I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms

A Memoir

By: Nancy Shear

Narrated by: Nancy Shear

Nancy Shear was only fifteen when she began sneaking into Philadelphia Orchestra concerts through the stage door, and seventeen when she was hired as a member of the orchestra's library staff to help prepare the music; one year later, she became Leopold Stokowski's musical assistant. Being young and female, she was a pioneer in both positions.

I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms takes listeners into the homes, studios, and minds of legendary artists with whom Shear shared close personal relationships, including Stokowski, Mstislav Rostropovich, Eugene Ormandy, and others with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Many of these brilliant and talented artists were also outrageous, egocentric, and tyrannical. Throughout this book, Shear topples more than a few revered musicians from their podiums and their pedestals.

A literary welcome mat to the beautiful world of classical music, this memoir is accessible and engaging for all. It brings listeners into rehearsals and concert halls, revealing the choices musicians must consider, and what conductors, players, and composers really do. A heartwarming story about passion, determination, and survival, I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms explores music at its core. You will never listen to music the same way again, after hearing Nancy Shear's story.

©2025 Nancy Shear (P)2025 Tantor Media

A mystical bridge to Stokowski

I never had a chance to hear Stoki liv, Nancy Shear’s book fills this void. Her story and especially the way she reads it, transported me back in time and I felt that I was living her life while she told her remarkable story.