Karin (CARE-in) Larson was an extraordinary friend to Minnesota Public Radio who died in 2021 at 82. Her generosity fueled the growth of our classical programming and helped our music education initiatives reach more than a quarter-million children. The Karin Larson YourClassical Prize was established in her memory to honor her love of young people and her dedication to women in classical music. Find out more

Remembering Karin Larson

As we prepare for the third edition of the Karin Larson YourClassical Prize, listen as members of the Larson family remember Karin and her love for classical music and uplifting young artists.

Jeff Larson:

Amanda Forsyth:

Minnesota Orchestra and YourClassical MPR's broadcast partnership continues for the 2025-26 season. This page features a schedule of the upcoming concerts that you can hear on YourClassical MPR, and when possible, on-demand audio of the performance available for 30 days after the broadcast. Bookmark this page for updates throughout the season!

As principal timpani of the Minnesota Orchestra, Erich Rieppel can usually be found near the back of the stage. Sometimes he sits quietly, waiting to make a subtle mark or a grand entrance, and sometimes there’s a lot happening. He’ll take center stage in this concert featuring guest conductor Domingo Hindoyan to play a new concerto by a composer who’s also a virtuoso percussionist: Andy Akiho. Listen to the live broadcast with host Melissa Ousley at 8 p.m. Friday, May 29, on YourClassical MPR.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Domingo Hindoyan, conductor
Erich Rieppel, timpani *

ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK An American Port of Call
ANDY AKIHO Timpani Concerto *
CÉSAR FRANCK Symphony in D minor

Yo-Yo Ma at Orchestra Hall

A guiding principle for Yo-Yo Ma is to make the listener feel like the most important person in the room. The fact that he’s done that for more than 60 years is a testament to his commitment. Ma’s performance of Elgar’s soulful Cello Concerto on Tuesday, March 3, was part of an all-English program that was tailor-made for Thomas Søndergård and the Minnesota Orchestra. Enjoy pictures of the event below!

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

18 of 18

1 of 18

2 of 18

Next Slide

Meet YourClassical MPR's Melissa Ousley

Previous Concerts

Søndergård leads the Minnesota Orchestra in Wagner and Bartók

Opera love stories tend to unfold quickly, leaving the composer with the task of supporting a plot with music that speaks volumes. The chord progression at the beginning of Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde is a textbook example of musical foreshadowing. In Béla Bartók's psychological thriller Bluebeard's Castle, two extraordinary artists portray a doomed couple. Enjoy selections from both on this Minnesota Orchestra program featuring Music Director Thomas Søndergård and guest soloists Michelle DeYoung and Nathan Berg. Listen to the concert now!

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano (Judith)
Nathan Berg, bass-baritone (Bluebeard)
Christina Baldwin, prologue speaker
Adam Larsen, creative director

RICHARD WAGNER Prelude to Lohengrin
RICHARD WAGNER Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
BÉLA BARTÓK Bluebeard’s Castle

Upcoming Broadcasts

Friday, June 5 — Søndergård, Barton and Prokofiev

Jamie Barton was raised on her family’s farm in Georgia, where “pickin’ and grinnin’s” happened all the time. Friends showed up with their instruments, a potluck dish and a desire to make music. Although she began her musical journey with Bluegrass, Barton has become a musical omnivore. She’ll bring the Neruda Songs to life in her Minnesota Orchestra debut.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Jamie Barton, mezzo *

SAMUEL BARBER Adagio for Strings
PETER LIEBERSON Neruda Songs *
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 7

Friday, June 12 — Søndergård and Tchaikovsky

When Jennifer Higdon began to compose blue cathedral, she imagined a journey through a glass cathedral in the sky. Her creativity leaves the door wide open for you to explore “humanity’s perennial question of existence” with Charles Ives, and be drawn into Alexander Scriabin’s own brand of musical mysticism.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano *

JENIFER HIGDON blue cathedral
PYOTR ILYCH TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1 *
CHARLES IVES The Unanswered Question
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN The Poem of Ecstasy

Friday, June 19 — Juneteenth with the Minnesota Orchestra

This can’t-miss concert is a celebration and exploration of Black ritual and spirituality through the music of the African diaspora. A wide array of instruments, traditions and guests take center stage in this powerful program.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Kedrick Armstrong, conductor
Melody Betts, vocals
Brian Raphael Nabors, Hammond Organ

SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR The Bamboula
BRITTANY J. GREEN Testify!
NKEIRU OKOYE Voices Shouting Out
BRIAN RAPHAEL NABORS Concerto for Hammond Organ

Friday, July 17 — Beethoven Triple Concerto

Archduke Rudolph of Austria was the pianist for the premiere of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Triple Concerto—and he also happened to be one of the composer’s most important patrons. To make him shine, Beethoven brought in two of the best players of the day. We’ve got our own trio of all-stars on tap for this program, which includes Robert Schumann’s reflection of life in the Rhineland.

Program

Minnesota Orchestra
Stephanie Childress, conductor
Sarah Grimes, violin
Silver Ainomäe, cello
Alessio Bax, piano

BENJAMIN BRITTEN Sinfonia da Requiem
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Atlas (Piano Concerto) *
ROBERT SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish)

Minnesota Orchestra - Listening Project will be recorded to be post produced on another date.

When the Minnesota Orchestra launched its Listening Project in 2021, our goal was to present and record top-notch performances of music by underrepresented composers—in other words, to share music that many of us were not hearing. The project continues this season with Music Director Thomas Søndergård and soprano Janai Brugger.

‘Thomas Søndergård: Taken by the Sound’

Melissa Ousley joined Minnesota Orchestra music director Thomas Søndergård in his native Denmark last year to explore some of the most important places in his life. Join them as they walk through his memories, musical and otherwise, in this documentary short.

‘Celebrating a Century on the Airwaves’

On most Friday nights, no matter where you are in the state — or in the world, for that matter — you can look forward to tuning into YourClassical Minnesota Public Radio to hear a live concert. From a radio debut in 1923 under Bruno Walter to television transmissions in the 1950s and the ensemble’s unprecedented international broadcast from Havana in 2015, the orchestra has always been on the forefront of finding new ways to connect audiences with music.

Reflecting on 100 years of radio broadcast history, MPR host Melissa Ousley sat down with historian John Michel, technical director Michael Osborne and former broadcast host and current orchestra staffer Brian Newhouse for a spirited retelling of this vital history.

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ the Time for Three ensemble and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato bring the poetry of Emily Dickinson to life with music by Kevin Puts. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

Get your binoculars out for this episode of Extra Eclectic! Host Steve Seel brings us two hours of new classical works about birds, including Jennifer Higdon’s An Exaltation of Larks, John Luther Adams’ Strange Birds Passing, and Jocelyn Morlock’s Oiseaux Bleus et Sauvages, as well as a performance by the group Eighth Blackbird. Listen now!

Playlist

Birdflight
Composer: Christopher Gunning
Conductor: Christopher Gunning
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Signum 621

Strange Birds Passing
Composer: John Luther Adams
Conductor: John Heiss
Orchestra/Ensemble: New England Conservatory Contemporary Ensemble
Mode 240

Y Deryn Pur (The Gentle Dove)
Composer: Cecilia McDowall
Conductor: Peter Fisher
Orchestra/Ensemble: Chamber Ensemble of London
Soloists: Peter Cigleris, clarinet
Somm 653

composition as explanation: intertext
Composer: David Lang
Orchestra/Ensemble: eighth blackbird
Cedille 250

Birds of Eden
Composer: Algirdas Martinaitis
Conductor: Modestas Barkauskas
Orchestra/Ensemble: St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra
Ondine 1398

Gossamer Albatross
Composer: Cameron Britt
Orchestra/Ensemble: Janus
New Amsterdam 24

The Shadow of the Blackbird
Composer: David Bruce
Soloists: Bruce Levingston, piano
Dorian 92218

Oiseaux Bleus et Sauvages
Composer: Jocelyn Morlock
Conductor: Bramwell Tovey
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Centrediscs 20014

Skylark Lullaby
Composer: Jennifer Bellor
Conductor: Chien-Kwan Lin
Orchestra/Ensemble: Eastman Saxophone Project
Innova 45

The first Friday of the month beginning at 3 p.m., host Tom Crann presents Theme and Variations. We pick the theme — you choose the variation by requesting a piece of music inspired by that theme.

Theme for June

Summertime is upon us, and for many, it means an opportunity to hit the open road to discover new places or to rediscover old favorite destinations.

So with that in mind, our June theme is ROAD TRIPS. What music do you pack for vacation? What’s a must-listen piece of music for you as you travel by highway? Or if you’re traveling by rail or air, what music sounds best in your headphones? Send in your pick using the form below, and be sure to listen on Friday, June 5, starting at 3 p.m.

Make a Request for Theme and Variations

Use this form to ask that a piece be played on Theme and Variations, our classical-music program hosted by Tom Crann. We accept requests all month long.

You must be 13 or older to submit any information to Minnesota Public Radio. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products and services. See Terms of Use and Privacy.

The year 2026 is a milestone in American music. It is the birth centenary of one of the country’s most prolific and revolutionary composers: Miles Davis.

Born on May 26, 1926, Davis was a changeling who soon outgrew the very music he helped define: bebop jazz. In March of 1959, he stepped into the Columbia Studios in New York to begin working on Kind Of Blue, a recording that has been hailed as one of the most influential jazz albums of all time, in part due to its impact on different genres, including classical.

With an outstanding band that included John Coltrane and Bill Evans, Davis would carve a deceptively simple concept into one of the most pivotal music events of the 20th century.

Join host Kevin O’Connor for selections from Kind of Blue, as well as commentary and facts about the iconic Miles Davis.

Playlist

• So What - Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, Julian Adderley, saxophones; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums

• Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, Julian Adderley, saxophones; Wynton Kelly, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums

• Blue in Green - Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, Julian Adderley, saxophones; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums

• All Blues - Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, Julian Adderley, saxophones; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums

• Flamenco Sketches - Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, Julian Adderley, saxophones; Bill Evans, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums

• I Thought About You - Miles Davis, trumpet; John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, saxophones; Wynton Kelly, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums

Conductor Anthony Parnther knows how uncomfortable it can be to walk into a room and not see anybody who looks like you. That’s why his career has focused on advocating for Black composers and changing the perception of what classical music should be. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ conductor JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra bring Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Fairy Tales’ to light on their latest album. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

With spring in full bloom, Steve Seel brings us a bounty of “green sounds” in the first hour of this episode of Extra Eclectic, from Jeffrey Mumford’s verdant cycles of deepening spring to Clint Needham’s String Quartet No. 1, (Shades of Green). In the second hour, it’s music for meditation and the deep breathing that can accompany it, including Daniel Bjarnason’s Air to Breath and Erland Cooper’s Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence.

Playlist

Spring
Composer: Huw Watkins
Soloists: Krysia Osostowicz, violin
Somm 181

Varsog (Breath of Spring)
Composer: Henning Sommerro
Conductor: Christian Kluxen
Orchestra/Ensemble: Arctic Philharmonic
Soloists: Eldbjorg Hemsing, violin
Sony 93608

String Quartet No. 11 “Reykjavik”: Spring Song and Dance
Composer: Elena Ruehr
Orchestra/Ensemble: Quartet ES
Avie 2798

verdant cycles of deepening spring
Composer: Jeffrey Mumford
Conductor: Allen Tinkham
Orchestra/Ensemble: Chicago Composers’ Orchestra
Soloists: Christine Wu, violin
Albany 1948

String Quartet No. 1 “Shades of Green”
Composer: Clint Needham
Orchestra/Ensemble: Poiesis Quartet
Bright Shiny Things 213

Breathturn: Part 1
Composer: John Zorn
Soloists: Mika Stoltzman, marimba
Avie 2807

Tsuki no Waka
Composer: Akemi Naito
Orchestra/Ensemble: New York Polyphony
Bis 2719

Abstractions
Composer: Anna Clyne
Conductor: Marin Alsop
Orchestra/Ensemble: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 574620

Air to Breath
Composer: Daniel Bjarnason
Soloists: Gyda Valtysdottir, cello
Dorian 70012

Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence: walking through heather and peat
Composer: Erland Cooper
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Collective
Soloists: Daniel Pioro, violin
Mercury KX 6576069

A child said, what is the grass
Composer: Toivo Tulev
Conductor: Donald Nally
Orchestra/Ensemble: The Crossing
Navona 6303

Tania León has been hailed as an astoundingly original composer and a music ambassador who continues to impact classical music significantly. Her story inspires, showcasing her perseverance and commitment to excellence in the face of adversity. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ violinist Gil Shaham performs Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto alongside conductor Eric Jacobson and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

Identity theft in classical music? Not quite. Composers have quoted, borrowed from, and paid tribute to earlier composers for centuries, and Steve Seel brings us some contemporary examples on this episode of Extra Eclectic. A new release from Greg Saunier and Curt Sydnor sets movements from Bach’s Goldberg Variations for synthesizer and drums, and Caroline Shaw’s Watermark offers a kind of “remix” of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. In the second hour, Steve returns to a favorite topic — the intersection of classical music and indie rock — with music by Greg Saunier, Bryce Dessner, Devonte Hynes and Anna Meredith.

Playlist

By Beauteous Softness (After H. Purcell)
Composer: Thomas Ades
Soloists: Ruby Hughes, soprano
Bis 2568

Ora pro nobis
Composer: George Rochberg
Soloists: Daniele Ruggieri, flute
Brilliant 95753

Goldberg Variations: Canon a la neuvieme (Variation 27)
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bach Artillerie
Ernest Jenning 873344

Watermark
Composer: Caroline Shaw
Conductor: Malin Broman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Jonathan Biss, piano
Orchid 100433

Goldberg Variations: Canon a la tierce (Variation 9)
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bach Artillerie
Ernest Jenning 873344

The Ringing World
Composer: Adrian Knight
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bearthoven
Cantaloupe 21129

A Short Tribute to Teenage Fanclub
Composer: Anna Meredith
Orchestra/Ensemble: Ligeti Quartet
Mercury KX 4845720

Goldberg Variations: Canon a la seconde (Variation 6)
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bach Artillerie
Ernest Jenning 873344

Deerhoof Chamber Variations
Composer: Greg Saunier
Orchestra/Ensemble: Ensemble Dal Niente
New Amsterdam 76

Electric Counterpoint: Fast
Composer: Steve Reich
Soloists: Bryce Dessner, guitar
DG 4876947

Aheym
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet
Anti 87296

Perfectly Voiceless
Composer: Devonte Hynes
Orchestra/Ensemble: Third Coast Percussion
Cedille 192

The show must go on, but how? For Canio and his traveling troupe, painted smiles and colorful costumes belie infidelity and betrayal. The façade is shattered when a hidden affair is revealed and a lighthearted night at the theater gives way to jealousy, suspicion, and ultimately violence. As the line between performance and reality blurs and the drama onstage begins to mirror the turmoil offstage, Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci begs the question — does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?

Host Steve Staruch speaks with three members of the production’s cast: soprano Amanda Batista and tenor Won Whi Choi, as well as Principal Coach and Chorus Director Celeste Marie Johnson, in preparation for opening night on Saturday, May 9, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Listen to their conversation through the player above, as well as a sneak peek of their performances in the videos below, recorded here at Minnesota Public Radio’s Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser studio.

Stridono lassù with Amanda Batista (Celeste Marie Johnson, piano)

Un tal gioco, credetemi with Won Whi Choi (Celeste Marie Johnson, piano)

Gallery

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

4 of 4

1 of 4

2 of 4

Next Slide

Find out more about the production and how to purchase tickets on the Minnesota Opera’s official site.

Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is internationally known for his outstanding career in jazz. Many don’t know that he has also found success in classical music. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes pays tribute to Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt on his latest project featuring the composer’s only piano sonata, as well as folk tunes and songs performed by Andsnes’ sister: vocalist Solveig Andsnes. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

May the 4th be with you! This annual “Star Wars Day” provides the inspiration for the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, with works about space and stars. Steve Seel also pays special tribute to American composer Michael Harrison, who died on April 17, with a performance of his choral work Just Constellations. Listen now!

Playlist

On Seven-Star-Shoes
Composer: Julia Wolfe
Orchestra/Ensemble: Quintet of the Americas
Newport 85512

Interstellar: No Time for Caution
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Soloists: Anna Lapwood, organ
Sony 67609

Voyage
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Conductor: John Morris Russell
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Fanfare Cincinnati 15

Just Constellations: The Acoustic Constellation: Spring
Composer: Michael Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble: Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 134

Just Constellations: The Opening Constellation: Summer
Composer: Michael Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble: Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 134

Just Constellations: The Romantic Constellation: Autumn
Composer: Michael Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble: Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 134

Just Constellations: The Magic Constellation: Winter
Composer: Michael Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble: Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 134

Constellation No. 2
Composer: Dustin O’Halloran/Gyda Valtysdottir
Soloists: Dustin O’Halloran, piano
DG 4839884

Invisible Dance: II. In the slow time of stars
Composer: Dorothy Chang
Conductor: Pierre Simard
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vancouver Island Symphony
Redshift Records

Ad Astra: The Wanderer
Composer: Max Richter
Conductor: Robert Ziegler
Orchestra/Ensemble: Lyndhurst Orchestra
Soloists: Max Richter, electronics
DG 4837518

Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
Composer: Missy Mazzoli
Conductor: Daniel Bjarnason
Orchestra/Ensemble: Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Dorian 92267

Radif IV “Stars of Highest Magnitude”
Composer: Robert Morris
Orchestra/Ensemble: Galax Quartet
Soloists: David Morris, crystal goblets
Music and Arts 1297

Choirbook: The Milky Way
Composer: Jesper Koch
Conductor: Flemming Windekilde
Orchestra/Ensemble: Danish National Vocal Ensemble
Dacapo 220627

The Milky Way
Composer: Urmas Sisask
Orchestra/Ensemble: ZOFO Duet
Dorian 92178

These are hard times to be a human being on this planet. At a time when everything around us feels disconnected and divisive, how do we hold on?

Melanie DeMore believes the power of music can bring us together. How to Hold On features original songs of comfort and solace by DeMore, who brings these songs to life with the help of the Minneapolis-based choral ensemble VocalEssence. Listen as Julie Amacher talks with DeMore about these songs and the heartfelt, real-life stories that inspired them.

Playlist

Music by Melanie DeMore, performed by the composer and the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers.

• “How to Hold On”

• “Shine On Me”

• “Bright Blue Sky”

• “Standing Stone”

• “As Much As Air”

• “In the Cool”

• “Blessed Be”

• “Somebody’s Baby/Rock-a-Bye”

• “Sending You Light”

• “Turning Into Gold”

• “If I Were Bird”

Related Videos

In 2025, DeMore and the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, including Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, joined us at YourClassical’s headquarters in St. Paul, Minn., to record three of the pieces featured on this radio special. Enjoy the group’s performances of DeMore’s ‘Blessed Be’ and ‘If I Were Bird,’ as well as a touching rendition of the traditional spiritual ‘There Is a Balm in Gilead.’

Pianist, composer and innovator Duke Ellington is famous today for his jazz and swing music. However, he had a few other visions kicking around in his tool box, including some memorable suites such as ‘The Queen’s Suite.’ Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ bassoonist Frank Morelli presents his latest album From the Soul; a record that reflects the many life experiences he’s had during his exceptional career. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, we consider the planet we call home from several different vantage points. Eriks Esenvalds’ Earth, Teach Me Quiet sets the words of a Ute poem for chorus and wine glasses, and Martin Bresnick’s Ishi’s Song honors the man known as Ishi, the last known surviving member of the Yahi People, who lived in what is present day California, while Reena Esmail’s Earth Speaks depicts the thoughts of the Earth itself. In the second hour, works by Kars Aksel Bisgaard, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Eric Sawyer honor the American Transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Listen now with host Steve Seel!

Playlist

The Demise of the Shepard Glacier
Composer: Philip Maneval
Soloists: Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
Azica 71349

Earth Teach Me Quiet
Composer: Eriks Esenvalds
Conductor: Donald Nally
Orchestra/Ensemble: The Crossing
New Focus 281

Gratitude
Composer: Dawn Avery
Soloists: Wilhelmina Smith, cello
Azica 71377

Ishi’s Song
Composer: Martin Bresnick
Soloists: Lisa Moore, piano
Starkland 221

Earth Speaks: Curiosity
Composer: Reena Esmail
Conductor: Andrew Grams
Orchestra/Ensemble: Interlochen Center for the Arts Chorus
Soloists: Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
Azica 71392

Wepan
Composer: Tina Davidson
Orchestra/Ensemble: Jasper String Quartet
Soloists: Natalie Zhu, piano
New Focus 415

Walking (Hommage a Thoreau)
Composer: Lars Aksel Bisgaard
Soloists: Carl Petersson, piano
Grand Piano 717

Drink the Wild Ayre
Composer: Sarah Kirkland Snider
Conductor: Andrew Cyr
Orchestra/Ensemble: Metropolis Ensemble
Soloists: Noel Wan, harp
Nonesuch 89324

Towards the Forest
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Soloists: Gautier Capucon, cello
Erato 27273

The Unanswered Question
Composer: Charles Ives
Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas
Orchestra/Ensemble: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Adolph Herseth, trumpet
Sony 42381

Fantasy Concerto: Concord Conversations
Composer: Eric Sawyer
Conductor: Gil Rose
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Modern Orchestra Project
BMOP/sound 1108

Conductor, composer and educator Michael Tilson Thomas, who led the San Francisco Symphony for 25 years, establishing its reputation as a world-class orchestra, died on Wednesday at his home in San Francisco, according to a statement from his publicist, Constance Shuman. He was 81 years old.

In 2021, Thomas announced that he was being treated for a brain tumor. In 2022, he acknowledged that he had been battling glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer.

Thomas held the position of music director at the San Francisco Symphony [SFS] from 1995 to 2020 and was by far the orchestra's longest-serving music director. He won 12 Grammy awards, and under his direction, SFS achieved a superb degree of technical and musical polish.

In a statement, Priscilla Geeslin, the chair of the symphony's board, said:

"When Michael Tilson Thomas was named Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, I remember a feeling of pure exhilaration — as though something extraordinary had just been set in motion for all of us. What followed exceeded even that early excitement. On the podium, he brought brilliance, curiosity, and a singular voice that reshaped the orchestra. Off the podium, he revealed warmth, wit, and a generosity of spirit that made getting to know him as a friend an unexpected gift. Thomas didn't just lead the Symphony — he became part of the cultural fabric of San Francisco itself, expanding what it meant to be an orchestra in a city like ours. His impact reached far beyond the concert hall, touching the life of the city in ways both visible and deeply personal. And even after stepping down as Music Director, he never truly stepped away. He remained an integral part of the Symphony — artistically, intellectually, and as a guiding presence — continuing to shape and inspire the organization he helped define.

"We were, quite simply, so lucky to have him."

He was California-born and educated

Thomas, known throughout the classical world and beyond as MTT, was a man of vision, curiosity and enormous musical talent. He was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 21, 1944, into a theatrical family. His father was a stage manager turned movie and TV producer, while his paternal grandparents, Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky, were Yiddish theater stars. Thomas, an only child, started piano studies early and took up the oboe as well. His plans for a professional career as a pianist were ended by an injury. His oboe practice led him to a junior high orchestra, where, at the age of 12, he met 11-year-old cellist Joshua Robison, who became his friend and, years later, his life partner.

At the University of Southern California, he studied with composer Ingolf Dahl and took up conducting. During his time at USC, he worked with Igor Stravinsky and other important composers. Stravinsky and Aaron Copland became friends and mentors to him, as did Leonard Bernstein, whom Thomas met in his early 20s.

His first major appointment was as an assistant conductor at the Boston Symphony Orchestra [BSO] in 1969. William Steinberg was then the music director in Boston, and his poor health meant that Thomas conducted an unusually large number of concerts for an assistant conductor. He even took over for Steinberg mid-concert during a BSO visit to Lincoln Center. An October 1969 program included works by Joseph Haydn, Stravinsky, Charles Ives and Claude Debussy, composers of lifelong interest to Thomas.

His conducting career ranged from coast to coast

Thomas remained at the BSO until 1974 and appeared after that as a guest conductor. In 1971, he took the post of music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, a position he held until 1979.

In the mid-1970s, Thomas was living in New York City when Robison, his childhood friend, contacted him through his sister, the noted flutist Paula Robison. By 1976, the friends had become life partners and Joshua, an educator, had also become Thomas' business partner and manager. At a time when gay people lacked legal protections and many stayed in the closet to survive, their relationship was never much of a secret. The couple married in 2014. Robison died on February 22, 2026, after having suffered a spinal cord injury the previous August. He and Thomas were partners for nearly 50 years.

Following Thomas' departure from the Buffalo Philharmonic, there were glimpses of the opera career that could have been: He conducted the U.S. premiere of the three-act version of Alban Berg's Lulu at Santa Fe Opera, and led staged productions at New York City Opera, Cardiff, Chicago, Amsterdam and Houston.

Lacking a permanent music director position through much of the 1980s, Thomas guest-conducted at major orchestras and festivals all over the U.S. and Europe, including a stint as principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1981 to 1985.

In 1987, Thomas co-founded the New World Symphony (NWS) in Miami Beach. The NWS is a training orchestra offering fellowships to highly skilled musicians who are just starting their professional careers. Since its founding, more than a thousand musicians have participated in its programs, and a number of current and past members of the SFS were members of the NWS.

Patti Niemi, who's been a percussionist in the San Francisco Opera Orchestra since 1992, played with the NWS for its first four years, and commented on how important the orchestra is for young professionals. "When you finish music school, you're only trained to do one thing, and it's a race against time. You have a clock going because your full-time job is to practice, and nobody pays you for that. So to earn a living as a musician means taking time away from that practicing. He gave us a place to practice. We had a place not only to practice, but to do what we loved and get paid for it."

Thomas was instrumental in the creation of the New World Center, a Frank Gehry-designed campus that opened in 2011. Thomas was artistic director of the NWS until 2022, when he announced his battle with glioblastoma.

In 1988, Thomas became principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). After his appointment as music director in San Francisco, he became the LSO's principal guest conductor and later, the London orchestra's conductor laureate.

Thomas also had a long connection with the Ojai Music Festival in California, a haven for new music. He first performed there as a pianist, in 1965, then served as music director seven times.

His 25-year tenure at the San Francisco Symphony transformed the institution

When Thomas arrived in San Francisco in 1995, he was no stranger to the orchestra: His first appearance with them had been in January 1974.

He succeeded Edo de Waart and Herbert Blomstedt, who had spent much of their tenures building SFS, and Thomas inherited an orchestra that had been well-schooled by his immediate predecessors. De Waart was committed to performing new music, and had brought composer John Adams to SFS in 1979 as the new music adviser and creator of the New and Unusual Music Series. Blomstedt was more focused on the core European repertory of the 18th through 20th centuries.

Peter Pastreich, who was CEO of SFS when Thomas was hired, noted that "We considered Michael for the job in 1985, when we chose Blomstedt, but he wasn't quite ready then, though we all knew he was a gigantic talent. By the time of our next search, he had matured, partly due to his experience as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and he was clearly ready.

"After he was announced as our next Music Director, Michael asked me about his being openly gay. I told him I thought that would be an advantage, not a disadvantage, here, since San Francisco has a big and active gay community."

Thomas' first season made an explosive impact: He performed a work by an American composer on every program, including Henry Cowell, Carl Ruggles, John Adams, Irving Berlin and John Philip Sousa. Many of these names would appear again and again over the years; far less present were works by female or Black composers, or works by less accessible male American composers like Elliott Carter, Roger Sessions and Milton Babbitt, missing an opportunity to further expand the orchestra's repertory.

Asked about how the orchestra changed under Thomas, Pastreich said, "Under Michael, the orchestra's sound became more lyrical, and more flexible — both because of the new repertory he programmed, and his focus on the quality of the orchestra's sound. MTT knew the playing of every musician in the orchestra, and he always treated musicians with respect."

Thomas launched several projects that brought the orchestra to an audience far beyond San Francisco. He founded and narrated Keeping Score, a series of television and radio documentaries about famous composers and their works. The orchestra started its own recording label, SFS Media, in 2001 and regularly toured the United States, Europe and Asia. Thomas made more than 120 recordings with orchestras including the SFS, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

In 2017, Thomas announced his decision to retire from the SFS, citing a chance to begin "a new period of creative possibilities" as one goal, which was assumed to include more time spent composing. His own compositions appeared on his San Francisco programs over the years, but his work was also heard well outside California. In 1991, for example, UNICEF commissioned his work From the Diary of Anne Frank, featuring Audrey Hepburn as narrator.

In 2023, Thomas gave a number of farewell concerts with several of the orchestras with whom he was closely associated. Three concerts with the San Francisco Symphony in Jan. 2024, with the conductor leading performances of Mahler's Fifth Symphony, were billed as his final performances with his beloved ensemble. But he conducted for the last time at a belated 80th birthday celebration on April 26, 2025, two months after announcing that his brain tumor had recurred. His survivors include his sisters-in-law, the eminent flutist Paula Robison and Deborah Robison.

Copyright 2026, NPR

When William Dawson was 12, he ran away from home to study music at the Tuskeegee Institute. In 1930, he returned to his roots as director of the Tuskeegee School of Music, a post he held for 25 years. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ French cellist Gautier Capuçon invites composers from various genres to express their concern and gratitude for mother earth and the beauty of nature. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

Host Steve Seel continues our celebration of Earth Month on Extra Eclectic with a nod to composers who are passionate about the protection of nature’s fragile ecosystems. Steven Stucky’s Silent Spring pays tribute to Rachel Carson’s seminal 1962 treatise on pollution and the environment, and we also hear works including John Luther Adams’ Become River, Scott Lee’s Through the Mangrove Tunnels, and selections by all three of contemporary classical’s composing Gabrielas: Smith, Montero, and Ortiz!

Playlist

Desert Ecology: Cactus-Yucca Scrub
Composer: Gabriella Smith
Conductor: Etienne Gara
Orchestra/Ensemble: Delirium Musicum
Warner 84463

Tamar Metushelah
Composer: Olivia Belli
Soloists: Gautier Capucon, cello
Erato 27273

Silent Spring
Composer: Steven Stucky
Conductor: Manfred Honeck
Orchestra/Ensemble: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Reference 747

Lignum
Composer: Jekabs Jancevskis
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kremerata Baltica
Soloists: Alina Vizine, Zane Kalnina, Rakele Chijenaite, svilpaunieki
ECM 2745

Become River
Composer: John Luther Adams
Conductor: Ludovic Morlot
Orchestra/Ensemble: Seattle Symphony
Cantaloupe 21161

Sur le lac du Bourget
Composer: Gabriela Montero
Soloists: Gautier Capucon, cello
Erato 27273

Dzonot
Composer: Gabriela Ortiz
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Platoon 2026

Through the Mangrove Tunnels: Floating Away
Composer: Scott Lee
Orchestra/Ensemble: JACK Quartet
Soloists: Steven Beck, piano
Panoramic 20

watersheds: threads of the community fabric
Composer: Nicholas Cline
Conductor: Donald Nally
Orchestra/Ensemble: The Crossing
Soloists: Matthew Levy, tenor saxophone
Navona 6614

Ohonte Wensera:kon (Sweetgrass)
Composer: Dawn Avery
Soloists: Wilhelmina Smith, cello

Can one choice change everything? Edgar, just the second opera that Giacomo Puccini ever composed, tells the story of a man torn between the promise of virtue and the allure of vice, where love and desire collide with devastating consequences. Moments of striking lyricism underscore a tale of indecision, self-delusion, and betrayal that leads to ruin. This rare concert presentation offers a tantalizing glimpse into the mind of a master still discovering his voice, just a few years before his greatest triumphs. Principal Conductor Christopher Franklin leads the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera Chorus onstage behind the cast of principal artists.

Host Steve Staruch speaks with three members of the production’s cast: soprano Karin Wolverton, tenor Diego Torre and mezzo soprano Kara Morgan, as well as Head of Music Mario Antonio Marra, in preparation for opening night on Friday, April 17, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Listen to their conversation through the player above, as well as a sneak peek of their performances in the videos below, recorded here at Minnesota Public Radio’s Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser studio.

Act II Duet: Orgia, chimera dall’occhio vitreo/Edgar, sulla tua fronte with Diego Torre and Kara Morgan (Mario Antonio Marra, piano)

Act III Aria: Addio, mio dolce amor! with Karin Wolverton (Mario Antonio Marra, piano)

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

14 of 14

1 of 14

2 of 14

Next Slide

Find out more about the production and how to purchase tickets on the Minnesota Opera’s official site.

Cellist Matt Haimovitz says there’s “nothing greater than chamber music.” Currently a Professor of Cello at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music in Minneapolis, and he recently joined the Bakken Ensemble for the group’s celebration of 30 years of concerts in the Twin Cities.

The Bakken Ensemble calls itself a “consortium of musical friends,” and they welcomed Haimovitz as their newest musical friend for a unique String Quartet scored for two cellos by Anton Arensky.

Ahead of the concert, violinist Stephanie Arado and cellist Pitnarry Shin, both co-artistic directors of the ensemble, as well as violist Grace Takeda and Haimovtz, joined host Tom Crann in the Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio for music and conversation. Arado, who has been with the ensemble since the early the beginning, told Crann how that “consortium of musical friends” works in practice. Listen to their conversation through the player above!

Find out more about the concert on the Bakken Ensemble’s official website.

Performed in this interview:

TJ COLE Fly Away Moon
ANTON ARRENSKY String Quartet No. 2: II Theme and Variations

A musician of multiple hats and genres, Damien Sneed is recognized today as a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer and arts educator in high demand. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ pianist Jonathan Biss delivers the final recording of his Beethoven Piano Concerti project: a recording featuring composer Caroline Shaw’s response to Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

Earth Day might not be until next week, but because many now observe all of April as Earth Month, we’re getting a jump on our celebrations this week on Extra Eclectic. In the first hour, Steve Seel brings us modern works on themes of water — including Anna Clyne’s Restless Oceans, Jake Runestad’s Waves, and cellist Maya Beiser’s own idiosyncratic setting of Olivier Messiaen’s “Water” from his Fete des Belles Eaux. The second hour is taken up primarily with one large work: John Luther Adams’ epochal evocation of our natural world, An Atlas of Deep Time.

Playlist

The Waves
Composer: Ludovico Einaudi
Conductor: Angele Dubeau
Orchestra/Ensemble: La Pieta
Soloists: Angele Dubeau, violin
Analekta 8748

Itaipu: To the Sea
Composer: Philip Glass
Conductor: Robert Shaw
Orchestra/Ensemble: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Sony 46352

Bays of Huatulco
Composer: Michael Torke
Soloists: Charlie Albright, piano
Steinway & Sons 30079

Restless Oceans
Composer: Anna Clyne
Conductor: Marin Alsop
Orchestra/Ensemble: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Waves
Composer: Jake Runestad
Conductor: Craig Hella Johnson
Orchestra/Ensemble: Conspirare
Soloists: Michael Jones, tenor
Delos 3578

Water
Composer: Olivier Messiaen
Soloists: Maya Beiser, cello
Islandia 1

River Song II
Composer: Eple Trio
Orchestra/Ensemble: Eple Trio
NOR-CD 40585

On Behalf of Nature: Memory Zone
Composer: Meredith Monk
Orchestra/Ensemble: Meredith Monk Ensemble
ECM 2473

An Atlas of Deep Time
Composer: John Luther Adams
Conductor: Delta David Gier
Orchestra/Ensemble: South Dakota Symphony Orchestra|
Cantaloupe 21199

Dream
Composer: John Cage
Soloists: Bruce Brubaker, piano
Arabesque 6744