Peter Cummings and the staff at Sirius XM created Linked Music to examine the many ways that different musical genres are linked, and particularly to show how classical music inspires and informs the work of many popular artists. Easily shifting from discussing Bach to Led Zeppelin, Peter has a musical dexterity that gives him the ability to pursue his linked goals: to demystify the classics, to place in historical context the work of the finest rock and pop artists, and to explore where some of the most exciting new music is being created.

How was the show created? One night in the Spring of 2009, Sirius XM President Scott Greenstein, Peter’s son Casey and Peter sat down for dinner at the Waverly Inn in New York. A few minutes into the evening Scott asked Peter: “What music do you listen to?” When Scott scrolled through Peter’s iPhone and saw that his music library contained the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Aerosmith and a world of music in between, the idea for Linked Music was born. What started as a seemingly casual idea—doing a radio show that would connect the classics to popular music—has since evolved into an intriguing venture.

As with many baby boomers, Peter’s early musical interests were shaped by the iconic practitioners of folk and rock—Dylan and The Beatles. Decades later, he became fascinated by classical music and the ways it illuminates the rock music he first fell in love with. Peter’s musical interests continue to be eclectic and reflect his curiosity about our musical roots and how they reflect and shape contemporary sounds. This is the starting point for Linked. Future shows will link the classics to Hollywood, jazz, gospel, alternative and Indie music—we’ll go wherever our audience makes musical connections.

His guests will come from around the world to talk about how classical music has influenced their musical style. Young and mid-career musicians as well as the titans will speak to us about their lives, their musical education and their aspirations.