Matthew Aucoin is an American composer, conductor, writer, pianist, and a 2018 MacArthur Fellow. In recent seasons, his music has been performed by artists ranging from Yo-Yo Ma to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and commissioned by institutions including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and the Ojai Music Festival. Aucoin is a co-founder of the American Modern Opera Company. His book about opera, The Impossible Art: Adventures in Opera, was published in 2021 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Peter and Matt talk about what it takes to compose an opera, writing classical music in the modern age, the symbiotic benefits of being a composer, pianist, and conductor, Matt's upcoming projects, and much more. Please welcome Matthew Aucoin.