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.


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Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment

Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2: Maestoso

Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2: Larghetto

Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2: Allegro vivace

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Alison Young

Chopin turns 200 on Monday. Celebrate early with a performance of Chopin's second piano concerto from a recent performance with Christian Zacharias and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.


The SPCO

Celebrate Chopin's 200th with the SPCO

SPCO's new season

Two new commissions, two new Artistic Partners and gigs at the Walker and Carnegie Hall - and all at affordable prices.


SPCO announces new season

David Evan Thomas - Come to the Waters

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

David Evan Thomas gets a premiere of his "Valentines" on this Valentine's Day. Listen on-line to a recent performance of Thomas' "Come to the Waters."


Regional Spotlight™

Regional Spotlight: David Evan Thomas

Nic McGegan conducts Bach

The beloved former Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Nicholas McGegan will have 60 candles on his birthday cake today. Celebrate by streaming one of his performances of Bach.


Regional Spotlight: Nic McGegan is 60!

Kernis Overture in Feet and Meters SPCO

McFerrin Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik SPCO

Leonidas Kavakos/Peter Nagy - Georges Enescu/Sonata in the Romanian Popular Character

A walk down Memory Lane with live concerts from the Ordway over the years. Listen on-line to some MPR favorites.


Minnesota Opera

Ordway musical memories

SPCO January 1985 pt. 1

SPCO January 1985 pt. 2

Archive recording of SPCO's first concert at the brand new Ordway Music Theatre in St. Paul


The SPCO Performs at the new Ordway, January 1985

Sergei Prokofiev - Classical Symphony (SPCO live)

The Vienna Philharmonic plays Strauss, the Minnesota Orchestra plays Beethoven and it's an entire day of musical "firsts." Preview by listening on-line to a concert recording of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra playing Prokofiev's first - his "Classical" symphony.


Sergei Prokofiev - Classical Symphony

Trumpet in the New Year with classical music

Listen (128k mp3)

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

New musicians from the SPCO, Sumni Chang and David Huckaby, perform in the studio.


SPCO Fresh Faces

Fresh Faces in the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Dawn Upshaw sings world premiere with SPCO

While practicing in a hotel room, soprano Dawn Upshaw answered a knock on the door. A lady said "I'm awfully sorry, but I'm working with numbers across the hall, and I just can't think while you're doing that. But I want you to know that I really think you have something there, and I hope you'll stick with it." Dawn Upshaw went from a childhood singing Pete Seeger songs with "The Upshaw Family Singers" to the great opera stages and concert halls around the world. She is as eclectic as she is accomplished, with a huge range of repertoire spanning from the 17th century to frequent new commissions. She is the winner of a MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant, coordinates a special program for singers at Bard College, and is Artistic Partner with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.


Dawn Upshaw

Dawn Upshaw returns in her role as Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. She sings some signature music by Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov and a world premiere by film composer Alberto Iglesias.


Dawn is back at the SPCO with a world premiere

Michael Israelievitch new SPCO Principal Timpani

Lynne has been at this radio thing since 1984 when she fell into an historic job at KFAC AM and FM, the commercial classical station in Los Angeles.  She was the first woman staff announcer in the station's history, and it was such big news back then, it made the LA newspapers and national radio publications.  She is thrilled women in radio is no longer newsworthy.


Lynne Warfel

Still in his mid-20's, percussionist Michael Israelievitch has already been hailed by the New York Times as an artist of "infectious charisma" and by the Toronto Star as a "very stylish and subtle musician." A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Israelievitch received degrees from Julliard and Boston University and has most recently performed as Principal Timpanist of the New World Symphony. Michael and his father, violinist Jacques Israelievitch perform together and have commissioned dozens of works by leading composers. They released their first commercial recording in 2006, "Hammer and Bow."


Michael Israelievitch

Twenty-something Michael Israelievitch has just been named Principal Timpani of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. It was a grueling (but thorough!) audition and he feels ready to take on his new role.
