Since graduating from Northwestern University in 2011, award-winning American conductor Roderick Cox has become a celebrated name in classical music. He served as associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra for three seasons before relocating to Berlin, where he is now based. He is also a champion of diversity in the industry and set up the Roderick Cox Music Initiative to help provide scholarships for young musicians of colour from underrepresented backgrounds. In this episode, Cox tells us what it is like to take to the podium and lead an orchestra: from thinking about the acoustics of a concert hall to the addictive feeling you get when you’re hit by the sound of a large ensemble. Cox discusses the works that drew him to conducting; why he needs more life experience before he tackles certain composers; and the power that music has to teach us about other cultures.