TRILLOQUY
CLASSICAL MUSIC has been misappropriated as a musical genre and a culture rooted in the aesthetics of Western Europe. TRILLOQUY is the weekly podcast built to DECOLONIZE the traditional definitions and conversations surrounding CLASSICAL MUSIC.
Episodes
Loki chats with Catalyst Quartet violinist Karla Donehew Pérez about the release of Vol. 4 of "Uncovered", featuring the first complete collection of the strings quartets of Joseph Boulogne Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Loki speaks on his re-entry into the Minnesota Public Radio facilities for the first time since his infamous separation from the organization in 2020.
Loki chats with recently retired United States Coast Guard Band member Cedric Mayfield about life in the military as a musician, the challenges of being among the minority of musicians of color, and the importance of keeping this infrastructure a part of the broader conversations around diversity in classical music.
- Cedric Mayfield
- United States Coast Guard Band
- "Ecstatic Waters" by Steven Bryant (perf. University of Memphis...
Loki chats with conductor Dane Lam about his work on three continents and what it looks like to celebrate and preserve culture within different global contexts while expanding audience's perspectives on so-called classical music. Loki speaks to how the arts can be a tool to fight against gentrification.
Peter Askim is transforming the way the next generation of artists are entering the orchestral field with a summer festival celebrated for its "pay what you can" model that eliminates what, for many, was a primary barrier to entry into this vital aspect of a musician's artistic and professional development. Peter joins Loki to talk about this festival, his entry into the world of conducting, and how he's centering music by immigran...
Joachim Horsley is a composer and performer whose fusion of Western European classical and Afro-Caribbean music has earned him praise and notoriety in the United States, Cuba, and beyond. He chats with Loki about his trajectory, his education in Cuba, and his approach to celebrating culture without tokenizing its aesthetics. Loki shares more on his recent engagement of an ensemble accused of appropriating Indigenous culture.
<...Loki chats with founding member of the Kronos Quartet, David Harrington, about the group's work over the past 50 years and their new project, "Three Bones", honoring the 250th anniversary of America with music that highlights Native, Gullah, and immigrant perspectives and experiences.
- Kronos Quartet
- Three Bones
- "Ya Habibi, Ta'ala"
- White Man Sleeps
- Nikky Finney's 2011 National Book Award in Poetry Acceptance Speech
"America/Beautiful" is a project by pianist and arts advocate Min Kwon, in which she has commissioned a diverse group of more than 70 of today’s leading American composers to each compose a variation on “America the Beautiful.” Loki chats with Min about this project, her Center for Musical Excellence, and her nuanced view of what it means to take action toward a better America. Loki offers thoughts on his initial ...
Loki chats with Devin Moore of the Isidore String Quartet about life as a professional chamber musician, what it looks like to help people reimagine this sub-genre of "classical" music, and how his Blackness shows up along the way. Loki unpacks how he sees an engagement of the Western classical tradition as being a part of decolonization.
On April 16-19, 2026 the Gateways Music Festival will join forces with the Dance Theatre of Harlem to present Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird", led by acclaimed conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson. Jeri joins Loki to talk about her historic firsts as a Black woman conductor, her Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, and her work with the Gateways Music Festival.
On March 27, 2026, Naxos Records released "When the Caged Bird Sings" - a new work for orchestra, chorus, and soloists by composer Nkeiru Okoye. Nkeiru joins Loki to talk about her identity as a composer of both African-American and Nigerian heritage, her new recording, and her experiences working with all of the collaborators along the way. Loki offers a Buddhist parable on the subject of caged birds.
Loki chats with Nathalie Joachim about the recent release of "Black Being", a four-movement work by Nathalie and Allison Loggins-Hull featuring the Chicago Sinfonietta and poetry by Jaki Shelton Green. Loki offers his take on the end of Flutronix, and the importance of the acceptance of change and transition.
★ Support this podca...In late 2025, violinist Curtis Stewart, Maestro Michael Repper and the National Philharmonic reunited in concert at The Music Center at Strathmore, following the release of their Samuel Coleridge-Taylor album, honoring the 150th anniversary of the birth of this "overlooked icon of Black classical music." Michael Repper joins Loki to talk about what he sees as the responsibilities of non-Black musicians as it relates to "u...
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol is a Turkish-born musician and composer whose work has been described as "multiculturalism [that] is not touristy, but rather sophisticated, informed, internalized." He joins Loki to talk about the "reconstruction" of his identity, fighting against western European musical imperialism, and his new Sufi-inspired album, "Lessons from Nightingales". Loki offers a response to a recent protest at the Metropolitan Ope...
When Josh Jones was denied tenure at the Kansas City Symphony, he alleged racism and the world listened. He joins Loki to tell his story, share how this experience has informed the future of his career, and to offer broader context on why fighting racism within the orchestral field is still important. Loki shares continued reflections on his 2020 termination from American Public Media.
Raised in exile, composer Tenzin Choegyal has spent his career highlighting the beauty of Tibetan culture, Buddhist philosophy, and human connection through music. He joins Loki to talk about his life, development as a musician, and his latest album, "Be The Sky", featuring arrangements by Philip Glass, performances by the Tibetan Children's Chorus, and many other collaborators. Loki offers his response to Zohran Mamdani's recent m...
Donna Walker-Kuhne is celebrated as the nation’s foremost expert in audience development by the Arts & Business Council, and has devoted her professional career to increasing access to the arts – especially for communities that haven’t always seen themselves in those spaces. She joins Loki to chat about her development as an artist, her new book, Champions for the Arts, and how her Buddhist practice fuels her ...
As the orchestral field continues to face its relative lack of diversity on stage, Joe LaRocca has dedicated work toward raising awareness around a lack of diversity under the stage. He joins Loki to talk about his experiences as a theater musician, the challenges he's faced engaging this topic among theater professionals, and the written word that supports this activism. Loki responds to the 2025 New York City mayoral election.&nb...
Josh Jones and Bill Neri join Loki Karuna to chat about the new album from Sphinx Virtuosi: American Mirror. Loki explores his history with the Sphinx Organization and encourages others to consider the diversity of tactics needed to institute change in the classical field.
Stefan Thompson is a composer whose works celebrate the beautifully diverse aesthetics and traditions of his Bahamian home. He joins Loki to chat about growing up in the Bahamas, his entry into composition, and his research that shines a light on the lack of diversity in the world of film music.
Support for TRILLOQUY comes from WDAV!
★ Support this po...Monica Ellis has blazed a trail in "classical" music for nearly 30 years as a founding member of the historic Imani Winds ensemble. She joins Loki to talk about her career, so far, her past and upcoming work with the Gateways Music Festival, and more! Loki offers a peek into his work as the new Executive Director of the American Composers Forum.
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.