Regional Spotlight™

The first- and second-place finalists in the Fargo-Moorhead Young Artist Solo Competition are front and center in this week's Regional Spotlight.

"Variations on a Norwegian Folk Tune" by Twin Cities composer Linda Tutas Haugen received a beautiful performance in the reverberant space of the Basilica of St. Mary with the Minnesota Sinfonia conducted by Jay Fishman.

David Mennicke leads the Concordia University, St Paul, Christus Chorus in two haunting works from a recent choir tour.

Pianist Nelson Goerner gives an amazingly dark hued performance of the Mendelssohn Fantasy in F-sharp minor (Opus 28) from a Frederic Chopin Society recital given last month.

The story of Mozart's Requiem is shrouded in mystery -- a web of deception woven by those he left behind when he died. Learn about and hear the music on Monday's Learning to Listen.

Bach requires much from his singers in his handful of motets. The South Dakota Chorale, led by Brian Schmidt, is a first-rate ensemble that is more than up to the challenge.

The American Spiritual Ensemble raises the roof from a performance given last February. (Actually, the roof hasn't really come down yet!)

The Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten by Arvo Part from a performance with Gidon Kremer and his group Kremerata Baltica is in this week's Regional Spotlight.

School Spotlight highlights outstanding Minnesota school- and student-music ensembles during the academic year. Through this feature, Classical MPR hopes to expose listeners to the great music being made by young musicians across the state, and to generate more support for music education.

"Broken Piece" by Zachery Meier is a new work for flute choir. It was recently premiered at a flute convention at University of Minnesota-Duluth. The UMD Flute Choir's performance of the work is featured in this week's Regional Spotlight.