Classical Conversations

A Musical America Artist of the Year, Grammy-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov is known for his intense yet thoughtful performances, especially of the Russian masterworks. In his latest album Silver Age, Trifonov teams up with the Mariinsky Orchestra and conductor Valery Gergiev for piano concertos by Sergei Prokofiev and Alexander Scriabin. The young, dynamic pianist joins us for a conversation abo...

Multi Grammy-winning violinist Hilary Hahn joins us to talk about her album Paris – a musical love letter to the city she has been visiting and performing in since her teenage years. Alongside the masterful and vibrant Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1, Hilary plays a sumptuous classic: Ernest Chausson's Poème for violin and orchestra. Also on the album, two gorgeous serenades written for Hilary by...

Dr. Alta Dantzler joins us to talk about her creation "The Music Behind the Mural," which brings many of the characters from Paul Geiger's famous mural at the Valentine Theatre to life. One mural character absent from that production is Al Jolsen, known as the “king of blackface," which gives rise to a separate panel discussion on blackface and racism in the arts, entitled "Where's Al?" Joining Al...

In this virtual edition of Live from FM 91, violinist Cheryl Trace (Toledo Symphony) and Paul Monachino (Rosary Cathedral) preview the Toledo Symphony String Quartet's upcoming performance at Rosary Cathedral in Toledo. We hear excerpts from the free concert (Sunday Feb. 7th at 3:00 p.m.) which were recorded earlier in the week for this program.

Pianist Jeni Slotchiver joins Brad Cresswell for an engaging conversation about her new album American Heritage, a survey of piano music "From the Civil War to Civil Rights." With breathtaking arrangements of spirituals, Union army hymns, sea shanties and work songs, American Heritage paints an enlightening picture of the vast African-American musical landscape. American Heritage at the ZOHO Music...

Soprano Kathryn Lewek and tenor Zach Borichevsky, stars of opera around the world and familiar to Toledo Opera audiences, join Brad Cresswell for a socially-distanced Zoom conversation about their upcoming gala concert for Toledo opera. Entitled Duets and Drinks, the concert features duets and arias from the married couple, followed by a Zoom cocktail party which is a fundraiser for the opera (whe...

Cello luminary Matt Haimovitz takes us behind the scenes of his new French album, Mon Ami Mon Amour (My Friend My Love). Recorded with pianist Mari Kodama for the Pentatone Oxingale Series, the album features lovely performances of music by Poulenc, Fauré, Debussy, and more – including two rarities by the famed Boulanger sisters, Nadia and Lili.

Viola da gambist Carolyn Surrick and lutenist Ronn McFarlane talk about their new recording Fermi's Paradox, a project born of the pandemic, when both artists saw their live performances cancelled. This beautifully eclectic album contains new compositions and arrangements for the duo, including the title track – Ronn McFarlane's meditation on the famous question posed by Italian-American physicist...

WGTE's Brad Cresswell speaks with conductor Andrew Crust, newly-appointed Music Director of the Lima Symphony Orchestra. Currently the Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony in Canada and former Assistant Conductor for the Memphis Symphony, Andrew launches his official Lima Symphony tenure with a concert on November 26. The program, called Lyrical Exuberance, features music by Copland and B...

Ricky Ian Gordon is without a doubt one of our greatest living composers for the human voice. His songs have been performed and recorded by many star singers (including Renée Fleming and Audra McDonald); his musical theater works and operas have been heard on progressive stages across the country, and he's been consistently recognized for his unique musical style – which blends a lyric romanticism...

Just in time for Halloween, composer/conductor Michael Shapiro joins Haley Taylor to talk about his movie score for the classic film Frankenstein (1931) directed by James Whale and starring Colin Clive and Boris Karloff. Shapiro's music (written in 2001) brings the classic monster movie into even sharper focus – and makes up for the fact that the original was actually produced without a score. htt...

Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano). Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of c...

Composer Osvaldo Golijov joins us for a conversation about his compelling song cycle Falling Out of Time, based on the novel of the same name by David Grossman. Written for (and recorded by) The Silk Road Ensemble, Falling Out of Time addresses the powerful themes set forth in Grossman's book, namely, finding one's path in the wake of indescribable loss. Learn more about Falling Out of Time: https...

Born in London and now residing mainly in the US, Grammy-nominated composer Anna Clyne has been championed by many prominent conductors and orchestras around the world. The most recent album to feature Anna’s music is called Mythologies – five different orchestral works, all performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. As Anna relates in this conversation, each of these remarkable pieces has a story t...

The young American soprano Elyse Anne Kakacek joins us to discuss her new album Formless: The Biblical Songs of Antonin Dvořák. Inspirational in both interpretation and content, Formless offers a peaceful meditation on spirituality – and a salve for the soul in troubled times such as these. Dvořák's Biblical Songs are simple yet powerful settings of ten famous Psalms (in the composer's own English...

Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider joins us to talk about her new release, Mass for the Endangered. With an evocative libretto by poet Nathaniel Bellows, Mass for the Endangered is a new take on the traditional Catholic Mass – this time directing its call to nature, rather than God. With soulful music masterfully performed by the vocal ensemble Gallicantus (under conductor Gabriel Crouch), Sarah's Mas...

We're joined by composer Augusta Read Thomas, featured guest for this year's New Music Festival at Bowling Green State University and a longtime force behind the scenes of contemporary music. Along with celebrated oboist Andrew Nogal, Thomas discusses the debut album from the Grossman Ensemble (founded by Thomas and housed at the University of Chicago). Called Fountain of Time, the album features...

This is part two of a two-part podcast. For part one, visit this link: https://www.wgte.org/radio/podcasts/classical-conversations/celebrating-willis-patterson-part-one We hold a listening party in honor of Dr. Willis Patterson's upcoming 90th birthday, with performances from throughout his legendary career as both a singer and an educator. Joining us are Dr. Louise Toppin, Instructor of Voice at...

This is part one of a two-part podcast. For part two, visit this link: https://www.wgte.org/radio/podcasts/classical-conversations/celebrating-willis-patterson-part-two We hold a listening party in honor of Dr. Willis Patterson's upcoming 90th birthday, with performances from throughout his legendary career as both a singer and an educator. Joining us are Dr. Louise Toppin, Instructor of Voice at...

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein first came to prominence in 2007, when she self-produced a landmark recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Now she joins us to talk about her latest album A Character of Quiet, which pairs etudes by Philip Glass with the final piano sonata of Franz Schubert. Born of the pandemic, A Character of Quiet (recorded at Simone's home in Brooklyn) explores the nature of solitu...

Conductor and Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra Osmo Vänskä joins Brad Cresswell for a conversation about his career and his new recording of Gustav Mahler’s formidable Symphony No. 7. Watch the video chat here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFTM0rH2DKQ

The young dynamic cellist Anita Graef joins us virtually from her home in Chicago for conversation about her career and music by J.S. Bach and Giuseppe dall'Abaco. Described as "a world class musician" who plays with "high energy and polish", cellist Anita Graef has earned recognition for her music making as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. Recent appearances include Carnegie...

Composer Christopher Cerrone and flutist Tim Munro join Brad Cresswell for a chat about their new album Liminal Highway, inspired by the poetry of the Canadian indie rock musician John K. Samson.

The St. Louis-based composer, arranger, jazz pianist and educator Kim Portnoy joins us by phone to chat about his versatile new album Caprice. The recording features performances from some of the city's finest ensembles and performers, in music inspired by a wide range of subjects – from the golden Age of Hollywood musicals to legendary Cajun chef and comedian Justin Wilson.

Haley Taylor welcomes conductor James Blachly (pictured) to preview his new album of British composer Dame Ethel Smyth’s 1930 masterwork, The Prison. In this world premiere recording, Blachly leads his Experiential Orchestra and Chorus, with vocal soloists Sarah Brailey and Dashon Burton. Smyth was an important figure in the global suffragette movement, and this recording coincides with the 100th...