Founded by composer Giuseppe Verdi and funded by royalties from his popular operas, Casa Verdi in Milan opened a century ago as a home for opera musicians in their golden years. Continue Reading For Opera Singers, Life After Read More
Baltimore Symphony music director Marin Alsop traces her discovery of the rollicking 75-minute symphony and the man behind the music. Continue Reading Finding God, Love And The Meaning Of Life In Messiaen’s Read More
Composers of color have long had to compete with dead white men for space on the concert stage. A new project, spearheaded by Rachel Barton Pine, seeks to correct that for the next generation. Continue Reading For One Violinist, Read More
‘Tis the season for all manner of festivities, from celebrations of the holidays at home to premieres of new works for the theatre. In fact, many productions enjoyed their first performances at this special time of year. Continue Read More
Even in a studio, backed by a symphony orchestra as they survey their long career in pop music, these guys know how to work a room. Continue Reading In ‘String Theory,’ Hanson With Orchestra Delivers The Read More
Turn on your radio, pour a cup of tea, cozy up to a warm fire, and enjoy uplifting music, heartwarming stories and inspiring performances to celebrate the season. Here’s a list of special programs coming your way throughout the month of December. Read More
The celebrated young pianist Daniil Trifonov steals aboard a steam locomotive, chugging through the Rockies to the strains of Rachmaninov's Fourth Concerto. Continue Reading No Humdrum Affair: Dreaming Of Rachmaninov On A Train Read More
Sometimes it takes an outsider to see a culture clearly. Czech composer Antonin Dvorak's Ninth Symphony was an ode to what American music could become. Continue Reading How Dvorak’s ‘New World’ Symphony Introduced American Read More
From bourgeois turkeys to Mother Goose, music commentator Miles Hoffman introduces us to classical music about fowls. Continue Reading ‘Ballad Of The Fat Turkeys’: Talking Fowl But Festive Music In The Classical Read More
November 11 marks the centennial of the end of World War I, otherwise known as the “Great War” and the “War to End All Wars.” Simply put, it was a cataclysm, a conflict that marked a threshold in modern history. In the world of classical music, composers responded in many different ways. Read More
When the FBI recovered virtuoso violinist Roman Totenberg's stolen Stradivarius after his death, his daughters wanted the instrument to be played everywhere. Ensuring that was not so simple. Continue Reading The Tale Of The Stolen Read More
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, which begins to mark its centennial this fall, is credited with helping to bring high culture and great composers to L.A. Continue Reading The Rise Of The LA Philharmonic To ‘America’s Most Read More
The revered Spanish soprano, who died Saturday, spins out silvery threads of tone in her recordings, the likes of which no one has ever matched. Continue Reading One Mesmerizing Moment With Soprano Montserrat CaballéRead More
The resourceful singer is unafraid to bring opera — and his high-flying top notes — to unlikely places, from sixth-grade classrooms to the offices of NPR. Continue Reading Making Opera Accessible Again: Anthony Roth Read More
Although Johann Sebastian Bach was probably no tap-dancer, he did know something about dancing. The gigues, menuets and courantes that populate his various suites are, essentially, stylized dance movements that can leap off the page in a good performance. Read More
Consider this year’s apples: Born from the seeds of an earlier generation’s trees, the fruit you hold in your hand this fall will allow you “to shake hands with a good friend over the centuries.” That’s how the composer and antiquarian Gerald Finzi put it. As your apples ripen, with the sweet strains of classical music… Read More
Born 100 years ago on Aug. 25, 1918, Bernstein was a larger-than-life character — on stage as a conductor, at the piano as a composer, on TV as an educator and in a sometimes tangled personal life. Continue Reading The Complex Life Of Leonard Read More
If the celebrated cellist could soundtrack his life, the music would be J.S. Bach's six Cello Suites. Yo-Yo Ma explains why they mean the world to him while he played the music at the NPR offices. Continue Reading NPR Tiny Desk Concert: Yo-Yo Ma’s Life Read More
Warm nights and clear skies are a perfect combination to see some of the night sky’s wonders, even if you don’t have a telescope. And what could be better than stargazing with a themed classical music soundtrack? Continue Reading Look Up: Musical Inspiration Read More
The first known photograph of Leonard Bernstein (left) as a conductor, taken at a summer camp on 1937. CREDIT: Library of Congress, Music Division “Moynik!” (“Music!”), the young Leonard Bernstein would exclaim, even before his second birthday. He was clearly fascinated by the sounds emanating from his parents’ Victrola at home in Lawrence, Massachusetts and… Read More
A long, relaxed summer evening in the company of live classical music and fine food. That’s a favorite Northwest pleasure offered around the region: Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival (Concert on the Village Green), Bellingham Festival of Music (Chamber by the Bay), and Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival (Music Under the Stars), to name a few. It’s the kind of Read More
Join Gillian Coldsnow and Anjuli Dodhia as they host concerts at Lake Chelan Bach Fest and Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival. NWPB will be out and about this summer and we’d love to see you! Gillian Coldsnow and Anjuli Dodhia will be in central Washington for the Lake Chelan Bach Festival and Icicle Creek Summer… Read More
This month, we say goodbye to our Music Director, Jessie Jacobs. You’ve heard Jessie on-air Friday afternoons on NWPB, and her contributions and dedication behind the scenes have made NWPB into a vital music resource for listeners and communities across the region. Jessie Jacobs sat down with Anjuli Dodhia to reflect back on her time with NWPB. Read More
The Bellingham Festival of Music is celebrating its 25th Silver Anniversary season. It’s also Artistic Director Michael Palmer’s 50th year as a conductor. Anjuli Dodhia sat down for a conversation with the Maestro about his career, the Bellingham Festival of Music, and what concert-goers can look forward to this season. Read More
Did you know that the director of the new documentary film about Mr. Rogers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Morgan Neville – also directed The Music of Strangers, the 2016 documentary about Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project? And that Yo-Yo Ma’s son Nicholas is one of the producers of Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
In a clip of his appearance on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Nicholas Ma is Read More
Britain’s prestigious Gramophone Classical Music Awards have created a new award for 2018, called Orchestra of the Year. The shortlist includes a familiar name to Northwest listeners: the Seattle Symphony. For the first time in the history of these awards, public voting will decide an outcome. The 2018 Orchestra of the Year Award will go to the nominee receiving the most Read More
Many composers were inspired to write music after their travels, leaving us a taste of the sights and sounds of their adventures. But many of the far off lands they visited have similar counterparts right here in the Northwest. Read More
The warm, late-spring weather of recent weeks is a reminder that summer is just around the corner. One of the highlights of the season is the abundance of classical music festivals throughout the Northwest. Take a look at what’s in store this summer. Continue Reading Summer Music Read More
Can you guess which of these are Composers and which are English politicians featured in 'Victoria'? Good Luck! Continue Reading QUIZ: English Composer Or Politician? Test Your Musical Or PBS KnowledgeRead More
Franz Liszt once said, “Mournful and grand is the destiny of an artist.” Was he referring to the seemingly large proportion of artists that suffer from some sort of mental disorder? Sergei Rachmaninoff was one. He dealt with depression throughout his life, but not only did he mostly overcome it, his management of it fueled his composing. Read More
If it’s time for you to put on the kettle, ask this: What music do you choose to match your tea? We once matched composers and cocktails, but let’s face it - not everyone wants an adult beverage at 9 a.m. So here we go: Let’s match some music to tea varieties! Read More
Leonard Bernstein loved the stories behind the music he conducted, and insisted that every story has a moral. As a young man, Bernstein discovered many specific sources of inspiration. Continue Reading The Bernstein Centennial Year: Every Score Has Read More
Austin Schlichting, a Bellingham native, moved to Olympia as a composer and music teacher. CREDIT: MATT MILTON Listen The Olympia Symphony celebrates 65 years in 2018. To mark this special occasion, they commissioned the grandson of one of their first music directors, Austin Schlichting, to write a piece. Austin Schlichting is a composer and music… Read More
A Passion for Pottery Produced by Greg Mills It took twenty four years for Pete Glarborg to turn the wheel back on and reignite his passion for pottery. Now his love for making art from clay and his passion for classical music have moved to front and center in his life. Full Transcript I have… Read More
Good music and good food: two indulgences that go well together. Composers have been writing music to accompany banquets, dinners and parties for centuries. Think of Telemann’s Tafelmusik (“Table Music,” in English), or the Divertimenti Mozart wrote for the wind band hired to play during the Emperor’s lunch. But one composer stands out as someone who created both the music Read More
CREDIT: DUTCH NATIONAL ARCHIVESWIKIMEDIA COMMONS Andres Segovia in recital at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, 1962 The “grandfather” of his instrument. Virtuoso, transcriber, mentor, innovator. Andres Segovia, the quintessential master of the classical guitar, earned all of those designations, and more, during his long and distinguished career. Feb.21 marks the 125th Read More
This year’s Olympics will sound slightly different – the PyeongChang games will be the first in which figure skaters can use music with vocals during their performances. But classical music and figure skating have a long history together. While gearing up for the 2018 games, take a look at some winning performances featuring classical music.… Read More
Does Clair de lune remind you of your sweetheart? Is Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 your spouse's favorite piece of music? Send your dedication to [email protected] and you may hear it on the air on Valentine's Day. Continue Reading Dedicate Music To The One You LoveRead More
The original Mozartkugel is a rich little layered confection: pistachio marzipan enveloped by nougat, surrounded by chocolate, and wrapped in foil decorated with a portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was created in 1890, in response to an invitation from the city of Salzburg to its artisans to invent things to commemorate the hundredth anniversary… Read More
Leonard Bernstein in 1971, during rehearsals for his “Mass” CREDIT: MARION S. TRIKOSKO/U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT With the start of 2018 comes a major anniversary on the world’s musical calendar: the centennial of the birth of America’s most versatile musician, Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990). “Lenny,” as he was affectionately known to family, friends, Read More
Classical Music Playlist Connect With Us Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr Sign up for our monthly newsletter popular classical music posts Featured Music Why Is The Music Of 1968 So Enduring? ‘It Was Allowed To Be NPR News Featured Music Ring Of Kitchen Fire: Eat Like Johnny Cash With This Cookbook NPR News Music Remembering 50… Read More
From the wheat fields of the Palouse to the recording studios of Hollywood, Paul Henning has found success in the Los Angeles music industry. Henning grew up near Pullman, Washington, on his family’s 130-year-old wheat farm. He used to tell himself he would never major in music, but once he started college at Washington State… Read More
Big personalities are no stranger to classical music – the people behind the compositions are remembered through letters, reviews and their own journals. NWPR has taken these colorful characters and matched them with a drink for the summertime. While you stay cool and have a refreshing summer, see if you can taste the music in… Read More
Pianist Jeremy Neufeld accompanies Encanto founder and tenor José Iñiguez (center left) alongside the Ballard Symphony Orchestra. This year’s Encanto Holiday Concert was held in Benaroya Hall. Photo credit: Barbara Rodriguez Listen Holiday cheer is in the air. But instead of another rendition of A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker, Latinos in the Northwest… Read More
A program at Pullman Regional Hospital is using the power of music to tap deep into the memories of dementia patients. Music & Memory is a national program that brings digital music to elderly patients to help improve their quality of life. “There was one woman that I worked with for over a year and she couldn’t communicate at… Read More
Less than a week before their first performance, the Washington Idaho Symphony starts rehearsal for their 40th Annual Domey/Gillespie Young Artist Concert. The concert is a major event, but a professional symphony is too busy to spend more time rehearsing. For the past 45 years, the Washington Idaho Symphony has brought music to eastern Washington… Read More
Thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Daniel Ott brings music and parks together around a Northwest Landmark: Mount Rainier. PAULA GRAY / TUMBLR A $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts will support the commission of a new symphonic poem in homage to Mount Rainier and its… Read More
Hear Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival Artistic Director Timothy Christie perform Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13 on January 16 as part of the Winter Festival. Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival Chamber music festivals fill the northwest throughout the year – intimate performances in cozy venues creating a unique connection between the… Read More
Hear the music of Lili Boulanger in the Second Hour of NWPR’s Celebration of Women in Classical Music. For Women’s History Month 2016, Northwest Public Radio celebrated with a three hour special devoted to women in classical music history hosted by your weekday afternoon host, Gigi Yellen. In case you missed it or you’d… Read More
Violinst Augustin Hadelich SEATTLE SYMPHONY Congratulations, Seattle Symphony! Another Grammy! The 2016 Grammy award for best classical instrumental solo went to violinist Augustin Hadelich, for Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L’Arbre Des Songes, with the Seattle Symphony conducted by Ludovic Morlot, a release on the orchestra’s own label. Seattle Symphony earned Read More
