Where classical music is always arriving, with host Steve Seel.

APM/MPR

Steve Seel possesses a broad knowledge of many musical genres, having hosted radio programs ranging from classical to jazz and even avant-garde music at public radio stations around the country. Steve came to Minnesota Public Radio in 1999 to be a part of its nationally-syndicated classical music programming. In 2005, he became one of the founding voices on MPR's eclectic station The Current, and has hosted various time slots from mornings to late nights, and conducted in-depth interviews with pop music luminaries ranging from Brian Eno to David Byrne to Tori Amos. 
 
Steve is an avid reader of political and social commentary as well, and he emcees The Current's popular Policy and a Pint community series, featuring discussions with noted scholars, politicians, community leaders, authors and big thinkers on important issues of the day. Steve is also a basement composer obsessed with all things both minimalist and slow, and might actually be incapable of writing anything that exceeds 75 beats-per-minute.


Steve Seel

Betsy Jolas’ “bTunes” is about how tech has radically changed music.


Technology continues to change music

A pair of headphones against a black background.

Frank Septillion/Unsplash

Violinist and conductor Pekka Kuusisto is heard in two live recordings this week. 


Pekka Kuusisto in concert

Ronald Knapp

Missy Mazzoli’s Violin Concerto is played live at the BBC Proms.


Missy Mazzoli casts the violin as healer

Stephen S. Taylor

Missy Mazzoli portrays the violin as healer

Theremin virtuoso Carolina Eyck plays Kalevi Aho’s Theremin Concerto at the BBC Proms on the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, hosted by Steve Seel.


Carolina Eyck takes the theremin into the future

Christian Huller

Composer Paola Prestini’s ‘G-Force’ uses gravity as a metaphor for the weightiness of “a life well lived.” We hear her work, as well as two exclusive live recordings from the BBC Proms, on this week’s Extra Eclectic, with host Steve Seel.


Paola Prestini: Gravity as metaphor

Caroline Tompkins

Paola Prestini finds her center of gravity

We begin our sampling of performances from the 2022 BBC Proms.


The Proms gets eclectic

MPR photo/Rex Levang

Jennifer Higdon wrote her Violin Concerto for violinist Hilary Hahn.


Jennifer Higdon's Violin Concerto

Courtesy of the artist

Composer Timo Andres is inspired by music from Brahms to Radiohead.


Timo Andres: in the moment

Michael Wilson

Images from the James Webb Space Telescope provide this week’s inspiration. 


Music for star gazing

Courtesy of NASA

Brian Eno turns Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’ into conceptual art on this week’s episode of Extra Eclectic, with host Steve Seel.
