Rolf Smedvig wants you to instantly recognize his ensemble the first time you hear it. He spoke with classical music host Alison Young about Empire Brass, a group with a special sound molded through the discipline of the Boston Symphony and a youthful energy and excitement.
(04/12/2008)
Monteverdi's "The Coronation of Poppea" is a story from ancient Rome with a big helping of intrigue, deceit, decadence and some unsavory characters. It's seldom staged because of its large cast, but it presents plenty of opportunities for the young singers of the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre.
(04/10/2008)
He's got rhythm and he's got music, what more could University of Minnesota flute professor Immanuel Davis ask for? How about a new jazz-inspired flute sonata.
(03/28/2008)
Harpist Kathy Kienzle and flutist Michele Frisch met playing music for singers, and as the Bell' Alma Duo try to capture the fluidity of singers in their performances. The two have just released a new CD of music from the French Opera repertoire.
(02/02/2008)
Music at once impressionistic, transcendent and deeply personal was written by 20th century French composer Maurice Durufle, a man who whose gloomy constitution had nothing to do with the music he made. His secrets, his life and the magic of his music are revealed in a new book by a Minnesota organist.
(01/25/2008)
Tremolos and quarter-tones are the exotic mix in a Lily Afshar recital. She plays music by composers most of us have never heard of and creates sounds that hearken back to Sheherezade and the Arabian Nights.
(01/19/2008)
Minnesota Orchestra principal flutist Adam Kuenzel pushes the technical and sonic possibilities in the premiere of a new concerto by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. Kuenzel spoke with host Alison Young and demonstrated both the beauty and wildness of Skrowaczewski's "Fantasia for Flute and Orchestra."
(10/19/2007)
Tony Hoagland writes free verse, without a rhyming scheme or a formal structure, but that doesn't mean his poems are without music. As if to prove the point, he's in Stillwater this weekend to participate in the first-ever White Pine Festival, which explores the relationship between music and poetry.
(06/23/2007)
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and one of its key collaborators will be in California this weekend to make their debuts at the 61st annual Ojai Music Festival. In a conversation with Minnesota Public Radio's Alison Young, Pierre-Laurent Aimard says he expects Ojai to be a musical adventure for him and his colleagues.
(06/07/2007)
During her 22 years on the throne, Christina of Sweden enticed musicians and composers from around Europe to 17th-century Stockholm. During a visit to Minnesota Public Radio, the Rose Ensemble performed selections from an upcoming concert series exploring music from Queen Christina's court.
(04/28/2007)
Austrian pianist Ingolf Wunder earned his American debut in an audition over the World Wide Web. It takes place Sunday at Macalester College in St. Paul.
(04/14/2007)
Violinist Joseph Silverstein, one of the most celebrated concertmasters in history, celebrated his 75th birthday last week. He maintains an active schedule, which brought him to the Twin Cities this past weekend.
(03/28/2007)
English flutist William Bennett says he wanted to be a singer, but his teachers told him at an early age that he didn't have much of a natural voice. So the flute became his voice and his playing has set a new standard for the instrument.
(03/27/2007)
Composer and musical satirist Peter Schickele is the guest of honor as the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony celebrates its 75th anniversary weekend.
Schickele says his success as a composer owes a lot to lessons he learned as a teenage bassoon player in that orchestra.
(03/09/2007)
William Holab took literally thousands of notes, musical and dramatic directions and turned them into useable parts and scores for "The Grapes of Wrath."
(02/10/2007)
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