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Steve Seel is the host of YourClassical’s weekly SymphonyCast and the trailblazing music show Extra Eclectic. He possesses a broad knowledge of many musical genres, having hosted radio programs ranging from classical to jazz and even avant-garde music at radio stations around the country. Steve began his love affair with public radio at 24 working whatever shifts he could at his hometown station of WUSF-FM in Tampa, Florida, and from there worked his way to snowy Buffalo, New York, and its renowned classical station WNED-FM, where he hosted middays and the weekly experimental-music show Present Tense.  In 2005, Steve became one of the founding voices on Minnesota Public Radio's eclectic station, the Current. While there, he hosted afternoons and mornings, and conducted in-depth interviews with pop music luminaries ranging from Brian Eno to David Byrne to Tori Amos. Steve is a basement composer obsessed with all things both minimalist and slow, and might actually be incapable of writing anything that exceeds 75 beats-per-minute.


Steve Seel

Composer Dobrinka Tabakova’s Cello Concerto is one of the most powerful and passionate new works in recent memory.


Dobrinka Tabakova's Passionate Power

Extra Eclectic

Courtesy of the artist. 

Hear Dobrinka Tabakova's passionate power 

On Saturday and Sunday, Kronos Quartet showcased new works from its ‘50 for the Future’ project in two Twin Cities concerts. YourClassical MPR's Steve Seel spoke with Kronos founder and artistic director David Harrington about the group's new initiative and how it continues to be a leader in moving classical music forward.


Kronos Quartet - David Harrington Interview

Jay Blakesberg

Kronos Quartet leads the way to the future as it visits Minnesota

Elizabeth Blair

Young Ukrainian dancers are finding safe haven at ballet schools in Europe and the U.S. Many of them planned to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix competition in Kiev which was cancelled.


Listen to the Story

Valeriia Velmozhko

Schools across Europe give shelter and fresh opportunities to Ukraine's young dancers

Jeff Lunden

The big-voiced soprano is in her mid-30s, and she didn't even hear an opera live until she was in her 20s. Now, she's a sought-after opera singer.


Ariadne auf Naxos: “Es gibt ein Reich”

Marty Sohl/The Metropolitan Opera

Norwegian opera singer Lise Davidsen is on the verge of superstardom

Lynne has been at this radio thing since 1984 when she fell into an historic job at KFAC AM and FM, the commercial classical station in Los Angeles.  She was the first woman staff announcer in the station's history, and it was such big news back then, it made the LA newspapers and national radio publications.  She is thrilled women in radio is no longer newsworthy.


Lynne Warfel

Saturday Cinema presents highlights from some of the best Oscar score winners from films in the 1950s and 1960s. Listen now with host Lynne Warfel.


A Look at Best Original Score Winners of the decades.

Oscar Retrospective: The 50s and 60s

Saturday Cinema

Listen to the Oscars' best original scores from the '50s and '60s

Composer Julius Eastman’s personal philosophy was “to be what I am to the fullest. Black to the fullest, a musician to the fullest, and a homosexual to the fullest.” Find out more about his brilliant, beautiful and challenging life in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.


An ecstatic exploration of classical music that’s aesthetically and uncompromisingly Black.

Rhapsody in Black - Julius Eastman's brilliant, beautiful and challenging life

Rhapsody in Black

Ron Hammond

Julius Eastman's brilliant, beautiful and challenging life

Women’s History Month opens with a sampling of some of the women moving classical music forward.


Women Lead the Way

Dayna Szyndrowski

Julie Amacher's desire to introduce others to great music is what led her to radio. She began her professional broadcast career at a station in Sun Prairie, Wis. She went from rock 'n' roll to the Rocky Mountains, where she found her niche in public radio at KUNC in Greeley, Colo. Julie spent 13 years at KUNC, where she managed the announcers and their eclectic music format. During that time, she earned four national awards for best announcer. She joined Minnesota Public Radio in 1997 as an on-air host and also produces New Classical Tracks, a weekly podcast critiquing a new release each week. It airs locally at 7:15 a.m. Wednesdays and 5:15 p.m. Fridays.


Julie Amacher

In this week’s New Classical Tracks, pianist Simone Dinnerstein completes her pandemic trilogy with her latest album, ‘Undersong.’ 


New Classical Tracks - Simone Dinnerstein (Extended)

New Classical Tracks - Simone Dinnerstein

Simone Dinnerstein Baranova multimedia proyect

From Undersong, the new album of her live-streamed performance for Music Worcester.

Simone Dinnerstein plays Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Movement 7

New Classical Tracks® 

Courtesy

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein finishes her pandemic trilogy 

John Birge has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.


John Birge

Tesfa Wondemagegnehu

John Birge interviews Tesfa Wondemagegnehu about his project “To Repair” and his upcoming three-day conversation series, “Let’s Not Go Back To Normal: Racial Reckoning, Repair, and Reconciliation” which opens Thursday night in Minneapolis.


Interview: Tesfa Wondemagegnehu and “Let’s Not Go Back To Normal: Racial Reckoning, Repair, and Reconciliation”

Interview: Tesfa Wondemagegnehu

MPR Photo / Nate Ryan

To repair, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu looks to home and beyond

Next month's benefit concert, hosted by a Washington-based chamber music group, will raise funds for families affected by the war in Ukraine. All proceeds will be donated to Save the Children.


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