The BBC Proms concerts return to YourClassical for the 2026 season. Enjoy live performances featuring world-class ensembles, conductors and soloists from the Royal Albert Hall in London. Listen at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Central on weekdays through Friday, Sept. 25 — plus on-demand audio for 30 days afterward.

YourClassical and nationally

Listed in reverse chronological order, with most recent broadcast at top.

Wednesday, Sept. 23, – 10 p.m. Central

MAHLER: What the Wild Flowers Tell Me

Prom 69: Strauss' Four Last Songs | BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra | Paweł Kapuła, conductor | Natalya Romaniw, soprano

Recorded Sept. 9, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Sept. 23 – 10 a.m. Central

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Prom 62: Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 9 | Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra | Andrew Manze, conductor | Simone Lamsma, violin: Vaughan Williams, Britten, Smickersgill

Recorded Sept. 4, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 22 – 10 p.m. Central

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 2

Prom 66: Rattle conducts Schumann | Freiburg Baroque Orchestra | Sir Simon Rattle, conductor | Isabelle Faust, violin

Recorded Sept. 7, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 22 – 10 a.m. Central

SCHUMANN: Genoveva: Overture

Prom 66: Rattle conducts Schumann | Freiburg Baroque Orchestra | Sir Simon Rattle, conductor | Isabelle Faust, violin

Recorded Sept. 7, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Sept. 21 – 10 p.m. Central

SIMCOCK: Triple Concerto for Soprano Saxophone, Horn, and Cello

Prom 65: Dvořák's New World Symphony | BBC Symphony Orchestra | Sakari Oramo, conductor | Jess Gillam, saxophone | Ben Goldscheider, horn | Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello

Recorded Sept. 6, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Sept. 21 – 10 a.m. Central

BERKELEY: Serenade for Strings

Prom 64: Matinee - John Wilson and Sinfonia of London Strings | Julie Roset, soprano: Berkeley, Bridge, Britten, I. Holst

Recorded Sept. 6, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Sept. 18 – 10 p.m. Central

SCHUMANN: Violin Concerto

Prom 66: Rattle conducts Schumann | Freiburg Baroque Orchestra | Sir Simon Rattle, conductor | Isabelle Faust, violin

Recorded Sept. 7, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Sept. 18 – 10 a.m. Central

JANACEK: Sinfonietta

Prom 58: Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto | BBC Symphony Orchestra | Jakub Hrůša conductor | Lukáš Vondráček, piano: Kaprálová, Rachmaninov, Janáček

Recorded Sept. 1, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Sept. 17 – 10 p.m. Central

BRITTEN: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

Prom 64: Matinee - John Wilson and Sinfonia of London Strings | Julie Roset, soprano: Berkeley, Bridge, Britten, I. Holst

Recorded Sept. 6, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Sept. 17 – 10 a.m. Central

IMOGEN HOLST: Suite for String Orchestra

Prom 64: Matinee - John Wilson and Sinfonia of London Strings | Julie Roset, soprano: Berkeley, Bridge, Britten, I. Holst

Recorded Sept. 6, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Sept. 16 – 10 p.m. Central

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 9

Prom 62: Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 9 | Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra | Andrew Manze, conductor | Simone Lamsma, violin: Vaughan Williams, Britten, Smickersgill

Recorded Sept. 4, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Sept. 16 – 10 a.m. Central

MOZART: Symphony No. 35 "Haffner"

Prom 47: Matinee - Mozart's Haffner Symphony | Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields | Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, direction | Amy Harman, bassoon and Felix Klieser, French horn: Britten, Mozart, Musgrave, Elgar

Recorded Aug. 23, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 15 – 10 p.m. Central

BRITTEN: Violin Concerto

Prom 62: Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 9 | Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra | Andrew Manze, conductor | Simone Lamsma, violin: Vaughan Williams, Britten, Smickersgill

Recorded Sept. 4, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 15 – 10 a.m. Central

DEBUSSY: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Prom 48: Gautier Capuçon plays Dvořák | BBC Symphony Orchestra | Alain Altinoglu, conductor: Stravinsky, Dvořák, Debussy, Varèse

Recorded Aug 23, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Sept. 14 – 10 p.m. Central

TORVUND: Symphonic Poem No. 1 "Forest Morning"

Prom 55: Stravinsky and Prokofiev with the Oslo Philharmonic | Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, conductor | Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin

Recorded Aug 29, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Sept. 14 – 10 a.m. Central

STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier Suite

Prom 51: The Met Orchestra plays Strauss | Metropolitan Opera Orchestra | Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductor | Elza van der Heever, soprano

Recorded Aug 26, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Sept. 11 – 10 p.m. Central

WALLER-BRIDGE: Solitudes

Prom 53: Late Night - Ultimate Calm with Erland Cooper

Recorded Aug 27, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Sept. 11 – 10 a.m. Central

ELGAR: Enigma Variations

Prom 59: Elgar and Tchaikovsky | Berlin Philharmonic | Kirill Petrenko, conductor

Recorded Sept 2, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Sept. 10 – 10 p.m. Central

HAYDN: Symphony No. 45 "Farewell"

Prom 45: Mahler's Song of the Earth | BBC Philharmonic | Anja Bihlmaier, conductor | Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano | Clay Hilley, tenor: El-Turk, Haydn, Mahler

Recorded Aug 21, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Sept. 10 – 10 a.m. Central

KAPRALOVA: Rustic Suite

Prom 58: Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto | BBC Symphony Orchestra | Jakub Hrůša conductor | Lukáš Vondráček, piano: Kaprálová, Rachmaninov, Janáček

Recorded Sept. 1, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Sept. 9 (Extra Eclectic) – 10 p.m. Central

COPLAND: Appalachian Spring

Prom 49: American Classics | Philharmonia Orchestra | Marin Alsop, conductor | Marcus Roberts Trio: Tower, Bernstein, Gershwin, Moross, Copland, Grant Still

Recorded Aug. 24, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Sept. 9 – 10 a.m. Central

BERNSTEIN: On the Town: Three Dance Episodes

Prom 49: American Classics | Philharmonia Orchestra | Marin Alsop, conductor | Marcus Roberts Trio: Tower, Bernstein, Gershwin, Moross, Copland, Grant Still

Recorded Aug. 24, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 8 – 10 p.m. Central

DVORAK: Cello Concerto

Prom 48: Gautier Capuçon plays Dvořák | BBC Symphony Orchestra | Alain Altinoglu, conductor: Stravinsky, Dvořák, Debussy, Varèse

Recorded Aug. 23, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 8 – 10 a.m. Central

GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue

Prom 49: American Classics | Philharmonia Orchestra | Marin Alsop, conductor | Marcus Roberts Trio: Tower, Bernstein, Gershwin, Moross, Copland, Grant Still

Recorded Aug. 24, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Sept. 7 – 10 p.m. Central

MARSALIS: Concerto for Orchestra

Prom 37: Gershwin's Piano Concerto | BBC Symphony Orchestra | James Gaffigan, conductor | Yeol Eum Son, piano: Marsalis, Gershwin, Barber

Recorded Aug. 13, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Sept. 7 – 10 a.m. Central

GERSHWIN: Piano Concerto

Prom 37: Gershwin's Piano Concerto | BBC Symphony Orchestra | James Gaffigan, conductor | Yeol Eum Son, piano: Marsalis, Gershwin, Barber

Recorded Aug. 13, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Sept. 4 – 10 p.m. central

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral"

Prom 33: Dudamel and the LA Phil 1 | Los Angeles Philharmonic | Gustavo Dudamel, conductor: Beethoven and Adès

Recorded Aug. 11, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Sept. 4 – 10 a.m. Central

BERNSTEIN: West Side Story: Symphonic Dances

Prom 49: American Classics | Philharmonia Orchestra | Marin Alsop, conductor | Marcus Roberts Trio: Tower, Bernstein, Gershwin, Moross, Copland, Grant Still

Recorded Aug. 24, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Sept. 3 – 10 p.m. Central

DVORAK: Symphony No. 8

Prom 46: Chineke! Orchestra with Angel Blue | Jonathon Heyward, conductor: Thornton Jenkins, Barber, Dvořák

Recorded Aug. 22, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Sept. 3 – 10 a.m. Central

MOZART: Horn Concerto No. 3

Prom 47: Matinee - Mozart's Haffner Symphony | Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields | Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, direction | Amy Harman, bassoon and Felix Klieser, French horn: Britten, Mozart, Musgrave, Elgar

Recorded Aug. 23, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Sept. 2 (Extra Eclectic) – 10 p.m. Central

BARBER: Knoxville: Summer of 1915

Prom 46: Chineke! Orchestra with Angel Blue | Jonathon Heyward, conductor: Thornton Jenkins, Barber, Dvořák

Recorded Aug. 22, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Sept. 2 – 10 a.m. Central

BRITTEN: Simple Symphony

Prom 47: Matinee - Mozart's Haffner Symphony | Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields | Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, direction | Amy Harman, bassoon and Felix Klieser, French horn: Britten, Mozart, Musgrave, Elgar

Recorded Aug. 23, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 1 – 10 p.m. Central

BARBER: Symphony No. 1

Prom 37: Gershwin's Piano Concerto | BBC Symphony Orchestra | James Gaffigan, conductor | Yeol Eum Son, piano: Marsalis, Gershwin, Barber

Recorded Aug. 13, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Sept. 1 – 10 a.m. Central

JENKINS: Dance Suite

Prom 46: Chineke! Orchestra with Angel Blue | Jonathon Heyward, conductor: Thornton Jenkins, Barber, Dvořák

Recorded Aug. 22, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Aug. 31 – 10 p.m. Central

HOWARD: Concerto for Brass "SIGNAL"

Prom 22: Kavakos Plays Tchaikovsky | BBC Symphony Orchestra | Paavo Järvi, conductor | Leonidas Kavakos, violin: Howard, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin

Recorded Aug. 2, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Aug. 31 – 10 a.m. Central

COPLAND: Billy the Kid: Suite

Prom 41: Copland and Stravinsky | BBC National Orchestra of Wales | Ryan Bancroft, conductor | Anthony McGill: clarinet: Copland, Kahane, Stravinsky

Recorded Aug. 17, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Aug. 28 – 10 p.m. Central

BOULANGER: Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra

Prom 25: Rachmaninov's Second | Hallé | Kachun Wong, conductor | Alexandra Dariescu, piano: Ravel, Boulanger, Rachmaninov

Recorded Aug. 5, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Friday, Aug. 28 – 10 a.m. Central

MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto

Prom 24: Dvořák and Mendelssohn | BBC National Orchestra of Wales | Elena Schwarz, conductor | Alina Ibragimova, violin

Recorded Aug. 4, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Aug. 27 – 10 p.m. Central

DVORAK: Symphony No. 7

Prom 24: Dvořák and Mendelssohn | BBC National Orchestra of Wales | Elena Schwarz, conductor | Alina Ibragimova, violin

Recorded Aug. 4, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Thursday, Aug. 27 – 10 a.m. Central

SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 4

Prom 19: Bruch's Violin Concerto | German Chamber Philharmonic Bremen | Omer Meir Wellber, conductor | Daniel Lozakovich, violin: Haydn, Bruch, Schumann

Recorded July 31, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Aug. 26 (Extra Eclectic) – 10 p.m. Central

TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto

Prom 22: Kavakos Plays Tchaikovsky | BBC Symphony Orchestra | Paavo Järvi, conductor | Leonidas Kavakos, violin: Howard, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin

Recorded Aug. 2, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Wednesday, Aug. 26 – 10 a.m. Central

TABAKOVA: Orpheus' Comet

Prom 18: Korngold's Violin Concerto | BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra | Delyana Lazarova, conductor | Alena Baeva, violin: Tabakova, Korngold, Prokofiev

Recorded July 30, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Aug. 25 – 10 p.m. Central

POULENC: Sinfonietta

Prom 14: Poulenc and Adams | City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and Orchestra | Sydney Philharmonia Symphony Chorus | Lucas and Arthur Jussen, pianos

Recorded July 26, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Tuesday, Aug. 25 – 10 a.m. Central

BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1

Prom 19: Bruch's Violin Concerto | German Chamber Philharmonic Bremen | Omer Meir Wellber, conductor | Daniel Lozakovich, violin: Haydn, Bruch, Schumann

Recorded July 31, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Aug. 24 – 10 p.m. Central

TJOGERSON: Between Trees

Prom 15: From the Alps to the Auvergne | London Philharmonic Orchestra | Edward Gardner, conductor: Tjøgersen, Canteloube, Strauss

Recorded July 27, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday, Aug. 24 – 10 a.m. Central

POULENC: Concerto for Two Pianos

Prom 14: Poulenc and Adams | City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and Orchestra | Sydney Philharmonia Symphony Chorus | Lucas and Arthur Jussen, pianos

Recorded July 26, 2026, Royal Albert Hall, London

It's September, and in the classical music world that means symphony orchestras are busy firing up their new seasons. But amidst the gala concerts, two of America's finest, the San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, are opening their 2026 seasons with one eye on the future. Both orchestras have spent the last few years painstakingly searching for new music directors and this spring they made their long-awaited announcements: British conductor Daniel Harding will take over in Los Angeles, while Hong Kong native Elim Chan will move to San Francisco.

It will be a year before either Chan or Harding give their first official downbeat as music directors, but meeting them offers answers to some questions about these crucial choices, which took many classical music observers by surprise. What new directions, if any, might they take with their new orchestras? And how will their leadership impact the temperament and perspective of music-making not only in their own communities, but also internationally.

Conversations with the newly minted music directors quickly reveal two distinct, dynamic personalities ready to embark on their next musical journeys.

Chan, who is 39 years old, is effervescent, quick to laugh and has a surprising hobby she began exploring about 10 years ago.

"I do boxing," she says. "I picked up this new sport because I was looking for something really out of my comfort zone."

Chan's true comfort zone is standing in front of an orchestra — which she discovered by chance. Studying at Smith College in Massachusetts (where she also took courses in forensic science), Chan was asked to step out of the collegiate choir to try her hand at conducting. That turned out to be her "Aha!" moment. Later, she became the first — and so far only — woman to win the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition while earning her doctoral degree at the University of Michigan.

"Elim Chan comes to us rather unknown," says Joshua Kosman, retired classical music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. "She has had a couple of small leadership positions, made a couple of recordings. She did three different guest appearances in San Francisco over the last few years, and every one of them was just exciting beyond measure."

From an orchestra not known for taking risks when choosing music directors, San Francisco's choice of Chan is being viewed as a bold move by some.

"It's different from what the orchestra has done for the last 35 years," Kosman notes. "The previous three music directors have all been established, somewhat senior figures: Michael Tilson Thomas, Esa-Pekka Salonen and before that, Herbert Blomstedt."

And they've all been men. Chan is the first woman to lead the orchestra in its 115-year history, a fact not lost on her in a male-dominated field.

"The script has always been European maestros who are at the top," she says. "So in that sense, yes, it's a bold choice that San Francisco is willing to break away from this script."

That says a lot about where this orchestra wants to go in the future. A music director's relationship with an orchestra takes a long time to grow and finally blossom. When Chan first guest-conducted the San Francisco Symphony in early 2023, she didn't know quite what to expect.

"It's kind of like a date," she says with a laugh. "You get to know each other. You try to impress each other a bit. And in a few hours you will see if you want another date, right?" But something clicked between her and the San Francisco players. There was chemistry.

"The first thing I was really impressed with was the sound," she recalls. "And sound for me is so attractive, because they play with such heart."

Chan is well aware of the present-day problem of getting people off the couch and into the concert hall. "I feel like we got out of touch with our audience," she admits. "We just do our thing and somehow expect the audience to show up. This doesn't work anymore." Chan wants to convince people that coming to a concert is actually a cool experience you can't get at home or on headphones; she's promising new approaches to create a wow factor. "That accelerating feeling that you just want to get on your feet and yell and scream, 'Bravo!' This is something I want to give the audience."

A "safer" choice for the LA Philharmonic?

If Chan is the bold choice for the San Francisco Symphony, is the seasoned, 51-year-old Englishman Daniel Harding the "safe" choice for the Los Angeles Philharmonic?

"I don't know that I would call it a safe choice," says Kosman. "I think what's interesting is that in the same way San Francisco has historically gone for established senior conductors, Los Angeles has this fabled history of going for the Elim Chan types — in other words, young, unproven artists — and showing enormous success." Harding's predecessor, Gustavo Dudamel, took over the Philharmonic before he was 30. It almost appears that these two orchestras are swapping playbooks.

In terms of personalities, Chan presents as effusive, while Harding is, by admission, a bit more reserved but with a wry sense of humor. When asked why he might be a good fit for the Philharmonic, he pokes back instantly: "That is a horrible question," he insists with a chuckle. "You're almost asking an Englishman to say nice things about themself, which is not something we do."

Harding seems to avoid the limelight. He barely has a website. "I'm not the guy with a million Instagram followers," he claims. "That's never going to be me." (The actual follower count on his official Instagram is just over 2,800. Chan has 27,000.)

Harding is all about the music. He was a wunderkind prodigy while still in his teens, when a teacher taped a rehearsal of him leading an ensemble in Schoenberg's tricky Pierrot Lunaire. The tape made its way to conductor Simon Rattle, who, by coincidence, was preparing the same piece. Rattle was astounded by what he heard and took Harding on as an assistant, raving about his extraordinary natural talent. The young man went on to become the assistant conductor to Claudio Abbado at the Berlin Philharmonic, and first led that orchestra at age 21. His relationship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic goes back some 30 years.

"I love the gardening side of being a music director," Harding says with a smile in his voice. "And I think that the creativity and the energy and just the level of everything that goes on in LA, it's fertile ground."

Harding last led the Philharmonic in the summer of 2025, in the luxurious Second Symphony by Rachmaninov at the Hollywood Bowl. "I found the orchestra so incredibly responsive, willing and generous in terms of what they offered musically," he recalls. "I don't know how you describe it, but there is a thing where you just say, 'This is right.'"

Like Chan for San Francisco, Harding for Los Angeles caught the classical music world off guard.

"He's not all that well-known more broadly," Kosman says. "He's not an established figure like Riccardo Muti, but he does have a track record. And I'm eager to see what he does with [the LA Philharmonic], which has this tradition of iconoclasm and discovery."

Harding's career has been spent primarily in Europe — 19 years leading the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, with whom he made a solid catalog of recordings, from Berlioz, Brahms and Bartok, to Mozart, Beethoven and Mendelssohn.

"He's one of these guys, like Simon Rattle, who just apparently can do anything he puts his hand to, which I think is an impressive achievement," Kosman notes.

Another impressive achievement is Harding's side hustle. He's a licensed pilot who flies commercial jetliners for Air France. And he has an offer for his colleague Elim Chan — with one condition.

"I'm very happy to take Elim in the airplane any time she wants," he proposes. "But I'm absolutely not going to get into a boxing ring with her in return."

These two very individual conductors are poised to take over two of America's great orchestras, and in doing so, help to chart the course of symphonic music made in America. Neither Chan nor Harding fit the mold of the old school authoritarian. "That old European man with a mustache and an attitude, that has ceased to be the default model for what we want in a music director," Kosman says. "And that, I think, is the important breakthrough."

Time will tell just what kind of breakthrough it is for the San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In an age when it's often difficult to tell one orchestra from another, busting that default model will hopefully allow the singular personalities of these two conductors to shine through in their music making, giving their ensembles a distinct sound.

Copyright 2026, NPR

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Artistic Partner Gábor Takács-Nagy returns for another consecutive season finale leading the orchestra in a program that touches on many of its 2025-26 season themes, including the idea of music and art as hope and light. Written in the final and darkest days of World War II, Richard Strauss’ monumental and emotional Metamorphosen mourns the corruption and destruction of German culture. This musical response to fascism, written for 23 strings, depicts a transformation from pain and darkness to hope and light, with homages to his German predecessors including Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. To close out the program, Robert Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony references the flow of the Rhine River and the ceaseless flow of time — a natural bookend to the season, which is framed by a quote from Schumann himself: “To send light into the depths of the human heart — this is the artist’s calling.” Listen to the concert now!

Program

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Gábor Takács-Nagy, conductor

ZOLTÁN KODÁLY Summer Evening
RICHARD STRAUSS Metamorphosen
ROBERT SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish)

For more information regarding this concert, please visit the official website.

Giddens sings and plays music throughout this interview. Click the audio link above to get the full experience.

Musician Rhiannon Giddens describes herself as "a folkie to the bone."

"There's times I'm playing the banjo and I just feel the ancestors. Like, I feel the spirits come through," she says. "And it's like, that's the only thing that's kept me going in this industry is knowing that I'm connected in that way to the people who came before."

Giddens plays music from the Black string band tradition dating back to slave times, and she played banjo on Beyoncé's hit "Texas Hold 'Em." She's also the artistic director of the Silk Road Ensemble, which was founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and is dedicated to playing with musicians from around the world, drawing on their musical traditions.

Her latest album, Hope Is the Thing with Feathers, takes its name from an Emily Dickinson poem. For Giddens, the theme of hope connects directly to her ancestors, who lived lives of extreme poverty in the American South.

"What right do I have to not have hope when I don't have to worry ... about starving?" she says. "I'm not saying I'm a Pollyanna, because I don't have a lot of faith in humanity, but I have a faith in humans."

Therese Madden and Nico Gonzalez Wisler produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz and Molly Seavy-Nesper adapted it for the web.

Copyright 2026, NPR, Fresh Air

On the latest episode of Saturday Cinema, host Lynne Warfel celebrates famous folks born in September, including Mitzi Gaynor, Robert Wise, Walter Pidgeon, Deborah Kerr and Lauren Bacall. Listen now!

Playlist

Star Trek: Main Theme
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Conductor: Jerry Goldsmith
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Telarc 80433

Star Trek: Main Theme
Composer: Alexander Courage
Conductor: John Williams
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Pops Orchestra
Philips 411185

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Epilogue/End Credits
Composer: James Horner
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80146

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Main Title
Composer: Leonard Rosenman
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80146

Star Trek: Theme
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Conductor: John Morris Russell
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Fanfare Cincinnati 15

There’s No Business Like Show Business
Composer: Irving Berlin
Conductor: John Williams
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Pops Orchestra
Philips 438070

Gigi: I Remember It Well
Composer: Frederick Loewe
Conductor: Andre Previn
Orchestra/Ensemble: MGM Studio Orchestra
Soloists: Maurice Chevalier, vocals
Rhino 71962

The Big Sleep: Suite
Composer: Max Steiner
Conductor: Charles Gerhardt
Orchestra/Ensemble: National Philharmonic Orchestra
RCA 136

Someone to Watch Over Me
Composer: George Gershwin
Conductor: Keith Lockhart
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
Koch 7792

The Great Escape
Composer: Elmer Bernstein
Conductor: Elmer Bernstein
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Pops
Denon 75288

The Black Stallion: Main Theme
Composer: Carmine Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
MGM 2008

The Black Stallion: The Ride
Composer: Carmine Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
MGM 2008

Our Town
Composer: Aaron Copland
Conductor: Leonard Slatkin
Orchestra/Ensemble: Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
RCA 61699

Medley of Gershwin Tunes
Composer: George Gershwin
Soloists: William Bolcom, piano
Nonesuch 79151

An Affair to Remember
Composer: Harry Warren
Conductor: John Mauceri
Orchestra/Ensemble: Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Philips 446681

The King and I: Medley
Composer: Richard Rodgers
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80278

Duncan Sheik, the Tony- and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who crafted the music for “Spring Awakening,” has died. He was 56.

Sheik died Thursday night, according to a post on his Instagram page. “The world has a lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater,” the post reads. “His musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.”

Sheik had been best known for his lasting radio hit “Barely Breathing” when he turned his sights on Broadway with “Spring Awakening,” resulting in the envelope-pushing show that musicalized teenage angst.

“With the exception of our director, we are all kind of Broadway outsiders. We wanted to shake things up a bit. And we just set out to make this really cool piece of theater,” Sheik told The Associated Press in 2007, as the show swept Tony nominations.

Sheik also tackled musicals based on “American Psycho” and “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Barely Breathing” spent 55 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 16. But he was probably best known for “Spring Awakening,” which ran for over 860 performances on Broadway starting in 2006.

“His deep feeling and his delight gave us so much beauty,” playwright and actor Eisa Davis wrote. “Duncan, thank you for your friendship and for the sublime music.”

‘Spring Awakening’ roused a new side of Sheik — and Broadway

The musical — adapted from a 19th-century play by German playwright Frank Wedekind, with music by Sheik and lyrics by playwright Steven Sater — is frank in its portrayals of incest, abortion and suicide. It's intended partly as a warning that teens need good information about sex to avoid tragic mistakes.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful to more traditional theater composers,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2015. “I love Stephen Sondheim. But it’s my mission to make sure that the theater is paying attention to what the rest of the world is listening to.”

Sheik and Sater were practicing Buddhists who met while chanting. They were collaborating on Sheik's third album, “Phantom Moon,” when Sater mentioned he was working on a new production. Neither had written a musical before.

“I said to Steven, ‘I’m happy to do this musical, but I only want to do it if the music in the play is the kind that I and my peers can get behind stylistically and relate to and enjoy,’” Sheik told the AP in 2006.

They made a pact: They'd retain the provincial, 19th-century Germany setting but with, as Sater put it, “the characters breaking into pop-contemporary when they sing.”

“Spring Awakening” won eight Tony Awards, including best musical, as well as the Grammy for best musical show album.

“Sheik’s music, spare in its simple orchestrations, lush in the lapping reach of its seductive choruses, embodies the shadowy air of longing that infuses the show, the excitement shading into fear, the joy that comes with a chaser of despair,” The New York Times said in its review.

The show is beloved in the musical theater community for breaking ground in staging and content, alongside the likes of “Rent” and “Hamilton.” It returned to Broadway in 2015 in a well-received production by Deaf West Theatre. An off-Broadway version is slated to open this fall, as is his musical “Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen,” based on Moyoco Anno’s manga of the same name.

The cast of the original show was loaded with breakthrough actors like Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, Lilli Cooper, Jennifer Damiano, Gideon Glick, John Gallagher Jr., Lauren Pritchard and Krysta Rodriguez, who have each gone on to fame in TV, film and stage. Groff would go on to earn a Tony with “Merrily We Roll Along,” and Michele became a superstar with “Glee.”

Sheik blended musical theater with pop music

Sheik next channeled the music he heard getting past the velvet ropes of trendy, late-1980s Manhattan clubs for a Broadway adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel “American Psycho.”

The 1991 novel — later made into a 2000 movie starring Christian Bale — chronicles a homicidal New York yuppie named Patrick Bateman who is obsessed with high-end clothes and beauty products even as he slashes his way through Manhattan. Sheik, who also supplied lyrics, recalled only getting halfway through the book before throwing it across the room as a Brown University student.

For one standout song, “You Are What You Wear,” he reached out to old girlfriends to ask a question: What were you really into wearing in the late ’80s? He put the answers in the tune about high fashion: “Chanel, Gaultier, or Giorgio Armani/Moschino, Alaïa, or Norma Kamali/Should I rock/The Betsey Johnson/Or stick with classic/Comme des Garçons?”

“Duncan is really a genius and an intellectual and brings something both uniquely his but importantly of this period to the stage,” producer Jesse Singer told the AP at the time.

Because Bateman, played onstage by Benjamin Walker, fancies himself a bit of a music critic — spewing mostly inane ruminations about Phil Collins and Huey Lewis and the News — Sheik also peppered his score with sly reworkings of “In the Air Tonight” and “Hip to Be Square.”

“There’s definitely an art to be able to write a song that on one level is a pop song and one that also has to tell a story and keep an audience engaged in terms of a larger narrative arc,” Sheik told the AP in 2013. “When you’re writing a song for the theater, it has to accomplish all this other stuff. It has to work in tandem with all these other agendas and creative impulses.”

The show, directed by Rupert Goold and with a story by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, made its premiere in 2013 in London. On Broadway in 2016, it bombed, lasting less than 90 performances.

“We were all sort of worried that it might be too violent for people and it might seem too misogynist,” Sheik told the AP on the eve of the opening. “But, in fact, the truth is this piece is a critique of a certain way of thinking about things. So in truth it’s better to go all-in.”

‘Barely Breathing’ was nominated for a Grammy

Growing up between South Carolina and New Jersey, Sheik learned guitar as a child and got his first synthesizer when he was 12. He was heavily influenced by Talk Talk, David Sylvian and Nick Drake. His self-titled debut album was released in 1996 and Rolling Stone gave it a four-star review, calling it “a defiant debut — beautiful and benevolent of spirit.”

“Barely Breathing,” from that album, was nominated for best pop vocal performance in 1998 and would be kept alive on TV shows like “Glee” and “Girls.”

Other projects include “Whisper House,” an album and musical — a ghost story that ran in 2010 at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego — and “Legerdemain,” an album that explored the tension between art and commerce. His most recent album was 2022's “Claptrap.”

But for someone who had once been a total stranger to Broadway, he told AP in 2016 that he had a sense of mission.

“I feel like it’s become my project to kind of drag different people who might not normally go to musical theater pieces to come see a piece of musical theater,” he said.

He is survived by his parents; his wife, Nora Ariffin; and a daughter, Ines.

This story originally appeared at MPR News.

Jeff Scott’s 2024 Grammy-nominated oratorio is full of inspiration from two giants of music — Johann Sebastian Bach and John Coltrane. Passion for Bach and Coltrane with the Imani Winds is an innovative and surprising confluence of classical and jazz. Scott is the founding horn player of the Imani Winds, and along with the Harlem Jazz Quartet, jazz soloists and spoken word by A.B. Spellman, Passion for Bach and Coltrane offers an intimate perspective on the group’s most personal recording in its 25-year history. Listen now with host Toyin Spellman-Diaz in celebration of Coltrane’s 100th anniversary!

Playlist

Hour 1

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Aria, from Goldberg Variations — Glenn Gould, piano

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Variation No. 1, from Goldberg Variations — Glenn Gould, piano

• A.B. Spellman: Dear John, Part 1, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — A.B. Spellman, spoken

• Jeff Scott: Aria, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

• A.B. Spellman: Dear John, Part 2, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — A.B. Spellman, spoken

• Jeff Scott: Psalm, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

• Jeff Scott: Resolution, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

• Jeff Scott: Out of Nazareth, Part 1, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Variation No. 2, from Goldberg Variations — Glenn Gould, piano

• Jeff Scott: Out of Nazareth, Part 2, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

Intermission

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Variation No. 29, from Goldberg Variations — Glenn Gould, piano

Hour 2

• John Coltrane: Acknowledgement, from A Love Supreme — John Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Variation No. 4, from Goldberg Variations — Glenn Gould, piano

• A.B. Spellman: Among the Things I Must Have Known, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — A.B. Spellman

• Jeff Scott: Interlude, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez, and Neal Smith

• Jeff Scott: A Hug for Gonzalo, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Variation No. 13, from Goldberg Variations — Glenn Gould, piano

• Jeff Scott: Variation No. 13 from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

• Jeff Scott: Acknowledgement, from Passion for Bach and Coltrane — Imani Winds, Harlem Quartet, Alex Brown, Edward Perez and Neal Smith

Concert Master Steven Copes and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra join pianist and composer Stephen Prutsman for a new project that takes works by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev and reimagines them for chamber orchestra. Listen now with host Julie Amacher.

The Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) is a youth orchestra powerhouse, the largest youth orchestra program in the nation, with 11 orchestras graded from beginners to experienced players. The top GTCYS orchestra, Symphony, wowed audiences in New Zealand and Australia this past summer. Their tour program, which includes an award-winning new piece by high school student Luke Soneral, was rebroadcasted on Tuesday, Sept. 15. YourClassical MPR is proud to present the GTCYS Symphony send-off concert — recorded at Orchestra Hall — from this past June. Listen to the concert, hosted by Steve Staruch, through the player above.

Program

GTCYS Symphony
Mark Russell Smith, GTCYS Artistic Director and Conductor

RICHARD WAGNER Prelude from Die Meistersinger
MICHAEL ABELS Delights & Dances
JOHN WILLIAMS With Malice Towards None from Lincoln
LUKE SONERAL An Overture: The Mouse and Its Shadow
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet

For more information regarding this concert, please check out the official program.

The Secret Life of GTCYS

During preparations for the send-off concert, host Vernon Neal spoke to three members of GTCYS' Symphony ensemble at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis about their instruments and experiences, as well as how GTCYS is helping shape their future. Watch the complete interview below!

Join two of today’s most compelling chamber ensembles, Cantus and Imani Winds, for My Ancestors Speak, a powerful joint concert that unites a stunning vocal octet and a dynamic wind quintet. Through a compelling fusion of story and song, this unique collaboration celebrates the rich, diverse cultural lineages of both ensembles, exploring deeply rooted connections to identity, tradition and history. The concert features two newly commissioned works: My Ancestors Speak, by Pulitzer Prize finalist Alex Weiser, and Left, by 2022 Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner Angélica Negrón, alongside repertoire that highlights a global array of musical traditions and voices. Listen to the concert now through the player above!

Program (Highlights)

Cantus
Imani Winds

ALEX WEISER My Ancestors Speak
ANGÉLICA NEGRÓN Left
FREDDY MORGAN AND NORMAN MALKIN (ARR. JEFF SCOTT) Mr. Banjo
ROBERT LOWRY (ARR. STEPHEN CARACCIOLO) How Can I Keep From Singing?
PRINCESS MIRIAM LIKELIKE (ARR. MARSHA SCHWEITZER) Ku’u Ipo Ka He’e Pu’e One (My Sweetheart in the Rippling Hills of Sand)
GLORIA ESTEFAN AND ESTÉFANO (ARR. YOSVANY ESTEPE DIÁZ) Mi Tierra (My Homeland)

For more information regarding this concert, please visit the official website.

On the latest episode of Saturday Cinema, host Lynne Warfel shares music from films that won Oscars for Best Supporting Actress/Actor, including Grumpier Old Men, West Side Story and Shakespeare in Love. Listen now!

Playlist

The Apartment: Main Theme
Composer: Charles Williams
Conductor: Arthur Fiedler
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Pops Orchestra
RCA 60393

Mr. Roberts: Suite
Composer: Franz Waxman
Conductor: Franz Waxman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Varese Sarabande 5257

The Odd Couple: Theme
Composer: Neal Hefti
Conductor: Paul Bateman
Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Silva 1309

Grumpier Old Men: End Credits
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80440

Stagecoach: Narrative for Orchestra
Composer: Richard Hageman
Conductor: Paul Bateman
Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Silva 1037

It’s A Wonderful Life
Composer: Dimitri Tiomkin
Conductor: David Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Telarc 88801

It’s A Wonderful Life: Love Sequence
Composer: Dimitri Tiomkin
Conductor: David Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Telarc 88801

The Quiet Man: Suite
Composer: Victor Young
Conductor: Paul Bateman
Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Silva 1037

Sayonara: Suite
Composer: Franz Waxman
Conductor: Franz Waxman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
RCA 2283

West Side Story: Overture
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Conductor: Johnny Green
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Sony 89226

Spartacus: Main Title
Composer: Alex North
Conductor: Eric Stern
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Nonesuch 79446

Since You Went Away: Love Theme
Composer: Max Steiner
Soloists: Gregg Nestor, guitar
Cambria 1030

The Best Years of Our Lives: Theme
Composer: Hugo Friedhofer
Conductor: John Williams
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Sony 62788

West Side Story: Mambo
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra

Jezebel: Waltz
Composer: Max Steiner
Conductor: John Mauceri
Orchestra/Ensemble: Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Philips 438685

Glory: Closing Credits
Composer: James Horner
Conductor: James Horner
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Virgin 86150

The Cider House Rules: Suite
Composer: Rachel Portman
Conductor: David Snell
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra

On the Waterfront: Love Theme
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
Orchestra/Ensemble: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
DG 459552

Shakespeare in Love: The End
Composer: Stephen Warbeck
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Ensemble
Sony 63387

At this time of year, Jews around the world gather together to celebrate new beginnings. Host Mindy Ratner guides us in a musical observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, known in Hebrew as Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe. Listen now to Music for the Days of Awe: An Observance of the Jewish High Holidays.

Playlist

• Solomon Braslavsky (arr. Bruce Ruben): M’chalkeil Chayim – Kathryn Andersen, violin; Steven Lyon, clarinet; Judith Clurman, conductor

• Paul Schoenfield: Achat Sha’alti – Carol Wincenc, flute; Paul Schoenfield, piano

• Salamone Rossi: Lamnatseach ‘al hagitit mizmor l’David (Psalm 8) – New York Baroque; Eric Milnes, conductor

• Max Janowski (arr. Raymond Goldstein): Avinu Malkeinu – Cantors Azi Schwartz, Shira Lissek and Rachel Brook; Alexander Scheirele, cello; Colin Fowler, piano

• Alessandro Scarlatti: Excerpt from Agar et Ismaele Esiliati – Karina Gauvin (Sara); Nathaniel Watson (Abramo); Seattle Baroque; Byron Schenkman and Ingrid Matthews, conductors

• Igor Stravinsky: Abraham and Isaac (Part 3: “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked”) – David Wilson-Johnson, bass-baritone; London Sinfonietta; Oliver Knussen, conductor

• Traditional: Four Shofar Sounds – Cantor Hans Bloemendal; BW de Jong, shofar

• Joseph Kurland (arr. Max Janowski): Hineni – Trevor Mitchell, cantor; Chicago a cappella

• Traditional: Excerpt from Avinu Malkeynu – Rachel Van Voorhees, harp

• Sarah Gurowitsch: Kol Nidrej – Dieter Klöcker, clarinet; Vlach Quartet Prague

• Judith Clurman (arr. Ryan Nowlin): Ki Hineih Kachomer – James Cunningham, piano; Daniel Miller, cello; Essential Voices USA; Judith Clurman, conductor

• Louis Lewandowski: Ki K’shimcha – Hazzan Steven C. Berke; Madrigalchor der Hochschule fur Musik, Munchen

• Traditional: El Nora Alilah – Galeet Dardashti and Divahn

• Traditional: T’kiah g’dolah – Collegium Musicum Judaicum Amsterdam; Chaim Storosum, conductor

Food during the High Holidays

“It wouldn't be a Jewish holiday without food! Jewish communities around the world share some food traditions and still offer their own unique recipes and food preparation methods. As in any household, there are cherished family recipes that make the holidays special. In my family, it was a moist and spicy honey cake that my paternal grandmother made." — Mindy Ratner

High Holy Days Recipes

The Most Important Jewish Holidays and their Foods

Rosh Hashanah Recipes From Around the World

Surprising suggestions for dishes to break the Yom Kippur fast

The Righteousness of Pomegranate on Rosh Hashanah

Special thanks

Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker

Rabbi Tamar Magill-Grimm

Rabbi Sharon Stiefel

Cantorial Soloist David Jordan Harris

Beth Jacob Congregation, Mendota Heights, MN

Heritage Judaica

Sonya Rapport

Dan Nass

Jacob Aloi

Ines Guanchez

Violinist and composer George Bridgetower was good friends with Ludwig Van Beethoven. So much so that Beethoven wrote a violin sonata just for him. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

Conductor Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra present their new release featuring music by Antonin Dvorak and Carlos Simon recorded live in the historic Heinz Hall. Listen now with host Julie Amacher.

A performance of Wynton Marsalis’ Concerto for Orchestra recorded at the 2026 BBC Proms Festival offers a look at modern classical works inspired by jazz in the first hour of this episode of Extra Eclectic, which also showcases works by Jon Batiste, Earl Louis Stewart and Jeff Scott. In the second hour, we enjoy a sonic peek at autumn (now that Labor Day has come and gone), with such works as Veljo Tormis’ Autumn Landscapes and Robert Jurjendal’s Autumn Prelude. Listen now with host Steve Seel!

Playlist

Startin’ Sumthin’
Composer: Jeff Scott
Orchestra/Ensemble: Imani Winds
Koch 7796

Concerto for Orchestra
Composer: Wynton Marsalis
Conductor: James Gaffigan
Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Proms 2026 Recording

Rhythm Sonata: Majestic
Composer: Earl Louis Stewart
Orchestra/Ensemble: Lyris Quartet
Soloists: Marcus Eley, clarinet
Imaginary Animals 213

Eternity Around The Corner
Composer: Jon Batiste
Soloists: Jon Batiste, piano
Verve 244313

Autumn Prelude
Composer: Robert Jurjendal
Soloists: Volkmar Zimmermann, guitar
Albany 1738

Fragments of Light
Composer: Sophie Hutchings
Soloists: Sophie Hutchings, piano
Mercury KX 90583

Autumn Landscapes
Composer: Veljo Tormis
Conductor: Tonu Kaljuste
Orchestra/Ensemble: Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
ECM 2793

Estonian Lullaby: Kuus Kuus kallike
Composer: Arvo Part
Orchestra/Ensemble: Hesperion XXI
Soloists: Montserrat Figueras, soprano
Alia Vox 9826

In Air Clear and Unseen: An Autumn Evening
Composer: Alexander Knaifel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Keller Quartet
ECM 2324

Lieux retrouves (Rediscovered Places)
Composer: Thomas Ades
Conductor: Nicholas Collon
Orchestra/Ensemble: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Tomas Nunez, cello
Ondine 1411

Always Know
Composer: Jon Batiste
Soloists: Jon Batiste, piano
Verve 244313

On the latest episode of Saturday Cinema, host Lynne Warfel shares works by and about the Newman family: Alfred, Lionel, Randy, Thomas and David. Selections include music from The Robe, Little Women and Galaxy Quest. Listen now!

Playlist

Pleasantville: Real Rain
Composer: Randy Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra

20th Century Fox Fanfare
Composer: Alfred Newman
Conductor: John Mauceri
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra
LPO 86

How to Marry a Millionaire: Street Scene
Composer: Alfred Newman
Conductor: John Wilson
Orchestra/Ensemble: Sinfonia of London
Chandos 5294
10:14 AM

Composer: Alfred Newman
Conductor: Charles Gerhardt
Orchestra/Ensemble: National Philharmonic Orchestra
RCA 184

Skyfall: Komodo Dragon
Composer: Thomas Newman
Conductor: Thomas Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Sony 41040

Little Women: Suite
Composer: Thomas Newman
Conductor: Thomas Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Sony 66922

Seabiscuit: Suite
Composer: Randy Newman
Conductor: Thomas Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
London/Decca 772

The Greatest Story Ever Told: Theme
Composer: Ken Darby/Alfred Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Prague Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
Primary Wave 500609

In the Bedroom: End Title
Composer: Thomas Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Varese Sarabande 66460

Saving Mr. Banks: selections
Composer: Thomas Newman
Conductor: Thomas Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Walt Disney 193110

Wuthering Heights: Cathy’s Theme
Composer: Alfred Newman
Conductor: John Williams
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Pops Orchestra
Soloists: Itzhak Perlman, violin
Sony 60773

Song of Bernadette
Composer: Alfred Newman
Conductor: Charles Gerhardt
Orchestra/Ensemble: National Philharmonic Orchestra
RCA 184

Galaxy Quest: Main Theme
Composer: David Newman
Conductor: John Morris Russell
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Fanfare Cincinnati 15

Ice Age: Opening Travel Music
Composer: David Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Varese Sarabande 66460

How the West Was Won
Composer: Alfred Newman
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80141

Airport
Composer: Alfred Newman
Conductor: Charles Gerhardt
Orchestra/Ensemble: National Philharmonic Orchestra
RCA 184

Family Album: Homage to Alfred, Emil and Lionel Newman
Composer: Randy Newman
Soloists: Gloria Cheng, piano
Harmonia Mundi 907635

Afro-Brazilian guitarist Plínio Fernandes’ style is a unique alchemy of the Brazilian folk and popular songs he grew up with, Latin classical traditions, and the Western canon. Now located in London, Fernandes’ recently released his debut album, ‘Saudade,’ and is working to teach and inspire new generations of musicians. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

Violinist and composer Curtis Stewart recently released a two-CD recording featuring ‘24 American Caprices’ composed in the styles of the many genres he grew up listening to on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Listen now with host Julie Amacher.

Brass instruments are the focus on episode of Extra Eclectic, in solo, duo and ensemble settings. Valerie Coleman’s Fanfare for Uncommon Times offers a riposte to Aaron Copland’s famous work, and Olivier Messiaen’s Apparition du Christ Glorieux depicts of a religious encounter that's almost unsettling in its indescribable mystery. We also hear music by Michael Daugherty, Dani Howard, Carter Pann and more. Listen now with host Steve Seel!

Playlist

Credo: 4th movement
Composer: David Sanford
Orchestra/Ensemble: Meridian Arts Ensemble
8bells 20

Concerto for Brass “SIGNAL”
Composer: Dani Howard
Conductor: Paavo Jarvi
Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Proms 2026 Recording

To the Lighthouse
Composer: Linda Kouvaras
Orchestra/Ensemble: Lyrebird Brass
Toccata 794

Bells for Stokowski
Composer: Michael Daugherty
Conductor: Jerry Junkin
Orchestra/Ensemble: University of Texas Wind Ensemble
Reference 104

Instrumental Round No. 1 in Snaketime
Composer: Moondog (Louis Hardin)
Orchestra/Ensemble: Extension Ensemble
Summit 389

Illuminations of the Beyond (Eclairs sur l’au-dela): Apparition du Christ glorieux (Apparition of the Glorious Christ)
Composer: Olivier Messiaen
Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung
Orchestra/Ensemble: Orchestre de la Bastille
DG 439929

Elements of Nature: Water, Fire
Composer: Paul Osterfield
Soloists: Jozef Zimka, trumpet
Navona 6714

Fanfare for Uncommon Times
Composer: Valerie Coleman
Conductor: Brian Kaufman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brass for Uncommon Times
Naxos 579190

River of Time
Composer: David Biedenbender
Conductor: Timothy Muffitt
Orchestra/Ensemble: Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Neil Mueller, trumpet
Blue Griffin 715

A Nearer Sun
Composer: The Westerlies
Orchestra/Ensemble: The Westerlies
Songlines 1617

My Brother’s Brain: The Hymn of Forgiving
Composer: Carter Pann
Conductor: Mallory Thompson
Orchestra/Ensemble: Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Summit 717

Lament
Composer: Brandon Ridenour
Orchestra/Ensemble: Canadian Brass
Steinway & Sons 30008

Earlier this summer, longtime collaborator pianist Jonathan Biss reunited with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra musicians, bringing the ensemble’s 25-26 season theme full circle in a concert that honored the lives and music of Robert and Clara Schumann, with Robert’s Piano Concerto as the program’s finale. An accomplished pianist in her own right, Clara is essential to Robert’s music, and she was the soloist who premiered his concerto in 1845 following its completion. In addition to the only piano concerto her husband ever finished, this program features Clara’s Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano, as well as works by contemporary composers Augusta Reed Thomas and György Kurtág, who were both inspired by the music of the Schumanns. Biss intersperses these shorter works within Schumann’s larger works for piano and orchestra throughout the program. Listen to the concert now through the player above!

Program

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
Jonathan Biss, piano

ROBERT SCHUMANN Introduction and Allegro appassionato (Konzertstück)
GYÖRGY KURTÁG Hommage à R. Schumann for Clarinet, Viola and Piano
CLARA SCHUMANN Trio in G Minor for Violin, Cello and Piano
AUGUSTA READ THOMAS Clara’s Ascent
ROBERT SCHUMANN Piano Concerto
GYÖRGY KURTÁG Selections from Játékok (Games) for Solo Piano and Signs, Games, and Messages for String Trio

For more information regarding this concert, please visit the official website.

On the latest episode of Saturday Cinema, host Lynne Warfel kicks off the academic year with films with all kinds of school themes, including Dead Poets Society, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Steel Magnolias. Listen now!

Playlist

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Harry’s Wondrous World
Composer: John Williams
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
DG 29939

Dead Poets Society: Carpe Diem
Composer: Maurice Jarre
Conductor: Stephane Deneve
Orchestra/Ensemble: Brussels Philharmonic
Soloists: Renaud Capucon, violin
Erato 33936

Dead Poets Society: Keating’s Triumph
Composer: Maurice Jarre
Conductor: Maurice Jarre
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Milan 35980

Tom Brown’s Schooldays: Overture
Composer: Richard Addinsell
Conductor: Rumon Gamba
Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Chandos 10046

Goodbye Mr. Chips: Theme
Composer: Richard Addinsell
Conductor: Kenneth Alwyn
Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Concert Orchestra
Marco Polo 223732

The King and I: Medley
Composer: Richard Rodgers
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80278

The Belles of St. Trinian’s: Comedy Suite
Composer: Malcolm Arnold
Conductor: Rumon Gamba
Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Chandos 9851

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Dragon Flight
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Conductor: Alexandre Desplat
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Warner 39255

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Hedwig's Theme
Composer: John Williams
Conductor: John Williams
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic

A Beautiful Mind: Closing Credits
Composer: James Horner
Conductor: James Horner
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
London/Decca 440016 B

Raiders of the Lost Ark March
Composer: John Williams
Conductor: John Williams
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic

Mr. Holland’s Opus: Mr. Holland Begins
Composer: Michael Kamen
Conductor: Michael Kamen
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Metropolitan Orchestra
London/Decca 452065

Rudy: Main Title
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Varese Sarabande 66460

Back to the Future
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80146

Composer: Danny Elfman
Conductor: John Coleman
Orchestra/Ensemble: National Philharmonic Orchestra
Varese Sarabande 47281

St. Elmo’s Fire: Love Theme
Composer: David Foster
Conductor: David Newman
Orchestra/Ensemble: Varese Sarabande Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Mike Lang, piano
Varese Sarabande 6151155

Steel Magnolias: Suite
Composer: Georges Delerue
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Varese Sarabande 66460

Use the player above to listen to YourClassical MPR host John Birge’s final regular shift recorded on Friday, Aug. 28. Then, use the player below to listen as host Tom Crann interviews Birge about his career and time at MPR during Birge’s penultimate shift on Thursday, Aug. 27.

When YourClassical MPR host John Birge started his career more than 40 years ago, he was terrified of talking on the radio. “I could never do that!” he thought.

He’d been drawn to broadcasting not only because of his early love for classical music, but because of his passion for the behind-the-scenes aspect of radio; he hadn’t really envisioned an on-air role. “I was kind of a tech person,” Birge says. “I loved recording and audio. I was kind of a stereo geek, collecting records and reading about hi-fi stuff.

“All of that went together with my abiding interest in story, in narrative, in connecting the dots.”

Birge took the plunge behind the microphone and has been connecting the dots for YourClassical MPR listeners for 29 years – including 21 as morning show host. On Aug. 28, he’ll sign off for his last regular shift.

It’s the home stretch of a journey that started during childhood in Plymouth, Michigan, where his mother would quiz him about the particulars of the music that was a constant presence in the background. Birge says that he came to know who composed the pieces he heard on that radio, which led him to piano lessons and a concentration on the French horn (which he eventually played with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra).

Birge found that the musical life suited him, leading him to attend Michigan’s Interlochen Arts Academy with the intent of becoming a professional. His music education continued at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

“For a whole bunch of reasons, along the way I decided I wanted to do something – instead of just playing the French horn in a symphony orchestra – that had a wider focus,” Birge says. He decided to lean into his technological interests, and to tell the stories of the music he loved.

He started working at WGUC, Cincinnati’s classical music station, when he “rang the doorbell and said, ‘I want to learn and I’ll work for free.’” There, he got his first taste of on-air life. “The boss said, ‘How about filling in on an overnight shift?’ I thought, ‘How much damage can I do at three in the morning?’

“I realized I really liked it,” Birge says. “I was exposed to all different kinds of music that I couldn’t necessarily play [on the horn] – piano sonatas, string quartets.

“Being a classical music DJ is the perfect thing for what a friend calls ‘public radio garbage brain.’ It’s fun to delve into and find out a little about a lot of things.”

Following a short stint at NPR as an audio engineer in the news department, Birge again felt the pull of music and went back to the overnight shift at WGUC. “It was a good way for me to be a classical DJ every night and get better at it, because I wasn’t very good at it,” he says. After three-and-a-half years of honing his craft in the wee hours, he took over the station’s morning drive show, a job he held from 1986 to 1997.

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Then Classical MPR came calling, with an offer to shepherd the afternoon program. The station would be Birge’s home for the next 29 years.

In 2005, accompanied by the dulcet tones of Bach’s “Sleepers Awake,” he moved to his current spot as morning host. His choice of theme music is more layered than one might think.

“As so often in radio, you do things that might seem aesthetic, but are for very practical reasons,” Birge says. “The show that precedes me ends at 5:59 and the newscast comes on at 6:01. So that’s two minutes that I need to cover.

“Two minutes is a long time in radio. No one wants to hear me blab on for two minutes straight,” he says. “I needed some music to cover that, something to make it a little more palatable.”

Birge landed on “Sleepers Awake” because “A, it’s got a nice vibe; B, it’s about waking up; and C, there are dozens and dozens of different arrangements. So it’s worked out pretty well,” he says.

The theme song – and the show – have become a routine for so many. “It will be hard to wake up without him,” says Julie Amacher, YourClassical MPR program director.

“He calls what he does every morning ‘a little college of musical knowledge,’ as he weaves a story about the music, into something happening in the world today, into how the weather will impact your day.”

Indeed, Birge is likely best known for the morning gig, but additional duties have included putting together Composers Datebook, billed as a daily snapshot of composers past and present, and holiday specials, most notably Giving Thanks.

The Thanksgiving staple had its roots in Birge’s WGUC days. “ ‘Giving Thanks’ was my passion project,” he says, “and it originally addressed practical aspects of Thanksgiving morning – what do you play? I was trying to come up with a playlist that would match the mood of the day. People are listening in the kitchen, while they’re putting turkey or pies in the oven, or in the car, on a three-hour drive to grandma’s.

“So I started assembling music that I felt addressed gratitude in some special way, or something that addressed things I felt thankful for – nature, especially, but also music about food, poems I liked about food.”

The special became nationally syndicated in 1999, giving Birge leeway to bring in special guests. Because he had incorporated the spoken word into the musical mix, he had an epiphany. “Why should I read a Billy Collins poem, when I could get Billy Collins on the show? That was the direction the show took. Every year a featured guest was brought in to talk about gratitude, like [actor] Stanley Tucci about his love for food and cooking. That’s how the show evolved, 25 years of it.”

Chatting about gratitude with illustrious guests has been a perk of the job, but not Birge’s only thrilling experience. He experienced a full-circle moment in 2007, when he traveled to Vienna with the Minnesota Orchestra.

“I was asked to record a live concert at the Musikverein,” he says. “And I was thrilled to do that. Apart from what a great gig it was, 12 years before that – when I was an extra player with the Cincinnati Symphony – I got to play in the Musikverein, which is Valhalla for an orchestra. The hall, and that city of course, are central to everything that happened in classical music.

“Being there first as a musician and then to come back as a broadcaster and audio engineer – it was a nice set of bookends.”

Specific memories aside, Birge is most grateful for those who tune in. “The best part of the job is the listener, because that’s why you’re here,” he says. “As I’ve often said in member drives, somebody is born every day who hasn’t heard [Beethoven’s] ‘Emperor Concerto,’ and I envy them because there’s nothing like hearing it for the first time. In broadcasting, we cast broadly, with an incredible ability to share music and stories with people.”

Amacher amplifies that sentiment. “John has developed a relationship with his listeners in the most heartfelt way,” she says. “When he opens the mic, it’s always in service to the listener, and to the music.

“He makes us want to hear more, to learn more. And he does it all with a twist of wit and good humor.”

Birge seems to know how fortunate he is to have such reach among listeners. “Classical MPR in one week has an audience that will sell out Orchestra Hall 74 times, and that’s the power of radio,” he says. “To bring classical music to so many people, everywhere, for free, it’s pretty amazing.”

For Birge, the man who once was hesitant to speak on the air, that big audience isn’t daunting. “I’m talking to one person at a time,” he says. “I don’t go on the air as if I’m talking to thousands; it’s just you and me, in your kitchen or in your car – it’s a magic conduit there.

“It’s a daily thrill and a real honor to just be here and be allowed in people’s lives. They rely on it. We get lots of letters from people who were going through a rough patch. They feel like, boy, this Classical MPR really saved my life. People say that!

“Another public radio truism is that collectively, the audience knows everything, so I’ve learned so much from listeners,” Birge says. “And I hope they’ve learned a little bit from me along the way.”

The listeners probably aren’t done learning; he plans to be available for on-call and fill-in hosting duties. But he’s looking forward to traveling, cooking, seeing theater and yes, attending concerts (Birge calls himself a musical omnivore, with a different favorite composer or genre “every 10 minutes”).

“I realized earlier this year that it was 40 years doing mornings,” he says. “That’s a good run. Leave the party while you’re having fun, and I’m still having fun.”

Listen to John Birge’s final regular morning show shift from Friday, Aug. 28, through the player above.

Use the form below to send a farewell message to John Birge or share a favorite moment.

Duke Ellington once said, “All arrangements of historic American Negro music have been made by conservatory-trained musicians who inevitably handle it with a European technique. It’s time a big piece of music was written from the inside.” That piece of music premiered in 1943 in Carnegie Hall, and it was titled ‘Black, Brown, and Beige.’ Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black‘ podcast.

The Catalyst Quartet recently released the fourth and final volume of its ‘Uncovered’ project. The album focuses on Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and features 18 of his string quartets. Listen now with host Julie Amacher.

The trees, the soil, the air — the Earth is our one home, and on this episode of Extra Eclectic, contemporary composers pay tribute in their music. Erland Cooper’s Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence literally incorporates the Earth itself as a collaborator, and Kristine Tjogersen and Jekabs Jancevskis take us into the woods to be one with the trees. We also hear from Clarice Jensen, Stacy Garrop, Mary Jouyoumdjian, and others. Listen now with host Steve Seel!

Playlist

Blue Curve of the Earth
Composer: Tina Davidson
Soloists: Hilary Hahn, violin
DG 19103

Between Trees
Composer: Kristine Tjogersen
Conductor: Edward Gardner
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra
BBC Proms 2026 Recording

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

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

Burn as Brightly
Composer: Gala Flagello
Orchestra/Ensemble: Talla Rouge
Bright Shiny Things 202

The Green Fuse
Composer: James Wilson
Conductor: Anthony Parnther
Orchestra/Ensemble: Chineke! Orchestra
NMC 250

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

String Quartet No. 3 “Gaia”: Dance of the Earth
Composer: Stacy Garrop
Orchestra/Ensemble: Biava String Quartet
Cedille 122

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

Aghavni (Doves)
Composer: Mary Kouyoumdjian
Soloists: Lara Downes, piano
Sony 92079

Black Earth
Composer: Fazil Say
Orchestra/Ensemble: Between Worlds Ensemble
Soloists: Avi Avital, mandolin
DG 4867526

Salt Air, Salt Earth
Composer: Clarice Jensen
Soloists: Maya Beiser, cello
Islandia 16

On the latest episode of Saturday Cinema, host Lynne Warfel celebrates graphic designer Saul Bass, whose posters and credit sequences set the tone for films such as Vertigo, The Pink Panther and more. Listen now!

Playlist

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: The Big W
Composer: Ernest Gold
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Rykodisc 10704

The Man with the Golden Arm
Composer: Elmer Bernstein
Conductor: Elmer Bernstein
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Pops
Denon 75288

Around the World in 80 Days: Theme
Composer: Victor Young
Conductor: Erich Kunzel
Orchestra/Ensemble: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Telarc 80319

The Cardinal: Stay with me
Composer: Jerome Moross
Conductor: Arthur Fiedler
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Pops Orchestra
RCA 60393

Vertigo: Suite
Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Conductor: Paul Bateman
Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Silva 1051

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Main Theme
Composer: Ernest Gold
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Rykodisc 10704

The Age of Innocence
Composer: Elmer Bernstein
Conductor: John Williams
Orchestra/Ensemble: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Itzhak Perlman, violin
Sony 63005

Big: Opening
Composer: Howard Shore
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
Varese Sarabande 67059

Grand Prix
Composer: Maurice Jarre
Orchestra/Ensemble: American West Orchestra
Vocacion Musical 2013

Spartacus: Main Title
Composer: Alex North
Conductor: Eric Stern
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
Nonesuch 79446

Psycho: Suite
Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Conductor: Paul Bateman
Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Silva 1051

Victor/Victoria: End Credits
Composer: Henry Mancini
Orchestra/Ensemble: Studio Orchestra
GNP 8038

Cwm Rhondda (Guide Us, O Thou Great Redeemer)
Composer: John Hughes
Conductor: Gareth Jones
Orchestra/Ensemble: Welsh National Opera Orchestra
Soloists: Bryn Terfel, baritone
DG 4776686

The Great Dictator: Napoli March
Composer: Charlie Chaplin
Conductor: Francis Shaw
Orchestra/Ensemble: Munich Symphony Orchestra
Silva 1021

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir: Main Title and Finale
Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Conductor: Paul Bateman
Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Silva 1051

The Inspector Clouseau Theme
Composer: Henry Mancini
Conductor: Henry Mancini
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Pops
Denon 2320

The Court Jester: Overture
Composer: Sammy Cahn/Sylvia Fine
Conductor: Vic Schoen
Orchestra/Ensemble: Orchestra
Soloists: Danny Kaye, vocals
London/Decca 8212

The Court Jester: The Maladjusted Jester
Composer: Sammy Cahn/Sylvia Fine
Conductor: Vic Schoen
Orchestra/Ensemble: Orchestra
Soloists: Danny Kaye, vocals
London/Decca 8212

Scrooge: Overture
Composer: Leslie Bricusse
Orchestra/Ensemble: Original Cast Recording
Columbia 1970

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Composer: Leslie Bricusse
Orchestra/Ensemble: Original Cast Recording
Columbia 1970

Cassie Kinoshi has taken on the role of musical mad scientist by mixing together Black American jazz, West African and Caribbean rhythms, and Western classical music in a process of compositional nuclear fusion. Find out more in 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!

It’s a philosophical look at time on this episode of Extra Eclectic, with works considering both fleeting moments and the vastness of eternity. Chris Rogerson’s Thirty Thousand Days honors his father’s way of counting a lifetime in terms of days instead of years, and Steve Reich’s Proverb is based on the Ludwig Wittgenstein quote, “How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life.” We also hear music by Shelley Washington, David Lang, Clarice Jensen and more. Listen now with host Steve Seel!

Playlist

Eternal Present: Now
Composer: Shelley Washington
Orchestra/Ensemble: ~nois
Bright Shiny Things 197

Eternity’s Sunrise
Composer: Howard Skempton
Orchestra/Ensemble: Ensemble 360
First Hand 90

Violin Concerto “Shrink”
Composer: Nico Muhly
Orchestra/Ensemble: Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
Soloists: Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Pentatone 745

Time’s Timeless
Composer: Jason Thomas
Orchestra/Ensemble: Zephyr Quartet
Navona 6275

Thirty Thousand Days: Quasi una ciacona
Composer: Chris Rogerson
Orchestra/Ensemble: Dover Quartet
Soloists: David Shifrin, clarinet
Delos 3576

The Fountain: Together We Will Live Forever
Composer: Clint Mansell
Soloists: Feico Deutekom, piano
Zefir 9654

momentary
Composer: Olafur Arnalds
Orchestra/Ensemble: Voces8
Soloists: Olafur Arnalds, electronics
London/Decca 4851870

almost all the time
Composer: David Lang
Orchestra/Ensemble: Jasper String Quartet
Dorian 92212

Unfold
Composer: Skuli Sverrisson
Soloists: Gyda Valtysdottir, cello
Dorian 70012

Proverb
Composer: Steve Reich
Conductor: Paul Hillier
Orchestra/Ensemble: Theater of Voices
Nonesuch 79430

Final
Composer: Clarice Jensen
Soloists: Clarice Jensen, cello
130701 1339

The Lakes Area Music Festival — a nonprofit organization that has brought world-renowned orchestra, opera, and chamber music performances to central Minnesota each July and August since 2009 — has received a $2 million endowment to help fund future seasons.

Scott Lykins, the festival’s artistic and executive director, announced the gift following the festival’s Sunday-afternoon presentation of Bizet’s Carmen at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts in Brainerd. Dave and Marlys Theis of Plymouth, Minnesota, made the donation establishing the new endowment. It is the largest gift the Lakes Area Music Festival has ever received.

“A gift of this size is incredibly meaningful for an organization like ours,” Lykins told the audience in Brainerd on Sunday evening. “Our board and artistic teams were already in discussions for innovative programming in the upcoming seasons and to pave the way to a sustainable future. This generous gift from Dave and Marlys fuels both of these — turning what might have been long-term dreams into a reality.”

Lykins added he was struck by “knowing that someone in our community would see the value of our mission and the impact in the community and be moved to support it like this.”

“We are very pleased to support the Lakes Area Music Festival and make a difference with this donation,” benefactors Dave and Marlys Thies said in a statement. “We want this to be a catalyst and hope it leads to more people discovering the talent that these people have. It truly is something to behold.”

The gift comes near the end of a season the Lakes Area Music Festival built around the theme of “passion.” “It lies at the heart of everything we do,” Lykins said. “Passion fuels great artistry, but it also connects us — to one another, to our community, and to the stories that shape us.”

There are three events remaining in this year’s program: Wednesday evening, a Chamber Orchestra will perform works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Richard Strauss and Francis Poulenc. The Symphony Finale is set for Saturday, Aug. 22, and Sunday, Aug. 23, featuring works by Carlos Simon, Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky. Music Director Christian Reif, who brings his family from Germany to central Minnesota for the summer, will conduct all three performances.