Whitney George

George holds an undergraduate degree from the California Institute of the Arts, a masters degree from Brooklyn College Conservatory, and is currently continuing her studies as a PhD candidate at the CUNY Grad Center. In addition to her composing and conducting, George teaches at Brooklyn College, works at the Hitchcock Institute of American Studies and is the Managing Director for New York's AME.

Past Olios with Whitney George

Stanley Kubrick and The Time Capsule
Pacing is one of Kubrick’s most peculiar cinematographic elements, and in this Olio, we’ll pay close attention to how music influences the perception of time in two of his most well-known works: The Shinning and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

May 25, 2021, 7 p.m.

Olio Cinema Series: David Lynch and The Signature Touch
In this Olio, we’ll watch selections of Lynch’s most iconic projects: Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks* and Mulholland Drive and explore the process under which the music was created, how it serves the narrative and visuals, and what parallels these moments expose - in what I call the “Lynch Vocabulary.”

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

May 11, 2021, 7 p.m.

Between Two Worlds: The Olio Cinema Series
This OlioCourse is the film deep-dive of our dreams. Whitney George, brilliant composer and observer of film and music will guide us through some of the best films (with the best soundtracks) from directors like Sofia Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch & Wes Anderson. We are going to learn just how integral the connection between sound and image are as we experience some of the best examples from film history.

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

April 27, 2021, 7 p.m.

Olio Film Night: Hitchcock's 'Vertigo'
For the first edition of Olio Film Night, we'll be taking a look at one of the most famous collaborative teams in cinematic history: director Alfred Hitchcock and composer Bernard Herrmann. In the golden age of cinema, works put forth by the Hitchcock/Herrmann team set a gold standard for those collaborative partnerships to follow. Join Professor George as a guide for your viewing pleasure during film night.

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

March 19, 2021, 7 p.m.

"Places, Everyone!" - The History of Broadway & The Theater District in NYC
The evolution of the musical as a genre was sculpted and shaped by the radical changes in New York's Theater District and cultural revolutions over the last 100 years. In this Olio we'll trace the origins of the Theater District in New York and track the changes made over the last 100 years through important examples from the genre.

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

Jan. 18, 2021, 8 p.m.

"I Don't Think Any of Us Are Normal": Behind the Music of Wes Anderson Films
Join composer and professor Whitney George for an evening diving into the musical underscoring of Wes Anderson films. From The Grand Budapest Hotel to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou includes an underscoring technique that is as dynamic and rich as the colors he paints with visually.

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

Nov. 13, 2020, 8 p.m.

A Deep Listening: Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel...
In this Olio, we'll engage in a deep listening to The Idler Wheel... as well as pre- and post-listening conversations. We'll kick off our session with a brief discussion of the artist and the album, followed by the listening session. Viewers are requested to use headphones, turn off video, and alter their space to enhance the experience.

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

Aug. 6, 2020, 7 p.m.

Press Start to Begin: A Survey & History of Video Game Music
Come with cartridges cleaned and a fresh pair of AA batteries in your Game Boy as we enjoy some retro classics and how they have inspired some current greats.

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

June 26, 2020, 8 p.m.

Signature Touch: David Lynch and the Art of Music in Cinema
We’ll watch selections of Lynch’s most iconic projects and explore the process under which the music was created, how it serves the narrative and visuals, and what parallels these moments expose - in what I call the “Lynch Vocabulary.”

Venue: None

Teacher: Whitney George

May 21, 2020, 8 p.m.

OlioHouse | Music & The Feast for Senses
Join composer/professor, Whitney George, for a weekend dedicated to music and all of our senses. From sound collages, to genre themed desserts, to late night deep listening, Whitney will immerse us in sound in a way that stretches far outside our typical listening environments.

Venue: OlioHouse | Wassaic, NY

Teacher: Whitney George

April 13, 2019, noon

Into the Mystic: Music & the Moving Image
Understanding the complex, flirtatious, mundane, or infuriating union of music and the image in motion can help us gain a greater appreciation for the relationship music has with film.

Venue: Blender Workspace

Teacher: Whitney George

Feb. 28, 2019, 7:30 p.m.

The Roast of 2018: (Semi) Immersive Listening to EVERYTHING from this Year
Join us for our most-entertaining Olio listening where we roast the popular music scene, figure out where in the world did that come from? and gorge ourselves on questionable music videos with dodgy narrative content.

Venue: Nowadays

Teacher: Whitney George

Dec. 19, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

Kickstarter Party | Constraints Breed Creativity: Eno's "Another Green World"
Join us for an immersive listening Olio of Another Green World, and a discussion of Brian Eno's omnipresence in so much of the recorded medium from the 1970s on.

Venue: Nowadays

Teacher: Whitney George

Nov. 14, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

Immersive Listening - Radiohead's "OK Computer"
We'll listen to the album and explore Radiohead's message of the disillusionment with consumerism, political isolation, and specific music elements of the recording.

Venue: Nowadays

Teacher: Whitney George

Sept. 25, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

"I'll Play it First" - An Immersive Listening of Bitches Brew
Join us for a close listening of the album where we'll focus on why this music is so incredibly monumental.

Venue: Nowadays

Teacher: Whitney George

Aug. 28, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

Immersive Listening - Bowie's "Low"
We'll listen and experience the album in-full as a group—discussing what to listen to and focus on beforehand, and an analysis after the listening.

Venue: Nowadays

Teacher: Whitney George

July 31, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

Ways of Listening
Join us for this special Olio as we demystify music to figure out how to more actively listen. We'll talk about what all of these elements are and learn how to hear them through listening examples from the Renaissance era to the popular music of today.

Venue: Nowadays

Teacher: Whitney George

May 30, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

Glassworks | A Deep Listening Party
Come in comfortable clothing and prepare to sink into your auditory surroundings for this one-of-a-kind Olio event.

Venue: Living Room

Teacher: Whitney George

April 14, 2018, 10 p.m.

OlioMuse | The Muse That Screams: Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8
Dedicated to "the victims of fascism and war", this work still resonates with the public—an audience (currently) in revolt.

Venue: Strand Bookstore

Teacher: Whitney George

March 23, 2018, 7 p.m.

Sound and Silence in the Urban Jungle
This Olio takes a peek at how the surrounding environment of man-made sounds of the 20th century have forever changed the way we approach composing for percussion.

Venue: Strand Bookstore

Teacher: Whitney George

Jan. 23, 2018, 7 p.m.

*OlioMuse* An Exploration of the String Quartet Across Time
Think Olio and Groupmuse are teaming up to present a new phenomenon called the Oliomuse, where we combine the chamber music magic of Groupmuse with the power of Think Olio.

Venue: Strand Bookstore

Teacher: Whitney George

Aug. 4, 2017, 7 p.m.

Music, Drugs & Altered States of Mind
Join us for an evening of drinks, debauchery, and decadence​ as we listen to some music that was created "under the influence" and analyze the artist's work in light of our own ideas about drugs and consciousness.

Venue: Strong Rope Brewery

Teacher: Whitney George

June 26, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

Stay in Touch

Instagram Mailing List Contact

Olio: A miscellaneous collection of art and literature.