Zhao Xin is a talented blind composer and music producer who overcame a myriad of obstacles to pursue his musical career. We'll share Zhao's works, including the latest song composed for Beijing 2022, and get a glimpse of his journey to be a musician.
Feb 2026
Galloping strings--The spirit within the bow
In this episode, the hooves are replaced by horse-hair: the Morin Khuur speaks, sighs and gallops in the hands of the soloist Morin Khuur performer Chaoke Jiletu. You’ll feel 180 nylon filaments tremble like prairie grass, and learn why the bow is called the instrument’s “two leg ... Show More
26 m
Sep 2025
Mustafa Alim: Choosing rhythm over the pulse
This episode follows Mustafa Alim, a musician from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, who fell in love with the accordion. Actively promoting accordion culture, he has engaged in cross-cultural exchanges through domestic and international accordion festivals and ... Show More
22m 34s
Jul 2020
Remembering Ennio Morricone, the Film Score Maestro
His music was dynamic, bold and idiosyncratic, setting a high bar for composers connecting sound and vision. Guests: Jon Pareles and Joshua Rothkopf. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app her ... Show More
53m 12s
Apr 2025
The Deaf Composer: How Beethoven wrote music he couldn’t hear
What happens when one of history’s greatest composers begins to lose the very sense he relies on most? In this episode, we explore how Ludwig van Beethoven continued to create groundbreaking music even as his world fell into silence. Along the way, we uncover the myths, invention ... Show More
26m 9s