Poster Composer Terry Riley
Terry Riley's 'The Cusp of Magic' is featured on this episode of 'Extra Eclectic.'
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Extra Eclectic

Cross-cultural collaborations

Extra Eclectic - June 15, 2026

It’s been 50 years since Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “the Global Village,” and today, we’re seeing it more than ever, even in classical music. On this episode of Extra Eclectic, Steve Seel brings us examples of composers and performers reaching across cultural lines in their works, including Terry Riley’s The Cusp of Magic, Dan Visconti’s Native Tongues and an original piece by oud player Issam Rafea and pipa virtuoso Gao Hong.

Playlist

Bond of the Beloved
Composer: Layale Chaker
Soloists: Jennifer Koh, violin

Native Tongues
Composer: Dan Visconti
Orchestra/Ensemble: Fifth House Ensemble
Soloists: Yael Badash, vocals
Cedille 164

Walking the Distance
Composer: Issam Rafea/Gao Hong
Soloists: Issam Rafea, oud
Innova 997

Clarinet Concerto
Composer: Malek Jandali
Conductor: Marin Alsop
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
Soloists: Anthony McGill, clarinet
Cedille 220

On Anxiety
Composer: Fuse & Kinan Azmeh
Orchestra/Ensemble: Fuse
Fusemusic 2024

Beijing Harmony
Composer: Michael Gordon
Conductor: Pablo Rus Broseta
Orchestra/Ensemble: Seattle Symphony
Cantaloupe 21141

The Cusp of Magic: Royal Wedding
Composer: Terry Riley
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet
Soloists: Wu Man, pipa
Nonesuch 360508

Kaylvi
Composer: Asha Srinivasan
Orchestra/Ensemble: Pan Pacific Ensemble
Albany 1772

Wild Grass on the Riverbank
Composer: Chad Cannon
Conductor: Yuga Cohler
Orchestra/Ensemble: Asia/America New Music Institute Los Angeles Ensemble
Soloists: Davone Tines, bass-baritone
Delos 3555

Beloved (Wa Habibi)
Composer: Traditional
Orchestra/Ensemble: Kronos Quartet
Nonesuch 518349

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Latest Extra Eclectic Episodes

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Latest Extra Eclectic Episodes

Cross-cultural collaborations

Cross-cultural collaborations

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!

1:58:58
Extra-musical elements

Extra-musical elements

On this episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ we hear works featuring unorthodox instruments and compositional approaches, including Echo Collective’s ‘Unknown Gates’ and Molly Joyce’s ‘It Has Not Taken Long for You to Break.’ Listen now with host Steve Seel!

1:58:59
Rounds, canons and reflections

Rounds, canons and reflections

“Row, row, row your boat,” “Frere Jacques”: rounds are familiar to us all. Make a round a little more complex, and you might get a canon or a fugue. On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, host Steve Seel explores a host of such works. Listen now!

1:58:59
Feathered friends

Feathered friends

Get your binoculars out for this episode of ‘Extra Eclectic’! Host Steve Seel brings us two hours of new classical works about birds, including Jennifer Higdon’s ‘An Exaltation of Larks,’ John Luther Adams’ ‘Strange Birds Passing’ and Jocelyn Morlock’s ‘Oiseaux Bleus et Sauvages.’ Listen now!

1:58:59
A spring meditation

A spring meditation

With spring in full bloom, Steve Seel brings us a bounty of “green sounds” in the first hour of this episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ from Jeffrey Mumford’s ‘verdant cycles of deepening spring’ to Clint Needham’s String Quartet No. 1 (‘Shades of Green’). Listen now!

1:58:59
Beats, Bach and Beethoven

Beats, Bach and Beethoven

Composers have quoted, borrowed from, and paid tribute to earlier composers for centuries, and Steve Seel brings us some contemporary examples on this episode of ‘Extra Eclectic.’ Featured composers include Caroline Shaw, Greg Saunier and Curt Sydnor. Listen now!

1:58:59
May the fourth

May the fourth

This annual “Star Wars Day” provides the inspiration for the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ with works about space and stars. Steve Seel also pays tribute to composer Michael Harrison, who died on April 17, with a performance of his ‘Just Constellations.’ Listen now!

1:58:58
Earth, teach me quiet

Earth, teach me quiet

On the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ we consider the planet we call home from several different vantage points with music by Eriks Esenvalds, Martin Bresnick, Reena Esmail and more. Listen now with host Steve Seel!

1:58:59
The natural world

The natural world

Host Steve Seel continues our celebration of Earth Month on Extra Eclectic with a nod to composers who are passionate about the protection of nature’s fragile ecosystems: Steven Stucky, Scott Lee, Gabriela Montero and more. Listen now!

1:58:59
Celebrating Earth Month

Celebrating Earth Month

To celebrate Earth Month, host Steve Seel brings us modern works on themes of water on the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ including Anna Clyne’s ‘Restless Oceans,’ Jake Runestad’s ‘Waves,’ and Maya Beiser’s setting of Olivier Messiaen’s ‘Water’ from his ‘Fete des Belles Eaux.’ Listen now!

1:58:59
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