Pianist-Composer Michael Stephen Brown on isolation, collaboration and the personalities of pianos

In this episode we sit down with Michael Stephen Brown, the New York‑based pianist‑composer hailed by The New York Times as “a leading figure in the renaissance of composer‑performers” and celebrated for his “fearless performances.” A graduate of The Juilliard School, Michael has been awarded many accolades including an Emerging Artist Award from Lincoln Center and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He shares the story behind his witty “Breakup Etude for the Right Hand Alone,” a piece that appears on his new album Twelve Blocks, which was just released, and he reflects on what success truly means to him.Tune in to hear about Michael’s rituals for creativity, the not-so-glamorous truth about performing internationally, the isolation and connection of composing music and How to Name Your Piano. Also, we announce our very first Creativity Challenge!To learn more about Michael you can follow him @michael_stephen_brown on Instagram. And check out his new album here.Tamzin Merivale is a visual artist and writer, on a mission to explore diverse stories and to guide people to process their life experiences through art. Tamzin’s visual art facilitates people in their quest to unearth their true, powerful selves — work which is unique and transformational. Tamzin’s writing was recently published in the New York Times best-selling memoir The Book of Alchemy (2025) by Suleika Jaouad, alongside Gloria Steinem, Elizabeth Gilbert, Salman Rushdie and more. Subscribe to Tamzin’s Newsletter here or follow her on Instagram @tamzinmerivale.Finola Merivale is a composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music, based between France and Ireland. She is currently a 2025–26 Fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris. Her music has been described as “edgy and discomforting, yet exciting and distinctive.” Finola completed her DMA in Composition at Columbia University. Recent accolades include fellowships from MacDowell (2025) and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation (2024), a 2025 Music Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland and an award from the New York Council on the Arts. Her music has been performed internationally. Follow Finola on Instagram @finolamerivale.Audio editing and production by Finola MerivaleMusic by Finola Merivale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.