A Hero in His Own Mind

Many of British composer Errollyn Wallen's pieces are connected to dance; before she became one of the most celebrated composers of our time, Wallen trained as a dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. On today's show, we’ll hear the opening movement of her work Photography, a snapshot of a dance inspired by the casual joy of perusing a photo collection. Mei-Ann Chen leads the Houston-based ensemble ROCO at a recent concert in Houston.

On today's show, we'll hear new music by Navajo composer Juantio Becenti. Becenti found a unique parallel between the Navajo creation story and his musical journey. Join us to hear the ensemble A Far Cry perform Becenti's The Glittering World at a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts. Plus, we'll hear the ensemble ROCO perform Errollyn Wallen's musical snapshot of dance at a concert in Houston.

Today, we explore the spiritual and creative ideas behind the music of Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. We'll hear from Ortiz's "Altar de Cuerda”, music she envisions as an altar—a space to elevate music—where the solo violin floats above the orchestra and the ethereal sound of tuned crystal glasses. Today’s performance features violinist Susie Park and the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Paolo Bortolameolli.

In 2007, Composer Errollyn Wallen wrote a piece to mark the anniversary of the Abolition of the British Slave Trade. She says, ‘It is human instinct to be free, just as it is for the river to rush headlong to the sea.’ We'll dive into Errollyn Wallen’s Mighty River on today's show.

Composer Jennifer Higdon wrote 'blue cathedral' in 2000. It was inspired by an imaginary vision of a glass cathedral in the sky. We'll take you to the Grand Teton Music Festival for a musical journey to Higdon’s ‘blue cathedral’ on today's show.

Critics called one of Igor Stravinsky's concertos "unfinished" because the composer omitted the strings entirely, but the omission was deliberate. Stravinsky famously argued that "strings and piano, a sound scraped and a sound struck, do not sound well together; piano and winds, sounds struck and blown... do." On today’s show, we'll hear Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, featuring pianist Kirill Gerstein and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson.

Move over, Romeo and Juliet. Make way for Radúz and Mahulena. The Slovakian tale also features romance amid intense family rivalries, but in a welcome twist of fate, these legendary lovers end up together and alive when the curtain falls. Today, we'll take you to a concert in Prague to hear Josef Suk’s music for a fairy tale with a happy ending: Pohádka (Fairy Tale).

Inspired by Isabel Wilkerson's moving book on the Great Migration, composer Carlos Simon captures the search for hope and the struggle to find a home. On today's show, we'll hear the Ivalas Quartet perform Simon's Warmth from Other Suns at a concert in Skaneateles, New York.

Critics called one of Igor Stravinsky's concertos "unfinished" because the composer omitted the strings entirely, but the omission was deliberate. Stravinsky famously argued that "strings and piano, a sound scraped and a sound struck, do not sound well together; piano and winds, sounds struck and blown... do." On today’s show, we'll hear Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments, featuring pianist Kirill Gerstein and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson.