Improvisation or composition?

American composer Caroline Shaw is inspired by some of the piano music that Frederic Chopin wrote in the 1830s and 1840s. In 2012, Shaw wrote a piece for solo piano that quotes a Chopin mazurka while adding a personal twist. Tune in today to hear 'Gustave Le Gray' by Caroline Shaw, performed at a recent concert in Interlochen, Michigan.

How do musicians handle stage fright? Research indicates a connection between body language and increased self-confidence. Trumpet soloist Matilda Lloyd favors using the 'Superman pose' to boost her confidence before going on stage. Hear the results on today's episode; join us at a concert in Amsterdam to hear Matilda Lloyd and pianist Martin Cousin perform ‘Continuum’ by British composer Dani Howard.

Pianist Michelle Cann made her orchestral debut at the age of fourteen and has since performed with numerous top-tier orchestras. Lauded as “exquisite” by The Philadelphia Inquirer and “a pianist of sterling artistry” by Gramophone, Cann is also a leading interpreter of Florence Price's music. On today's show, Michelle Cann joins Fred Child in our St. Paul studio, introducing listeners to the music of Irene Britton Smith and Hazel Scott.

After a performance with Wynton Marsalis in 2019, conductor Cristian Macelaru looked into the trumpeter's eyes and felt his emotion, saying, "It just felt like it was the most pure connection." Macelaru was more than impressed; he considers Wynton Marsalis one of the most important American composers of all time. On today’s show, we'll hear the world premiere performance of the Concerto for Orchestra by Wynton Marsalis.

Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 ("American Quartet") marked a significant departure from the European string quartet tradition, using pentatonic scales and birdsong to capture the essence of American nature and folk music. So, what might it sound like multiplied by four, with some extra bass thrown in? Tune in today to hear the ensemble A Far Cry perform an expanded arrangement of Dvořák's "American Quartet" at a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.

Today, we explore the music of harpist and composer Jacqueline Kerrod. Kerrod began her musical journey enchanted by Mozart, but she now boldly straddles the worlds of classical and experimental music. Hear the world premiere of Kerrod’s own composition, Bumping Along, a piece that highlights the powerful, dramatic, and sometimes "gnarly" possibilities of the harp.

In 2006, composer Missy Mazzoli wrote a piece dedicated to her father, who served in the Vietnam War. The music explores the connection between her father’s war memories and a poem by James Tate. Today’s show takes us to a recent concert in Switzerland to hear “These Worlds in Us” by Missy Mazzoli.

In 2023, American composer Kian Ravaei created a work inspired by the words of Emily Dickinson. The seven-movement piece reflects on seven of Dickinson's poems, highlighting "nature's easily overlooked wonders" and illustrating a cyclic journey from morning to night. Today, we'll hear the Viano Quartet perform The Little Things by Kian Ravaei at a concert in Tempe, Arizona.

Marc-Andre Hamelin is one of the most celebrated and respected pianists of our time. His performances are renowned for their brilliance, technical mastery, and deep musicality. In today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Toronto to hear Hamelin perform from Nikolai Medtner's 'Forgotten Melodies.'

Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 ("American Quartet") marked a significant departure from the European string quartet tradition, using pentatonic scales and birdsong to capture the essence of American nature and folk music. So, what might it sound like multiplied by four, with some extra bass thrown in? Tune in today to hear the ensemble A Far Cry perform an expanded arrangement of Dvořák's "American Quartet" at a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.