Poster Steve Seel
Steve Seel
MPR

SymphonyCast®

With Steve Seel

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

This week's concert is a great study in contrasts. Standing next to each other are some of the most dreamy orchestral pieces; beautiful washes of sound broken up by arguably the most primal piece of them all.

Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

It's called the Leipzig Bach Festival, but it's so much more than just the music of Bach. This sterling concert from the series highlights both Bach's influence and Russian star: Nikolai Tokarev.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra

This week we're at the Warsaw Easter Festival. A 17 year old series that highlights the influence and unifying effects of Beethoven.

Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus

Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus

This spectacular performance of Israel in Egypt — it's really that good — is a great example of how Handel was more than a one hit wonder when it came to writing oratorios.

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Los Angeles Philharmonic

There are hundreds of performers who blow us away with their playing, but both Dudamel and Shaham take it to the next level and also capture our hearts.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

There's an old saying: "Musicians never die, they just decompose." But for conductors who keep going, don't let that adage give you the wrong impression. Bernard Haitink, in his 84th year, is still going strong and brings together an amazing Mahler 9.

London Symphony Orchestra

London Symphony Orchestra

She's been called the people's diva, because while she has an incredibly luxurious voice, she also seems accessible and down-to-earth. In either case, she's something extraordinary — soprano Renee Fleming.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

The first notes of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 are so familiar to so many people that they've almost become a parody to themselves. You can almost imagine people thinking: Is it fate knocking on the door or should I go to the disco? As part of his final year as their Music Director, Paavo Jarvi gives a dynamite performance of it with the CSO.

About SymphonyCast®

The Show

SymphonyCast®, with host Steve Seel, is a two-hour weekly radio program featuring a full-length concert by a major orchestra. Material is drawn from Europe’s premier symphony orchestras, along with U.S. orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Nashville Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Our Host

Steve Seel

Steve Seel 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.

The Team

Daniel Nass, Producer

Daniel Nass is the producer of SymphonyCast®. He is responsible for creating the sound of the show, including choosing music programming and conducting artist interviews. In his nonproducer life, he is an avid runner and an award-winning composer.

Michael Osborne, Technical Director

Michael "Ozzie" Osborne is the Technical Director for SymphonyCast®. He masters the live and recorded music recordings that are programmed for each SymphonyCast® show. He also enjoys photography, listening to music and bicycling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the name of the composer, performer or piece I heard on the show?

Complete playlist information is available for each show. Click on a specific episode to access a detailed playlist.

What is the theme music at the beginning of every SymphonyCast® episode?

It’s the opening trumpet fanfare from Steve Heitzeg’s Nobel Symphony.

Can I buy a recording of music I heard on your show?

It’s possible, but not likely. Many of the performances that you hear on SymphonyCast® are not available for purchase because they were played at a live concert. In some cases, the musicians have recorded that same music for a commercial CD. If so, album title and recording label information will be available in the episode playlist.

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