PT Weekend: The Piano Puzzler

Conductor Elim Chan works with orchestras worldwide. She stays fit by boxing; she appreciates situations where she might get a black eye if she loses concentration. On today’s show, conductor and boxer Elim Chan leads the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra at a concert in Berlin.

Cellist Joshua Roman almost quit music altogether after developing Long Covid in 2021, but an encounter with Bach reminded him that the cello has been his lifelong friend. He's now shifted his mindset to center human connection over perfection in music and life. On today's show, he'll join Fred Child to discuss his journey with Long Covid and his new project, Immunity.

When cellist Joshua Roman got COVID-19 in January 2021, he was sure he'd recover quickly. Instead, he's still living with what's now known as Long COVID — physical and cognitive symptoms that affect his daily life. Roman recently joined Fred Child in the studio to tell his story and discuss his new album, ‘Immunity.’

A few years ago, composer George Morton noticed a striking similarity between Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and the iconic Star Trek theme. Inspired by this connection, he created Mahler – A Final Frontier. On today’s show, we’ll hear it performed by the Colorado MahlerFest Chamber Orchestra led by conductor Kenneth Woods.

Composer Richard Danielpour found musical inspiration in a sculpture made by his mother—an image of an Iranian woman breaking away from her veil. He contemplated recent protests in Iran, led by young women who want to choose whether to wear a headscarf. On today's show, we'll hear music inspired by the brave women of Iran: Breaking the Veil by Richard Danielpour.

Composer Damien Geter spent much of the pandemic reliving his love of 90s neo-soul. He says the music of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill helped him get through. As a classical composer, he wanted to write his own music in homage to neo-soul. On today's show, we'll hear what he came up with: "Neo-Soul," the String Quartet No. 1 by Damien Geter.

Valerie Coleman's "Tzigane" is a fiery response to a classic. Inspired by Ravel's iconic piece of the same name, Coleman channeled the energy and spirit of Roma music into a composition for wind quintet. On today's show, we'll hear the Imani Winds play Coleman's Tzigane at a performance presented by the Colorado College Summer Music Festival.

Composer Richard Danielpour found musical inspiration in a sculpture made by his mother—an image of an Iranian woman breaking away from her veil. He contemplated recent protests in Iran, led by young women who want to choose whether to wear a headscarf. On today's show, we'll hear music inspired by the brave women of Iran: Breaking the Veil by Richard Danielpour.

Publishing houses in Germany initially rejected Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto. When pianist Franz Liszt played through the piece with Grieg, Liszt warmly shook his hand and said, "You have the gift. Keep on composing. Don't let them intimidate you." Liszt’s advice changed Grieg's life; that piece has become one of the most famous pieces in classical music. On today's show, pianist Leif Ove Andsnes plays Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Switzerland.

Sure, it's a flashy showpiece for piano, but Kirill Gerstein says, "If you dig deeper, it's also a sincere expression straight from the heart." On today's show, hear Kirill Gerstein play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with conductor Hannu Lintu leading the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.