Autumn is here! We've put together a playlist of classical music, including selections from Vivaldi, Beethoven and Grieg, to accompany the cooler weather and turning leaves. Listen now, and enjoy the sounds of a colorful season.

Each Saturday at 8 a.m. central, Liz Lyon presents YourClassical Adventures, a presentation of classical music for kids (and their grown-ups). Our goal is to create episodes that help families explore classical music together!

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Children have delighted in the telling of Clement Moore's classic "A Visit From St. Nicholas" -- with its famous opening line, "'Twas the night before Christmas" -- for nearly 200 years. Now our popular version for YourClassical Storytime includes charming illustrations by Nancy Carlson.

Welcome to YourClassical Storytime! Today's story is all about a young woman who has many names all around the world, but you probably know her best as Cinderella. Our classical version is based on Rossini's famous opera and features illustrations by Nancy Carlson.

We all know exercise and classical music are great for kids. So, we partnered with Blooma to create a few instructional yoga videos set to classical music. Each video is around a minute long. Watch and see how easy it can be to incorporate healthy movements and classical music into your family's everyday routine!

Classical 15 is Classical MPR's effort to introduce children to the joys of classical music. Its purpose is to enrich lives of children with classical music's proven power. It's a small, simple commitment for us with a potentially huge impact for them.

There are a lot of ways to infuse 15 minutes of classical music into a kid's routine! We invite you to get creative with incorporating classical music, whether it provides the soundtrack to a living room yoga session, dinnertime, story time, or playtime, it's great anytime. Use #classical15 on social media to show us how you Classical 15.

About Blooma

Through yoga, barre, childbirth education, wellness and a community of support, Blooma nourishes the mind, body and spirit of moms-to-be, new mamas, and their families. To find a class and learn more, visit blooma.com.

As part of our Classical 15 effort meant to introduce children to all the joys of classical music through grandparents, parents, teachers and other caring adults, we hosted a big classical music gift-a-thon on Dec. 28. As a classical music lover, you know classical music is truly a gift. This holiday season, you gave that gift to the young ones in your life.

We played your dedications live on Friday, Dec. 28, as part of our Classical Kids Dedication Celebration, and now you can hear them all on demand.

Here are the works that were dedicated each hour along with the audio.

6 a.m.

LISTEN — 6-7 a.m.

Peter Tchaikovsky — The Nutcracker: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique": 2nd movement
Giacomo Puccini — Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 1st movement
James Pierpont — Jingle Bells
Traditional Irish/arr. Grainger — Danny Boy (Irish Tune from County Derry)
Gustav Holst — The Planets: Jupiter

7 a.m.

LISTEN — 7-8 a.m.

Aaron Copland — Rodeo: Hoe-Down
Isaac Albeniz — Spanish Suite: Granada
Johann Sebastian Bach — Goldberg Variations: Theme; Variations 1-5
Traditional — The Holly and the Ivy
John Williams — Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Alan Silvestri — The Polar Express: Suite
Georges Bizet — L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2: Farandole
Peter Tchaikovsky — Swan Lake: Theme
Camille Saint-Saens — Symphony No. 3 "Organ": Finale

8 a.m.

LISTEN — 8-9 a.m.

Ludwig van Beethoven — The Ruins of Athens: Turkish March
Antonio Vivaldi — Four Seasons: Summer
George Frideric Handel — Messiah: Pastoral Symphony
Antonin Dvorak — Symphony No. 9 "From the New World": Largo
Gustav Holst — St. Paul's Suite: Finale (The Dargason)
George Gershwin — Piano Concerto: 3rd movement
Igor Stravinsky — The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu): Infernal Dance
Edvard Grieg — Peer Gynt: In The Hall Of The Mountain King

9 a.m.

LISTEN — 9-10 a.m.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov — Flight of the Bumblebee
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Bassoon Concerto
Frederic Chopin — Nocturne No. 2
Stephen Paulus — The Road Home
Aaron Copland — The Red Pony Suite: selections

10 a.m.

LISTEN — 10-11 a.m.

Johann Sebastian Bach — Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 5
Claude Debussy — Children's Corner

11 a.m.

LISTEN — 11 a.m.-noon

Morten Lauridsen — O Magnum Mysterium (O Great Mystery)
Sergei Rachmaninoff — Piano Concerto No. 2
Johann Pachelbel — Canon
Henry Gauntlett — Once in Royal David's City

Noon

LISTEN — Noon-1 p.m.

Antonio Vivaldi — Four Seasons: Winter
John Williams — Home Alone: Somewhere in My Memory
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Twinkle, Twinkle Variations (Ah, vous dirai-je, maman)
Gioacchino Rossini — William Tell: Overture
Marin Marais — The Bells of St. Genevieve
Mark O'Connor — F.C.'s Jig

1 p.m.

LISTEN — 1-2 p.m.

Engelbert Humperdinck — Hansel and Gretel: Evening Prayer
Modest Mussorgsky — Pictures at an Exhibition
Ludwig van Beethoven — Fur Elise
Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral": 1st movement
Aaron Copland — Fanfare for the Common Man

2 p.m.

LISTEN — 2-3 p.m.

Ari Pulkkinen — Angry Birds Theme
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Magic Flute: Overture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Magic Flute: Der Holle Rache (Queen of the Night Aria)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Magic Flute: Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Papagena!
Camille Saint-Saens — Carnival of the Animals
Alexandre Desplat — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Lily's Theme
Bedrich Smetana — Ma vlast (My Country): Vltava (The Moldau)

3 p.m.

LISTEN — 3-4 p.m.

Mark Summer — Julie-O
Gioacchino Rossini — Il barbiere di Siviglia (Barber of Seville): Overture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Symphony No. 40
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Cosi fan tutte: Non siate ritrosi
Leroy Anderson — Sleigh Ride
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov — Mlada: Procession of the Nobles

4 p.m.

LISTEN — 4-5 p.m.

Robert Schumann — Scenes from Childhood (Kinderszenen): Dreaming (Traumerei)
Peter Tchaikovsky — The Nutcracker Ballet
Stefan Wesolowski — Psalmodia
Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 9 "Choral": 4th movement

5 p.m.

LISTEN — 5-6 p.m.

Ralph Vaughan Williams — Fantasia on Greensleeves
Ralph Vaughan Williams — Songs of Travel: The Vagabond
Maurice Ravel — Bolero
Richard Wagner — The Valkyrie: Ride of the Valkyries

6 p.m.

LISTEN — 6-7 p.m.

Eric Whitacre — The Seal Lullaby
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Piano Sonata No. 11 "Turkish"
Sergei Prokofiev — Peter and the Wolf

"It's interesting to see how much music affects the experience of seeing a film," says Sarah Hicks, the Minnesota Orchestra's principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall. "That, people don't think of so much until they're actually made aware of that music. That's what's exciting for me."

This weekend, the Minnesota Orchestra kicks off its 2018-19 season of films in concert with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Hicks, who has been conducting these concerts for many years, has again curated an impressive season with Grant Meachum, director of Live at Orchestra Hall. The schedule is designed to feature many high-profile films that, Hicks says, "will showcase the orchestra and provide a great musical [experience], not just a cinematic experience."

(Note that although Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is part of the Live at Orchestra Hall series, the concert will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center.)

John Williams' film scores feature prominently this year with not just the Harry Potter films, but also Star Wars and Jurassic Park.

"There's a lot of John Williams, in general, because he wrote really orchestral scores, and those translate well to the live genre," Hicks says.

Additionally, there's one of the latest Star Trek films, scored by Michael Giacchino, and families will be able to enjoy a live version of Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast during the holiday season.

A decade ago, combining a film presentation with live orchestral music wasn't so easy to achieve. The Minnesota Orchestra offered occasional screenings of classic films with live accompaniment, but it's only in the past five years or so that studios have made more-contemporary releases readily available. This has coincided with a rise in technical capabilities that a few specific companies use for these presentations.

During every rehearsal and performance, Hicks uses a monitor in conjunction with her score. This monitor is constantly streaming all the information needed to pull off one of these shows.

"I have a special version of the film, which has a lot of info on it," she explains. "It has the number of the cue for the music being played. It has a digital countdown, which I reference. I also have in one corner the measure number and the beat number I'm on. I have these things called streamers, which are big lines that move across the screen at certain points to indicate something's happening and I also have punches, which are circular bright flashes of light that come sometimes every measure or every couple of measures."

These cinematic performances, as is the case with the Harry Potter films, can run nonstop for 2½ hours. So stamina is key. There's also the occasional quirk of performing to prerecorded vocals, such as with this season's Beauty and the Beast. The songs are not performed live, but the music will be.

"For most iterations, everything that's happening happens on screen," Hicks says. "Now, there are special instances. I know for Nightmare Before Christmas, sometimes [composer] Danny Elfman will sing the Jack Skellington part live. But those are special performances. They are not normal. So most of the time the vocals are what's on screen."

In these instances, staying on beat is paramount. So Hicks uses a click track.

"For me, especially if it's a score with a vocal element, it helps," she explains. "If it features piano or guitar, a lot of percussion or a drum set, it helps me to have those people listening to what I am listening to so we're exactly on the same page of where things need to lie, where we need to have a certain amount of precision."

Sometimes the choir component of scores can be done either live or on screen, but this is not the case with the Harry Potter films. These scores contractually require all the vocal elements to be done live — just another piece in an already-complicated puzzle that Hicks takes in and performs, as any master conductor would. She loves every film she gets to perform. As they've becoming more and more popular around the world, live screenings have confirmed her belief that they're worthwhile.

"There is great music to be played," she says, "and it's a wonderful way to introduce audiences, because for many people their introduction to the orchestral genre is through film scoring, through soundtracks."

It makes solid marketing sense, too. With a carefully curated selection of movies, there is a variety of opportunity to engage audiences of diverse backgrounds and ages.

"My hope is always that people will come see a film show and get interested in what else the orchestra does and see if there's anything that appeals to them," Hicks says. "As being in that experience in Orchestra Hall will show you, it's a great sonic experience and adds so much to even your favorite films that you think you know so well and touches on the incredible power of live music."

Tickets are already scarce for every performance, but check out the performance calendar for openings.

Minnesota Orchestra's movie screenings

Here are the dates for the Minnesota Orchestra's movie screenings with live music for this season. Click on each title for event info.

Oct. 26-28: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Nov. 24-25: Jurassic Park
Dec. 22: Disney's Beauty and the Beast (animated)
Jan. 3-6: Star Wars: A New Hope
March 29-30: Star Trek: Into Darkness

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine plays a duet with the cutest partner ever: her 7-year-old daughter, Sylvia! Watch now as they perform a duet from the book Balada, by Brazilian composer Chiquinha Gonzaga, for Performance Today in our studios.

Then check out New Classical Tracks as Pine talks about her connection to the blues and shares some extraordinary music by black composers featured on her latest album, Blues Dialogues. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win the CD!

And on Performance Today, Pine shares her concerns about the future of classical music in American society and what she's doing about it.

Lonnie Dupre is a Minnesota legend who loves classical music. When I shared with him 'Spiegel im Spiegel,' he was so deeply moved by its meditative force, he said that the piece is joining his collection on his next expedition. Why does Dupre listen to classical music? Because it keeps him focused, calm, centered, brave and empowered — and you need every single one of those feelings if you're planning to travel across the North Pole in summer, or circumnavigate Greenland by kayak, or climb Denali all alone in the darkest time of year. Dupre shares a bit from his latest book, Alone at the Top.

We have curated classical music playlists on YouTube to help you feel better after the stresses of the day, including our latest collection of peaceful piano music. And don't miss Peaceful Piano, the new 24/7 stream on YourClassical.org.

Want more music to help you relax or study? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Tracklist

00:00:00
Robert Schumann
Scenes from Childhood: No. 7: Dreaming
Tamas Vasary, piano

00:02:23
John Field
Nocturne No. 1 in E-Flat Major
Benjamin Frith, piano

00:06:11
Gabriel Faure
3 Romances sans paroles: No. 3 in A-flat Major
Jean Martin, piano

00:08:54
Claude Debussy
Suite Bergamasque: III. Claire de Lune
Francois-Joel Thiollier, piano

00:14:01
Ottorino Respingi
Ancient Airs and Dances: II. Villanella
Konstantin Scherbakov, piano

00:18:15
Sergei Rachmaninoff
10 Preludes, Op. 23: No. 10 in G-Flat Major
Idil Biret, piano

00:22:22
Erik Satie
3 Gymnopedies: No. 1
Klara Kormendi, piano

00:25:01
Johannes Brahms
Piano Sonata No. 3: II. Andante espressivo
Idil Biret, piano

00:35:09
Maurice Ravel
Le Tombeau de Couperin: V. Menuet
Francois-Joel Thiollier, piano

00:39:24
Alexander Scriabin
Piano Sonata No. 3: III. Andante
Bernd Glemser, piano

00:43:33
Claude Debussy
2 Arabesques: No. 1
Francois-Joel Thiollier, piano

00:48:38
Peter Tchaikovsky
Album for the Young: No. 21: Sweet Dreams
Idil Biret, piano

00:51:10
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique": II. Adagio cantabile
Jeno Jando, piano

00:55:51
Robert Schumann
Scenes from Childhood: I. Of Foreign Lands and Peoples
Jeno Jando, piano

00:57:23
Edvard Grieg
Lyric Pieces, Book 5, Op. 54: No. 6: Bell Ringing
Marian Lapsansky, piano

01:01:04
Maurice Ravel
Sonatine: II. Mouvement de Menuet
Francois-Joel Thiollier, piano

01:03:54
George Frideric Handel
Keyboard Suite No. 2: I. Adagio
Philip Edward Fisher, piano

01:06:55
Peter Tchaikovsky
12 Morceaux, Op. 40: No. 2: Chanson Triste
Ilona Prunyi, piano

01:10:08
Johannes Brahms
6 Piano Pieces: No. 5: Romanze
Idil Biret, piano

01:14:04
Claude Debussy
Preludes, Book 1: No. 8: The Girl with Flaxen Hair
Klara Kormendi, piano

01:16:03
Maurice Ravel
Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn
Francois-Joel Thiollier, piano

01:17:45
Franz Schubert
Piano Sonata No. 13: II. Andante
Jeno Jando, piano

01:21:53
Johannes Brahms
16 Waltzes, Op. 39: No. 15 in A-flat Major
Idil Biret, piano

01:23:28
Johann Sebastian Bach
Goldberg Variations: I. Aria
Pi-Hsien Chen, piano

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Welcome to the latest installment of YourClassical Storytime, classic stories with a classical music twist. Today we share our version of 'The Three Little Pigs.' Listen or download now to find out what happens when our favorite piglets venture out on their own.

We have curated classical music playlists on YouTube to suit your everyday needs, including times when you could use a little musical pick-me-up. Just click the play button, and let us provide your soundtrack for a brighter mood.

Want more music to make you happy? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Tracklist

00:00
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Flute Concerto No. 1: 3rd movement
Martin Sieghart, conductor
Capella Istropolitana
Herbert Weissberg, flute

07:42
Sergei Prokofiev
The Love for 3 Oranges Suite: March
Andrew Mogrelia, conductor
Slovak State Philharmonic, Kosice

09:15
Johann Strauss, Jr.
Musical Joke 257
Ondrej Lenard, conductor
CSR Symphony Orchestra, Bratislava

12:22
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Sonata No. 16
Laszlo Baranyay, piano

24:50
Frederic Chopin
Minute Waltz
Eva Sukova, piano

26:27
Emmanuel Chabrier
Espana
Antonio de Almeida, conductor
Moscow Symphony Orchestra

32:59
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Horn Concerto No. 3: 3rd movement
Jozef Kopelman, conductor
Capella Istropolitana
Milos Stevove, horn

36:37
Johann Strauss, Jr. & Josef Strauss
Pizzicato Polka
Ondrej Lenard, conductor
CSR Symphony Orchestra, Bratislava

39:10
Georges Bizet
L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1: Minuet
Alfred Walter, conductor
Philharmonia Cassovia

42:09
Franz Schubert
Piano quintet: die forelle
Bamberg piano quintet

50:07
Emil Sjogren
Portrait of Donnie, my little dog
Lars Roos, piano

51:45
Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto for 2 trumpets: 1st movement
New York Chamber Symphony
Gerard Schwarz, trumpet
Norman Smith, trumpet

54:45
Franz Joseph Haydn
Piano concerto: 1st movement
Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Carol Rosenberger, piano

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

You might know 'The Little Mermaid' as a Walt Disney movie, but the story is much older than that. And classical composers have been fascinated by the tale, too. Hear how our version goes in the latest production of YourClassical Storytime -- classic tales with a classical twist.