Photos: Scenes from MPR Day at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair

On Friday, Oct. 17, the affable Andrew Manze returned to lead the Minnesota Orchestra in Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and a multi-faceted piano concerto by Anna Clyne. Listen to the concert now!

We pick the theme — you choose the variation by requesting a piece of music inspired by that theme.

No, 2025 isn’t over, but that’s not stopping us from pausing to take stock of some of our favorite releases and discoveries of the year on the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic.’ Host Steve Seel shares music by Reena Esmail, Shirley Thompson and more. Listen now!

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ conductor Paavo Järvi leads the Estonian Festival Orchestra in music by Arvo Pärt in honor of the Estonian composer’s 90th birthday. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!

On Sunday, Sept. 14, Twin Cities native William Yang performed an all-Chopin concert at Macalester College as part of the Chopin Society’s 42nd season. Listen to the concert in preparation of Yang’s third round performance at the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland.

Calling all young Minnesota artists ages 14 to 28! Showcase your talent for your chance to win a cash prize and a studio session at Minnesota Public Radio’s Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio in St. Paul or another professional recording studio. Mark your calendar: Submissions open Feb. 1, 2026, and close March 31, 2026. The winners in our Preprofessional Musician and Emerging Artist categories will be selected by vote by YourClassical listeners. Find out how to prepare your entry, check out the official rules, find frequently asked questions, and meet our past winners below! More details about the 2026 competition will be added to this page later this year. Questions? Contact karinlarsonprize@mpr.org

The top high school marching bands from Minnesota and beyond competed Oct. 11 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as part of the Youth in Music Marching Band Championships.

Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis redefined the genre in subtle and caustic ways. While he had great success he was always restless for innovation. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

We get mathematical on this episode of ‘Extra Eclectic’ with John Cage’s ‘Four2,’ and we’ll hear Michael Gandolfi’s concerto for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn: ‘Imaginary Numbers.’ Listen now with host Steve Seel!

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ pianist Angela Hewitt releases the third volume of her complete recording of Mozart’s piano sonatas. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!