Can classical be protest music? | So, Hear Me Out

Linton and Gillian explore how classical music has been used to challenge power, uplift marginalised voices, and fuel social movements. From radical sounds to revolutionary ideas, we discover how music becomes activism. Linton introduces Julius Eastman’s Gay Guerrilla, a defiant and deeply moving work that reclaims the idea of the ‘guerrilla’ as a symbol of queer resistance. The piece is raw, repetitive, and electrifying – built to reflect both personal struggle and collective power. Gillian guides us through Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated, a towering set of 36 variations based on a Chilean protest anthem. Together Gillian and Linton unpack how Rzewski weaves political messages into classical form, creating a composition that bridges generations and geographies of resistance. Throughout this episode, the hosts consider how music amplifies stories too often silenced, and how these works continue to speak to today’s social and political realities. This is classical music as you’ve never heard it – urgent, unflinching, and unafraid to raise its voice. Listen now for an exploration of music that dares to speak out and still echoes today. Episode highlights: 00:00 Welcome to So Hear Me Out 01:02 Today's big question: How is classical music protest music? 02:33 Anne Hathaway and Les Misérables 03:16 Exploring protest and resistance in classical music 04:31 Julius Eastman's Gay Guerrilla 06:23 Analyzing the music and techniques of Gay Guerrilla 25:01 Frederic Rzewski's The People United Will Never Be Defeated 29:25 Musical variations and political messages 41:08 The power of music in activism 42:06 Closing thoughts and farewell Featured works Gay Guerrilla, Julius Eastman The People United Will Never Be Defeated, Frederic Rzewski Get in touch 📩 Send your classical questions to podcasts@southbankcentre.co.uk Get updates on Instagram ⁠@southbankcentre⁠ Follow us on TikTok ⁠@southbank.centre⁠ Subscribe to ⁠The Tonic newsletter⁠ for all of our articles, video and audio And don’t forget to subscribe and comment, wherever you get your podcasts Credits Produced by Connor Gani Executive Producers Emily Dicks and Phil Smith Sound Mix by Solomon King A Reduced Listening production for Southbank Centre