This episode is brought to you by Juneteenth LP — celebrating Black artistry and legacy in classical music. 🎉 Get Your Ticket: https://publictheater.org/performances-jp/2025/j/juneteenth-lp/

🎹 What does it mean to live and create with authenticity?

In this powerful season finale, we sit down with Dr. Maria Thompson Corley — pianist, composer, novelist, poet, educator, and advocate — for a conversation that is as multifaceted as her artistry. From performing her compositions to championing music by Black composers and writing novels and librettos, Dr. Corley shares how her lived experiences—as a mother, artist, and scholar—fuel a profoundly human and inclusive vision for classical music and beyond.

💡 In this episode, we explore:

• ✅ What true inclusion looks like in classical music today
• ✅ How Dr. Corley integrates underrepresented composers into mainstream repertoire
• ✅ Her experiences raising two creative children, one of whom is neurodivergent
• ✅ Writing opera, novels, and poetry as extensions of her voice
• ✅ Co-founding Silence-Optional concerts for sensory-sensitive audiences
• ✅ Her reflections on legacy, authenticity, and creative purpose

Whether you are a musician, educator, or listener seeking a deeper connection through music, this conversation will move you, challenge you, and expand your sense of what classical music can be.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Corley:

• 🌐 Website
• 📘 Facebook
• 📷 Instagram

📰 The Piano Pod Links

• 🎧 Sounds of Inspiration (Season 5) - all the music mentioned
• 📝 Substack VIP Access
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• 🌐 Website: https://thepianopod.com
• 📢 Link Hub: https://linktr.ee/thepianopod
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