Chris and Sridhar discuss the latter’s upcoming audition, their dislike of the classical saxophone, and things about which they have changed their minds (including Aaron Copland, Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma, and Beethoven’s even symphonies).

Chris and Sridhar discuss the New York Philharmonic’s new concert hall, TikTok’s influence on the music industry, and rules to make rehearsals run smoothly.

Chris and Sridhar share some thoughts on YouTube Music before discussing the life, art, and legacy of Leonard Bernstein. Then, in true Lenny fashion, they (night)cap it off by naming some of their favorite Bernstein YouTube videos.

Chris and Sridhar discuss their favorite Victor Borge bits, the ins and outs of concert attire, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s acquisition of the record label Pentatone.

Chris and Sridhar discuss session gigs, band education, Chris’ dream of becoming a piano salesman, Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2, Gerard Schwarz, the Seattle Symphony, and the art of conducting.

ITL is back with a 100% topical episode: after a quick review of the new West Side Story movie, Chris and Sridhar chat about the politics of music as it pertains to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. They discuss the cancellation of Russian music and musicians in wartime, music as propaganda, musicians who enable and benefit from Putin, and much more.

In this cocktail of an episode, Chris and Sridhar discuss the theme from HBO’s Succession, naming a chamber music group, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, whether or not music theory should be mandatory, and the merits of a theoretical perspective of music. They also get distracted and shop for domain names.

Chris and Sridhar play a game of Overrated/Underrated/Properly Rated with the Cleveland Orchestra, seats behind the orchestra in a concert hall, Mahler’s 5th Symphony, and standing ovations. Then, for another edition of ITL At the Movies, they discuss Damien Chazelle’s 2014 film ”Whiplash,” which prompts a conversation about abusive teachers and ”old school” teaching methods.

After an obligatory chat about The Nutcracker, Chris and Sridhar reveal their musical Christmas wishlists. They discuss vocal training, baroque instruments, ballet orchestras, music festivals, entertainment in the metaverse, and the growing number of pops concerts. Will Santa give them what they want?

Chris and Sridhar discuss concerts during COVID, tips for writing program notes, buying a digital piano, the International Chopin Piano Competition, and the music of Frédéric Chopin in general.

For this Halloween special, Chris and Sridhar ask: what makes music scary? They discuss ”scary” associations with certain kinds of music, whether or not music can be intrinsically scary, classic scores for Alfred Hitchcock films, and Saint-Saëns‘ ”Danse Macabre.”

Chris and Sridhar discuss Beethoven’s 10th Symphony as completed by Artificial Intelligence, the role of AI in music, a pop quiz, and some superlative questions. Shots are fired, but it’s all in good fun.

Chris and Sridhar discuss the documentary “The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith.” They also discuss the musical scenes and cultures of various cities and their orchestras.

Chris and Sridhar discuss big news in the classical music streaming world, Chris‘ first composition, composition technology, video game music, and the merits of the piano as an instrument.

Chris and Sridhar discuss some behind the scenes for Sridhar's recently released solo flute album, recording techniques, the merits of recording, and solo music in general. They also set "The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith" as homework and finish by veering into a vexillological tangent.

Chris and Sridhar discuss orchestras’ concert programs as America tentatively opens up. Then they pilot a segment, “Vinyl Revival,” in which they each talk about all aspects—music, artwork, liner notes, etc.—of a record that they own. Today’s records are Frank Sinatra’s “Sinatra at the Sands” and Bob Dylan’s “Bringing It All Back Home.”

In this long awaited return, Chris and Sridhar discuss the ways in which classical music institutions might launch successful digital ventures, the pay what you can model, Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of West Side Story, realism in musicals, and how La La Land is, surprisingly, a breath of fresh air.

Chris and Sridhar answer more questions in the final installment of the Anniversary Special: 1.) What’re your opinions on “pop” classical musicians such as André Rieu? 2.) Sridhar, have you ever played an Indian flute? 3.) Chris, how do I learn to play jazz? 4.) What is your favorite movie about classical music? Thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in over the past year, and here’s to another! Cheers!

Chris and Sridhar answer some more of your questions in the Anniversary Special sequel: 1.) What advice do you have for performance anxiety? 2.) What are your thoughts on music competitions? 3.) Can you tell us more about Chris’ page turning days? 4.) Have you guys ever performed together? 5.) What was the most surprising part about making a podcast?

To celebrate the show's first anniversary, Chris and Sridhar answer some questions they have been asked over the year in three installments. Today's questions are: 1.) What orchestras or artistic organizations have done a good job handling the pandemic? 2.) Who do you think is the most underrated composer? 3.) What was your favorite class in music school? Thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in over the past year, and here's to another! Cheers!