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 hello@dearmaestro.org
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 classical music fandom. We share stories of fandom from our own lives. We tell the story of how Leonard Bernstein, the composer of West Side Story, became the most famous classical music star of his generation. And we reveal how the thousands of fan letters he received ended up in DC’s presti...
2 Oct 2025
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 uncomfortable. In this episode, we ask: what’s so bad about being a fan of classical music?! We take a deep dive into the history of the fandom to find out where the word ‘fan’ comes from. We explore how the popular music industry, Beatlemania and television made it controversial to be a fan...
2 Oct 2025
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 is classical music’s elitist reputation so contentious? We explore how in the 1950s and 1960s - when Bernstein was at the height of his celebrity - the USA’s rapidly expanding middle class embraced classical music as a cultural equivalent of the white picket fence. We discuss musicians from...
2 Oct 2025
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 come into it? In this episode, we ask: is there a correct way to listen to classical music? We recount our own experiences of being taught how to listen at school and university. We discuss what Bernstein thought the Beatles had in common with Schumann – and why drawing this comparison wa...
2 Oct 2025
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 ask: how did Bernstein’s body help to make him an icon of the classical music world? We reflect on how ideas about "acceptable conduct" constrained sexual expression in Bernstein’s America. We discuss the gaps between sexual values and sexual practice that were exposed by his contemporary Alfred...
2 Oct 2025
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 show that it should be. In this episode, we ask: how does being a fan of something help us build our identities? We share our memories of childhood books that enabled us to explore our sense of self. We consider what Swifties can teach us about becoming and being a fan. We explore what classi...
2 Oct 2025
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 you judge authenticity? In this episode, we ask: what does it mean to be “for real” in the classical music world? We explore why, for more than a century, commercial success and artistic integrity have often been considered mutually exclusive. We ask if the kind of person someone is should a...
2 Oct 2025
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 make life better. But these promises can also draw attention to the shortcomings we feel in our lives. In this episode, we ask: what’s the deal with fandom and longing? We explore how celebrities can seem both like us and superhuman at the same time. We reflect on how classical music fandom cou...
28 Feb 2025
Trailer: Dear Maestro
Hosts Dr. Kate Guthrie and Dr. Flora Willson introduce a documentary-style podcast that explores the untold stories of classical music fandom and what it means to be a fan.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
44
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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