{"type":"doc","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"","type":"text"}]}]}

Butch Thompson, jazz pianist with 'A Prairie Home Companion' dies

Jacob Aloi

Butch Thompson, the original pianist on ‘A Prairie Home Companion,’ died this week at 78. The spritely pianist, who entertained audiences around the world and charmed fellow musicians, was known for more than just his music, and his good nature came through in his artistry.


Jeffrey Thompson/MPR

Butch Thompson, pianist for 'A Prairie Home Companion,' dies at 78

Listen to the Story

'El Mariachi Loco Quiere Bailar'

'Pajaritos a Bailar' and 'Baby Shark' 

Gabriel J. Sánchez

Artist Rafael López used his upbringing in Mexico City for inspiration. It took two years of development before the set launched, and each stamp will carry on a cultural legacy forever.


Gabriel J. Sánchez/NPR

For the first time, the Postal Service features mariachi musicians on stamps

Tim Greiving

Prey, the new prequel to the 1987 blockbuster Predator streaming on Hulu, features a sophisticated soundtrack influenced both by Native cultures and video games


Sarah Schachner - The First Departure - Assassin's Creed Valhalla Original Game Soundtrack

Flesh and Bone

David Bukach/ Hulu

How a Grammy-winning Pueblo musician influenced the soundtrack for 'Prey'

An ecstatic exploration of classical music that’s aesthetically and uncompromisingly Black.

Rhapsody in Black - Robert Nathaniel Dett

Composer Robert Nathaniel Dett was a collector and preserver of spirituals. He saw the music as a rich and artistic source of melody for American music. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast. 


Rhapsody in Black

Library of Congress

Robert Nathaniel Dett saw spirituals as a source of American music

Steve Seel is the host of YourClassical’s weekly SymphonyCast and the trailblazing music show Extra Eclectic. He possesses a broad knowledge of many musical genres, having hosted radio programs ranging from classical to jazz and even avant-garde music at radio stations around the country. Steve began his love affair with public radio at 24 working whatever shifts he could at his hometown station of WUSF-FM in Tampa, Florida, and from there worked his way to snowy Buffalo, New York, and its renowned classical station WNED-FM, where he hosted middays and the weekly experimental-music show Present Tense.  In 2005, Steve became one of the founding voices on Minnesota Public Radio's eclectic station, the Current. While there, he hosted afternoons and mornings, and conducted in-depth interviews with pop music luminaries ranging from Brian Eno to David Byrne to Tori Amos. Steve is a basement composer obsessed with all things both minimalist and slow, and might actually be incapable of writing anything that exceeds 75 beats-per-minute.


Steve Seel

We begin our sampling of performances from the 2022 BBC Proms.


Extra Eclectic

MPR photo/Rex Levang

The Proms gets eclectic

New Classical Tracks - Leif Ove Andsnes (Extended)

New Classical Tracks - Leif Ove Andsnes

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, Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes says he loves to do deep dives into the lives of composers. He explores Mozart’s life for the second time on his latest album, ‘Mozart Momentum: 1786.’


Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488: I. Allegro

New Classical Tracks® 

Ozgur Albayrak

Leif Ove Andsnes continues his momentum with Mozart

Scott Simon

Loretta Berning remembers her father and a cherished Victory Vertical piano made during World War II for our StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative.


Steinway & Sons

Her father's wartime piano accompanied joyful moments

Films that celebrate the women who were considered classic "bombshells" on the anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe.  Music from films starring Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren and more.


Hollywood Bombshells

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

On the anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe, this week’s episode of Saturday Cinema, with host Lynne Warfel, looks at some of the films of Marilyn, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and more. Listen now!


Saturday Cinema

Elliott Erwitt | Magnum Photos

Rhapsody in Black - Chi-Chi Nwanoku

Bassist Chi-Chi Nwanoku is more than a world-class performer. She also promotes music by composers of color in Europe through her Chineke! Foundation. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.


Listen Stories