x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson

Matthew Wilkinson

We explore topics such as classical music, Orthodox chant, Bach, Messiaen, architecture, symbolism, the philosophy of mind, aesthetics, and the general pursuit of Beauty.

music music commentary

All Episodes

01:22:52

What Is Sarum Chant? The Medieval English Tradition...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2026/03/07

Dr. William Renwick joins the podcast to discuss Sarum chant, the medieval English plainchant tradition centered on Salisbury Cathedral that once dominated worship across most of England, Scotland, parts of Ireland, and even Northern France. William is a retired music theory professor from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and has devoted the latter part of his career to transcribing, editing, and publishing the entire Sarum chant repertoire at his free website, sarum-chant.ca.In this

en-us

01:36:54

The Beauty of Coptic Iconography (And Why It Matters)...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2026/02/28

Why do some coptic icons look cartoonish? Makary argues that the loss of apprenticeship, the absence of formal art education, and the pressure of rapid church construction have weakened artistic formation. Iconography is not a matter of copying lines and colors, but of understanding composition, light, volume, and the relationship between the image, the viewer, and the liturgical space. Sacred art must be treated as art in its fullness, not as a mechanical formula.The conversation then moves into

en-us

01:52:36

The King's Iconographer

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2026/02/12

In this conversation, I sit down with Aidan Hart, an internationally renowned iconographer, liturgical artist, and multiple-time artist commissioned by King Charles III, to explore the meaning of sacred art in the modern world.We discuss what iconography really is, why hierarchy does not mean domination but the transmission of grace, and how the architecture of East and West reveals radically different theological visions. Aidan explains the difference between Romanesque and Byzantine art, why

en-us

01:02:38

Why the Avant-Garde Isn’t the Enemy of Tradition

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2026/02/04

Modern music, classical music, avant-garde, tonality, postmodernism, and music philosophy are at the center of this conversation between composer and analyst Samuel Andreyev and host Matthew Wilkinson. Together, they examine one of the most common stories we are told about modern music and ask whether it is actually true.A central claim explored here is that tonality never disappeared. While figures such as Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Milton Babbitt developed new and experimental

en-us

00:55:40

Jordan Hall on the solution to AI Music and the...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2026/01/25

In this episode, I’m joined by philosopher and systems thinker Jordan Hall for a wide-ranging conversation about AI, music, and the future of human creativity.As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes how music is made and distributed, a deeper question emerges: does it matter whether art is human-made? And if it does, how would we even know?Jordan proposes that we are entering a moment where “human” itself becomes a genre. In a culture increasingly saturated with synthetic media, authenticity may

en-us

01:19:24

The Normandy Cantata and the Cost of Losing Beauty |...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2026/01/14

This is Part Two of my conversation with Dr. John Wykoff, composer and scholar. We continue a wide-ranging discussion on beauty, worship, church music, and the long-term consequences of losing aesthetic seriousness in the life of the church.Dr. Wykoff reflects on how churches came to measure success through efficiency, attendance, and growth, and why those metrics often displace formation, meaning, and truth. We explore why the familiar divide between traditional and contemporary worship fails to

en-us

02:45:09

The Gregorian Chant Interview (Biggest Myths...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2026/01/06

Bruno de Labriolle (Ecole Gregorienne) joins Matthew Wilkinson on the Pursuit of Beauty Podcast to discuss the true history of Gregorian chant, the folk method of singing, ornamentation, relationship with Byzantium and Orthodoxy, singing with drones and instruments, and more.Bruno traces the “Gregorian chant” narrative to roughly around the year 750, when Pippin the Short seeks legitimacy and power in a shifting medieval world. The move toward a “Roman” sound is not just a devotional preference, but

en-us

02:12:59

They Won’t Forgive You If They’re Mediocre | Allen...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/12/09

This week on The Pursuit of Beauty I sit down with Dr. Allen Hightower, Director of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas, for an honest and deeply pastoral conversation about choirs, faith, and the people who stand in front of us every week and sing.We talk very candidly about the real problems choir directors and church musicians face: how to work with aging voices and the infamous “old lady wobble,” why volunteers will forgive almost anything except being in a mediocre choir, and how to

en-us

01:58:29

Modern Art Is Collapsing: Jonathan Pageau & Andrew...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/12/02

In this wide-ranging round table, architect Andrew Gould, icon carver and storyteller Jonathan Pageau, and host Matthew Wilkinson sit down over whiskey to wrestle with the future of beauty, sacred art, and architecture. We start with pirates and sea shanties, then quickly slide into Jackson Pollock, Rothko, oil slicks, marbled end-papers, and the problem of modern art hung in the wrong place. Andrew and Jonathan both argue that modernism is what happens when a long, rich tradition becomes

en-us

01:07:16

The Hidden Escape Plan Inside "Wade in the Water" |...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/11/23

n this episode of The Pursuit of Beauty, Matthew sits down with legendary Charleston vocalist and storyteller Ann Caldwell to uncover the hidden world of spirituals, Gullah culture, and the music of the enslaved. From “Wade in the Water” to “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” Ann explains how these songs often carried coded messages of escape, using biblical language, river imagery, and “chariots” to talk about the Underground Railroad, freedom, and survival when plain speech was impossible.Ann shares her

en-us

00:51:14

He Baptized Nina Simone, Befriended Bob Marley, and...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/11/13

In this long-form conversation, I sit down with Father Amde Hamilton, co-founder of The Watts Prophets, pioneering spoken word artist, and Ethiopian Orthodox priest. He tells the story of how a Creole childhood that intentionally formed poets and priests prepared him for militant poetry, the civil rights era, and what would later be recognized as some of the earliest roots of rap and hip hop. Father Amde describes his work in Watts at the beginning of the Crips and Bloods, and how gang members

en-us

02:07:06

God is Beauty, but we don't know what that means...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/11/04

Gratitude: I must express a sense real gratitude for David Bentley Hart coming onto the podcast. His books have indeed changed my life. The Atheist Delusions settled so many historical and theological questions that would constantly nag at my faith, and the Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss, that truly saved my faith. After reading that book, Atheism seemed so philosophically inept that it became patently absurd to doubt the existence of God as such. The Doors of the Sea was an

en-us

01:39:18

If I were the devil, I’d start destroy beauty first -...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/10/31

“If I were the devil, I’d start by destroying beauty.”Composer Dr. John Wykoff joins Matthew Wilkinson on The Pursuit of Beauty Podcast for a rare, soul-stirring conversation about what beauty really is, why it matters, and how its loss is reshaping our civilization. In this wide-ranging dialogue, the two explore the deep relationship between aesthetics, ethics, and faith—and how recovering a sense of beauty could be the key to restoring both art and culture.Beauty, truth, and goodness have been

en-us

01:18:19

The Schism, the Chant, and Solzhenitsyn’s Plea for Unity

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/10/22

In this in-depth conversation, Father Pimen Simon of the Old Rite Church of the Nativity of Christ in Erie, Pennsylvania, joins Matthew Wilkinson to discuss the history, theology, and music of the Old Believers within the Russian Orthodox tradition. He explains how the Old Rite preserved ancient liturgical forms, theology, and chant after Patriarch Nikon’s 17th-century reforms divided the Russian Church. (Pursuit of Beauty Podcast Episode 28)Fr. Pimen describes the rise of the priested and

en-us

01:35:10

Architectural Uprising with Michael Diamant

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/10/15

What happened to beauty in architecture? In this episode of The Pursuit of Beauty, host Matthew Wilkinson sits down with Michael Diamant, founder of The Architectural Uprising and creator of the Facebook group New Traditional Architecture, to explore how we lost our connection to form, harmony, and meaning in the modern world. From the sterile glass towers of contemporary cities to the rediscovery of timeless design, Diamant reveals why the future of architecture depends on reviving classical

en-us

01:28:30

Can Beauty Save the World? A Christian Dialogue with...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/10/03

In this episode of The Pursuit of Beauty Podcast, host Matthew Wilkinson sits down with thinker and entrepreneur Jordan Hall for a wide-ranging conversation about beauty, truth, goodness, and the challenges of modern civilization. Hall, co-founder of mp3.com and a key figure in the early internet streaming revolution, brings his unique background in technology, philosophy, and faith to a dialogue that touches everything from Christian theology to the future of urban planning. Together they explore

en-us

01:16:25

Father Silouan Justiniano on Rothko, Orthodox...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/09/25

Orthodox iconography, Rothko, sacred art, and the problem of propaganda in beauty—this second interview with Fr. Silouan Justiniano takes us deep into the intersection of faith, modern art, and the revival of Christian tradition. From Mark Rothko’s sublime color fields to the Byzantine legacy of iconography, Fr. Silouan explores how authentic art transcends ideology and points toward the divine, while kitsch and propaganda reduce beauty to mere sentimentality or political utility. For artists,

en-us

01:33:21

Why “Beauty Will Save the World” might be wrong -...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/09/20

Will beauty really save the world—or have we misunderstood what that phrase truly means? In this in-depth interview, Fr. Silouan Justiniano joins The Pursuit of Beauty Podcast to tackle some of the most pressing questions about beauty, sublimity, iconography, and Christian art. From Dostoevsky’s famous line to the challenges of modern aesthetics, this conversation digs into what beauty actually is, how it relates to God, and why our understanding of sacred art often misses the mark. (The Pursuit of

en-us

01:12:33

Contemporary Christian vs. Traditional Hymnody | an...

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/09/11

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Chris Hoyt, composer and church musician, as we explore the rich tradition of Anglican church music and the ongoing debate between traditional and contemporary worship styles. This comprehensive discussion covers everything from organ repertoire to hymn arrangements, making it essential viewing for church musicians, worship leaders, and anyone interested in Anglican liturgical music. (The Pursuit of Beauty Podcast Episode 23)Traditional Anglican Music

en-us

01:31:44

Moving Beyond Shallow Church Music

The Pursuit of Beauty with Matthew Wilkinson ·

2025/09/07

Discover the fascinating world of Anglican hymnody, sacred music composition, and church tradition in this in-depth interview with composer, organist, and hymnal editor Chris Hoyt. As the lead editor of the Book of Common Praise 2017—the official hymnal of the Reformed Episcopal Church—Chris shares the story behind creating a modern hymnal that bridges ancient liturgical traditions with contemporary needs. From editing challenges to theological debates over hymn texts, this conversation offers a

en-us

41 results

Similar Podcasts

Pasquale Maassen Soundcloud

Pasquale Maassen

Marian Klose

Marian Klose

sevenism

sevenism

Dean Delray"s LET THERE BE TALK

Cactus Radio Network

Word In Your Ear

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold