Regional Spotlight™

There are those rare occasions when a performance makes you lose track of time; when the artist's personality melds with the essence of a piece of music. Those moments are magical. In this week's Regional Spotlight two artists, cellist Wendy Warner and pianist Irina Nuzova, make that kind of magic in a performance from the Schubert Club/Music in the Park Series recital November 15, 2011. With the gorgeous Cello Sonata No. 2 by 20th century Russian composer Nikolay Myaskovsky, their beautiful performance slows down time itself.

Sometimes the leftovers taste better than the original dish. In this week between Christmas and New Years Day the Regional Spotlight features some sweet and some savory performances from ensembles that continue to make the season bright!

On Friday, Dec. 9, New York Polyphony made their Twin Cities premiere as Classical Minnesota Public Radio presented the vocal ensemble in concert at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. You can hear the concert on air on Friday, December 23 at 9:00 p.m.

The Classical MPR Regional Spotlight continues to illuminate local performances with regional artists in works that celebrate the holiday season. Ensembles from St Paul, Bloomington, Northfield and Rochester are featured in well-worn favorites with joyful and surprising new works too. The Ghost of Christmas Present is alive and well at Classical MPR.

Long a favorite from their appearances on A Prairie Home Companion, VocalEssence rings in the season with an all-new Welcome Christmas! Sunday, December 25 at 5:00 p.m., it's an hour of joyful holiday music featuring the Minneapolis-based chorus, VocalEssence, hosted by John Birge.

Taste of the Holidays is a classical-holiday variety show recorded last December at the Fitzgerald Theater. Two choirs -- Magnum Chorum and The Singers, the Copper Street Brass, pianist Hiram Titus, the Veccione/Erdahl Duo, and the "house band" The Dolce Woodwind Quintet, all served up a wonderfully cheerful and serenely heartfelt program that kept the audience smiling all the way home.

The Regional Spotlight at Classical MPR continues to feature home-grown music making for the holiday season. This week its both the exuberant and the serene in recent performances that feature The Singers, The Zumbro Lutheran Church Choir (Rochester), The Gregorian Singers and the Artaria String Quartet.

Norway-based composer Andrew Smith enjoys a rewarding partnership with New York Polyphony.

All month long the Regional Spotlight at Classical MPR will include regional holiday performances and recordings.

Star of the North, Land of Sky Blue Waters, the place we call our own: Minnesota's rich musical tradition took center stage in these last few weeks. VocalEssence completed its recent statewide tour with a "Home Concert" Sunday, November 6 at the Fitzgerald Theater.