2020 Festival
Schedule
Day One
Friday
March 6
The art of the podcast
Election 2020 forecast, The Daily's Michael Barbaro & Theo Balcolmb, hear a live radio story from 99 PI's Avery Trufelman, and catch a preview of what podcasting sounds like in the year 2030.
BUY A TICKET10:00am - 10:15am
An Ode to Sound
Audio artists and producers James T. Green and Cher Vincent open up On Air Fest with an enchanting performance and sonic experiment.
Performance | Main Hall
10:30am - 11:15am
Inside 'The Daily'
Veteran podcast critic Nick Quah (Vulture, Hot Pod) sits down with the Host and EP of 'The Daily', Michael Barbaro and Theo Balcomb. This intimate conversation touches on the creative evolution of The New York Times' signature podcast as it enters its third year.
Conversation | Main Hall
11:15am - 12:00pm
Abuse of Power, An Autopsy of Injustices in America
In the era of true crime podcasts, listeners are hungry to hear real, human stories. Enter Sonya Pfeiffer and David Rudolf, criminal defense lawyers and hosts of the forthcoming show “Abuse of Power.” In this conversation presented by Acast, Sonya and David will sit down with collaborator Ross Dinerstein – CEO of Campfire, producer of the new podcast, and John White Producer of Season 2 of Conviction: American Panic – to talk about what it takes to craft thoughtful audio stories that shine a spotlight on the abuses of the criminal justice system.
Conversation | Main Hall
12:00pm - 12:10pm
Preview of 'The Con'
Catch a teaser for 'The Con' an interactive crime story created by by Zac Stuart-Pontier (Crimetown) and On Air Fest and starring actor Edgar Oliver. This site-specific story was created exclusively for On Air Fest attendees, and we're thrilled to share it with you throughout the festival March 6-8.
Presentation | Main Hall
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Two Cents, a performance from James T. Green
Each day of On Air Fest, Conceptual Artist and Radio Producer James T. Green takes up residence in the hotel lobby where for two hours, Green becomes the festival scribe, temporarily recording what he hears until both the conversations and the writing disappear.
Performance | Lobby
12:15pm - 1:00pm
'Bon Appétit Foodcast'
Takes the Stage
Join Bon Appétit Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport and Chef JJ Johnson for a live rendition of the 'Bon Appétit Foodcast'. The Foodcast features interviews that cover the intersection of eating and culture with chefs, writers, and anyone who has something opinionated to say about food.
Live Taping | Screening Room
1:30pm - 2:15pm
Election 2020: How we talk about politics
Just days after Super Tuesday, hear from a roundtable of leading journalists including Brian Lehrer (WNYC), Shaun King (The Breakdown), Emily Bazelon (Slate Political Gabfest) and comedian Negin Farsad on the role of podcasting in election coverage.
Conversation | Main Hall
2:15pm - 3:00pm
Podcast Preview
2030
As we dip our toes in this next decade, hear from futurists, fiction writers, ambient sound artists and activists on how they envision the next decade of audio-on-demand evolving. 'Flash Forward' creator Rose Eveleth kicks off the conversation presented by Simplecast, with a choose-your-own-adventure audio performance.
Conversation | Main Hall
3:00pm - 3:45pm
Building Bridges Through Storytelling
Storytelling remains the most powerful tool we have for bringing people together. In this session presented by Mastercard, join Editorial Director Brooke Capps-Yaroni and podcast makers Dylan Marron, Juleyka Lantigua-Williams and Sarah Luby Burke who boldly use storytelling to foster dialogue and celebrate the range of human experience.
Conversation | Main Hall
4:00pm - 4:45pm
'Come Through
with Rebecca Carroll'
WNYC Studios presents a preview of their new podcast debuting later this month, 'Come Through with Rebecca Carroll', 15 essential conversations -- with writers, artists, leaders, and influencers -- about race and identity in 2020. For On Air Fest, Rebecca will talk with journalist Wesley Lowery (60 Minutes).
Live Taping | Main Hall
4:45pm - 5:15pm
Avery Trufelman's
Fantasy of Fashion
A stage performance from Avery Trufelman, Producer of 99% Invisible and Articles of Interest. With sound bites, images and her signature narrative style Trufelman will share an exclusive preview of the upcoming second season of Articles of Interest: a parable about fashion, featuring a strange mansion on a cliff, creepy dolls with no faces, and a bunch of rattlesnakes.
Performance | Main Hall
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Happy Hour
with Radio Diaries
Our magical day of sound concludes with drinks and a live story from Radio Diaries' Joe Richman. "A Wrench in the Works" will be performed with visuals and real-time musical scoring by Lily Sloane.
Performance | Screening Room
'The Con': An interactive crime story through Wythe Hotel
Zac Stuart-Pontier (Crimetown) and On Air Fest present an immersive listening experience through multiple rooms of this historic building. This special audio journey has been created exclusively for On Air Fest attendees.
Installation | Wythe Hotel
Day Two
Saturday
March 7
Where Music Meets Storytelling
Start your day with a rooftop networking breakfast, sit in on an intimate conversation between Talib Kweli & John Forté, hear dispatches from the Dollyverse and Soundcheck Live, take in live radio stories, and get an insider's seat to live podcast tapings at the intersection of music and narrative.
BUY A TICKET9:30am - 10:45am
Networking Breakfast
with Stitcher
Come hungry for breakfast and stories. Featuring a look inside the making of Freakonomics with EP Alison Craiglow and Stitcher's Chris Bannon while taking in Wythe Hotel's signature food and hospitality, and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.
Breakfast | Lemon's Rooftop Lounge
11:00am - 11:45am
Dispatches from the Dollyverse
WNYC's hit podcast 'Dolly Parton's America' took over two years to create and brought Shima Oliaee deep into Dolly's world: the Dollyverse. In this session hear from Oliaee, the show’s producer and reporter, on what she learned from the country legend herself.
Presentation | Main Hall
11:45am - 12:30pm
Talkhouse Live: Wyatt Cenac & Black Thought in Conversation
A live rendition of the 'Talkhouse Podcast' featuring Comedian Wyatt Cenac and Lead MC of The Roots, Black Thought in conversation.
Live Taping | Main Hall
12:00pm - 2:00pm
TWO CENTS, A PERFORMANCE FROM JAMES T. GREEN
Each day of On Air Fest, Conceptual Artist and Radio Producer James T. Green takes up residence in the hotel lobby where for two hours, Green becomes the festival scribe, temporarily recording what he hears until both the conversations and the writing disappear.
Performance | Lobby
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Talib Kweli and John Forté in conversation and performance
From their roots in Brooklyn, to their new musical collaboration, Talib Kweli and John Forté come together for a rare live session to discuss their creative journeys, musical stories and unique friendship.
Performance | Main Hall
1:30pm - 3:30pm
Sonic Flow: Sound Meditation with ELSZ
As harp, voice, shruti box, and double bass fill the room, musicians Elsz and Nick Lenchner lead guests on a mediation, deepening the listener's personal relationship with sound, further developing their own mindfulness and abilities to self-heal.
Performance | Performance Suite 705
2:30pm - 2:45pm
Fariha Roísín and Zain Alam: On Poetry & Music
In this captivating performance titled "Art Mirroring Art," poet Fariha Róisín shares new written works with live musical accompaniment from Zain Alam. Róisín's work exists at the intersections of her identity as a queer, Muslim, South Asian woman interested in spirituality, race and pop culture.
Performance | Main Hall
2:45pm - 3:15pm
4′33″
In 1952, John Cage created his “silent piece”, 4’33’’ - a radical composition that demonstrated Cage's belief that sounds are music. Join Dallas Taylor, host of 'Twenty Thousand Hertz' for the first-ever live performance of the show, which asks whether 4’33’’ is really “silent”... and perhaps develop a new relationship to silence yourself.
Performance | Main Hall
3:15pm - 4:00pm
The Believer: Exploring Words, Music and Art
Enter the world of The Believer Magazine, the iconic alternative arts and culture publication. In this rare presentation, Editor-In-Chief Joshua Wolf Shenk takes the stage with artist Jason Stopa to explore what we listen to and how it informs our art.
Conversation | Main Hall
4:15pm - 5:00pm
'The Truth' In Performance
A live radio story from Radiotopia’s The Truth with Jonathan Mitchell performed on stage with actor Michael Cullen and writer Louis Kornfeld. The Truth makes movies for your ears: intriguing short stories that take you to unexpected places using only sound.
Performance | Main Hall
5:00pm - 5:05pm
Charmaine Lee's
Ode to Sound
Vocalist Charmaine Lee performs an original "ode to sound." For this set, Lee uses amplification, feedback, and microphones to augment and distort the human voice.
Performance | Main Hall
5:05pm - 5:45pm
'Soundcheck' LIVE
In this live rendition of WNYC's Soundcheck, host John Schaefer will bring to life his signature blend of "genre-blind but open-eared" performance and conversation with musician Theo Bleckmann.
Live Taping | Main Hall
'The Con': An interactive crime story through Wythe Hotel
Zac Stuart-Pontier (Crimetown) and On Air Fest present an immersive listening experience through multiple rooms of this historic building. This special audio journey has been created exclusively for On Air Fest attendees.
Installation | Wythe Hotel
Audio Residency Showcase
This year's On Air Fest Audio Residency was awarded to Anna Woźniewicz and Helena McGill, two spatial audio engineers who will create a composition using brain waves of people passing through the liminal zone into sleep as musical notes. Experience their installation Saturday of On Air Fest in the Cinema throughout the day, and a special demo of the technology they used to make this piece from 1:30-2:30.
Installation | Screening Room
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Sunset Sounds
Happy Hour
Join us for signature On Air Fest cocktails, stunning views and music from Wythe Hotel's rooftop lounge. Open bar presented by Audible.
Networking | Lemon's Rooftop Lounge
Day Three
Sunday
March 8
The experience of sound
Witness Ira Glass receive the inaugural Audio Vanguard Award, experience a live taping of On Being featuring Ocean Vuong, take an audio odyssey with The Paris Review, Lost Notes comes to life with poet Hanif Abdurraqib, enjoy breakfast with Netflix and an all-day a creator lounge powered by Adobe.
BUY A TICKET10:00am - 11:15am
Breakfast
with Netflix
Start your day with breakfast treats and views of the Manhattan skyline in the picturesque rooftop lounge atop Wythe Hotel, courtesy of Netflix.
Breakfast | Lemon's Rooftop Lounge
11:30am - 1:00pm
'On Being' with Krista Tippett & Ocean Vuong
Sit in on a live taping of On Being with Krista Tippett, the Peabody Award-winning public radio show and podcast about what it means to be human. This live taping with author Ocean Vuong (On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous) will be followed by an intimate Q&A session with On Air Fest attendees.
Live Taping | Main Hall
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Two Cents, a Performance from James T. Green
Each day of On Air Fest, Conceptual Artist and Radio Producer James T. Green takes up residence in the hotel lobby where for two hours, Green becomes the festival scribe, temporarily recording what he hears until both the conversations and the writing disappear.
Performance | Lobby
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Avery Trufelman & Sayre Quevedo: In Conversation
In this conversation between two breakthrough audio producers, hear Avery Trufelman interviewed by Sayre Quevedo about her creative process and upcoming projects.
Conversation | Adobe Suite 705
2:00pm - 2:45pm
'Lost Notes' Live
with Hanif Abdurraqib
Announcing the newest host of KCRW's Lost Notes: poet Hanif Abdurraqib in conversation with The Mixtape Museum's Regan Sommer McCoy. Hanif opens this live taping sharing original poems, followed by a dialogue on the importance of archiving mixtapes and advancing public understanding of the art, history, and technique of the mixtape.
Live Taping | Main Hall
2:45pm - 3:30pm
'The Actual Stretch & Bobbito Show'
Iconic DJ duo Stretch & Bobbito take the stage for a conversation on music, preview their first album 'No Requests' and discuss what's good in culture today with Ghetto Gastro's Jon Gray.
Conversation | Main Hall
3:45pm - 4:30pm
The Paris Review
In Performance
Join us on an audio odyssey from The Paris Review. In this rare stage session, new and archival stories, poems, and interviews from the pages of The Paris Review will fill the air, accompanied by live scoring from musicians David Cieri and Emily Wells, and performed by a cast of authors and actors.
Performance | Main Hall
4:30pm - 5:30pm
Ira Glass: The Audio Vanguard Award
We're thrilled to announce Ira Glass as the recipient of the 2020 On Air Fest Audio Vanguard Award. Ira will be presented with the award, accompanied by a special live taping of Design Matters with Debbie Millman. This session is followed by a cocktail reception featuring legendary DJ Stretch Armstrong for the finale of On Air Fest 2020.
Live Taping | Main Hall
Adobe Suite
Join Adobe in Room 705 for a full day of epic views, tasty snacks, and handy tool tips for making your creative content extraordinary… From audio storytelling, to social sharing, and beyond. The Adobe Suite will be open all day to On Air Fest attendees.
Creator Workshop | Adobe Suite 705
'The Con': An interactive crime story through Wythe Hotel
Zac Stuart-Pontier (Crimetown) and On Air Fest present an immersive listening experience through multiple rooms of this historic building. This special audio journey has been created exclusively for On Air Fest attendees.
Installation | Wythe Hotel
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Sunset Sounds
Happy Hour
Join us for signature On Air Fest cocktails, stunning views and music from Wythe Hotel's rooftop lounge. Open bar presented by Jefferson Studios and Warner Chappell Music.
Networking | Lemon's Rooftop Lounge
Thursday
March 5
Hot Pod Summit
On Air Fest opens with an exclusive day-long gathering of key industry decision makers discussing current developments, issues and opportunities related to the podcast industry. The event is by invitation only.
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