Saturday Cinema - Books Turned Into Movies

For host Bonnie North, classical music is more than just a genre — it's a way of life. She stumbled into the world of radio after responding to a newspaper ad for Vermont Public Radio seeking a classical music DJ for its Sunday afternoon show. Despite having no previous radio experience, she was confident in her knowledge of classical music and took a chance. She created an audition tape, and the rest is history. Her favorite composer depends on her mood. Sometimes she seeks the meditative sounds of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, while other times she craves the angular compositions of Igor Stravinsky. Of course, she also loves the classics by composers who include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. But she is always looking for contemporary composers and is eager to discover new musical talents. Outside of work, she loves to attend live music events. She also enjoys traveling and having friends and family scattered throughout the United States and Europe. But her love for animals is just as strong, and she often volunteers at animal shelters. She is an avid duathlon participant, combining her love for running and biking in one exciting event.


Bonnie North

This week’s episode of ‘Saturday Cinema,’ with guest host Bonnie North, features music to highlight books turned into movies, including selections from ‘Black Beauty,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘The Color Purple.’ Listen now!


Books Turned Into Movies

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Tom Huizenga

Widely acclaimed pianist Alice Sara Ott serves up nearly 200-year-old music by Chopin mixed with a contemporary work that looks back in time in her Tiny Desk Concert. Listen now!


Elizabeth Gillis/NPR

Pianist Alice Sara Ott performs preludes in her Tiny Desk Concert

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

Rhapsody in Black - Grace Bumbry

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

Despite facing racial bias within the opera world, soprano Grace Bumbry rose to international fame and created a sensation with her impactful performances in venues and festivals across the world. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast. 


Erich Auerbach/Getty Images

Soprano Grace Bumbry challenged racial bias in the opera world

Extra Eclectic July 12, 2023

Scott Blankenship started his radio career in college when he began working as a volunteer at a local cable radio station, announcing alternative and new rock music. His love and appreciation of classical music began at public radio station KVNO in Omaha, where he spent 13 years in various on-air and management roles, five of those years as the morning drive-time host.

Indications that radio was in his blood go back to age five, when he used a corkboard and a battered phonograph as a makeshift radio studio; his father's Air Force issue flashlight served as his "on air" light. In his spare time, Blankenship is an avid cyclist and amateur playwright with several produced scripts to his credit.


Scott Blankenship

Guest host Scott Blankenship sits in for Steve Seel on the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ which includes works by Jessie Montgomery, Errollyn Wallen and George Walker.  


Wil Stewart/Unsplash

Extra Eclectic for July 12, 2023

New Classical Tracks (Extended Interview) - Hillary Hahn

New Classical Tracks - Hillary Hahn

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

On this week’s New Classical Tracks, violinist Hilary Hahn explores her musical heritage through a new recording of sonatas by Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe.


OJ Slaughter

Hilary Hahn explores her heritage with violin works by Belgian composer Eugene Ysaye

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 this week’s episode of SymphonyCast with host Steve Seel, conductor Nicholas Collon leads the BBC Philharmonic on an epic mountain journey in Richard Strauss’ ‘An Alpine Symphony.’ Also featured is a world premiere by Tom Coult and Alban Berg’s ‘Seven Early Songs,’ featuring soprano Francesca Chiejina.


BBC Philharmonic

Minnesota Beethoven Festival - Johannes Moser Anna Polonsky Piano

Minnesota Beethoven Festival - Sphinx Virtuosi

Cellist Johannes Moser returned to Minnesota to perform the music of Beethoven, Prokofiev and Brahms at this year’s Minnesota Beethoven Festival, alongside pianist Anna Polonsky. Listen to the concert now!


Sarah Wijzenbeek

Listen: Johannes Moser and Anna Polonsky perform at the Minnesota Beethoven Festival

Listen to the Story

Nate Chinen

Composer Ted Hearne, in a new collaboration with the Grammy-winning choir the Crossing, uses the words of Jeff Bezos and William Penn to explore connections among farming, colonialism and capitalism.


Peter English/Courtesy of the artist

Ted Hearne's choral work 'FARMING' raises food for thought 

Saturday Cinema - The 60's

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 the 1960s, including selections from ‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Spartacus’ and ‘The Pink Panther.’ Listen now!


Movie music from the '60s

Antonin Dvorak's ‘New World Symphony’ is an anthem to American roots. It was written by a foreigner and required white classical musicians to respect Black spirituals and Native American music. Sometimes it takes an outsider to point out what's great about a culture.


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