A genuine trailblazer

Indian-American composer Reena Esmail works between the worlds of Indian and Western classical music. In 2017, Esmail drew inspiration from the words of Rumi, a 13th-century Sufi poet: "Religions are many, but God is one. The lamps may be different, but the light is the same." On today's episode, we'll take you to a concert at the University of Georgia to hear the Imani Winds play Reena Esmail's 'The Light is the Same.'

Like any good story, music can express many emotions: moments of tenderness, passion, fear, and frustration. All those emotions shared without a single word...that's the power of music. Today we'll hear Arnold Schoenberg's Transfigured Night from a concert presented by the Kingston Chamber Music Festival in Philadelphia.

Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto features one of classical music's most famous instrumental rivalries. While the concerto is a dazzling showcase for the woodwinds, a snarky, belligerent snare drum repeatedly intrudes into the music, needling and interrupting the soloist like a sibling looking for a fight. On today's show, Paavo Järvi conducts the North German Radio Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, with clarinetist Martin Fröst, in a performance of Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto.

In 1940, Paul Hindemith composed a piece of music based on themes Carl Maria von Weber wrote more than a century earlier. He kept Weber's basic ideas intact but added some inventive 20th-century twists. Hear that piece on today's show: Paul Hindemith's ‘Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber,’ from a concert in Taipei, Taiwan.

We often hear Samuel Barber's Adagio as a standalone piece for string orchestra, but it began as the slow movement of a string quartet. Alone, the Adagio feels simple, profound, and somehow more poignant in the context of the full quartet. Hear the Viano String Quartet perform Barber's Adagio at a concert presented by Music@Menlo in Menlo Park, California.

In 2016, pianist and composer Gabriela Montero wrote a concerto that reflects how people perceive Latin America. She says it's not overtly political, but it does express the light and dark sides of the subject. Today, we'll hear Gabriela Montero perform her “Latin Concerto” at a recent concert in Gstaad, Switzerland.

We're excited to introduce our first 2026 PT Young Artist in Residence: Pianist Sean Terada Yang. In today's episode, Sean joins Valerie Kahler for music and conversation at our studio in Saint Paul.

Drawing inspiration from the Greek myth of Persephone, composer James Stephenson imagined a musical prequel to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring. Weaving in a subtle three-note motif and harmonic nods directly borrowed from Copland's masterpiece, Stephenson's work takes listeners on a journey from springtime fields to the realm of Hades and back. On today's program, conductor Delyana Lazarova leads members of ROCO, Houston's chamber orchestra, in the world premiere performance of James Stephenson’s Persephone.

The Syrian Civil War has devastated more than lives, homes, and communities. With all that has been lost, Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali feels an imperative to preserve and share traditional Syrian music. On today's show, we'll hear a piece full of traditional Syrian styles and themes: Malek Jandali's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra.

We often hear Samuel Barber's Adagio as a standalone piece for string orchestra, but it began as the slow movement of a string quartet. Alone, the Adagio feels simple, profound, and somehow more poignant in the context of the full quartet. Hear the Viano String Quartet perform Barber's Adagio at a concert presented by Music@Menlo in Menlo Park, California.