Relevant Tones

With recent commissions and performances from the L.A. Philharmonic,  Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the New York Philharmonic, in  addition to his work with celebrated collective Sleeping Giant, Andrew  Norman has emerged as a major figure in today’s classical music world. He stops by the studio to chat with Seth about music, life and everything. Hosted by Seth...

Phil Kline is a composer who makes music in many genres and contexts,  from experimental electronics and sound installations to songs, choral,  theater, chamber and orchestral music. He also hosts a two-hour show weekdays at 11am – with repeat  presentations at 7 pm – on Q2 Music.  Seth and Phil passionately discuss music that’s hot off the presses in this new  series...

Chicago’s storied Association for the Advancement of Creative  Musicians has provided a unique place for musicians of all kinds to  create unique and stunning new creations. AACM turned 50 in 2015 and we’ll celebrate with performances of  Afterword, an opera about the AACM by longtime member and celebrated  composer George Lewis. We’ll chat with Lewis about the piece, the AACM,...

L.A. based ensemble wild Up is making their mark on the national  contemporary music scene. We caught up with them at the recent Sonic  Festival in New York City and will play music from that concert. Live recordings from their albums Feather and Stone and You of All  Things, an album collaboration with Icelandic choir Graduale Nobili, are  also featured. Hosted...

In light of Steven Stucky’s recent and sudden death, we will be  featuring works from his impressive repertoire. Stucky had a chameleon  -like composing range using influences from Debussy, Schönberg,  Lutoslawski, and more. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Sarah Zwinklis

Four-time Grammy-winning ensemble eighth blackbird performs music  from their recent collaboration with the Sleeping Giant collective. A  concert recorded live from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago,  where they are currently resident artists. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Timo Andres: Checkered Shade eighth blackbird Ted Hearne: By-By Huey  eight...

The Relevant Tones team travels to Shanghai for New Music Week, a  relatively new but impressive festival held by the prestigious  conservatory of music. The final edition in this four part series features music of faculty composers at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Zhu Shirui: Three Poetic Fantasias Ensemble Intercontemporain LV...

The Relevant Tones team travels to Shanghai for New Music Week, a  relatively new but impressive festival held by the prestigious  conservatory of music. This third in a four-part series features premiere performances of music by the guest composers. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Karlheinz Stockhausen: Stimmung (excerpts) Ensemble Vocal Sequence Damien Ricketson: T...

Though relatively new on the scene, with their signature combination  of  virtuosic playing, audience-friendly manner and willingness to take   risks, Spektral Quartet is proving to be a string quartet to watch.  We’ll feature their latest release on the Sono Luminus label, Serious Business. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Chris Fisher-Lochhead: Hack,...

The Relevant Tones team travels to Shanghai for New Music Week, a  relatively new but impressive festival held by the prestigious Shanghai  Conservatory of Music. This second in a four-part series features the  resident composers and some of the students involved in the festival. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Chen Yi: Night Thoughts (excerpts) Members of the S...

The Relevant Tones team travels to Shanghai for New Music Week, a  relatively new but impressive festival held by the oldest conservatory  of music in China. This first in a four-part series features the music  of Chinese composers featured at the festival. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Wen Deqing: The Glamor of Shanghai Concerto (excerpt) Shanghai Symphony Or...

Although a famous name can open some doors, it’s not always easy   following in the footsteps of a great artist. Many children of great   composers and performers have chosen to go a different route altogether,   but others have found their own artistic identity. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Sergei Prokofiev: Vision Fugitives Op. 22, No. 18 Ser...

Chinese composer Bright Sheng grew up hearing traditional Chinese  music but became fascinated by Western classical music. As a composer,  he’s forged a highly successful career blending both sound worlds into a  fascinatingly distinctive sonic identity. Bright Sheng: H’un Lacerations (excerpt) New York Chamber Symphony/Gerard Schwartz Sheng: Dance Capriccio Shanghai Quartet; Peter...

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran crafts music of an   intimately personal nature, making her one of the most often performed   composers of her generation. We’ll talk with Shulamit about her music,  the Contempo music series,  and her legacy at the University of Chicago,  where she was a highly  regarded professor for many years. Hosted by Seth B...

Relevant Tones heads into the field to Medellín and Bogota for a two-part survey of the music of Colombian composers. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters PLAYLIST Victor Agudelo: VueltaOriente Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad EAFIT/Cecilia Espinosa. Johann Hasler: Three Pieces for Percussion Grupo de Percusión de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia Andres Posada: Sombra y Luz...

Relevant Tones continues our popular In the Field series with a trip   to Bogotá and Medillín for interviews with composers and performers  busily making this South American country a mecca for new music. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Camilo Giraldo: Chucu Chucu Trip Trip Trip Guitar Trio Gustavo Parra: El Sapo Greñudo y Labión de Botswana Jorge Meija, Juan Fe...

Kickstarter has emerged as a viable way for artists to realize their wildest ambitions, including new albums, commissions, world premiere   performances and more. We’ll sample a few recent projects funded through Kickstarter.  Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Playlist Hannah Lash: C Paul Kerekes, p.; Michael Compitello, vibes Bonnie Miksch: Man Dreaming Butterfly...

Ground breakers, virtuosos, and commissioners of many of the world’s twentieth and twenty-first century string quartet masterpieces, the   influence of the Kronos Quartet cannot be underestimated.  We’ll feature a sampling of their luminous output over the years. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters PLAYLIST Alan Dorsey: Whatever Happened to the Hoodoo Meat Bucket? K...

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass has had a varied career as jazz drummer, freelance percussionist and composer of adizzying array of works in every conceivable genre. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Michael Colgrass: Winds of Nagual New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble/Battisti Michael Colgrass: Arctic Dreams New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble/Battisti

The twentieth century saw an interesting movement as composers banded together in collectives to help promote each other’s work. The  movement  has only gotten stronger in the twenty-first century with the rise of entrepreneurialism in classical music. We’ll feature the music of  several composer collectives and take a close look at their inner  workings. Hosted by Seth Boustea...

Much like the novel, people are always pronouncing the symphony to be a dead form.  And yet, composers continue to write symphonies at an   incredible pace.  We’ll feature music by composers around the world who are adding to the symphonic canon. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Erkki Sven-Tüür: Symphony 3 Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra/ Dennis Russell Davi...

Throughout history, composers who have been known for championing a particular musical style have shocked their fans by radically and suddenly changing their aesthetic.  Why does this happen, and who’s changing their style in the modern era? Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters George Rochberg: String Quartet No. 3 (excerpt) Concord String Quartet George Rochberg: Bagatelle No...

We all know the Pastoral Symphony of Beethoven,  Mendelssohn’s  Hebrides Overture inspired by Fingal’s Cave, and the  music by Vaughan Williams inspired by the English countryside.  But in  the modern era,  the urban environment is inspiring many composers to  capture its sounds in music. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters David Sampson: Chicago...

Critic Kyle Gann says “Singleton’s music is soulful, with an understated simplicity that I particularly prize. Despite the studied economy of his means and the set character of his images, the music is never cold … nor abstract. It glows with warmth.” Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Alvin Singleton: Jasper Drag (excerpt) Ted Gurch, cl.; Helen Hwaya Kim, v.; Laura Gordy, p...

Where would Gustav Mahler be without the incredible support of  Leonard Bernstein?  Bach without the support of Mendelssohn? Being championed by a famous performer or conductor is an incredible leg up to the career of many composers.  Who are the modern day composer   champions, and whose work are they promoting? Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters James N...