Minnesota Orchestra
As winter drags on in the North, many of us head to Mexico and the Caribbean for some time in the sun by the sea. If you haven't been able to head out yet this season, this concert may just bring you there.
Steve Seel
MPR
SymphonyCast®
With Steve Seel
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.
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Taking a break from our non-winter, we're in the City of Angels this week with a sunny performance featuring the LA Philharmonic and their Conductor Laureate, Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
This week's show features a musician who takes his instrument to a magical and seductive level: oboist Albrecht Mayer.
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
In many ways, this is the quintessential NY chamber music experience. The conductor-less Orpheus Chamber Orchestra blazing a Brahms-ian trail with Gil Shaham.
Vienna Philharmonic
You'll go in for the Strauss ("2001" anyone?), but don't underestimate the Mozart. This little known Sinfonia for violin and viola is fan-flippin-tastic! It's a great performance with great soloists, and the Viennese know their Mozart better than anyone.
Royal Concertgebouw
Nothing is worse than having your life determined by people who show up unprepared, and that's exactly what happened to Rachmaninov. At the first performance of his first symphony, the conductor showed up drunk and the orchestra hadn't practiced. In the words of Homer Simpson, "D'oh!"
Royal Concertgebouw
Love it or hate it, Ravel's Bolero has always been a magnet for an opinion. At its premier a woman yelled out that the composer must be insane! To which he replied "Aha! She understood the piece." Listen for yourself.
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique
John Eliot Gardiner will bring your understanding of Beethoven into a whole realm in this emotionally raw and revolutionary performance from Carnegie Hall.
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.
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.
How do I leave a comment?
Use our contact form to send us your thoughts.