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Homegoings
Homegoings cover art
Homegoings

Cailin Marcel Manson ain’t your average maestro

By Myra Flynn
Published December 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM EST

Cailin Marcel Manson is a conductor, baritone opera singer, and longtime vocal studies teacher who’s performed on some of the world’s biggest stages — from the Conservatoire de Luxembourg to Carnegie Hall. In this episode, we talk with Cailin about what it means to command a space long dominated by white men — armed with Black skin, a bit of Philly swagger, and a corset.

Homegoings is a show that invites you to eavesdrop on candid conversations with people who will challenge what you think you know, and YOU are welcome here. Follow the show here.

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“I’ll sit in that room with all those people, and I’ll look at the altos and say, ‘I need some more Sarah Vaughan in that sound!’” — Cailin Marcel Manson
Courtesy / Graphic: Kyle Ambusk
“I’ll sit in that room with all those people, and I’ll look at the altos and say, ‘I need some more Sarah Vaughan in that sound!’” — Cailin Marcel Manson

The world of classical music has long been dominated by white men. But as history reveals, they’re not the only ones contributing to the canon.

There was Joseph Chevalier de Saint-Georges, otherwise known as “The Black Mozart,” a nickname given after his death. There was Julius Eastman, an openly gay Black composer in the 70s and 80s in New York City whose avant-garde contributions in the late 20th century challenged classical norms. Florence Prince made history as the first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra.

Today on the show, a conversation with Cailin Marcell Manson— about what it means to command the classical music world.

Enrico Guerri Fotografo
“What is the liberation we're looking for? Is it that we want to be able to just tell our own stories, or is it that we want to tell whatever story we want?”
Cailin Marcel Manson

Credits

This episode was hosted and reported by executive producer, Myra Flynn and mixed by Sarah Baik. Our video director is Mike Dunn and Aaron Edwards is our story editor. Myra composed the theme music with other music by Blue Dot Sessions. Kyle Ambusk is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings portrait.

Thank you for listening. You can see a video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel.

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Myra Flynn
Myra Flynn joined Vermont Public in March 2021 and is the Host and Executive Producer of Homegoings. Raised in Vermont, Myra Flynn is an accomplished musician who has come to know the lay of dirt-road land that much more intimately through touring both well-known and obscure stages all around the state and beyond. She also has experience as a teaching artist and wore many hats at the Burlington Free Press, including features reporter and correspondent, before her pursuits took her deep into the arts world. Prior to joining Vermont Public, Myra spent eight years in the Los Angeles music industry.
See stories by Myra Flynn