Extra from Season 6 — The World of Microvids feat. Stefania de Kenessey

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To close out 2025, The Piano Pod brings you a special year-end bonus episode featuring composer and storyteller Stefania De Kenessey. Earlier this season, we explored her MICROVIDS project; today, Stefania takes us behind the scenes of another major undertaking: her opera The Bonfire of the Vanities, based on Tom Wolfe’s iconic novel.
In this conversation, Stefania reflects on the creative risks, structural challenges, and artistic values behind adapting a 700-page book for the operatic stage. She shares insights on distillation, libretti, character reimagining, and the emotional stakes of composing—offering a rare look at how large-scale musical works take shape.
You’ll hear Stefania discuss:
• Transforming a sprawling novel into a cohesive opera
• The unique demands of crafting a focused, effective libretto
• Reimagining characters and narrative power dynamics
• What music can unveil that prose alone cannot
• Choosing a darker, more pointed ending
• The exhilarating—and sometimes brutal—reality of composing
ICYMI: Revisit our full episode on MICROVIDS in Season 6, Episode 3 (thepianopod.com/the-world-of-microvids-%25f0%2…)
This episode is a thoughtful reminder that music is not only a craft, but a conviction. Stefania’s perspective highlights how storytelling, ethics, and imagination intersect in contemporary composition.
Thank you for being part of The Piano Pod community this year. We return on January 13, 2026, with a brand-new episode to kick off the new year.