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Brandon Gates

The celebrated singer, who led an illustrious, jet-setting  career, broke the color barrier as the first Black artist to perform at Germany's Bayreuth Festival.


Erich Auerbach/Getty Images

Trailblazing opera star Grace Bumbry dies at age 86

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

Ines Guanchez is an associate digital producer for classical. An accomplished pianist, she founded Dúo Ávila with fellow Venezuelan violinist Sofia Schutte. The ensemble focuses on music by composers outside of the classical canon and has performed in venues in Minnesota and Costa Rica. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with master’s degrees in mass communications and piano performance. She previously interned for Minnesota Public Radio in 2018.


Ines Guanchez

Explore the historical and cultural roots of Cinco de Mayo as we celebrate Mexican and Chicano heritage through music in the American Public Media special ‘Celebrating Cinco de Mayo,’ with host Ines Guanchez.


Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo: A celebration of Mexican and Chicano heritage

Saturday Cinema- Mother's Day

Lynne has been at this radio thing since 1984 when she fell into an historic job at KFAC AM and FM, the commercial classical station in Los Angeles.  She was the first woman staff announcer in the station's history, and it was such big news back then, it made the LA newspapers and national radio publications.  She is thrilled women in radio is no longer newsworthy.


Lynne Warfel

This week’s episode of Saturday Cinema, with host Lynne Warfel, features music to celebrate Mother’s Day from films such as Brave, The Sound of Music and Alien. Listen now!


Saturday Cinema

Mother's Day

Where we turn up the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music, with host Vernon Neal.

Rhapsody in Black - Edmond Dédé

Vernon Neal is the host of the podcast ‘Rhapsody in Black,’ where we turn up the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music.


Host/Producer

Vernon Neal

Composer Edmond Dédé is a free Creole of color conductor and violinist from New Orleans. His music took him to Mexico, Algiers and France. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast. 


Rhapsody in Black - Edmond Dede

Rhapsody in Black

The Historic New Orleans Collection

Edmond Dédé is the first published Creole composer of color

Olivia Hampton

A Jean-Philippe Rameau opera, left unfinished at time of his death and recently completed by a musicologist, gets its premiere 280 years later, with extravagant costumes.


Keren Carrión/NPR

A forgotten opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau premieres 280 years late

New Classical Tracks - JoAnn Falletta (Extended)

New Classical Tracks - JoAnn Falletta

Julie Amacher's desire to introduce others to great music is what led her to radio. She began her professional broadcast career at a station in Sun Prairie, Wis. She went from rock 'n' roll to the Rocky Mountains, where she found her niche in public radio at KUNC in Greeley, Colo. Julie spent 13 years at KUNC, where she managed the announcers and their eclectic music format. During that time, she earned four national awards for best announcer. She joined Minnesota Public Radio in 1997 as an on-air host and also produces New Classical Tracks, a weekly podcast sharing behind-the-scenes stories about a new release each week. It airs locally at 7:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesdays and at 9 a.m. on Saturdays.


Julie Amacher

In this week’s New Classical Tracks, conductor JoAnn Falletta features the work of American composers Danny Elfman and Adolphus Hailstork on her latest recording. 


Violin Concerto, "Eleven Eleven": II. Spietato

New Classical Tracks® 

Provided

Conductor JoAnn Falletta has built a reputation championing American composers

Peter Serkin, piano; Alexander Schneider, violin; Jaime Laredo, viola; Leslie Parnas, cello; Julius Levine, double bass

Franz Schubert - 'Trout Quintet'

Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano; Martin Isepp, piano

Gabriel Fauré - 'Apres un reve'

Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata No. 31

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - ‘Ach, ich fühl’s…’

Richard Strauss - Violin Sonata, 'Finale'

Join us as we celebrate 140 years of magnificent music-making by St. Paul’s Schubert Club with some of its greatest live performances, including jaw-droppers by Peter Serkin, Leontyne Price and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. We’ll play a memorable  recording each day this week at 3 p.m. on YourClassical MPR, or listen now.


Celebrate the Schubert Club’s 140th anniversary with some of its greatest hits

Opera Ebony was formed when opportunities for Black singers were few and far between. The company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, but may not survive its 81-year-old founder.


Opera Ebony

Opera Ebony broke boundaries in classical music for 50 years — but what comes next?

Saturday Cinema April Listener Requests

This week’s episode of Saturday Cinema, with host Lynne Warfel, features listeners’ favorite tracks from ‘The Shape of Water’, ‘Seabiscuit’ and ‘The Twilight Zone’ . Listen now!


Saturday Cinema April requests

Listener Requests for April

Friday Favorites for April 28th, 2023

On this episode of Friday Favorites, for April 28, 2023, with host Steve Staruch, Jim gets his request for Mozart, and Mike celebrates a year in retirement with Bach. Also, Project DJ co-host Katherine Anderson talks about playing cello, dancing ballet and her interest in the government.


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