We all have our favorite pieces of classical music and our favorite composers. We probably all have musical moments we'll never forget. Have you ever wanted to share those moments with other classical music lovers? Well, here's your chance!

YourClassical Story is your chance to take control of the microphone, to introduce your favorite piece of music, to share a special musical memory, to explain why the world should pay more attention to your favorite composer or music.

• What is your favorite piece of classical music, and why does it mean so much to you? What's special about it?

• Who is your favorite classical music composer — and why does he or she resonate so deeply with you?

• Was there a moment when you knew with absolute certainty that classical music would always be a part of your life? Share that moment!

Be a part of an international community of classical music fans — share YourClassical Story now!*

Need some inspiration? Check out YourClassical Story from other listeners. Just click on each headline to find out more.

* Please note: Not all story submissions will be used for on-air broadcast. Producers have specific requirements about which stories will best serve our nationwide listening audience. You will be contacted only if producers deem your story to be an appropriate addition to our YourClassical Story database.

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Though she admits she may not pursue a career in poetry, Randi Hacker has been writing lyrics to the most iconic pieces in the classical canon since she was a little girl. Listen to her creations, which are not only informative, but most importantly, amusing.

It remains a bit of a mystery how music is able to convey specific ideas through abstraction, but for Michael Gleason, this question remains less important than the truth of the matter. Hear him explain the personal significance of one piece he first heard as a teenager during the Cold War, and again, as an adult in 2023.

Many classical music enthusiasts can pinpoint a specific moment that changed the role of music in their lives. For Julia Reczek, it was her chance encounter with the overture to the ballet “Le Corsaire” in a high school classroom.

The Scaffidi family shares a love of classical music that is passed through each generation. As kin keeper now, Suzanne Scaffidi Warell explains how she maintains this spirited essence and even shares one of the best-kept family secrets.

Jean Johnson and her husband have both loved of classical music since their high school years. After graduation day, however, it would take them 20 years to kindle a romance based on their shared passion.

As a member of his college choir, Tom Trautman stumbled into a rare opportunity to perform Mahler’s maximalist “Symphony of a Thousand” alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hear him explain how this experience changed his understanding of classical music forever.

During her final days, Brent Borchardt’s mother was almost entirely unresponsive. Yet somehow, the “Blue Danube Waltz” transported her momentarily to a previous life. Now, every time Brent Borchardt hears that piece, time stops for him, just a little bit.

Jude Foxall can trace his love for classical music back to a single record he discovered as a teenager. Though the album features many classic melodies from quintessential composers, its tone and quality may surprise you.

From owning her first record to her 70th birthday, the soundtrack of Sarah Entenmann’s life has been classical music. Here she describes the solace and joy it has brought her over the years.

Music surrounds us every day - at the dentist, in a grocery store or elevator - often without us even noticing. But for Dean Simonton, the sound of Beethoven’s fifth during a casual study session claimed his full attention, and still has it.

Bruce Hansen discovered something special when he attended the Bachauer International Young Artist Piano Competiton in 1996; the moment of silence that follows an exquisite performance may be more telling than the piece itself.

Fred LaBour says he knew nothing about classical music, until he heard Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,” played live in the Michigan forest. Since that day, his love for music has only grown, inspiring him to create a career out of this passion.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

When Tom Kastle moved from Chicago to Madison, WI, he thought of it as an opportunity to hit a reset button. As he stepped out of his comfort zone and into new experiences, he discovered the magic of theater and the amazing things that can happen when you start to say ‘yes’ to new adventures. Hear more on this episode of YourClassical Story.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

It was the Summer of ‘75. David Conrad was a young boy living in a small mill town just outside of Pittsburg, PA. Going to the movies was a rare treat for David and his brothers, but one evening he found himself in a theater captivated by what he refers to as an “almost terrifying beauty.” A beauty he’s been obsessed with ever since. Hear more on this episode of YourClassical Story.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

As a trombonist, Marc Williams from Holmen, Wis., is a fan of Johannes Brahms due to his writings for the instrument. When performing his Requiem, Marc and his section members took advantage of a certain passage to cause a surprise for the rest of the orchestra. Learn more on this episode of YourClassical Story.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

For Marian Bianco Long from Grailing, Mich., the 'Allegretto' from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 highlights the ways in which music can provide transformation and transcendence. Hear more on this episode of YourClassical Story.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

For Vanessa from New Paltz, N.Y., classical music was always a part of her life, being played on the radio in her father's sculpture studio. On this episode of YourClassical Story, learn how Beethoven's "Pathetique" Sonata reminded her of home even when she moved across the globe.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

As a child, Elizabeth from Asheville, N.C., would lay under the family's piano while her mother played Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2. Listen as she explains how classical music is her joy, solace, and balm on this episode of YourClassical Story.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Linda Hommes from Aitkin, MN, shares how she and her mother would switch the radio dial between rock and classical stations while growing up, but Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata soon grasped her heart.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Ron Haber from Chatham, N.Y., tells of his experience hearing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, and being mistaken for the composer himself!

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Mike Lynett from Whitefish Bay, Wis., found classical music to be therapeutic during treatment for his cancer. This inspired him to pick up oboe at 60.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Mel Pitts from Wilmington, N.C., shares how attending a Cincinnati Pops Orchestra concert when she was 12 "mesmerized" her.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Mark Brandt from Minneapolis, Minn., shares how he heard "hauntingly" beautiful music at a piano recital.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Lindy Wagner from Calumet, Mich., shares how hearing a Chopin Nocturne in a movie soundtrack inspired her to learn it on piano herself.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Linda Hommes from Aitkin, Minn., shares how she and her mother were at odds over the radio dial until she found Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Linda Haffner Spencer from Las Cruces, N.M., shares how playing Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 with her high school band has stuck with her throughout her life.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Lili Madsen from San Antonio, Texas, shares how classical music soothed her during her first pregnancy.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Libby Meyer from Hancock, Mich., says that as a composer the biggest compliment she can give to a piece of music is saying "I wish I wrote that." Maurice Ravel's String Quartet is that piece for her.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.

On this episode of YourClassical Story, Leigh Smith from St. Albans, Vt., shares how she has carried Beethoven's life with her after seeing a movie as a child.

What's YourClassical Story? Share it with other classical music lovers.