In this episode of One Symphony, conductor Devin Patrick Hughes sits down with acclaimed film and television composer Lesley Barber for a wide-ranging, behind-the-scenes conversation about writing music that reveals what characters can’t say out loud.

Lesley shares how improvising and composing before formal training shaped her voice, how pop, R&B, and composers like Schubert, Bach, and Chopin influenced her musical language, and why her chamber-score approach to Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear became so enduring that listeners now pass it down to the next generation. The conversation then dives deep into Manchester by the Sea—from the time-crunch sprint to Sundance, to recording her daughter’s a cappella vocals in a dorm room for intimate “in-your-head” sound, then expanding into a large hall for an almost omniscient sense of space. Along the way, Lesley unpacks her fascination with fate, time, and music that can feel “mathematical” yet emotionally unavoidable, and why the most powerful film music often lives in the story’s absences—making the invisible audible.

Devin and Lesley also explore international orchestras, building creative teams across time zones, writing the Late Nighttheme under extreme deadline pressure, and what the future could look like for film music in the concert hall.

Music Selections Featured in This Episode

• “Boarding School Titles” from the film Boarding School. Composed and performed by Lesley Barber.

• “Sentimental Journey” from the film Mansfield Park. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Hide & Seek” from the television series Little Bear. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Manchester Minimalist Piano and Strings (Variation)” from the film Manchester By The Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Floating 149 A Cappella” from the film Manchester By the Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Smoke” from the film Manchester By The Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Molly’s Theme” from the film Late Night. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “That’s Our Show Everybody” from the film Late Night. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Game of Cards” from the film Mansfield Park. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Boarding School Titles” from the film Boarding School. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Emily’s Theme” from the television series Little Bear. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Terry’s Theme” from the film You Can Count on Me. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Little Bear’s Room” from the television series Little Bear. Composed by Lesley Barber.

• “Manchester Minimalist String Reprise” from the film Manchester By The Sea. Composed by Lesley Barber.