<p>In this episode of The Piano Pod, we are joined by composer, conductor, &amp; Music Director at Univeristy of Cologne, Michael Ostrzyga</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>This episode offers a deeper look into the relationship between structure and intuition, and how personal experience finds its way into music.</p><ul><li>📖 Read our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/thepianopod/p/meet-our-guest-michael-ostrzyga-composer?r=2q1iy3&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web">blog</a></li><li>🌐 Michael Ostrzyga — <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ostrzyga.com/">Official Website</a></li><li>🎧 Listen to his music (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/3m1nlG5yrNw6bvEQEAJ2BX">Spotify</a>):</li><li>💿 Album — <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.spektral-records.de/alben/perseus-pianoworks-by-michael-ostrzyga/"><strong>Perseus</strong></a></li><li>📘 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.breitkopf.com/work/8755/der-singende-wind"><strong>Der singende Wind</strong></a> - the Singing Wind (Breitkopf &amp; Härtel):</li><li>🎼 Beethoven Mass in C arrangement - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.classical-scene.com/2026/02/16/arrangement-mass-in-c/#_edn2">article</a></li><li>🎥 Harvard performance of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/0oY17l8Hwf8?si=EEPjxCX_TwLtWOQo">Beethoven's Mass in C</a></li></ul><p>[THE PIANO POD]</p><ul><li>💖 Become a VIP Member / <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com">Unlock Exclusive Content</a></li><li>🎵 Season 6 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa">Piano Playlist </a>(piano music mentioned in Season 6)</li><li>📫 Join <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe">Our Newsletter</a></li><li>🌐 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thepianopod.com"><strong>Website</strong></a></li><li>📱 Follow The Piano Pod<ul><li>Instagram: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://instagram.com/thepianopod">https://instagram.com/thepianopod</a></li><li>Facebook: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://facebook.com/thepianopod">https://facebook.com/thepianopod</a></li><li>TikTok: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://tiktok.com/@thepianopod">https://tiktok.com/@thepianopod</a></li></ul></li><li>🔗 All Links: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/thepianopod">https://linktr.ee/thepianopod</a></li></ul>