The SPCO

Tune in at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 7 as Bill Morelock hosts a live broadcast of the SPCO performing the second of three programs spotlighting the works of Franz Schubert. This program features the composer's colossal Ninth Symphony, appropriately nicknamed The Great, and the Overture to Alfonso and Estrella. Between these works, the orchestra will perform Betty Olivero's Neharot, Neharot, featuring renowned violist Kim Kashkashian.

For Holy Week, Classical MPR is offering sacred music including four different musical depictions of the passion history, Durufle's Requiem, and Mozart's Mass in C Minor.

Retired engineer Ron Haglind is studying French these days in hopes of being able to communicate on his many trips to the Continent. That led to his discovery of "Le Mozart Noire" and a really fresh playlist for us.

The Schubert Club, Minnesota oldest arts organization, has a new Director. Barry Kempton's gracious accent reveals his English roots. But Kempton is no stranger to Minnesota. He spent eleven years as Artistic Planner and General Manager of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Now, after five years in England running the London Sinfonia, Kempton is back in Minnesota as the Schubert Club's Artistic and Executive Director.

They are colleagues and friends, a most welcome combination in the highly emotional world of chamber music performance. First chair players in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra, Steven Copes, Ruggero Allifranchini , Maiya Papach and Tony Ross are Accordo. In anticipation of a performance on Monday, February 6, Accordo stopped by to perform and chat with Steve Staruch.

Theater director/producer, writer and retired teacher Joan Potter recently traveled to Peru to hike to Machu Pichu and experienced an awe-inspiring sight when the clouds way below her started to rise up the mountains. The scene brought some of the most soulful music into her mind.

On a new disc, Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk share their insights into French music for violin and piano, from the days of Impressionism, to the Jazz Age.

This weekend, the SPCO will finish their cycle of Bach's Brandenburg Concerti. Listen to a performance from December 2007 by the SPCO.

Scott Seal joins Alison Young for Music with Minnesotans. He drives the 21 bus and is a classical music addict, though he can't listen while driving. That's when he works out his comedy routines in his head - and we'll hear plenty of those!

Dargel is wonderfully difficult artist to define. His output combines elements of traditional art songs, eclectic pop songs and subject matter that ranges from hypochondria to voluntary amputation.