Listen Stories

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.

Pianist Awadagin Pratt is a world-class pianist who has earned awards, international competitions and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has never shied away from talking about his experiences as a Black man in the predominantly white world of classical music and has worked hard to help others following the same path. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

This week, ‘Extra Eclectic’ begins its weekly visits to the biggest classical music celebration in the world, the BBC Proms — with highlights from the British summertime festival's rich offerings of contemporary music performances. Listen with host Steve Seel as he shares music from Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi and John Adams.

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.

What happens when the nicest and best cow has a clumsy run-in with the Ice Fairy? Find out in ‘Sweet Arabella,’ the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime — featuring narration by Valerie Kahler, illustrations by Raul Villanueva and music by Jacques Ibert.

‘Saturday Cinema’ celebrates women and the various roles they play in the movies — moms, stage moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, aunts, nannies — from Mama Rose in ‘Gypsy’ to ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’ Listen now with guest host Bonnie North.

Your ears will positively tingle in the first hour of ‘Extra Eclectic’ when host Steve Seel features music by Turkish-American composer Mehmet Ali Sanlikol. In the second hour, it's a quiet set that veers from the calm to the eerie, with music by Pauline Oliveros, Missy Mazzoli and Timo Andres.

Acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker and the BRKFST Dance Company joined the Minnesota Orchestra for a program featuring works by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel, Daniel Bernard Roumain and Igor Stravinsky. Listen to the concert now and watch as Parker demonstrates his love for Elton John and explains Rachmaninoff’s work.

This week’s episode of ‘Saturday Cinema,’ with guest host Bonnie North, features music from the movie ‘Hook’, and also includes selections from ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Jaws’ and ‘Life of Pi.’ Listen now!

In their new book ‘On Minimalism,’ musicologists William Robin and Kerry O'Brien capture the lesser-known stories of the musical movement and its development, era by era.