Relevant Tones

Relevant Tones’ annual live broadcast returns with a 2-hour   broadcast from City Winery.  Performers include Fonema Consort, Gaudete  Brass, and Graham Reynolds. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced  by Jesse McQuarters Fonema Consort Pablo Chin, Artistic Director; Nina Dante, voice; Kathryn Schulmeister, voice; Emily Beisel, clarinet; Ryan Packard, percussion Mort d’Antigone...

A master of orchestral timbre and an ardent individualist, Pulitzer  Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner has been one of the most  prolific composers in the 20th and 21st centuries. He visits our studios  to talk about his life and music. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Joseph Schwantner: Aftertones of Infinity Juilliard Orchestra/Slatkin Schwantner: Septem...

Thanks to virtuoso performers like Gary Karr, François Rabbath and  Edgar Meyer, the double bass is leaping to the front of the concert   stage and composers are taking note. This week we’ll listen to some of  the music written in the last few decades for this sonorous and  incredibly versatile instrument. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarter Adam Ben Ezra :...

Just as influenced by the blazing energy of Count Basie’s big band as   Steve Reich’s minimalism, Dutch composer Louis Andriessen was a true   trailblazer in the 20th century. We celebrate his 75th birthday by   looking back at his illustrious career. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Louis Andriessen: Life, Part I- Wind Bang on a Can All-Stars CA 2...

Composers like Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Bartók and have sought to   musically depict their environs for centuries. How are landscapes, both   urban and pastoral, being represented musically today? Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters David Sampson : Grant Park from Chicago Moves Gaudete Brass Toshio Hosokawa : Landscape V (excerpt) Munich Chamber Orchestra /Al...

Versatile singer, pianist and composer Errollyn Wallen is creating a unique body of work and making an international name for  herself along the way. We talk with her and play as much of her music as  we possibly can. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Wallen: Dervish Dominic Harlan, p.; Matthew Sharp, vc. Wallen: “Beehive” and “White Christine” from Are You Worried Abo...

Ever since its creation by Haydn in the 18th century, the string  quartet has been one of the preeminent vehicles for more musical  innovation. This show features new directions for the string quartet,   pairing the quartet with unusual other instruments like frame drum, alto  flute and more. William Kraft : Music for String Quartet and Percussion, III: The Winds of Evanes...

Scriabin so linked color to his music that he created a “light organ”  to display colors that corresponded to different notes in his pieces.   How does color and visual art affect composers and their music today? Michael Torke : Bright Blue Music for Orchestra Baltimore Symphony Orchestra /Zinman Morton Feldman : Rothko Chapel California EAR Unit Jennifer Higdon : Short Stories for...

He played with Miles Davis, was principal horn of the Cleveland  Symphony at age 18, is the co-creator of the “third stream” movement and   so much more. Seth talks with Schuller about his incredible life and legacy in music. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Gunther Schuller : Conversations Modern Jazz Quartet & Beaux Arts String Quartet Schuller: Of Reminisc...

We invite some of our favorite musical friends to bring a new   recording into the studio for listening, lively discussion and the joy   of new discoveries. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Max Grafe: “Bantams in Pine-wood” fr. Three Madrigals Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble Michael Gordon: Industry Maya Beiser, amplified cello Peter Ablinger: Drei Minute...

One of the world’s largest cities and a mecca for diverse art and  culture, Mexico City is also the home of a fascinating array of creative   musicians and composers. Part 1 of a two-part series will feature  interviews and music from the city’s musical leaders. Ana Lara : Y Los Oros, La Luz (excerpt) Ana Lara: Concierto para Corno di Bassetto, II + III (excerpt) Georgina Derbe...

Chicago’s Lincoln Trio performs two large scale works, one a  premiere, live on Relevant Tones from the stage of the Merit School of  Music in the West Loop. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Laura Schwendinger : Arc of Fire (World Premiere) Stacy Garrop : Sanctuary

Called one of the best drummers of all time by Gigwise  magazine, Kotche is also a talented and multi-faceted composer who has  worked with powerhouse groups like eighth blackbird, So Percussion and  Kronos Quartet. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Kotche: Anomaly, II, III, IV, V, VII Kronos Quartet; Kotche, perc. Kotche: The Haunted (excerpts) Lisa Kap...

The story of the Nativity, infused by John Adams and Peter Sellars  with texts new and old celebrating the miracle of birth and renewal. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Adams: El Niño (excerpts) Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Nagano;  Theatre of Voices; London Voices; Upshaw, s.; Lieberson, ms.; White, bar.

With roots in jazz, classical and sacred music, rhythmic influences  derived from travels in six continents, and a combustible spontaneity,  cellist Eugene Friesen (Paul Winter Consort), pianist and master  harmonica player Howard Levy (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Kenny  Loggins, Paquito d’Rivera), and percussionist Glen Velez (Paul Winter  Consort, Steve Reich) epitomi...

With groups like PLOrk and Benoit and the Mandelbrots leading the  way, the laptop ensemble is becoming a force to be reckoned with.  We’ll  feature laptop ensembles improvising,  playing composed music, live  coding and even collaborating with an orchestra.  Listen and believe! Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Benoit and the Mandelbrots – Ghostly...

Patricia Morehead, composer and oboist, is one of Chicago’s most  prominent and influential composers. Her teaching and compositions have  shaped generations of young composers much for the better, including our  own Seth Boustead! Listen in this week as she discusses her music with  us. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Turbion Galaxy for solo harpsichord- J...

This week, we look at composers releasing their music on older formats- vinyl and even cassette! Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters MUSIC Elizabeth Start- Scents Sent (in a Sense) Olafur Arnalds- Fyrsta Christopher Bono- Invocation No. 1, Exhaust The Roots featuring Mos Def- Double Trouble (excerpt) LJ White- Zin Zin Zin Zin Spektral QuartetReleased by Parlour Tapes Tim Corp...

This week we’ll talk with pianist, toy pianist and composer Phyllis  Chen, who is celebrating the release of her third album, Little Things. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Stephen Montague: Mirabella a Tarentella for Toy Piano John Cage: Suite for Toy Piano, II Phyllis Chen: Cobwebbed Carousel Angelica Nagron: The Little Things Fabian Svensson: Toy Toccata Karl...

Once a year the American Academy in Rome holds a competition,  honoring 15 emerging artists as well as 15 scholars from the US with the  so-called Rome Prize. The winners are invited to the Academy, where they can thrive on the  presence of cultural heritage as well as the exchange with the fellows  from other fields. We take a look at some of the compositions,  that winne...

Philip Glass is arguably the most famous plumber, mover and cab  driver ever to work in New York.  While not every example is that  extreme, there are quite a few composers with day jobs – multitalented  people, that advocate for their fellow composers, write, work in radio  or have a Ph. D in neuroscience. Tune in to listen to their works, and to find out what’s up with t...

The saxophone quartet has been around a while, with pieces being  written for it as early as 1857 (Jean Baptiste Singelee’s op. 53). After  the rediscovery for jazz, it has made a comeback to classical music as  well. We’re looking at some different takes on how to approach the  ensemble. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Jon Raskin and Steve Adams – Rad...

This week we explore modern music performed on recycled materials.  From Harry Partch’s “Quadrangularis Reversum,” to Dean Drummonds’  “Zoomoozophone,” many recent composers have forsaken traditional  instruments in favor of their own invented apparatuses. Enjoy an hour of new and unique sounds, reiterating the proverb that one man’s trash is indeed another man’s treasure. Hosted by...

We sat down with composer, Ilya Levinson, to talk about his story as a  composer in Chicago. The program also features live performances of  Levinson’s works by cellist, Ian Maksin. Levinson’s body of work varies stylistically, while still maintaining  a sound unique to the composer. You can hear his works performed in the  Chicago area, and around the world. Hosted by Seth Bou...

You send us CDs. Every once in a while we play those CDs on our show.  This is the 2013 edition of the CD grab bag! Enjoy this eclectic  variety of new music performed by the latest and greatest musicians.  This program is straight from our mailbox to your ears. Hosted by Seth Boustead Produced by Jesse McQuarters Derek Johnson – fragments Motto I. Star Music Motto II. A song of sor...