Mary Bichner is an American orchestral composer with synesthesia — a neurological condition that allows her to “see” splashes of specific colors when she hears their corresponding pitches sounded.
May 7, 2025
While in Fort Myers this past February to perform with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Mary was thrilled to be interviewed by Mike Kiniry for NPR's "Three Song Stories"; a weekly radio show in which each guest is asked to name three songs that have directly impacted their lives, and to share their personal narratives behind each.
Here is a brief excerpt of clips from the interview, in which Mary discusses the February 2025 world orchestral premiere and composition process behind her latest work for vocalist and orchestra, "White Lilies":
To listen to the full hour-long interview, you can visit NPR's website below (simply scroll down to "Episode 364 - Mary Bichner" under the heading "February 24th 2025"):
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/593528986/three-song-stories
Thanks so much to Mike Kiniry, Richard Chin Quee, Emma Rodriguez, and the whole "Three Song Stories" team for inviting Mary to be on the show; and looking forward to sharing more news on "White Lilies" in the future!