Against the backdrop of the recent war in Ukraine, Maestro James Conlon, music director of Los Angeles Opera and principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony, and Stefan Schneider, German Consul General in Los Angeles, came together at the Thomas Mann House to talk about the role of music in time of anxiety and unrest. Listening to a handpicked selection of Consul Schneider's vinyl collection, the two reflect on the subversive power of music and how songs can be a beacon of hope in challenging times.

During Thomas Mann’s exile in Los Angeles, music played an integral part in his intellectual and social life. At his house on San Remo Drive, Mann listened to his large collection of records — from Beethoven to Wagner to Benjamin Britten — and would host his friend, the conductor Bruno Walter, at musical evenings. At the house or in other settings, Mann had in-depth exchanges with some of the most influential musical figures of the time: Arnold Schoenberg, Theodor W. Adorno, Hanns Eisler, Ernst Toch and many others. The ongoing event series The Sound of San Remo Drive is inspired by these evenings.

A recording of the conversation at the Thomas Mann House will premiere on May 8 at 10 a.m. (PT) on our YouTube channel!

Watch here.

James Conlon is the music director of Los Angeles Opera, principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, and artistic advisor to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He is one of today’s most versatile and respected conductors, has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire. He has conducted virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra since his debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1974. Through worldwide touring, an extensive discography and videography, numerous essays and commentaries, frequent television appearances and guest speaking engagements, Mr. Conlon is one of classical music’s most recognized interpreters.

Stefan Schneider has been Consul General in Los Angeles since September 2018. He started his diplomatic career in 1987, and his many assignments have taken him all over the world. Before being posted to Los Angeles as Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, he held various positions in different fields at the German Foreign Office and in Bangkok, Sofia, Miami, Paris, Rome, as well as in Izmir where he served as Consul General. He is a lawyer and studied French literature.