In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by composer, conductor, & Music Director at Univeristy of Cologne, Michael Ostrzyga

His work spans composition, conducting, editorial scholarship, and large-scale projects — but this conversation centers on his piano writing, especially his recent solo album Perseus.

Together, we explore how music begins — whether from structure, memory, or sound itself — and how these ideas shape a body of work that moves between tradition and exploration. We also discuss his pedagogical work Der singende Wind, his early musical formation, and his recent arrangement of Beethoven’s Mass in C for four-hand piano and harmonium, commissioned by the Harvard Choruses.

This episode offers a deeper look into the relationship between structure and intuition, and how personal experience finds its way in ...