Episode 227: The Age of Fine Arts Icons is Over with Samuel Andreyev

Choralosophy

The “Classical” or Concert Music tradition has traditionally relied on a nobility or an institution for funding. This is a challenge in our modern world that has seen such a massive boom of popular and commercial genres, that reject this model. Where does that leave us today?

I sit down with Samuel Andreyev—a brilliant composer, educator, YouTube and Podcast host, and one of the most insightful voices on the state of music and the arts today.

We’re diving headfirst into a big question: has American pop music—jazz, blues, rock, and film scores—overshadowed classical traditions so much that icons like Leonard Bernstein could never emerge again? Samuel and I explore how the overwhelming dominance of pop culture has made it harder than ever for classical music to capture mainstream attention in the U.S., leaving it to fight for survival in niche spaces.

But that’s just the beginning. Samuel shares his fascinating journey from studying at the Paris Conservatory to becoming a French citizen and a digital content creator, where his unique insights now inspire students and composers around the world. We talk about the internet’s double-edged sword—how it creates opportunities for artists but also floods the market with distractions, making it harder than ever to stand out.

We also tackle the big challenges of music education: how to keep classical music relevant, why today’s musicians need to be as entrepreneurial as they are talented, and the dangers of relying too much on outdated institutions or academic pathways.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

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Musicworks magazine has said of Samuel Andreyev: ‘the music’s tautness conceals profound eccentricity: wild colouristic imagination and quick, perverse wit come together in dramatic shifts of hue.’ Born in Kincardine, Canada in 1981, Andreyev studied composition with Allain Gaussin and Frédéric Durieux in Paris, and rose to prominence in the 2010s when he was awarded the Henri Dutilleux Prize (for ‘Night Division’), was named artist-in-residence at the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid, and was given the opportunity to record his first portrait disc at Radio France. Since then, his chamber, orchestral, vocal and solo works have been performed, recorded and broadcast throughout the world. Major works include the violin concerto ‘Trois pierres à ne pas jeter’, written for Max Haft and Ensemble Contrechamps; the chamber orchestra piece ‘Contingency Icons’, written for the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne; and the two cantatas, Iridescent Notation (on poems by Tom Raworth) and In Glow of Like Seclusion (on poems by J. H. Prynne), written for Ukho Ensemble (Kyiv) and Ensemble Proton Bern, respectively. In addition, his music has been featured on concert tours in Canada, the USA, Mexico and Japan.

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Also a highly sought-after teacher, commentator on music and public speaker, Samuel Andreyev’s YouTube channel, which features videos about composition as well as interviews with prominent musical figures, has become a fixture of the music world, viewed by millions. In addition, he presents programs on music for BBC Radio 3.

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Andreyev has taught at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève, the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg and the Strasbourg Center of the University of Syracuse, and he has given masterclasses in countless conservatories and universities around the world. Constantly in demand as a teacher, he maintains a full schedule of private students. He is currently Vice-President of the Music Council of the Fondation Prince Pierre (Monaco).

Nearly all of Samuel Andreyev’s works have been commercially recorded, with four portrait discs released so far and many recordings of individual works available from various labels. A multidimensional artist, he has published several books of poetry and maintains an active practice as a photographer.

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He has made France his home since 2003 and currently lives in Strasbourg. His scores are published by Edition Impronta (Mannheim).

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