Regional Spotlight™

Today's Regional Spotlight features concert recordings, and newly produced recordings of holiday cheer from around Minnesota.

A number of seasons ago the SPCO hired countertenor John Holiday for its annual 'Messiah' performances. He's back. Holiday joins Steve Staruch in the studio.

This month's Regional Spotlight features homegrown music makings for the holidays.

Celebrate the holidays with one of classical music's most cherished works as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra joins forces with The Singers and various vocal soloists to present Handel's "Messiah."

Zlata Chochieva has won top honors at 14 international piano competitions. Critics speak of her uncanny ability to bring a deep narrative element to all she performs. In this week's Regional Spotlight, Zlata Chochieva plays the second half of the Chopin Etudes, Op. 25.

Pianist Zlata Chochieva played the Chopin Etudes Op 25 at a recent Frederic Chopin Society recital. On this week's Regional Spotlight, Chochieva's performance will embrace you.

Violinist Ilya Kaler is a violinist's violinist. He has won Gold Medals in the Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Paganini Competitions. To hear him is to see fireworks. Kaler's performance of the Paganini with the Minnesota Sinfonia is in this week's Regional Spotlight.

Jordan Cox is a film composer and orchestrator. Cox's 'A Poem for Autumn' takes its name and inspiration from Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen's original work. On this week's Regional Spotlight, Marleen Pauley conducts the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra in a performance of this vividly colorful work.

Harpist Katherine Siochi performs The Aeolian Harp, a transcription of the original Chopin keyboard etude.

This weekend, the Minnesota Orchestra performs the Violin Concerto No. 2 by Swedish composer Anders Hillborg. The piece was premiered last year (2016) by Lisa Batiashvili, to whom it is dedicated. The soloist this weekend is James Ehnes. Steve Staruch spoke with both the soloist and composer. That conversation and a brief excerpt from the concerto are in this week's Regional Spotlight.