"There is no such thing as happy music. My compositions spring from my sorrows. Those that give the world the greatest delight were born of my deepest griefs." — Franz Schubert

I like listening to classical music, which is perhaps the only thing worth listening to; life is simply too short for anything but the best. I love in particular J. S. Bach, Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Schumann. Mendelssohn as well. I do not, however, like Franz Liszt, perhaps except his B minor sonata. I also consider myself a fan of Bruckner, Wagner, and Mahler as well, but not a fanatic, as some people are. The music of Tchaikovsky and Rachmoninoff is neurotic. So I like that from time to time. Shostakovich means adrenaline (which is of course necessary).

I used to perform chamber music by Beethoven, Mahler, Schumann, Mozart, and Bartók (fun with pain!) in college. I recently accompanied a young violinist in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, NY. Alfred Brendel's A Pianist's A–Z is a good read.

The connnection between music and math has long been a "niche/intellectual/cool/buzzword/fashionable" topic. There is no denial that they intersect non-trivially, but any forciful and farfetched argument or "discovery" would only do disservice to both. You really don't need category theory, orbifold, or topos for music.

Oh, why so series. I feel like there are too many viola jokes so I must defend the violists. In fact, if you pay them well enough, they could play anybody anywhere, not just Harold in Italy.