The Piano Puzzler

In 2006, composer Missy Mazzoli wrote a piece dedicated to her father, who served in the Vietnam War. The music explores the connection between her father’s war memories and a poem by James Tate. Today’s show takes us to a recent concert in Switzerland to hear “These Worlds in Us” by Missy Mazzoli.

In 2023, American composer Kian Ravaei created a work inspired by the words of Emily Dickinson. The seven-movement piece reflects on seven of Dickinson's poems, highlighting "nature's easily overlooked wonders" and illustrating a cyclic journey from morning to night. Today, we'll hear the Viano Quartet perform The Little Things by Kian Ravaei at a concert in Tempe, Arizona.

Marc-Andre Hamelin is one of the most celebrated and respected pianists of our time. His performances are renowned for their brilliance, technical mastery, and deep musicality. In today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Toronto to hear Hamelin perform from Nikolai Medtner's 'Forgotten Melodies.'

Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 ("American Quartet") marked a significant departure from the European string quartet tradition, using pentatonic scales and birdsong to capture the essence of American nature and folk music. So, what might it sound like multiplied by four, with some extra bass thrown in? Tune in today to hear the ensemble A Far Cry perform an expanded arrangement of Dvořák's "American Quartet" at a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.

On today's show, we're featuring Evren Ozel's Bronze Medal-winning performance from the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Hear Ozel's rendition of Rachmaninoff’s demanding 'Variations on a Theme of Corelli,' and 'Rachtime,' a new work by Gabriela Montero.

Composer Carlos Simon grew up in the African American Pentecostal Church, where lively worship services featured singing, dancing, and sometimes speaking in tongues. Today, we're highlighting Simon's 'Four Black American Dances'—music inspired by his experiences in the church and community where he was raised.

On today's show, we're highlighting Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World." Conductor Cristian Măcelaru explains how the composer's work captures an American soundscape while also beautifully reflecting his own Czech heritage. The result, Măcelaru says, is a powerful contribution from an immigrant artist to American culture.

Lalo Schifrin was an Argentine-American composer who combined his classical training with a love for jazz. He was best known for his extensive body of film and TV scores, including the theme for Mission: Impossible. On today's show, we'll hear an all-star ensemble perform Schifrin's ‘Tango a Borges’ at a recent concert in San Antonio.

The Jamaican folk song 'Come Back, Liza' is full of longing. Composer Eleanor Alberga used that song as the basis for a new piece dedicated to the memory of her mother. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Charleston, South Carolina, to hear 'Remember' by Eleanor Alberga.

On today's show, we're featuring Evren Ozel's Bronze Medal-winning performance from the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Hear Ozel's rendition of Rachmaninoff’s demanding 'Variations on a Theme of Corelli,' and 'Rachtime,' a new work by Gabriela Montero.