music featured in this episode is composed by Ludwig van Beethoven and performed by David Korevaar from his newly released recording, Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas, available on Prospero Classical.

In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with acclaimed film and television composer Lesley Barber for a wide-ranging, behind-the-scenes conversation about writing music that reveals what characters can’t say out loud.

Lesley shares how improvising and composing before formal training shaped her voice, how pop, R&B, and composers like Schubert, Bach, and Chopin influenced her musical language, and why her chamber-score approach to Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear became so enduring that listeners now pass it down to the next generation. The conversation then dives deep into Manchester by the Sea—from the time-crunch sprint to Sundance, to recording her daughter’s a cappella vocals in a dorm room for intimate “in-your-head” sound, then expanding into a large hall for an almost omniscient sense of space. Along the way, Lesley unpacks her fascination with fate, time, and music that can feel “mathematical” yet emotionally unavoidable, and why the most powerful film music often lives in the story’s absences—making the invisible audible.

Devin and Lesley also explore international orchestras, building creative teams across time zones, writing the Late Nighttheme under extreme deadline pressure, and what the future could look like for film music in the concert hall.

Music Selections Featured in This Episode

• “Boarding School Titles” from the film Boarding School. Composed and performed by Lesley Barber.

• “Sentimental Journey” from the film Mansfield Park. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Hide & Seek” from the television series Little Bear. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Manchester Minimalist Piano and Strings (Variation)” from the film Manchester By The Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Floating 149 A Cappella” from the film Manchester By the Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Smoke” from the film Manchester By The Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Molly’s Theme” from the film Late Night. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “That’s Our Show Everybody” from the film Late Night. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Game of Cards” from the film Mansfield Park. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Boarding School Titles” from the film Boarding School. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Emily’s Theme” from the television series Little Bear. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Terry’s Theme” from the film You Can Count on Me. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Little Bear’s Room” from the television series Little Bear. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Manchester Minimalist String Reprise” from the film Manchester By The Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.

In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with pianist/composer Joachim Horsley to explore Afro-Cuban rhythm, genre “walls,” and what orchestras can learn from dance-driven music. Horsley shares how he got “fired” from classical piano lessons, why rhythm is the “warrior that carries the message,” and how Afro Bachreimagines Bach through Caribbean and Latin frameworks—without losing the soul of the original.

Episode excerpts include:

• “Bach’s Cuban Concerto for Piano and Tres”

• “Beethoven in Havana”

• “African Partita (Afro Bach Overture)”

• “Bach Cumbia”

• “Afrobeats Prelude and Amapiano Fugue”

Want behind-the-scenes extras and a way to support the show? Join the Patreon: https://patreon.com/OneSymphonywithDevinPatrickHughes?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=copyLink

Conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with author and USC musicology instructor Tim Greiving to dive into John Williams: A Composer’s Life (OUP)—the first full-scale biography of the world’s most beloved film composer. Greiving traces a lifelong fandom that began with a Jurassic Park cassette, then details the five-year journey of the book: 5:30 a.m. writing rituals, a year of archival research, and rare long-form conversations with Williams at the Amblin bungalow. Together they explore Williams’ jazz and Great American Songbook roots, his Brahms-leaning aesthetic, and how he revived—and refined—the classic Hollywood symphonic tradition with Spielberg and Star Wars. You’ll hear why Greiving calls Williams “closer to a church composer,” how the E.T. finale let the music lead picture, why the orchestra is truly timeless, and the astonishing revelation about Williams’ grandfather, Thomas Nagel, a silent-era cinema music director. Close with a lightning round on favorite themes, underrated scores, and the one word that captures John Williams.

Featured music: Star Wars Main Title • “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” (arr. JW) • Jurassic Park Theme • “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads” (JW Trio) • “Hatikvah” from Munich • “Luke & Leia” • The Quiet Man Main Title • Seven Years in Tibet Main Theme (w/ Yo-Yo Ma) • Superman Main Theme • Schindler’s List Theme (Itzhak Perlman) • Piano Concerto No. 1 (Ax/BSO) • Violin Concerto No. 2: II “Rounds” (Mutter/BSO) • “Harry’s Wondrous World” • “Adventures on Earth” (VPO) • “Flight to Neverland” (VPO) • Close Encounters excerpts (VPO) • “Hedwig’s Theme” • “Flying” (E.T.) • “Throne Room & Finale” (Berlin Phil)

In the second half of a special two part conversation, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes speaks with broadcaster and author John Suchet in Part 2 of a special two-part One Symphony series on Beethoven, based on Suchet’s new book In Search of Beethoven: A Personal Journey.

This episode explores Beethoven’s life in Vienna — his patrons, performance venues, and independence as a composer. We also dive into his personal struggles, including his court battle for custody of his nephew Karl and his gradual onset of deafness, described as the “worst fate for a musician.”

Through it all, Beethoven’s music speaks of resilience and triumph. Suchet reminds us: “If I can overcome what I had, the worst fate that can befall a musician, you too can overcome.”

Featured Music Includes:

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No 22 in E-flat Major, K. 482 I. Allegro. Performed by the English Chamber Orchestra featuring Murray Perahia on piano.
• Ludwig van Beethoven composed the rest of the featured music in this episode.
• Cello Sonata No 3 in A, Op. 69 II. Scherzo (Allego Molto). Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich on cello and Sviatoslav Richter on piano.
• Symphony No 3 Eroica in E-flat Major, Op. 55. I. Allegro con brio. Performed live by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sergiu Celibidache.
• Muzik zu einem Ritterballet (Music for a ballet of Knights), WoO 3. Jagdlied (Hunting Song), 6. Trinklied (Drinking Song), 4. Romanze (Romance). Performed by the Staatskapelle Berlin, conducted by Günther Herbig.
• Symphony No 5. I. Allegro con brio. Performed by the Weiner Philharmoniker conducted by Carlos Kleiber.
• Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 106 Hammerklavier. IV. Largo allegro resoluto. Performed live by Tatiana Nikolayeva.
• Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": I. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande. Allegro ma non troppo Performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
• Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": II. Szene am Bach. Andante molto mosso. Performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
• Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": III. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute. Allegro. Performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
• Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": IV. Gewitter, Sturm. Allegro. Performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
• Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral": V. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm. Allegretto. Performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
• Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major Op. 81a “Les Adiuex” I. Das Lebewohl, Adagio-Allegro. Performed by Tatiana Nikolayeva.
• Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight:” III. Presto agitato. Performed by Emil Gilels.
• Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No 2. “Tempest”: III. Allegretto. Performed by Alfred Brendel.
• Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101. I. Etwas lebhaft, und mit der innigsten Empfindung. Performed by Emil Gilels.

In this first half of a special two-part conversation, Devin Patrick Hughes speaks with broadcaster and author John Suchet about Beethoven’s beginnings in Bonn, his precocious childhood on the Rhine, his mentors and patrons, and the myths surrounding his father and early works. Together, they explore Beethoven’s revolutionary ideas, his first “unplayable” compositions, and the legendary (and mysterious) meeting with Mozart. Along the way, Suchet shares insights from his new book, In Search of Beethoven: A Personal Journey, and we hear the music that shaped the young Beethoven and echoed throughout his career.

Featured Music All works composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, unless noted.

• Große Fuge, Op. 133 — Artemis Quartet (live, Paris 2001)

• Musik zu einem Ritterballet, WoO 1: No. 8 Coda — Günther Herbig & Staatskapelle Berlin (1971)

• Quartet WoO 36 No. 3 in C Major: I. Allegro Vivace — Christoph Eschenbach, Norbert Brainin, Peter Schidlof, Martin Lovett

• Sonatina in E-flat Major WoO 47, Kurfürstensonate No. 1 — Jörg Demus

• Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II, WoO 87 — Reetta Haavisto, Juha Kotilainen, Leif Segerstam, Turku Philharmonic, Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis

• Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77: II. Adagio — Johannes Brahms, Itzhak Perlman, Chicago Symphony, Carlo Maria Giulini

• “Aria de Florestan: Gott!” from Fidelio — Jonas Kaufmann, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

• 12 Variations on “Se vuol ballare”, WoO 40 — Yehudi Menuhin & Wilhelm Kempff

For more information on John Suchet, see https://www.johnsuchet.co.uk. You can find his most recent book In Search of Beethoven, A Personal Journey where ever books are sold.

You can always find more info at OneSymphony.podbean.com. If you appreciate what we do you can Support the show and get exclusive content at patreon.com/onesymphonywithdevinpatrickhughes. Feel free to rate, review, or share the podcast! Until next time, thank you for being part of the music.