Meet the Composer, Q2 Music's podcast that takes listeners into the minds and creative processes of the composers making some of the most innovative, compelling and breathtakingly beautiful music today, won a Peabody Award, the organization announced Tuesday on Facebook Live.
Launched in 2014, the show is hosted by critically acclaimed violist Nadia Sirota, and has delved into the minds of composers such as John Luther Adams, Caroline Shaw, Meredith Monk and Nico Muhly. Both seasons were funded in part by a successful Kickstarter campaigns. Part of WQXR, Q2 Music is a New York-based online station devoted to the music of living composers.
"With Meet the Composer, we've always aspired to celebrate the beauty and transformative power of today's thoughtful, authentic and composed music, music that can suffer in mainstream awareness from too many preconceived notions from the label 'classical'," said Alex Ambrose, executive producer of Meet the Composer and producer of Q2 Music. "We stepped out into the unknown because we felt MTC needed to happen. For us, it's a show that always leads from the heart, speaks to the mind, and remains in the soul. It's a tremendous privilege to receive such a recognition and to be honored with such esteemed company, and we're thrilled to embark on the next season buoyed by this validation."
“To say I am proud would be an understatement," said Graham Parker, general manager of WQXR and vice president of New York Public Radio. "This award is further recognition that Meet The Composer has created a new gateway for audiences to discover and explore new music and the personalities behind that creativity — the composer themselves. This is about the creative process and not about cluster chords. My heartfelt congratulations to the Meet The Composer team: Alex Ambrose, Nadia Sirota, Alex Overington and Hannis Brown."
"I am completely blown away," remarked Sirota. "We are so proud of this project, which we started purely out of love for the subject matter. I have been so lucky to find brilliant colleagues to collaborate with, and the result is a show which, I truly believe, is greater than the sum of its parts. This kind of recognition, however, is unreal! Yay classical music!"
Meet the composer is one of three programs to win a Peabody in the Radio/Podcast category. The others are NPR News for Secret Mustard Gas Experiments and This American Life's The Case for School Desegregation Today. Additional winners are posted online at PeabodyAwards.com. This is WQXR's first Peabody Award since 1962.
Called the Pultizers of broadcasting, the Peabody Awards annually recognize excellence in television and radio. This year, which marks the 75th anniversary of the Peabodies, 60 finalists were selected from the field of applications. Out of that 60, 30 will win an award. The remaining Peabody Awards will be announced on April 21 on the Today Show and April 26 on Facebook Live. A ceremony honoring the winners will take place on May 21 in New York City.