Blue Centennial: Celebrating a Century of Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody'

Valerie Kahler grew up in a musical family and started playing cello and piano in 3rd grade.  She began her radio career in 1989 as a volunteer at KNAU (now Arizona Public Radio) in Flagstaff, Arizona.  She worked there as a classical host and music director for more than a decade before moving to Minnesota to work for MPR.   In addition to classical music, other passions include sewing, singing and cooking.  She shares her life with her partner, John, an artist.


Valerie Kahler

For the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue,’ Valerie Kahler delves into the fascinating history of this great work and shares an array of performers who interpreted it. Listen now to 'Blue Centennial': Celebrating a Century of Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody'!


'Blue Centennial': Celebrating a Century of Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody'

Saturday Cinema - Feb. 10, 2024

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

Get ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Lynne Warfel in the latest episode of ‘Saturday Cinema,’ featuring two hours of the greatest love themes from movies, including selections from ‘Ghost,’ ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and ‘My Fair Lady.’ Listen now!


Love at the movies

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

Rhapsody in Black - Dr. MLK Meets Paul Freeman

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

Find out how a chance meeting with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped give composer and conductor Paul Freeman the resolve to make classical music more inclusive and diverse on the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast. Listen now.


Ken Paul

Paul Freeman meets MLK

Extra Eclectic - Feb. 7, 2024

We begin our celebration of Black History Month on the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic’ with two hours devoted to the music of Black 20th- and 21st-century composers, including Carlos Simon, Jessie Montgomery and Nkeiru Okoye. Listen now with host Steve Seel!


Courtesy of the Colour of Music Festival

Black History Month begins

Take Me to the Water

Harpist Ashley Jackson’s program ‘Take Me to the Water’ is an immersive audio experience that touches on themes from African mythology, the antebellum spiritual tradition and water’s transportive, transmogrifying nature. Listen now with host Vernon Neal!


Harpist Ashley Jackson explores African mythology and spiritual tradition in 'Take Me to the Water'

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

On the latest episode of ‘SymphonyCast,’ with host Steve Seel, we head to Seoul, South Korea, for a concert by the country’s premiere classical ensemble, the KBS Symphony Orchestra, playing an all-French program under the direction of Pietari Inkinen. Listen now!


Provided

KBS Symphony Orchestra

Saturday Cinema - Feb. 3, 2024

Ward Jacobson has enjoyed a radio career spanning over two decades as a morning show host and sportscaster, as well as producer/host of an interview program where he chatted with authors, musicians, politicians and newsmakers. He is also a past winner of the prestigious Marconi Award. Jacobson's love of classical music stems from a childhood influenced by his bass-baritone father and piano-teaching mother. While still a college student in Nebraska, he began singing with the Abendmusik Chorus and took part in concert tours to venues as varied as Englands Lincoln Cathedral, the Vatican, Salzburg Cathedral, Auschwitz and Moscow. When not singing, he works to develop his guitar-strumming repertoire.


Ward Jacobson

Join guest host Ward Jacobson for two full hours of your favorite film music on the latest episode of ‘Saturday Cinema,’ in which we celebrate February birthdays with music from the films of Clark Gable, John Ford, Jack Lemmon, Lana Turner and more. Listen now.


February birthdays with guest host Ward Jacobson

Friday Favorites - Feb. 2, 2024

Steve Staruch can be heard on Classical Minnesota Public Radio from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, including hosting Music with Minnesotans, Regional Spotlight and Friday Favorites. Prior to joining the staff of MPR in 2004, Steve presented a variety of radio programs on WCAL in Northfield, Minn., where he created an immensely popular call-in program, and on WXXI in Rochester, N.Y. Outside radio, Steve also enjoys work as a freelance tenor and violist. Steve and his wife, Naomi, enjoy traveling, gardening and hosting dinner parties.


Steve Staruch

On the latest edition of ‘Friday Favorites,’ Steve Staruch takes listener requests featuring plenty of Mozart and Schubert for their birthday party’s afterglow. Listen now!


James Napoli/APM

Friday Favorites: Listener requests for Mozart and Schubert's birthdays

Rhapsody in Black - Andre 3000

Hip-hop artist and composer André 3000 released his latest album, ‘New Blue Sun,’ in 2023. The album revolves around compositions with wind instruments and is a result of his need to explore the many influences around him, both jazz and classical. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.


Emma McIntyre

Andre 3000 is a musician who never stops exploring

Once upon a time, the elephant had no trunk – until a young one had an unfortunate run-in with a crocodile. Find out the long and short of it in the charming folk tale The Elephant’s Child, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime.

YourClassical Storytime - The Elephant's Child

Once upon a time, the elephant had no trunk – until a young one had an unfortunate run-in with a crocodile. Find out the long and short of it in the charming tale ‘The Elephant’s Child,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring narration by Scott Blankenship, illustrations by E.J. Thompson and traditional classical music from India.


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