Ally Thompson is a classical digital intern for YourClassical MPR. She attends the University of Minnesota, where she is majoring in journalism. She played saxophone and clarinet in band, attends orchestra concerts regularly and has listened to YourClassical MPR since she was young. She studies to classical music, which she says helps her concentrate. 


Ally Thompson

Teachers during the week and concert performers on weekends, the String Queens are performing Friday at the Ordway Center in St. Paul for the first time. Find out how these dynamic performers use music from the Baroque era to today’s popular songs to reach new and diverse audiences. 


Crazy/Rolling (Adele + Gnarls Barkley) by The String Queens

Provided 

String Queens bring their avant-garde style to the Ordway for the first time 

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 critiquing a new release each week. It airs locally at 7:15 a.m. Wednesdays and 5:15 p.m. Fridays.


Julie Amacher

In this week’s New Classical Tracks, violinist Tessa Lark combines bluegrass and classical on her latest recording, ‘The Stradgrass Sessions.’ 


New Classical Tracks - Tessa Lark (Extended)

New Classical Tracks - Tessa Lark

The Stradgrass Sessions: Tessa Lark and Edgar Meyer play Concert Duo for Violin and Bass: Mvt. 4

Lauren Desberg

Violinist Tessa Lark goes back to her roots

At noon Saturday, May 27, listen to the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of “Champion” by Terence Blanchard.


Zenith Richards/Met Opera

Listen to the Metropolitan Opera at noon Saturdays

Ben Bussey is a musician, educator and arranger based in Minneapolis. His work on trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba and sousaphone covers a wide range of music genres and reflects a keen interest in education at all levels of the music business. His projects include playing and writing for Brass & BodyWorks, the Paper Clips and the Above Average Tuba Quartet. He was recently appointed the new bass trombonist for the Encore Wind Ensemble and appears regularly with the New Standards stage band, the Shabby Road Orchestra and McNasty Brass Band. He is professor of low brass at Concordia University in St. Paul and serves on the faculty of the MacPhail Center for Music as a low brass instructor and ensemble clinician.


Ben Bussey

The Paper Clips trombone quartet took a break from its Class Notes tour of Minnesota schools recently to play for a big crowd at Harold’s on Main in Moorhead as part of an MPR event. We asked the ensemble’s Ben Bussey to write about the experience of going from the educational circuit to a bar gig.


Kristi Booth/MPR

Paper Clips trombone quartet builds community in Moorhead with music from Motown

Ines Guanchez is an assistant digital producer for classical. An accomplished pianist, she founded Dúo Ávila with fellow Venezuelan violinist Sofia Schutte. The ensemble focuses on music by composers outside of the classical canon and has performed in venues in Minnesota and Costa Rica. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with master’s degrees in mass communications and piano performance. She previously interned for Minnesota Public Radio in 2018.


Ines Guanchez

Did you know that you can listen to all of YourClassical's music streams on your mobile device? Here's how to download and use the recently released YourClassical app.


Listen to the YourClassical app on your mobile device

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Selena Simmons-Duffin

NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin has a trick to get her kids to fall asleep at bedtime: lullabies. Science backs it up: Singing to your child helps them fall asleep faster, even than listening to Mozart!


Listen to the Story

Bastien Jalliot/Unsplash

What is it about a lullaby that helps kids fall asleep?

Rachel Treisman

Sunday's finale marked the end of 'Succession' and its iconic opening theme. Composer Nicholas Britell reflects on shaping the show's signature sound over four seasons — and what he might do next.


Claudette Barius/HBO

How composer Nicholas Britell created the sound of 'Succession'

In this week’s New Classical Tracks, conductor Osmo Vänskä explores how Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 carries a message of life in his latest recording with the Minnesota Orchestra. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of the album! 


New Classical Tracks (Extended Interview) - Osmo Vanska

New Classical Tracks - Osmo Vanska

Minnesota Orchestra standing outside Orchestra Hall

Symphony No. 9: I. Andante comodo

Travis Anderson

Osmo Vänskä finds a message about life in Mahler's Symphony No. 9

Penny Dale

The singers traveled to England for a tour to raise money to build a technical college. Their story is receiving renewed attention because of a new dance performance based on the concert tour.


Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

South African choir sang for Queen Victoria, with great highs — and awful lows

Ailsa Chang

Ari Shapiro

Megan Lim

Tinbete Ermyas

A violinist's bow snapped mid-performance at the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.


Jennifer Simonson | MPR News

Violin bow worth tens of thousands of dollars snaps midperformance

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

The players of the Imani Winds have had faith in commissioning new works that uplift the profile of BIPOC composers and performers. They have been doing so for more than 25 years. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast. 


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