This activity is made possible in part by the 

Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund

This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.


Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment logo

Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment

Nic McGegan conducts Bach

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Alison Young

Former Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Artistic Partner Nicholas McGegan has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).


Regional Spotlight™

Nicholas McGegan, OBE

Patrick Castillo from Music@Menlo joins the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra as their new Director of Artistic Planning.


The SPCO

SPCO appoints new Director of Artistic Planning

Harry Bicket conducts the SPCO

Harry Bicket is described as a "Baroque Specialist" - a title he says he doesn't mind, though it hardly describes the depth of his expertise which is far deeper than merely the 18th century. Bicket leads the SPCO this weekend in a fascinating coming-together of music from both Baroque and modern times.


Harry Bicket goes for Baroque and beyond

Gil Shaham talks about his first recording on Canary Classics

Gil Shaham describes his Stradivarius violin "The Countess Polignac"

Violinist Gil Shaham solos with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra this weekend playing Mendelssohn and a lesser known work - though equally splendid - by Haydn. Tune in to Classical MPR on Saturday at 8 p.m. for the live broadcast hosted by Alison Young.


Gil Shaham talks about his first recording on Canary Classics "The Faure Album"

The SPCO live broadcasts begin this Saturday

Layton James Leaves SPCO

John Birge has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.


John Birge

Layton James

John Birge talks with Layton "Skip" James on leaving the SPCO.


Layton James Leaves the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Julia Bogorad - Claude Debussy; Syrinx

Steve Staruch can be heard on Classical Minnesota Public Radio on Monday mornings and at other times during the week. Prior to joining the staff of MPR in 2004, Steve presented a variety of radio programs on WCAL in Northfield, Minn., where he created an immensely popular call-in program, and on WXXI in Rochester, New York. Outside radio, Steve also enjoys work as a freelance tenor and violist. Steve and his wife, Naomi, enjoy traveling, gardening and hosting dinner parties.


Steve Staruch

Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Principal Flutist Julia Bogorad-Kogan plays a haunting melody by Debussy for a warm late Spring afternoon.


Regional Spotlight: Julia Bogorad-Kogan

Playing (Less) Hurt

Performance injury causes and prevention

Ariane Giles, harpist with Dr. Jonathan Reynolds

Julia Bogorad discusses flute postures and performance aids

Peter Kogan on timpanist stretches and shoulder surgery

Reed Tetzloff on gravity-based piano technique

Janet Horvath's "strings are too high!"

Janet Horvath and Jonathan Reynolds on comfortable violin playing

Janet counts the drum beats in Bolero

On being a trooper

"No pain, no gain!"

Principal flute, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.


Julia Bogorad-Kogan

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Ariane Giles

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Reed Tetzloff

Peter Kogan

Janet Horvath's groundbreaking book "Playing (Less) Hurt" is a bible for performing musicians. It has a new publisher in Hal Leonard, and includes new content. Horvath, along with Rehabilitation Specialist Jonathan Reynolds, answer your questions and concerns in an online chat on Thursday.


'Playing (Less) Hurt'

Leslie Shank - Camille Saint-Saens, Violin Sonata No. 1

Violinist Leslie Shank gives an impassioned performance of Saint-Saens first violin sonata.


Regional Spotlight: Leslie Shank

Roberto On Robert

Roberto Abbado

Conductor Roberto Abbado talks with MPR's John Birge


Roberto on Robert: Abbado conducts Schumann with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050, Johann Sebastian Bach - SPCO - 12.13.09

We're celebrating Bach's birthday week today with his keyboard music, some of the most revolutionary stuff in its time. Listen online to Skip James and his Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra friends in Bach's Brandenburg No. 5.
