At his core, Quincy Jones was a composer and arranger whose voice was shaped by the world of classical music. His ability to weave Black musical traditions into classical frameworks opened doors for new generations of Black and Brown composers. Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.
On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ pianist Orli Shaham collaborates with members of the Pacific Symphony on her latest chamber music recording: ‘American Tapestry.’ Listen now with host Julie Amacher!
Host Steve Seel features contemporary classical sounds for summer on this episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ including Jonathan Bailey Holland’s ‘Halcyon Sun,’ Peteris Vasks’ ‘Music for a Summer Evening,’ and the late Michael Tilson Thomas’ ‘Sunset Soliloquy.’ Listen now!
Pride Month is a wonderful time to celebrate our unique identities and to reflect on how authenticity shows up in our lives. We asked classical musicians in the LGBTQIA community to share their thoughts on Pride. Listen now. [Support for Pride Month programming is provided by Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church.]
Right after Jon Batiste won the Grammy for album of the year in 2022, he spent three weeks sleeping on a hospital couch as his wife, Suleika Jaouad, received a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. Now, the couple recounts the ups and downs of their recent years through the Netflix documentary ‘American Symphony.’ Find out more in the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.
On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ violinist Ariana Kim sews an ‘(un)common thread,’ connecting a collage of composers through the art of improvisation on her latest album. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!
On this episode of Extra Eclectic, Steve Seel brings us examples of composers and performers reaching across cultural lines, including Terry Riley’s ‘The Cusp of Magic,’ Dan Visconti’s ‘Native Tongues’ and more. Listen now!
Daniel, a pianist from Minneapolis, is the Emerging Artist category winner.
O’Malley, a soprano vocalist from New Brighton, Minnesota, is the Preprofessional Musician category winner.
Congratulations to the two winners of our 2026 Karin Larson YourClassical Prize! Tina O’Malley, a soprano from New Brighton, Minnesota, is the winner in our Preprofessional Musician category. Gaia Daniel, a pianist from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the winner in our Emerging Artist category. Each of them receives a cash prize and a recording session at MPR. You can see their winning entries below. Thank you to everyone who voted for their favorite performer in this year’s Prize.
