Good to Know

Jon Kimura Parker shares his passion for Sergei Rachmaninoff's 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini' with YourClassical MPR host Melissa Ousley. Find out what makes this well-loved classical piece tick.

So you’ve invited some folks for dinner. The table is set, the food is prepped — now, what about music? Here’s a course-by-course playlist to fit the menu.

It’s road trip season, and you might be headed to one of America’s awe-inspiring national parks. It’s no surprise that they’ve also been an inspiration for composers who captured the grandeur and beauty of these natural wonders during their own travels (actual or imaginary). Here’s some music for the journey.

It might be blasphemy to think longingly about winter during the fun-filled days of summer. But with this week’s furnace-like blast across much of the nation, you might want to enjoy some music that conjures snow, wind and cold. Here is a cool playlist to get you through the heat.

While it is difficult to represent all the diverse cultures that make up Asia and the Pacific Islands, here are six composers who have pushed the limits of composition by blending traditional sounds from their native homeland with Western classical styles.

The world of classical music can be intimidating for a new listener. Where do you start? Here are one young listener’s suggestions for five contemporary and classic pieces to help you dip your toes in the water.

Native American Heritage Day started in 2008 to honor the contributions that Native Americans gave to the United States. While these pieces represent only a fraction of the indigenous people’s heritages, celebrate the rich tapestry of cultures with six compositions from Native American composers.

The Hollywood playlist of Latino film composers includes Maria Grever, Agustín Lara, Lalo Schifrin, Gustavo Santaolalla, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Germaine Franco.

American composer George Walker died in 2018 at 96, but it’s never too late to learn about his amazing legacy and contributions to American music.

What if some of our modern popular songs were written during the time of Charlemagne or Frederick Barbarossa? Fear not, you can now enjoy nine medieval covers of some of today’s greatest hits.