Classical Classroom

Composer Ned Rorem turned 93 on October 23rd. In honor of Rorem and his amazing career, composer Daron Hagen, Rorem’s friend and former student, teaches a crash course in the music and life of Ned Rorem. Hear how his music has evolved over time, and about the life events that have precipitated creative growth and change. The amount of ground-breaking that Rorem has done in his life, both socially and creatively, is frankly more than one podcast can contain. But we give it our best shot anyway. 

Music in this episode (all by Ned Rorem):

“Early in the Morning”

“Air Music”

“String Symphony”

Audio production by Todd “Todd-ry” Hulslander with eyebrow-raising from Dacia Clay and help from Mark DiClaudio.

PS, If you enjoyed this episode with Daron Hagen, you can also hear him in an episode of Classical Classroom about Benjamin Britten and his opera Billy Budd!

Waaaay back in episode 102, composer and conductor Victoria Bond taught us about the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency, about whom Bond wrote the opera Mrs. President. On this, the first day of early voting for the U.S.’s 2016 election, Bond is back to teach about what turns out to be a tradition in classical music: music based on true political events. Learn about the pieces throughout history that are… about history, go vote, and then learn about the upcoming performance of Bond’s opera here. View the live stream of the opera at Friday, October 28, 8:00 pm EDT.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Electoral College” Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and yeas and nays from Dacia Clay.

Happy voting everyone!

Producer Todd has been wandering around somewhere in the woods for the past week. We think he’s found his way out, but while he readjusts to civilization, please enjoy this episode from the Classical Classroom vault!

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“You gotta hear this one song. It’ll change your life.” – Pierre Jalbert to me*.

Have you ever heard a piece of music that truly moved you? Has a piece of music actually changed the course of your life? Ravel and George Crumb wrote pieces of music that played huge roles in the life of a young Pierre Jalbert. He talks about these two pieces of music, how he encountered them, how they work, and how they are woven into the fabric of his life and work.

Audio production in this episode by Todd “Toots” Hulslander with angry Footloose dancing from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

*Actually, Pierre didn’t say this to me. But, Natalie Portman says it to Zach Braff in the movie Garden State about a song by the Shins called “New Slang“, which is, actually, a darn good song.

This is serious, people. Classical music has a long and meaningful history in cartoons that is no laughing matter. Just kidding! There is a really long history, but it is hilarious, and so is this episode. Richard Scerbo, Director of the National Orchestral Institute and Festival and founder and artistic director of the DC-based and Grammy-nominated Inscape Chamber Orchestra, takes us on a tour of that history. Find out the practical, social, and financial reasons behind Looney Tunes use of classical music, and how cartoons both poked fun at the music and made it fresh for new audiences. Hear examples of the classical music the cartoons draw from and examples of how the music was rearranged to suit the needs of Porky and Bugs. And, um, that’s not all, folks.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Mark “The Martian” DiClaudio and Todd “Tweety” Hulslander with onomatopoeia by Dacia Clay.  

In an epic Classical Classroom, tenors Isaiah Bell and Chris Mayell (who, among many other things, co-host the Overthought podcast) walk through the entirety of Benjamin Britten’s opera, Albert Herring. It is an incredible journey, not for the faint of heart, nor for the anti-Canadian. Discussed: townies, queer theory vs. non-queer theory interpretations of the opera, Sid and Nancy (no – not them – the other Sid and Nancy), and Ron Swanson. 

Music in this episode (all from Naxos and Decca recordings of Albert Herring):

“Albert the Good!” (Britten/Fisher)

“Sounds like Sid serenading” (Bedford/Barstow)

“Heaven helps those who helps themselves” (Bedford/Barstow)

“In the midst of life is death” (Britten/Fisher)

Audio production by Todd “Overtodd” Hulslander with meaningful encouragement from Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

Fun fact: "Gilmore Girls" scripts are almost twice as long as other TV shows of comparable length. In this regard, this is the "Gilmore Girls" of "Classical Classroom" episodes. Andy Meyerson and Travis Andrews of the Living Earth Show teach all about electro-acoustic chamber music, sure, but they do a lot more. In addition to talking about the composers and works they commission, and about experimental classical music in general, you are guaranteed to hear boiling water used musically, and at least one verbal treatise on Lars Ulrich of Metallica. Take notes, people. This is pure gold.

By the way, the Living Earth Show will be releasing a new album in late October called Dance Music. You'll preview music from that album in this episode. Check them out here: www.tles.bandcamp.com

Music in this episode: - "Helpless," from Garage Days Re-Revisited by Metallica. - "Enter Sandman," from Metallica by Metallica. - Performed by the Living Earth Show: -- Family Sing-A-Long and Game Night (composed by Nicole Lizée) -- The Bell, The Ball, The Bow-Tie, & The Boot (composed by Jonathan Pfeffer) -- Tassel (composed by Anna Meredith)

Audio production by Todd "Stevie Ray Todd" with keyboards by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Mark Abel’s life infuses his music, and music has been his life. He’s been a classical musician, a punk rocker, a reporter, and a classical musician and composer again. In this episode, Abel talks about “art song,” a very particular kind of classical music where song and poetry intersect. Learn about its history, its composers, and hear some of Abel’s own work.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Hell” Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and abiding by Dacia Clay.

Composer Stephen Lias didn’t necessarily mean to become an “adventurer-composer.” He was minding his own business as a perfectly normal composer, having his music played by soloists and ensembles, and working as a Professor of Composition at Stephen F. Austin State University. In his free time, he liked to go on adventure trips, backpacking and kayaking. Little did he know that one day soon, his two loves would merge and that he would become Stephen Lias, Adventurer-Composer! His whole life would be changed, and he would become Composer-in-Residence at many of the United States’ National Parks. 

Find out what that means, and more about Stephen’s story in this adventure-filled episode of Classical Classroom! And by the way, did you know that it’s the United States National Park Service’s 100th birthday? Go hug a National Park today!

Music in this episode (all by Stephen Lias):

Audio production by Todd “Grand Tetodd” Hulslander, with spelunking by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

PS, Stephen Lias is also an awesome photographer. Check out his photographic work – much of it of his National Parks adventures – right here.

That’s not a violin – it’s a woodbox! Daniel Bernard Roumain talks about creative appropriation in classical music. The Haitian-American composer’s creative world was cracked open when he realized that everything – including the definition of “violin” – was ripe for reinterpretation. As a kid in garage bands, he took the decidedly uncool violin and made it his own. As a classically trained musician, he brings classical music together with hip hop, rock, bluegrass, and other genres to create his signature sound. We talk about DBR’s creative journey and about how innovators like John Cage have changed classical music by adding an important ingredient to the genre: imagination.

Audio production by Todd “T-Dawg” Hulslander with super disco breaking by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

To see DBR perform in our studios on Skyline Sessions, go here.

Daniel Roumain is an artist in residence with the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, which is dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration across the performing, visual, and literary arts. Based at the University of Houston, the Mitchell Center commissions and produces new works, presents public performances and exhibitions, offers curriculum and scholarships, and hosts residencies with renowned visiting artists from throughout the world. The Center is home to the Mitchell Artist Lecture, an annual event featuring a pioneer in contemporary art-making, as well as CounterCurrent, an annual spring festival of new performance. The Mitchell Center forms an alliance among five departments at UH: the School of Art, Moores School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance, Creative Writing Program, and Blaffer Art Museum. For more information visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org.

Our summer music festival series is over, and we are frankly a little sleepy now. So this week, while we nap, we are bringing you some old gold from the vault. It’s one of our faves, featuring Branford Marsalis. If you don’t love it, too, we will be both shocked and appalled.

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Branford Marsalis‘ stark 2014 solo album In My Solitude includes jazz standards like “Stardust” next to C.P.E. Bach’s Sonata in A Minor for Oboe, Wq. 132. His jazz discography is peppered with classical releases. What’s that all about?! Where do jazz and classical intersect? How is playing one different from the other – or is it? Find out in this episode!

Audio production by Todd “The Twister” Hulslander with a firm handshake from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode:

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California!

All good things must come to an end, and...here we are. The final installment of our summer music mini-series features New York Philharmonic concertmaster (who used to be Houston Symphony concertmaster), Frank Huang. He talks about the job of a concertmaster, and about his own story of a life in two cities with two orchestras. Frank also discusses first being a student and then being a teacher and visiting artist at the Music Academy of the West, and he talks about what he's been doing at the MAW festival this summer. At the end of the interview, we kidnap him and bring him back to Houston. It's an action-packed thrill-ride! JK. There's no kidnapping. That's illegal! But we think you'll enjoy the conversation anyway.

Music in this episode: - "We're Going to Be Friends," by the White Stripes. From White Blood Cells. - String Sextet in D minor "Souvenir de Florence", Op. 70 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Audio production by Todd "Triple Double" Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and three-wheel motion by Dacia Clay. Copious thanks to the Music Academy of the West for all of their help with this mini-series and for letting us crash their summer music festival, with special thanks to Kate Oberjat (oh-bur-yacht) who has not missed a spot and who’s done an awful lot, and to Emma Levine, Barbara Hirsch and Anthony Paggett. Thanks to Scott Reed, Richie Hawley, Matthew Sinno, Jeremy Denk, Bill Williams, Matthew Aucoin, Cynthia Phelps, Thomas Hampson, and Frank Huang without whom these interviews would have been monologues. Thanks to KCRW in Santa Barbara and to engineer Kathryn Barnes. 

May the Force be with you on your way back to school!

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California!

Library of Congress “Living Legend” and Grammy Award-winning baritone Thomas Hampson has reached a point in his life and career at which one might use the term “venerable” to describe him. “Wise” is another word that music journalists probably throw down when talking about him. And they would not be wrong. But even Thomas Hampson got his start somewhere. In this interview, he talks about his classical music beginnings at the Music Academy of the West, and about conveying the grand meaning of music as a teacher to young people in master classes there now.

Music in this episode (all performed by Thomas Hampson):

Audio production by Todd “Toddsong” Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and lipsyncing by Dacia Clay. Thanks to the Music Academy of the West for their help with these interviews, especially to Emma Levine and Kate Oberjat, who’s quite frankly, done a lot.

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California!

Laugh all you want at the viola – Cynthia Phelps, the New York Philharmonic’s Principal Viola, ignores the haters. She doesn’t even bother to hold up a hand and tell them to talk to it. She just produces beautiful music on the viola and lets it speak for itself. In the fourth installment of our MAW series, learn all about the viola, why people make fun of it, and why they are wrong, so wrong. Phelps introduces us to the instrument’s repertoire, and talks about what she’s been doing to spread the gospel of the viola at the Music Academy of the West this summer.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Two-Bit” Hulslander with staying gold by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to the Music Academy for their help with this series, and special thanks to Kate Oberjat (oh-bur-yacht) who we appreciate a lot. Thanks also to Cynthia Phelps’ manager, Elizabeth Dworkin, and to Pamela Walsh at the New York Philharmonic for their help.

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California!

The third installment of our MAW series features composer, conductor, and pianist, Matthew Aucoin. Aucoin is a resident at that Music Academy of the West, and a sort of serial residentialist elsewhere (like the Peabody Essex Museum and soon, the Los Angeles Opera). He talks about what a “residency” is, and how it informs a composer’s creative process; plus, he gives us a sample of what he’s been busy creating while at the Music Academy.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “The Bartered Todd” Hulslander with pirouettes by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to the Music Academy for their help with this series, and special thanks to Kate Oberjat (oh-bur-yacht) without whom this series simply would not.

In our second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California!

The second installment of our MAW series features trumpet player, performance coach, and educator, Bill Williams. Williams initially spent his career as principal trumpet for orchestras like San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Barcelona. But when performances began to induce anxieties and other distractions, he started seeking ways to regain focus. As it turns out, Bill wasn’t alone: many musicians perform in spite of the fear of doing so. Williams’ research led him to meet sport psychologist Dr. Don Greene. Eventually, Williams honed a series of techniques to help improve musicians’ focus, and with it, their performance. In this episode, Williams talks all about common mental blocks that come up for classical musicians and how he now spends much of his time helping people overcome them, one psychological bear at a time.

Music in this episode: 

Audio production by Todd “Triple Lutz” Hulslander with perfect landing by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. Many thanks to the Music Academy for their help with this series – especially to Kate Oberjat, whose name rhymes with “clover yacht,” and who has helped us an awful lot.

It’s time for the second annual Classical Classroom Summer Music Festival Series! This year, we hit the (sound)waves at the Music Academy of the West in sunny Santa Barbara, California.

In the first installment of our MAW series, pianist Jeremy Denk talks about teaching the enormousness of Beethoven to young artists, ragging classical music, whether or not classical music today exists outside the bounds of style, and about what makes the Music Academy of the West unique to him. Throughout the MAW Summer Series, we’ll also hear from the Academy’s president and CEO Scott Reed, faculty clarinet Richie Hawley, and viola fellow Matthew Sinno about the festival experience from their perspectives. It’s going to be rad.

Check out this slideshow of the ridiculously gorgeous campus upon which the Music Academy of the West lives.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Two-Shirts” Hulslander with overlording by Dacia Clay.

Thanks to the Music Academy of the West for their help with this series, especially to Kate Oberjat, the coolest coordinator in the West, for her assistance with basically everything. 

How strange (and awesome) it is to be Jherek Bischoff at all. This composer, arranger, performer, and producer began his musical journey playing prog rock on bass guitar. After spending years of his youth on a boat, which his family sailed around the world playing music with locals as they went, he toured and recorded with indie rock and experimental bands. Then one day, he heard a piece of classical music that changed his life forever. Suddenly, he found himself composing for chamber groups and orchestras, learning a whole new musical and cultural language. Hear all about his journey into classical music, his interview with Terry Gross, and his new album (which was born inside of a cistern), in this episode.

Music in this episode from Bischoff's upcoming album Cistern (release: July 15, 2016). For more about his new album, visit www.jherekbischoff.com

Audio production by Todd "Tiramisu" Hulslander with doggy paddling by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Thanks to George Heathco for the MusicWorks theme music. For more about his music: www.soundcloud.com/george-heathco

Video games have come a long way since Pong, and so has their music. The electronic bleeps and blorps of ye olden days have evolved into composed musical scores that have their own fans and are performed by major symphony orchestras nationwide. Final Fantasy, one such game with a musical score that – as illustrated in this episode – draws on the classical music tradition, will soon be performed (again) by the Houston Symphony. Lesley Sabol, Director of Popular Programming at the Houston Symphony, and Joshua Zinn, content producer and host at Houston Public Media, talk about the relevance of video game programs for symphony orchestras and their audiences, and the evolution of video game music; plus, hear examples of Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu’s classical music knowledge and influences.

The Houston Symphony will perform Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasyon July 23, 2016. To find out more, check out their website.

Audio production for this episode by Todd “Toddo” Hulslander with kansatsu by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

Note: In the opening of this episode, I promised to post a certain photo, but my dad is still searching for it! It’s coming soon to our social media. Pinky swear. – Dacia

When you hear the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, pretty much the last thing that comes to mind is self-doubt (Hello?! The man wrote actual cannons into his music!). But as conductor Mei-Ann Chenexplains, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture took him years to write because he was deeply self-critical. And his opinionated mentor, Mily Balakirev, didn’t help the situation. Learn all about Tchaikovsky’s creative process and about one of the most romantic pieces of music ever written in this episode.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Toddkovsky” Hulslander with very bad ballet dancing by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Mei-Ann Chen was in Houston for the Texas Music Festival, which continues through July 2nd. For more information, visit their website. 

The Classical Minds Festival and Competition just took place here in Houston, and though the festival is all about classical guitar, Dr. Tamara McCoy was there on piano. She stopped by the Geary Studio at Houston Public Media to record and teach about Franz Liszt’s Totentanz. As it turns out, the only thing harder than playing the piece was writing it — it took Liszt almost 20 years. Learn all about the piece, the inspiration behind it, and…Steve Holt!

Download Tamara McCoy’s performance of the piece (used in this episode and produced by Todd Hulslander) here:

Audio production for Classical Classroom by Todd “Totentodd” Hulslander with Lisztomania by Dacia Clay. Many thanks to the awesome Valerie Hartzell for her help in making this episode happen!

If you’ve never lived through one, David Hanlon’s chamber opera After the Storm is a good place to begin to understand what “hurricane” really means. The opera premiered with Houston Grand Opera‘s HGOco via their Song of Houston initiative this May. In this episode, composer Hanlon talks about conducting research for the opera, which included investigating Galveston’s 1900 Storm, about capturing the awesomeness of a massive hurricane in a chamber opera, and about living through a monster storm himself. Hunker down and gather canned goods before listening.

Music in this episode:

Radio voiceovers in the opera by Houston Public Media’s Carrie Feibel and Michael Hagerty. 

Audio production for this episode by Todd “Typhoon Todd” Hulslander with window taping by Dacia Clay.

To hear more about After the Storm, check out Amy Bishop’s piece, “New Hurricane Opera Hits Close to Home for Houstonians”.

“All I have is a voice.” ― W.H. Auden

“I was never particularly fond of my voice.” — David Bowie

Audio production by Todd “Tremolo” Hulslander with side eye from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode includes:

Skyline Sessions: John Holiday, “Stille amare” by G.F. Handel:

David Daniels, “Ombra mai fu,” Xerxes by Handel:

Alessandro Moreschi, “Ave Maria”:

Allegedly, as of this posting, there are still about three weeks of spring to go. But in Houston, spring has already died of heat exhaustion. That’s why we decided to bring back this episode about Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. The episode was originally recording in the fall of 2013. This all totally makes sense. We think. Then again, it’s really hot, so this could be faulty logic. In any case, this is a great episode from the Wayback Machine about an iconic piece of music. Enjoy!

Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring was so revolutionary that its alien sounds literally incited a riot at its premiere. Dr. Ana María Otamendi, Venezuelan pianist and professor at the University of Houston tells us why! And btw, we areaware that it’s Fall. But we don’t even care!

Audio production by Todd “Travesty” Hulslander with aspersions cast by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

British-style brass bands are of the people, for the people, and by the people. They’re made up of unpaid citizens who get together to play classical music just because they love to. They have this crazy working class history that dates back almost 200 years to British industrialization. At competitions, fans express allegiance to their local brass bands with the same passion that they do sports teams. And many of the musicians are one life choice away from being professional players. Robert Walp of the Houston Symphony and the Houston Brass Band explains all about the history and culture of the British-style brass band, and what these bands look like in America today.

Music in this episode (all from the Houston Brass Band’s CD One):

Audio production for this episode by Todd “Trombone Shorty” Hulslander with muting by Dacia Clay.

To find out about the Houston Brass Band’s upcoming events, go here.

Ottorino Respighi wasn’t a native of Rome, but he got there as quickly as he could. And then he set to writing lots of music about the place. Conductor Franz Anton Krager and Houston Symphony Principal Trumpet Mark Hughes teach all about Respighi, some of his Roman tone poems, and why he was a master of orchestration. Krager and Hughes will be performing Respighi together at the Texas Music Festival on June 11. It’s going to be fantastico!

Music in this episode (all by Ottorino Respighi):

Audio production by Todd “Totally Tubular” Hulslander with “Like, ohmygawd!” by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Thanks to Susan Farb Morris for her help with this episode!

We’ve retrieved an episode from the Classical Classroom Wayback Machine for Chamber Music Month! Please, by all means, enjoy.

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The Grammy-nominated Enso String Quartet puts the “class” in this episode of Classical Classroom. We discuss where string quartets come from, why the instruments in a quartet go together so well, what sets Enso apart from other string quartets, and what it’s like to play live (which apparently sometimes includes hitting yourself in the face and dancing to get away from bees).

Music in this episode includes:

Audio production by Todd “He-Man” Hulslander with a few carefully-worded complaints from Dacia Clay.

We are endorsing this Classical Classroom guest — Rodney Waters — to replace the Most Interesting Man in the World, and not just because of his amazing beard. He’s a musician, a humanitarian, a photographer, and he’s currently training to become a Jungian analyst. In this Choose Your Own Adventure episode (listen for details), Rodney first explains Jungian theory, archetypes, myths, and fairy tales, and then walks us through pieces of classical music that exemplify those things. You’ll confront your Shadow Self, experience catharsis, and ultimately find spiritual wholeness just by listening. It’ll be a hoot!

All music in this episode was performed by Rodney Waters (piano) and Judy Dines (flute), and recorded at the Jung Center by Todd Hulslander.

Audio production by Todd “Trickster” Hulslander with heroic journeys by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

We could just as easily have called this episode, Growing Up Beethoven, or Build-A-Beethoven, or Beethoven: From Boy to Boss, but “actualization” is more accurate. As violist Simone Gramaglia of Quartetto di Cremona explains, like any artist we study in hindsight, Beethoven’s creative development has distinct, identifiable periods. Unlike other artists, as he evolved, Beethoven moved increasingly away from rules and conventions, and into something transcendent: a full expression of his own unique creative vision. What I’m trying to say is that Beethoven had a lot in common with Prince.  

All music in this episode from Quartetto di Cremona’s Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, including:

Audio production by Todd “La Dolce Todda” Hulslander with Vespa riding by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Today – that is April 18th 2016 – much of our fair city of Houston is underwater. There was a big scary flood, the power’s out, the roads are lakes, and we, the Classical Classroom team, literally can’t get to the station to access the files we need to post our new episode. We tried to cobble together an ark, but it turns out that’s a whole thing. However! Through sheer grit, determination and the power of the human spirit to use computers, we have unearthed this episode with Todd Reynolds, which we think – nay! – we know you will enjoy.

Also, on a serious note, our city is in bad shape and a lot of folks are going to need some help after the floodwaters subside. If you can help, visit the Texas Red Cross Gulf Coast Region website and make a donation. That’s also a good place to go if you are in need of help.

What do we mean when we say “classical music”? Sure, sure: it refers to a period of music, like “Baroque” or “Romantic”. But we largely use the word as a sort of generic brand-name for a specific variety of sound. In this episode of Classical Classroom, genre-ignoring violinist Todd Reynolds attempts to define classical music. Does he succeed? Does he give up and just start talking about Prince instead? Maybe and maybe! Listen to this episode to find out.

Audio production by Todd “Timbalander” Hulslander with at least 3 really good suggestions from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

Todd Reynolds was a special guest of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

ABOUT THE MITCHELL CENTER The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts is dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration across the performing, visual, and literary arts. Based at the University of Houston, the Mitchell Center commissions and produces new works, presents public performances and exhibitions, offers curriculum and scholarships, and hosts residencies with renowned visiting artists from throughout the world. The Center is home to the Mitchell Artist Lecture, an annual event featuring a pioneer in contemporary art-making, as well as CounterCurrent, an annual spring festival of new performance. The Mitchell Center forms an alliance among five departments at UH: the School of Art, Moores School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance, Creative Writing Program, and Blaffer Art Museum. For more information visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org.

For more about Todd Reynolds check out his blog: www.toddreynolds.wordpress.com

Hélène Grimaud‘s recent release on Deutsche Grammophon, is a true “concept album.” Flowing with water themed music from the classical repertoire it also bathes us with new musical bridges and transitions from composer and producer, Nitin Sawhney.

“What inspired the idea to record this album is really the fascination that so many composers of the 19th and 20th centuries seem to have had with the element of water,” Grimaud states.

In this episode, Hélène and Dacia surf through the music selections, and wade through the details of how a project such as this ebbs and flows. They navigate through the process, from a tiny ripple of an idea to a tsunami of musical expression in the final CD release. They also dive into the ecological importance of conservation and Hélène’s goal of streaming awareness for safe, clean water around the world.

With all of the good music on this show, you might need a bigger boat!

Featuring works by nine composers: Berio’s Wasserklavier and includes Takemitsu’s Rain Tree Sketch II, Fauré’s Barcarolle No.5, Ravel’s Jeux d’eau, “Almería” from Albéniz’s Iberia, Liszt’s Les Jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este, the first movement of Janáček’s In the Mists, and Debussy’s La cathédrale engloutie.

Audio production by Todd “Trickle” Hulslander with splashing about by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

While we are cooking up new episodes for your enjoyment, please enjoy this delicious dish from our archives. Don’t miss Avi’s recent in-studio performances at WQXR, btw! 

According to Deutsche Grammophonrecording artist Avi Avital, while the bass is not bad, it’s more about that mandolin. Which is also what this whole episode is about! Avi tells all: Where did the mandolin come from? Who composes for it? Why does he advocate for such a strange instrument? And how much did he play that one REM song in high school? Learn all of this and more right here!

Audio production by Todd “Terrific” Hulslander with electric slides by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode:

For more about Avi Avital: www.aviavital.com. 

Louis Andriessen is one of the most important contemporary composers you’ve (probably) never heard of. His work isn’t widely played because he’s written many pieces for varieties of ensembles that don’t exist. In fact, specially created ensembles have sprung up because of Andriessen’s pieces, including the famous British ensemble, Icebreaker. Guitarist, composer, and co-founder of Liminal Space Contemporary Music Ensemble, George Heathco, teaches us all about Andriessen and his contributions to the alt classical movement. Or indie classical. Or whatever you wanna call it.

Music used in this episode includes:

Audio production from Todd “Twinkles” Hulslander with very marginal oversight from Dacia Clay.

PS, One of the images attached to this article is not George Heathco, but his TV doppleganger George from Being Human. Can you tell which is which? One of them loves Twilight. (Apologies, non-specific George!)

Happy Bach’s 331st birthday! To celebrate, we had a partita party with violinist Rachel Barton Pine. (What’s a “partita,” you ask? Listen and learn, my friends.) Rachel explains Bach’s sonatas and partitas and what makes them unique, and walks us through several examples from her new album Testament, which she released on March 21st to coincide with Bach’s bday. Also discussed: What Bach means to her personally, and whether one needs to wear a beret when playing French music (spoiler alert: oui).

99% of the music in this episode is from Rachel Barton Pine’s new release,  Testament: Complete Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin by J. S. Bach. The other 1% is the producer’s fault.

Nadia Sirota is a busy lady. She’s a violist and recording artist, she’s a member of yMusic, Alarm Will Sound, and ACME (the American Contemporary Music Ensemble), she commissions work from new composers, she collaborates with classical and rock music makers (Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Jónsi, and Arcade Fire to name a few) and she’s the host and co-producer of Q2 Music’s contemporary classical music podcast, Meet the Composer. In this episode of Classical Classroom, Sirota talks about new classical music, from what to call it (Alt classical? Concert music? Music?) to the people who are making innovative work right now. Hear music so fresh it will make your clothes smell good. 

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Touché” Hulslander with whale song by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

To learn more, check out Nadia Sirota’s website. 

Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey came to an end last night after six seasons. In this tell-all exposé, Scottish composer John Lunn talks about his years with the Crawley family, what Lord Grantham really thought of Branson, and his thoughts on Thomas Barrow’s perpetual bad attitude. Okay, okay — not exactly. But Lunn does talk about how he got into writing for TV, how it’s different than writing operas and violin concertos, and about being part of the Downton team for six seasons. Past (and future!) secrets are revealed. All in a lovely Scottish accent.

All music in this episode (except for the Bach) from the CD, Downton Abbey: The Ultimate Collection:

Audio production for this episode by Todd “Lord of Toddington” Hulslander with pregnant pauses by Dacia Clay and assistance from Mark DiClaudio.

Learn more about John Lunn here.

For more about Downton Abbey, go here. 

  Classical music renaissance man, Hugh Sung

Hugh Sung is a modern classical music renaissance man: He’s a podcaster, a techie, a pianist who’s collaborated with people like Jennifer Higdon and Hillary Hahn, an author, an inventor, a former Curtis Institute Professor who now teaches online. Sung has crafted a life — and a career — that keeps him close to his passion and that constantly engages his busy mind. In this MusicWorks episode, learn how and why Hugh does it, and be inspired to create your own Musical Life.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Mind Like a Steel Trap” Hulslander with x-ray vision by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

To hear Dacia Clay’s interview on Hugh’s podcast, go here.

For more about Hugh Sung: www.hughsung.com

Thanks to our MusicWorks theme music composer, George Heathco.

MusicWorks is a Classical Classroom subseries that takes a look at what people are doing in the classical music world today.

Beyond Pluck is a harp duo, comprised of Paula Bressman and Rachel Miller. In addition to the classical repertoire, they also like arranging pop songs for the harp, working with scientists and artists, touring clubs as well as concert halls, and long walks on the beach. In this episode, Paula and Rachel talk about the history of the harp and how it works, its repertoire, conjuring fairies, and why anyone would want to play something so ginormous. They also perform, illustrating the range of the harp, from Bach to Rihanna. That’s right: we found harp in a harpless place.

All music in this episode played by Beyond Pluck.

Audio production by Todd “Tragically Hip” Hulslander with cagey responses by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

In honor of Presidents Day, we are rerunning not one, but TWO very presidential episodes of Classical Classroom. Originally, our discussion with AFA’s ‎executive and artistic director Michael Remson was so epic — spanning John Adams’ entire Nixon in China opera — that we divided it into two episodes. For your listening pleasure, we’ve merged the two episodes into one here. So, go get some apple pie, your whittling tools, and a glass of whiskey (this is how we imagine you listen to all Classical Classroom episodes) and settle in.

In the first part of our conversation with composer, author, educator, and executive director of the American Festival for the Arts, Dr. Michael Remson, we cover Act 1 of Nixon in China:  world history, music history, and singing politicians. In Act 2, we meet the ladies. You don’t want to miss Mme. Mao yelling, opera-style.

Richard Nixon playing piano in Beverly Hills, Calif., 1962

Audio production by Todd “The Toddler” Hulslander, with management oversight by Mr. Torey Malatia. JK! It was Dacia Clay.

Music used in this episode includes:

  Start your Valentine’s Day week with cellist Alisa Weilerstein’s introduction to the music of Sergey Rachmaninov. Who was this romantic man, and what makes him different from all the other guys – I mean, composers? Weilerstein walks us through Rachmaninov’s Sonata in G Minor for Cello and Piano. Plus, she talks about her musical relationship with performing partner, pianist Inon Barnatan, and what it’s like to be part of a long-term creative duo.   \

Music in this episode is all from Weilerstein and Barnatan’s CD, Chopin and Rachmaninov Cello Sonatas:

Audio production by Todd “Toight like a toiger” Hulslander with grrrr aargh’s from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

If you enjoyed this episode with Alisa Weilerstein, check out her other Classical Classroom episode – all about the Aspen Music Festival and playing solo cello.

This week, Dacia Clay has the Dover String Quartet; violinists, Joel Link, Bryan Lee; violist, Milena Pajaro-Van De Stadt; and cellist, Camden Shaw into the studio. They listen to a recording of their own concert from the night before when they played Alban Berg‘s String Quartet Opus 3 for the Chamber Music Houston series.  They introduce Dacia to the twelve-tone system of music composition, and she lives to talk about it. They also discuss serialism, Schoenberg, over-protective fathers, motifs, and that Berg is pronounced like “bare-g”, not burg.  

Audio production by Todd “One Todd to rule them all” Hulslander, editing by Mark DiClaudio and mind expansion by Dacia Clay.

In December of 2015, pop singer Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to the Seattle Symphony because she loved their recording of John Luther Adams’ 42-minute work, Become Ocean. In this episode, Adams reveals his own pop culture roots, and credits Frank Zappa for getting him into classical music. He talks about his work as an environmentalist, what led him to write Ocean, and swims us through a piece so awesome that critic Alex Ross called it, “the loveliest apocalypse in musical history.” 

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Swifty” Hulslander with “Blank Space” by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. 

This episode is full of spoilers – not just spoilers about The Force Awakens, but about future Star Wars episodes. Okay – they could be future spoilers. Right now, they’re just our attempts at trying to find the Easter eggs hidden in John Williams’ new score. This may be the nerdiest and most epic episode of Classical Classroom to date. Brett Mitchell, Associate Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, is your guide through the music of the latest Star Wars episode. He teaches about John Williams as a composer and about important tools of the compositional trade, and reveals how this new music is tied to Williams’ scores for the original films. Mitchell takes no prisoners, and does not care for Ewoks. Prepare for hyperdrive.

Music for the episode:

Audio production by X-Wing pilot Todd “Dameron” Hulslander with lightsaber sounds by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Many thanks to Angela “Organa” Mitchell, Randy Davis, and Al Dahlhausen at WCLV for their help with this episode!

Like this episode? Check out Classical Classroom, Episode 4: Leitmotif In Star Wars, also featuring Brett Mitchell!

When oboist, journalist, and author Blair Tindall wrote her memoir, Mozart in the Jungle, she tells us, she didn’t necessarily not think it would become a TV show. But she did stop to marvel at the fact that playing the oboe could lead to buying a dress for the Golden Globes. Last night, the Amazon series based on her book won two Golden Globes: One for Best TV Comedy or Musical, and one Best Actor in a TV Comedy or Musical for Gael García Bernal’s performance as conductor Rodrigo de Souza. (The lesson here being that becoming a classical musician will surely lead to fame and fortune.)   In this Classical Classroom, MusicWorks episode, Tindall talks about life as a classical musician, what led her to write Mozart in the Jungle, and the importance of debunking classical music stereotypes and myths. We also discuss Jason Schwartzman’s impressive facial hair, hanging out with Coppolas, and how an oboe rolls when you drop it on the floor. 

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “BB-Todd” Hulslander with fluency in over six million languages by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Happy New Year, everybody! Get ready for an astonishing onslaught of awesome, a veritable juggernaut of wow, from Classical Classroom in 2016 (John Luther Adams! The Force Awakens! Alisa Weilerstein!), starting with this episode featuring Rufus Wainwright.

Audio production by Todd “Toddwright” Hulslander with polite claps from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

All music in this episode from the opera Prima Donna, available on Deutsche Grammophon.

Team Classroom is taking a little holiday break this week, so we present one of our favorite episodes from the wayback machine. Hope your holiday season is full of the good stuff. We’ll be back next week with new episodes!

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In this episode, independent producer, author, documentary filmmaker, Peabody Award-winner (et cetera, et cetera…), Wesley Horner chats with Dacia about Bach’s B Minor Mass and bringing classical music to people who hate wearing tuxedos.

Audio production by Todd Hulslander with occasional grunts of approval from Dacia Clay.

It’s four days until Christmas. Chances are, you’ve heard a lot of beautiful music. If you’re looking for more of that, you’ve come to the wrong place. Welcome to Jingle Hell, where bad songs are born, and good songs come to die. Alecia Lawyer, founder, artistic director, and principal oboist of River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) talks about the worst musical offerings of the season, and what makes them so bad. Songs that include entire scales? Check. Songs with completely bizarre lyrics that we sing along with anyway? Check. Wookiees? Yeah. This episode has all of that and oh so much more. Listen if you dare! And, uh, merry Christmas. You’re welcome.

Audio production by Todd “Good King Wencelastodd” Hulslander with two eyes made out of coal by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode:

If you enjoyed this episode, you can also hear Alecia talk all about the oboe in Episode 10!

2013 was – I think we can all agree – a magical year. It was the year of the arthouse film Sharknado, the year of the Harlem Shake, and the year that Justin Bieber was separated from his pet monkey. But more important than any of those moments? Thanksgivukkah happened. Learn all about this phenomenon, about the history of Hanukkah, and about the music of the holiday in this Classical Classroom episode from the vault.

Happy Thanksgivukkah everyone! That’s right: the Julian and the Hebrew calendars have aligned this year to create a day even more amazing than Hanukkah and more delicious than Thanksgiving. There won’t be another until the year 79811! To honor this rare occasion, Cantor Benjamin Matis of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York in Long Island schools us on the history and music of Hanukkah.

Audio production by Todd “Toddfurky” Hulslander with a side of help and gravy from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode includes:

Auguste Franchomme. 19th centuryChances are, unless you happen to be a cellist, you’ve probably never heard of Auguste Franchomme. But back in the day, he was one of the most celebrated musicians in Paris, he was besties with Chopin, and he hung out with people like Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, and the Rothschilds. He was a teenager when he won the Premier Prix at the Paris Conservatoire, and he was solo cellist in King Louis-Philippe’s Musique du Roi. So, why is it that most of his work hasn’t been recorded and is, in fact, out of print? Why do we remember the name “Chopin” and not “Franchomme”? Cellist and Franchomme scholar Louise Dubin, who just put out a CD called The Franchomme Project, discusses this and much more in this episode.

Audio production by Todd “Terr-ee-bleh” Hulslander with eating of palmiere by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Louise Dubin: www.louise-dubin.com 

Hope all of you in the States enjoyed your Thanksgiving. We took some time off to enjoy ours, so this week, we’re giving you old gold. Øystein was recently in Houston, and because our stars didn’t align, we weren’t able to record a new episode with him. (Øystein, come back anytime, buddy!) To make up for that, we give you this rerun. 

Learn 100% more about the tuba in this episode than you’ve ever known! Norwegian tuba soloist and chamber musician Øystein Baadsvik is the only tuba virtuoso in the world to make a career exclusively as a soloist. He is also the only tuba player in the world to have a great story about touring with a punk band. He joins us all the way from Norway to tell us about this shadowy instrument: its size, its repertoire, and its fnugg.

Audio production by Todd “Tall Texan” Hulslander with slings and arrows by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

PS, The title for this show was inspired by a great band called 500 Megatons of Boogie. You can find out more about them here: www.reverbnation.com/500megatonsofboogie

For more about Øystein Baadsvik: www.baadsvik.com.

Knowing how a piece of classical music came to be is often a bit of a guessing game. What inspired Bach to write the Goldberg Variations, or Beethoven to write his 9th Symphony? Context clues, letters, composers’ notes help us put the story together; we fill in the rest with our imaginations and mythology. But no more! In this episode of Classical Classroom, you’ll hear the entire story of a piece of modern classical music, Music for Wood and Strings, from commission to performance. Even the instruments on which the piece is played didn’t exist before this story began. You’ll meet composer Bryce Dessner (The National), instrument maker Aron Sanchez (Buke and Gase), and the members of So Percussion. You’ll hear a lot of awesome music. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry. Your life will be affirmed. But seriously, it’s a compelling (and thoroughly American) story about ingenuity, modernist music, and most importantly, joy.         

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Tex” Hulslander with giddyups from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more So Percussion: www.sopercussion.com

For more Bryce Dessner: www.brycedessner.com

For more Aron Sanchez (and great pics of the chordsticks and other instruments he’s made): www.polyphonicworkshop.com

Thanks to Emily Motherwell, Stuart Wolferman, Da Camera of Houston, and the people at Brassland for their help with this episode. 

How do you tell a story without words? Why, with music of course! Richard Scerbo, founder and artistic director of DC-based Inscape Chamber Orchestra, explains how – and why – composers use music to tell tales. Walk through two very different kinds of musical “stories” in this episode. Watch out for dancing puppets and swamp ghosts.

Richard Scerbo. Image courtesy of his website.

All music in this episode performed by Inscape Chamber Orchestra: – Excerpts from their new album, Petrushka, by Igor Stravinsky. – “Black Bend” by Dan Visconti from the album American Aggregate.

Audio production by Todd “Tiny T-Rex Arms” Hulslander with fleeing by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more Inscape: www.inscape.org For more Richard Scerbo: www.richardscerbo.com

This episode contains pretty much everything: Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, Plato’s Symposium, music by living composers, the Great American Songbook, and most importantly, love, baby.

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. Photo by VANESSA BRICEÑO-SCHERZER / CHRISTIE STOCKSTILL.

All music in this episode from Anne Akiko Meyers’ new album, Serenade: The Love Album.

Audio production by Todd “Tickle Me Elmo” Hulslander with high-pitched cackles by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Anne Akiko Meyers: www.anneakikomeyers.com

It’s a Menotti two-fer! Lynda McKnight from Houston’s Opera in the Heights teaches all about the composer Gian Carlo Menotti and two of his short operas, The Medium(not the Patricia Arquette kind), and The Telephone (not the Lady Gaga kind). Learn about this versatile 20th century composer and these two drastically different operas. Also, zombies.

By the way, Opera in the Heights is staging a Medium and Telephone double-header through November 7th! 

Music in this episode: – Gian Carlo Menotti, The Medium. Chicago Opera Theater recording. – Gian Carlo Menotti, The Telephone. BBC Radio Broadcast on YouTube.

Audio by Todd “My, My Telephone” Hulslander with psychic readings by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Thumbnail image: Paul Hume and Marie Handy performing Gian Carlo Menotti’s comic opera The Telephone, or L’Amour à trois at Catholic University, Washington DC, 1952. Public domain.

What?? Two episodes in one week? That’s right. We made you a treat: Go with us on a field trip to the Moores School of Music Organ Recital Hall at the University of Houston where we meet up with Keith “Creepy” Weber and the colossal, two-story Beckerath Organ that lurks in the hall. Learn all about Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and why it’s the soundtrack for all things macabre in this episode, the final installment of our Bachtoberfest series.

Music in this episode played by Keith Weber, except for “Toccata Remix” by VioDance.

Audio production by Todd “All A-Twitter” Hulslander with snargling by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to Matthew Dirst and Melissa Sanson for the information they provided for this episode.

Check out these photos from our recording session!

Taken from the floor of the recital hall. Because why not. Photo by Dacia Clay

Keith Weber and Dacia Clay. Regular-sized people, giant Beckerath organ. Photo by Mark DiClaudio.

Keith Weber (L) and Dacia Clay (with zombie hand gestures). Photo by Mark DiClaudio.

Keith Weber plays Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Why are there so many keys?? I mean, 3 tiers seems excessive, no? Photo by Mark DiClaudio.

Keith Weber preparing to creep us out. Photo by Dacia Clay.

Organ in the dark. Extra creepy! Photo by Dacia Clay.

Cover of cellist (and – we suspect – part-time lumberjack), Matt Haimovitz’s new CD. Courtesy of Oxingale/Pentatone.

Cellist Matt Haimovitz has grappled with Bach’s Cello Suites for decades. He first recorded them in 2000. He’s dedicated his new second recording of the Suites to Anna Magdalena, Bach’s second wife, who copied Bach’s manuscripts. Haimovitz talks about how Anna Magdalena’s transcriptions became his spirit guide on a quest to gain a greater understanding of the Gospel of Bach.

Music in this episode:

For more Matt Haimovitz: www.matthaimovitz.com

Thumbnail photo by Stephanie Mackinnon. Courtesy of the artist’s website.

 Bachtoberfest continues! Catalyst Quartet members Karla Donehew-Perez and Karlos Rodriguez talk about famously eccentric (eccentrically famous?) performer and composer, Glenn Gould, his recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and Catalyst’s Gould-inspired arrangement of the Variations. Discussed: breakfast, order out of chaos, and who this “Goldberg” person was.

Music in this episode: 

Audio production by Todd “Triffid” Hulslander with ingenious biological meddlings by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more Catalyst Quartet: www.catalystquartet.com

More

Continuing with our Bachtober celebration, we revisit this oldie but goody with Kurt Stallmann. 

Bach’s Invention No. 1 contains an entire universe of music as we learn in this episode with Kurt Stallmann, Associate Professor of Music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. It gets metaphysical up in here, you guys.

Audio production by Todd “Birthday Boy” Hulslander, with happy claps of approval by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode includes:

This Classroom teacher needs only one name: Madonna! JK! But he’s also a world-famous musician: Pianist Yundi teaches about Chopin’s preludes, all of which he recently recorded on his new album, aptly entitled Frédéric Chopin: Complete Preludes. Where did these preludes come from? Why are they each so different? Yundi teaches all of this and more in this episode.

All music in this episode from Yundi’s new album.

Audio production by Todd “A Confederacy of Todds” Hulslander with cries of “Opa!” from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Yundi: www.yundimusic.com

  The first woman who ran for the U.S. presidency did so in 1872. Never heard this story? Thankfully, composer and conductor Victoria Bond has written an opera about this woman’s life. Hear the incredible, true, titillating tale and learn about opera AT THE SAME TIME! Sex, scandal, alliteration! All in this episode.

All music in this episode is from Victoria Bond’s opera, Mrs. President.

Audio production by Todd “Trusty Sidekick” Hulslander with quick draws by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Victoria Bond: www.victoriabond.com

Eva-Maria Zimmerman and Keisuke Nakagoshi make beautiful music together as the musical duo ZOFO. On the same piano. At the same time. Why do they do this? What is this strange art form? And what does it all have to do with Terry Riley?! Learn all about piano four hands in this episode.

Music in this episode is all from the CD ZOFO Plays Terry Riley:

Audio production by Todd “Terry Riley” Hulslander with half-wolf dances by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more ZOFO: www.zofoduet.com

Time to celebrate our 100th show. It’s been quite a “Journey.” We toot some horns (mostly our own)and reminisce with some previous show flashbacks. We also meet some of the most famous classical music composers as they join in the festivities. ‘Cause there ain’t no party like a Beethoven doing Jagerbombs party. Party on Ludwig!

Flash back to the original podcast logo 

Party music from the best DJs in the biz:

Audio production by Todd “Me” Hulslander with strange absences from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark “We’re number one” DiClaudio.

Revisit Classical Classroom’s very first show! Classical music announcer Chris Johnson compares two very different recordings of the same piece. Gut strings, basso continuo, and the Baroque period are discussed.

Audio production by Todd “Teacup” Hulslander and Chris Johnson.

Music used in this episode includes:

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Concerto, “Autumn” by:

It’s summertime, and the classical musicians have all disappeared. No, it’s not a classical music-specific alien body snatching situation. It’s just that they’re all at music festivals! Because we miss them, we’ve decided to follow the musicians to a different fest each summer. This year, we head to the Aspen Music Festival! In our four-show series, we’ll be interviewing festival leaders, musicians, and whoever else will talk to us.

In this, the fourth and final episode of our miniseries, we speak with cellist Alisa Weilerstein about music (and the composers who write it) for solo cello. You’ll learn about the All-Stars of the cello world, unexplained gaps in cello music history will be explained, and – perhaps most importantly – you’ll learn how to pronounce the name “Kodaly”.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Team Edward” Hulslander with sparkling by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio and possibly Nick Dulworth.

For more about Alisa Weilerstein: www.alisaweilerstein.com For more about the Aspen Music Festival: www.aspenmusicfestival.com

It’s summertime, and the classical musicians have all disappeared. No, it’s not a classical music-specific alien body snatching situation. It’s just that they’re all at music festivals! Because we miss them, we’ve decided to follow the musicians to a different fest each summer. This year, we head to the Aspen Music Festival! In our four-show series, we’ll be interviewing festival leaders, musicians, and whoever else will talk to us.

In this, the third episode of our miniseries, we speak with violinist Robert McDuffie about sustaining a career in classical music in the 21st century. Learn ALL THE SECRETS to building a career in the brave new technological landscape and to forging your own path as an artist.

Robert McDuffie (L) with Mike Mills (R) of R.E.M. on piano, and students from the McDuffie Center for Strings. Courtesy of the artist’s website.

Music in this episode: – Philip Glass, “American Four Seasons” with Robert McDuffie. – Robert McDuffie and Mike Mills, excerpts from “Concerto for Violin & Rock Band” – Vitamin String Quartet, “Its the End of The World” by R.E.M.

Audio production by Todd “El Lobo Rojo” with blank stares by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio and Nick Dulworth.

For more about the Aspen Music Festival: www.aspenmusicfestival.com For more about Robert McDuffie: www.robertmcduffie.com

Robert McDuffie (L) with Mike Mills (R) of R.E.M. on piano, and students from the McDuffie Center for Strings. Courtesy of the artist’s website.

It’s summertime, and the classical musicians have all disappeared. No, it’s not a classical music-specific alien body snatching situation. It’s just that they’re all at music festivals! Because we miss them, we’ve decided to follow the musicians to a different fest each summer. This year, we head to the Aspen Music Festival! In our four-show miniseries, we’ll be interviewing festival leaders and musicians.

In this, the second episode of our miniseries, we spoke with pianist and awesome person, Orli Shaham. We find out what she’s up to in Aspen, and she teaches us about music by living composers that is inspired by Brahms.

Music in this episode (all from Orli Shaham’s CD, “Brahms Inspired”): – Johannes Brahms – Op. 118 (Intermezzo in A major) – Bruce Adolphe – My Inner Brahms (an intermezzo) – Avner Dorman – After Brahms (Allegro con molto appassionato) – Arnold Schoenberg – Six little piano pieces, Op. 19 – Brett Dean – Hommage a Brahms (Engelsflugel 1) – Johannes Brahms – Op. 119 (Intermezzo in B minor – Adagio)

Orli Shaham. Photo by Christian Steiner. Courtesy of the artist’s website.

Audio production by Todd “The Great Toddsby” Hulslander with green lights from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Orli Shaham: www.orlishaham.com For more about the Aspen Music Festival: www.aspenmusicfestival.com

It’s summertime, and the classical musicians have all disappeared. No, it’s not a classical music-specific alien body snatching situation. It’s just that they’re all at music festivals! Because we miss them, we’ve decided to follow the musicians to a different fest each summer. This year, we head to the Aspen Music Festival! For our next few shows, we’ll be interviewing festival leaders, musicians, and whoever else will talk to us.

In this, the first episode of our miniseries, we spoke with Alan Fletcher, President and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School. He tells us what these music festivals are all about in general, and what makes Aspen unique.

Music in this episode:

Audio production by Todd “Tricky” Hulslander with plate spinning by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Alan Fletcher AND the Aspen Music Festival: www.aspenmusicfestival.com

Many thanks to the good people at the Aspen Music Festival for making this happen!

What’s in a piano? Jim Kozak has tuned a few, and he can tell you. He tunes pianos for the Houston Symphony, Da Camera of Houston, and for our own Houston Public Media. What does he do, and how does he do it? How does one become a piano tuner? Kozak tells all, including how a piano works, and why tuning for Alfred Brendel took two days.

Music in this episode:

Tools of the trade: Jim’s tuning lever and tuning fork. Photo by Dacia Clay.

Audio production by Todd “Tuned In” Hulslander with dropouts by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio and/or Nick Dulworth. Thanks to George Heathco for the MusicWorks theme music.

For more Classroom: www.houstonpublicmedia.org

*Team CC contends that this is one of the most hilarious South Parkepisodes of all time. Right up there with “Mecha-Streisand.”

What came before twerking, Harlem Shake-ing, and popping and locking? The Krakowiak, the Polonaise, and the Tarantelle (which have really cool names, now that we’re looking at it). Pianist Joel Fan teaches us all about classical dance music, the composers who made it, and the circumstances from which the dances emerged.

Pianist Joel Fan. Courtesy of the artist’s website.

Audio production by Todd “Pod God” Hulslander with moonwalking from Dacia Clay, and help from editor Mark DiClaudio and intern Nick Dulworth.

Music in this episode:

All other music from Joel Fan’s latest CD, Dances for Piano and Orchestra:

For more about Joel Fan: www.joelfanmusic.com

Since the U.S. has been celebrating its beginnings this week, we thought we’d go back to ours. We hope you enjoy this throwback. And! Because we were in the holiday spirit, we added a little present for you at the end of the show. We hope you enjoy it. And that Tchaikovsky doesn’t turn over too hard in his grave when you play it.

P.S., When we recorded this episode, Angela was indeed a “Schmidt.” Now, she is a “Mitchell.” As in, married to Brett Mitchell. As in, Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. (And Episode 4 of our show.) And in addition to being a professional opera singer, Angela is Assistant Producer at WCLV. They are a classical music power couple, people. And some of our favorite humans. So, when you hear “Schmidt” in this episode, think “Mitchell.” Kthx! ——————————————— In this episode, opera singer and classical music announcer Angela Mitchell talks about bel canto aria and sleepwalking, wrongly-accused hussies.

Audio production by Todd Hulslander and Angela Mitchell.

Music in this episode: – “La Sonnambula” (“The Sleepwalker”) by Vincenzo Bellini.

For more about Angela Mitchell: www.angelamitchellsoprano.com

Every good Beethoven deserves a fanboy, and Robert Schumann was that guy. Who was Schumann, and how was his work shaped by the influence of Beethoven? Pianist, Curtis Institute professor, and writer Jonathan Biss explains all – including his own (extremely cool) fanboy-esque immersion in the works of Schumann and Beethoven.  Jonathan Biss. Photo by Benjamin Ealovega. Courtesy of the artist’s website.   Audio production by Todd “Teletubby” Hulslander with frolicking by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.    All music in this episode played by Jonathan Biss:   From his CD “Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4“

Wu Man, world-renowned pipa player, stopped by the Classroom while she was in Houston to teach all about the French horn. JK! She taught all about the pipa, of course! In this episode, she talks about the pipa’s origins, its repertoire, about how she began playing it, and she plays some sweet tunes to illustrate the instrument’s range.

Dacia Clay, Wu Man’s pipa, and Wu Man in the Geary Performance Studio. Photo by Todd Hulslander.

Music in this episode played live in the Geary Performance Studio by Wu Man.

Audio production by Todd “Totaled Todd” Hulslander with bobblehead bobbling by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Wu Man: www.wumanpipa.org

What is a concertmaster? We wanted to know, too, so we schlepped over to the Texas Music Festival (now happening at the UH Moores School of Music), found ourselves some concertmasters, and asked them all about what they do. Glenn Dicterow is the outgoing concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic where he’s ruled for over 34 years (his role will be assumed by the Houston Symphony’s Frank Huang), and Moores School doctoral student Ingrid Hunter was the week one concertmaster for the Texas Music Festival. Learn aaaall about the mysterious and powerful role of the concertmaster from them in this episode!

Ingrid Hunter and Glenn Dicterow. Photos courtesy of the Cypress Symphony and Glenn Dicterow’s website respectively.

Music in this episode: – Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40. Glenn Dicterow, violin. New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta.

Audio production by Todd “Tarzan Yell” Hulslander with tree swinging by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about the Texas Music Festival: www.uh.edu/class/music/tmf/ For more about Glenn Dicterow: www.glenndicterow.com For more about Ingrid Hunter: www.cypresssymphony.org/ingrid-hunter/

The pianist gives a lesson on one of the Big Daddies of classical music.

Awadagin Pratt, a man so awesome that his website URL is just his first name, talks Johannes Brahms. Pratt is a recording artist, Professor of Piano, Artist in Residence, Chairman of the Piano Department, and Artistic Director of the Art of the Piano Festival at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He talks about who Brahms was, why he is one of the Big Daddies of classical music, what it has to do with Edith Bunker, and how the beard made it all possible.

Awadagin Pratt playing in the East Room of the White House, November 2009 (the First Lady and President Obama in the foreground). Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton.

Audio production by Todd “Are You There Todd? It’s Me, Dacia” Hulslander with Tiger Eyes by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

All music in this episode from Awadagin Pratt and Zuill Bailey’s CD “Brahms Works For Cello And Piano”.

For more about Awadagin Pratt: www.awadagin.com

The violinist walks through a piece by a lesser-known composer who was once more famous than Mozart.

Grammy-winning violinist Hilary Hahn, who has played a few concerts in her day – somewhere around 1,437 of them – talks about Henri Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concerto No. 4, which she plays on her latest CD. Is music composed by a violinist for violinists easier or more challenging to play? How was it that Vieuxtemps was more popular than Mozart at one point and now…not so much? And most importantly, Hahn discusses her violin case’s Twitter account.

Violinist Hilary Hahn. Photo © Michael Patrick O’Leary, courtesy of IMG Artists.

Audio production by Todd “Takei” Hulslander with beaming up by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode, from Hilary Hahn’s CD Mozart 5 Vieuxtemps 4 Violin Concertos (Deutsche Grammophon): – Henri Vieuxtemps, Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 31. Hilary Hahn, violin. The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conducted by Paavo Järvi.

For more Hilary Hahn: www.hilaryhahn.com

Violinists Philippe Bernhard and Loïc Rio talk about Dohnányi’s String Quartet No. 3.

As you probably know and have been celebrating ’round the Festivus pole, May is National Chamber Music Month! In this episode we talk to real live chamber musicians, violinists Philippe Bernhard and Loïc Rio of the Modigliani Quartet. They talk all about ErnÔ Dohnányi’s String Quartet No. 3. This is, hands down, our most French (Frenchest?) show to date.

Modigliani Quartet: (L-R) Philippe Bernhard, Laurent Marfaing, François Kieffer, and Loïc Rio. Courtesy of the artists’ website.

Audio production by Todd “T-Dawg” Hulslander with mad parkour skillz from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode is from the Modiglianis’ Houston concert which happened Thursday, April 9, 2015 at Stude Concert Hall, Shepherd School of Music Rice University. Thanks very much to Chamber Music Houston for the use of this recording!

(Btw, you can also see video of the Modigliani concert at that Chamber Music Houston link!)

Brahms’ Opus 118 – plus the first two Intermezzos played live! In this episode, Associate Professor Timothy Hester from the University of Houston Moores School of Music, teaches Dacia a bonafide lesson. Don’t miss Prof. Hester waxing nostalgic about his childhood love of Steppenwolf.

Audio production by Todd “the Todd” Hulslander with post-hypnotic suggestions from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music used in this episode includes:

– Brahms Six Pieces for Piano, Opus 118, Intermezzos No.’s 1 & 2

For more about Timothy Hester, go here.

For more about the Texas Music Festival, go here.

Timothy Hester. Courtesy of the UH websit

When pianist and From the Top host Christopher O’Riley and cellist Matt Haimovitz recorded a new album of Beethoven’s music, they decided to kick it old school: Chris played an original Broadwood fortepiano and Matt played a Goffriller cello with ox-gut strings. Why would these two artists – often recognized for their arrangements of Radiohead, for performing with young musicians, and for playing classical music in nightclubs – decide to play period instruments? Is there a true benefit to playing music on the instruments it was written for, or is this classical music nerdery? Learn the answers to these and so many other questions in this episode!

Audio production by Todd “Todd Rundgren” Hulslander with harshing of mellows by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode:

(From Christopher O’Riley and Matt Haimovitz’s new CD, Beethoven, Period.)

(From their Shuffle.Play.Listen. CD)

(From other places…)

For more about Christopher O’Riley, Matt Haimovitz, and their new CD: www.pentatonemusic.com/pentatone-oxi…thoven-period

According to Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Avi Avital, while the bass is not bad, it’s more about that mandolin. Which is also what this whole episode is about! Avi tells all: Where did the mandolin come from? Who composes for it? Why does he advocate for such a strange instrument? And how much did he play that one REM song in high school? Learn all of this and more right here!

Audio production by Todd “Terrific” Hulslander with electric slides by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode:

For more about Avi Avital: www.aviavital.com. 

What’s it like to be a classical music novice at a classical music performance? Host Dacia Clay goes to a rock show and a classical concert and compares the experiences. The parallels are telling. The disparities are despairing. What’s the deal??

We hope you’ll become part of this discussion! Email your concert experiences to dclay@houstonpublicmedia.org.

PS, To read more about the history of applause at classical concerts, check out this essay by Alex Ross: “Applause: A Rest Is Noise Special Report.“

Conductor JoAnn Falletta walks through Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic poem.

Who was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and why does he have two last names? And why would a 19th century Russian composer write a symphonic poem based on a collection of West and South Asian folk tales written in Arabic in the 16th century? What does it all mean?? Most* of these questions and more are all answered within by Buffalo Philharmonic/Virginia Symphony Orchestra conductor, guitarist, music advocate, and all around amazing lady, JoAnn Falletta.

Music in this episode from the Buffalo Philharmonic’s recording of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Sheherazade,” conducted by JoAnn Falletta.

Conductor JoAnn Falletta. Photo by Mark Dellas, courtesy of JoAnn Falletta.

Audio production by Todd “Twister” Hulslander with high kicks by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about JoAnn Falletta: www.joannfalletta.com

*We still don’t know what’s up with the two names thing.

This week, composer Nico Muhly is premiering a brand new work, How Little You Are, in Austin. He talks about the classical (or, concert) music world’s premiering process, and about how and why listening to classical music golden oldies is different than listening to a new work, about the inspiration for his new piece, and of course, about Prince.

Music in this episode: – Mozart: Magic Flute. Conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. – Bach: Magnificat.  – Stravinsky: Petrouchka. Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra. – Joni Mitchell: A Case of You (from Blue) – Prince: A Case of You (from A Tribute to Joni Mitchell) – Nico Muhly: Sensational Calligraphic Scribble / Amor Nos Une / Room Song (from Object Songs) – Philip Glass: Koyaanisqatsi (from Koyaanisqatsi – Life Out of Balance motion picture score) – Nico Muhly: Mothertongue Pt. 1: Archive (from Mothertongue)

Audio production by Todd “TIE fighter” Hulslander with lightsaber skills by Dacia Clay. Editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about Nico Muhly: www.nicomuhly.com. 

For more about Nico’s world premiere – happening this Saturday (4/18/15) at Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas – go here: www.texasperformingarts.org/season/how-…uhly-austin.

Branford Marsalis‘ stark 2014 solo album In My Solitude includes jazz standards like “Stardust” next to C.P.E. Bach’s Sonata in A Minor for Oboe, Wq. 132. His jazz discography is peppered with classical releases. What’s that all about?! Where do jazz and classical intersect? How is playing one different from the other – or is it? Find out in this episode!

Branford Marsalis. Photo by Palma Kolansky. Courtesy of the artist’s website.

Audio production by Todd “The Twister” Hulslander with a firm handshake from Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio.

Music in this episode:

For more about Branford Marsalis: www.branfordmarsalis.com.

Da Camera of Houston is bringing Branford to Houston this month! To learn more, go to www.dacamera.com.

March is Music in Our Schools month! In this second edition of our MusicWorks series, we take a field trip to an public high school that’s a kind of music education utopia – Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) (or, Fame High School, as I like to imagine it). We chat with Brad Smith – HSPVA’s orchestra conductor – and with two student musicians about classical music’s role at their school and in their lives.

Music in this episode all played by the HSPVA Orchestra and conducted by Brad Smith.

HSPVA Orchestra conductor Brad Smith. Photo courtesy of his website.

Audio production by Todd “Tryhard” Hulslander with emojis by Dacia Clay. Editing by Mark DiClaudio.

For more about HSPVA: www.houstonisd.org/hspvarts For more about Brad Smith: www.bradsmithconductor.com For more about Music in Our Schools month: www.nafme.org/programs/miosm

Producer Todd thought he needed to take a “vacation” with his “family” last week, so we are giving you this month-appropriate rerun before returning next week with a slew, a treasure trove, a veritable cornucopia of new episodes. Meanwhile, sit back, relax, and learn about these great women of classical music. – Dacia —————————————– It’s Women’s History Month up in the Classroom! Houston Public Media’s own Amy Bishop (see also, Episode 9: Tone Poems) teaches us all about female classical music composers, from the millennia-old ethereal sounds of Hildegard von Bingen, to the contemporary works of Jennifer Higdon. Why have so many women composed classical music but so few have become household names (yet)? We jiu jitsu that question and others in this episode!

Audio production by Todd “von Toddgen” Hulslander with double-plus masterful editorial decisions by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – Hildegard von Bingen: Caritas Abundat in Omnia (Love Abounds All) – Clara Schumann: Piano Concerto in a minor, Opus 7 (first movement) – Jennifer Higdon: Blue Cathedral

For more about Classical Classroom, go to www.houstonpublicmedia.org/classroom.

For more about Women’s History Month, go to www.womenshistorymonth.gov.

What’s it like to be more or less the only character in a live, full-length opera, playing the role of a real-life intense person who lived life intensely, while accompanied by an electric guitar? Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer dishes about playing Isabelle Eberhardt, the inspiration for Missy Mazzoli’s opera Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt, with the NOW Ensemble.

Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer. Photo courtesy of Ms. Fischer’s website.

Audio production by Todd “Touché!” Hulslander with karate chops from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode is all from Missy Mazzoli’s Song from the Uproar which you can hear and purchase on Bandcamp.

PS, If you liked this, check out Classical Classroom, Episode 69: The Kids Are Alright, With Missy Mazzoli.

If you’re in Houston, you can see Abigail Fischer in Song this coming Friday 3/20. For tickets go to: www.dacamera.com

For more about Abigail Fischer: www.abigailfischer.com

Why did the number of female guitarists diminish over time? Was it a comet?? Find out here!

It’s Women’s History Month, and all month, we’re bringing you amazing women in classical music! In this episode, guitarist Valerie Hartzell, creator/director of the Classical Minds Festival and Competition, talks about the ladies of classical guitar. Who are they? Why did their numbers diminish over time? And what can we do about it??

Audio production by Todd “Not Tony Danza” Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio and bossing by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – “Rosita” by Francisco Tarrega. Played live in studio (also available on Valerie’s Ex Tenebris Lux CD). – Chaconne in G Major by George Frideric Handel. Played by Ida Presti and Alexandre Lagoya.

For more about Valerie Hartzell: www.valeriehartzell.com

Want to learn more about women in classical guitar? Check out this information from guitarist and scholar, Candice Mowbray: Dr. Mowbray wrote her doctoral dissertation about Ida Presti; she’s also been writing short essays about the women of classical guitar on her Facebook page during Women’s History Month. You can see another article she wrote about Presti here. In her own words, “I started my research about female guitarists in 2006 when I was asked to give a lecture at the Bethlehem Guitar Festival. The theme of the that year’s event was “Women in Guitar” and my lecture discussed women as performers, composers and philanthropists. Through the process, I discovered wonderful players and music that was new to me. I have enjoyed continuing to share the information.” Thanks to Dr. Mowbray for providing us with this great info!

Each day during February, we posted a “Classical Music Moment in Black History” on our Facebook page to show the contributions of black artists to classical music throughout history. We’ve collected our twenty-eight February entries in this article. By the way, these entries were originally part of an episode of the Classical Classroom podcast (audio included below). 

Composer Chevalier de Saint-Georges. 

In the mid-to-late 1700’s, Chevalier de Saint-Georgeswas an Afro-French composer who was also France’s best fencer. After Napoleon re-instituted slavery in France, de Saint-Georges’ works were rarely played, though lots of his work has been recorded since the 1970’s.

In 1803, virtuoso violinist George Bridgetower, who had studied under the leader of the Royal Opera, played with Beethoven. Beethoven then dedicated his Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major to Bridgetower, and they premiered the piece together. Later, the two had a falling out – something to do with a lady – and Beethoven changed the piece’s name. It’s now called the Kreutzer Sonata. Poet Rita Dove wrote a book about Bridgetower and Beethoven’s relationship.

Soprano Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, “The Black Swan”. 

In 1853, soprano Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield – people knew her as the “Black Swan” – made her New York debut at the Metropolitan Hall. While she could sing, her skin color would have denied her entrance to the concert. But that didn’t slow Greenfield down: In 1854, this classy lady sang a command performance before Queen Victoria.

Composer Scott Joplin. 

In 1868, innovative composer and pianist Scott Joplin was born in Texas. Joplin wrote 2 operas, one ragtime ballet, and 44 original ragtime pieces before he died.

Composer Harry Thacker Burleigh. 

From 1892-95, Antonin Dvorak – not black as you might know, but stick with me – was director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. The woman who founded the school, Jeanette Thurber, opened the school to men, women, blacks, and whites – pretty unusual for that time. Dvorak felt that a true American style of music should grow out of African- and Native-American music. Harry Burleigh, one of the earliest African-American composers and one of Dvorak’s pupils, introduced Dvorak to American spirituals.

In 1898, Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor wrote the musical Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast. It was wildly successful during his lifetime. Coleridge-Taylor also visited the States and inspired American blacks to become composers.

Tenor Roland Hayes. 

In 1921 tenor Roland Hayes gave a performance before King George V of England. In 1923, Hayes debuted at Carnegie Hall. He was the first African American man to become famous worldwide as a concert performer, and he became one of the world’s greatest Lieder interpreters.

In 1926, Undine Smith Moore graduated cum laude from the Juilliard School. She was the first graduate of Fisk University, a historically black school, to receive a scholarship to Juilliard. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Moore became “…one of this country’s most prominent composers and arrangers of choral works, many based on or inspired by Negro spirituals and folk songs.”

Composer William Grant Still. 

1931 was the year William Grant Stillbecame the first Black American composer to have a symphonic work performed by a major American orchestra. The Rochester Philharmonic performed his Afro-American Symphony. Stills had another big “first” in 1949 when his opera Troubled Island – based on a libretto by Langston Hughes – was performed by the New York City Opera, becoming the first opera by a black person to be performed by a major company. William Grant Still was also the first black man to conduct a major orchestra (LA Phil) and he won 2 Guggenheim fellowships. In 1933, Caterina Jarboro became the first black woman to appear in a leading role with a major American opera when she again played the title role in Aida with the Chicago Opera. 

Composer Florence Price.

Also in 1933, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed Florence Price’s Symphony in E Minor. She was the first female African-American composer to have a symphonic composition performed by a major American symphony orchestra.

Baritone Todd Duncan and Anne Brown. Culver Pictures/file 1935.

In 1935, George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway, with baritone Todd Duncan as Porgy, and sopranos Anne Brown as Bess and Ruby Elzy as Serena. In 1945, Todd Duncan became the first African American to sing with a major American opera company, when he played the role of Tonio Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci with the New York City Opera.

Contralto Marian Anderson

In 1939, both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the District of Columbia’s Board of Education refused to allow contralto Marian Anderson to use Constitution Hall and Central High School auditorium for a recital respectively. So, she gave her concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial instead, drawing a crowd of 75,000 – not to mention the millions who listened on the radio. (To read more about the performance, go here.)

Lyric Soprano Camilla Williams (l) with Margery Mayer. Courtesy of Fred Fehl/New York City Opera.

Also in 1945, lyric soprano Camilla Williams signed a contract with the New York City Opera in 1946, becoming the first African American to do so with a major American opera company. She debuted with the role of the heroine in Madama Butterfly. And in 1947, soprano Helen Phillips was the first African American to sing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. In 1951 William Warfield and Muriel Rahn were the first black concert artists on TV – they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Soprano and educator Dorothy Maynor.

In 1953, soprano and educator Dorothy Maynor was the first black person to sing at a US presidential inauguration when she performed the national anthem for Dwight Eisenhower.

Composer Margaret Bonds. Wikimedia Commons.

Margaret Bonds, who frequently collaborated with Langston Hughes, was one of the first black composers and performers in the US to gain recognition. In 1965, when the Freedom March on Montgomery, Alabama took place, she wrote Montgomery Variations for orchestra, dedicating it to Martin Luther King, Jr.. For more information about Ms. Bonds, check out this piece from WBUR 90.9 FM.

Conductor Henry Lewis.

In 1968 Henry Lewis became the first black conductor and music director of a major American orchestra when he was appointed to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He was also the first African-American to conduct at the Metropolitan Opera.

1972 saw Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha finally premiere – 55 years after his death – at the Atlanta Memorial Arts Center. In 1976, Joplin posthumously received a special Pulitzer Prize for his contributions to American music.

Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Photo by Luigi Beverelli. Courtesy Mr. Marsalis’ website.

In 1983 and 1984, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis became the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards for both jazz and classical records. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1997 for Blood on the Fields, a three-hour oratorio for 3 singers and a 14-member ensemble. The oratorio follows the story of an African couple sold into slavery in the US.

In 1987, conductor Paul Freeman became Founding Musical Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta. This orchestra’s mission is “Musical Excellence Through Diversity”. Dr. Freeman served for 24 years.

Violinist Aaron Dworkin. Courtesy of the MacArthur Foundation website.

Violinist Aaron Dworkin founded the non-profit Sphinx Organization in 1996 to cultivate the development of young black and Latino musicians in the classical music profession. The Sphinx Competition, spotlights young black and Latino string players on a national platform.

Composer George Walker received the Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra, a work commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra as part of its tribute to tenor Roland Hayes. This was the first time a living African American won the prize for music.

Mezzo-Soprano Denyce Graves. Courtesy of the artist’s website.

In 2001 mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves sang “America the Beautiful” and “The Lord’s Prayer” at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance Service at the Washington National Cathedral following the September 11 attacks.

James DePriest conducting the Oregon Sympony. Courtesy of the Sympony’s website.

In 2005, James DePriest, one of classical music’s most accomplished conductors who at the time of his death in 2013 was Laureate Music Director of the Oregon Symphony and Director Emeritus of Conducting and Orchestral Studies at the Juilliard School, received the National Medal of Arts.

Tim Brooks won a 2007 Grammy award for Best Historical Release with his Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, which includes performances by Harry Burleigh, Roland Hayes, and Edward Boatner.

Tenor Noah Stewart. Photograph: Mitch Jenkins Mitch Jenkins/PR.

In 2012, tenor Noah Stewart became the first black musician to top the UK Classical Album Chart.

Of course, we had to leave a GAGILLION people out of our daily Black History Month Facebook posts because (duh) there are just not enough days in the month. Like Jeffrey Mumford, Awadagin Pratt, David Baker, Imani Winds, André Watts, Chelsea Tipton, Thomas Wilkins, Morris Robinson, Lawrence Brownlee, Valerie Coleman, Rachel Jordan, and Tona Brown. And Daniel Bernard Roumain. And Black Violin. And… you get the idea! 

But, blacks are still one of classical music’s most under-served communities. As of 2011, according to the League of American Orchestras, only 1.83% of our nation’s orchestras’ makeup was black. Aaron Dworkin has pointed out that African-American composers are often missing in traditional classical music station programming. But people like Dworkin and many others are working to change that! 

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about all of these awesome artists.

“Indie-Classical”, “Alt Classical”, “Nonclassical”… whatever you want to call it, George Gershwin may have been one of the first people to do it. Pianist Simone Dinnerstein explains Gershwin’s sound, its French influences, and what makes it uniquely classical.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein. Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco. Courtesy of Ms. Dinnerstein’s website.

Audio production by Todd “Teeny” Hulslander with editing by Mark DiClaudio, and one giant leap by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

For more about Simone Dinnerstein: www.simonedinnerstein.com

This episode is so old that Producer Todd didn’t even have funny middle names yet. But it’s so good that we wanted for you guys to hear it again. Because Debussy. And Tracy Jacobson. I mean, come on. Back next week with more new stuff! —————————– WindSync Wind Quintet bassoonist, Tracy Jacobson, takes Dacia along on her journey to continue her musical education as a professional musician. She steps outside of her comfort zone and into Debussy’s piano works. Come with us to Paris, talk in your museum voice, and have some wine. It’ll be awesome!

Audio production by Todd Hulslander with encouraging yelps from Dacia Clay, and s few nods and shakes of the head from Tracy Jacobson, too.

For more about WindSync: www.windsync.org.

Thumbnail photo of Tracy Jacobson courtesy of WindSync’s website.

Debussy's piano works! In this episode, Windsync bassoonist, Tracy Jacobson, takes Dacia on her journey to continue musical education as a professional musician. She steps outside of her comfort zone and into Debussy. Come with us to Paris, talk in your museum voice, and have some wine. It'll be awesome!

Audio production by Todd Hulslander with encouraging yelps from Dacia Clay, and few nods and shakes of the head from Tracy Jacobson, too.

Music used in this episode included:

– Debussy Preludes, Book 1 & 2, pianist Pascal Roge, Onyx Classics

– Debussy Piano Works, pianist Pascal Roge, London/Decca

– Arthur Rubinstein playing “La Plus Que Lente”

– Jack Kerouac, “American Haikus” from Blues and Haikus

– Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight”

Composer Stephen Paulus passed away last October and left a void in many hearts along with an amazing legacy. Composer Alex Freeman teaches about Paulus the man, and the music he left for us.

Music in this episode (both by Stephen Paulus): – Pilgrims’ Hymn – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Composer Alex Freeman. Photo by Aino Launis. Courtesy of the composer’s website.

Audio production by Todd “Tastee Freez” Hulslander with punches and kicks from Dacia Clay.

For more about Stephen Paulus: www.stephenpaulus.com For more about Alex Freeman: www.alexfreemanmusic.com

We’re excited to share our new subseries, MusicWorks! It’s a show where you’ll learn about what classical music is doing in the world right now. You’ll hear inspiring artist stories, plus we’ll go into the sometimes unexpected places we’ve discovered classical music thriving while we’ve been learning about it on the Classical Classroom. We hope you dig it!

In our first MusicWorks episode, soprano Sonya Yoncheva tells the story of how she happened upon her passion – singing opera – by being true to herself (and listening to her mother) and by practicing her buns off. This put her in a position to be ready when she got that call from the Met to fill in at the last moment. And the rest, as they say, is in the podcast.

Soprano Sonya Yoncheva. Photo © Ruven Afanador. Courtesy of Ms. Yoncheva’s website.

Audio production by Todd “Totally” Hulslander with awesomeness by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

For more about Sonya Yoncheva and her new CD, Paris, mon amour www.sonyayoncheva.com

Learn about composer George Heathco’s piece, “ReGifting Lions”, part of our MusicWorks intro, and oh-so-much more about him at www.georgeheathcomusic.com.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of chamber music is its inherent “democracy” – each part is of equal importance. Aaron Humble and Paul Rudoi of the Cantus Vocal Ensembleexplain how it works when everyone involved in making the music is a special snowflake.

Audio production by Todd “Sir Toddsalot” Hulslander with unflagging devotion to somethingerother by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode, all by Cantus:

From A Harvest Home – 

From On the Shoulders of Giants:

For more about Cantus Vocal Ensemble: www.cantussings.org.

Chamber Music Houston is bringing Cantus to Houston in February! For more information, go to CMH’s website: www.chambermusichouston.org.

Okay. So our HAL 9001 hasn’t come in yet, and you’re getting another rerun episode. But dang – it’s a good one! And! We have so much new stuff we can’t wait to share with you once HAL arrives. Stick with us!

<3,

Your friendly Classical Classroomproduction team

————————————————–

All about the flute!! Joel Luks, CultureMap Houston editorial staffer and columnist, and classically trained flutist, teaches all about the history and surprising range of the dainty, lovely, badass, whale-sound-making, beatboxing flute. He takes us from “Carmen” to Mario Brothers (and a few other places in between).

Audio production by Todd “2 Fast, 2 Furious” Hulslander with adequate hydration by Dacia Clay.

What makes Mozart’s violin concertos so special? Is it that he only wrote 5 of them? That he wrote him when he was a teenager? That they are both beautiful AND hilarious? What is it?? Violinist Rachel Barton Pine returns to the Classroom to spell out why these pieces are so special – generally and personally – that she decided to record all of them.

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine. Photo by Andrew Eccles. Courtesy of rachelbartonpine.com.Audio production by Todd “Mr. Titters” Hulslander with that funky monkey, Dacia Clay.

All music in this episode is from Rachel Barton Pine’s new CD, Mozart: Complete Violin Concertos, Sinfonia Concertante K364, with Matthew Lipman, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, and Sir Neville Marriner conducting. (Avie 2317)

You can also hear Rachel in episode 43, and in our short, “Rachel Barton Pine Rocks and Bows”.

The HAL 9000 that we use to produce these little gems has met an untimely demise. Fear not! We’ve got a brand new HAL 9001 on order. Until next week, please enjoy this old gold from the Classroom vault.

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Was Tchaikovsky’s Symphony VI (aka “Pathetique”, aka “Suicide Symphony”) a suicide note or did he die of cholera, per the Official Word? You decide after this intweeging lesson with clarinetist and Shepherd School of Music Professor of Music, Michael Webster!

Audio production by Todd “Toddsy Woddsy” Hulslander with roof raising by Dacia Clay.

Muzio Clementi is often called the “Father of the Piano” and is known for his sonatinas. But as it turns out, this smarty pants single-handedly changed classical music and made it what we know today. Jeremy Eskenazi, founder of the Muzio Clementi Society, tells all about the quiet mover and shaker in this episode – from a Tardisin Australia (seriously!).

Jeremy Eskenazi, founder of the Muzio Clementi Society. Photo courtesy of the Society.

Audio production for this episode by Todd “Tall Texan” Hulslander with smiles for miles by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: (By Muzio Clementi)

(Not by Muzio Clementi)

Think you know Beethoven’s Fifth? Think again!

Beethoven’s Fifth. We’ve never done a show on it because everybody knows it! Right? Emily Reese, on air host for Classical Minnesota Public Radio, host of Top Score (part of the Infinite Guest podcast series), and creator of MPR’s Learning to Listen, says that we are wrong, so wrong! Emily takes us through the entire symphony, which, as it turns out, is completely surprising and amazing. Plus, we play drinking games! Or at least give you some to play.

Audio production by Todd “The Tower” Hulslander with fear of heights by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – Symphony No. 5, Ludwig van Beethoven. Played by Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, and conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv.

The former Moores School director and composer teaches us about carols, and shares some of his favorites.

It’s Christmastime in the Classroom! David Ashley White – Professor of Composition at (and former director of) the Moores School of Music, composer, and guy who writes hymns for actual hymnals – teaches us what makes a “carol” and shares some of his favorites with us. There are oldies, goodies, and stuff you’ve never heard. We assure you, it will put you in the Christmas spirit. Not the ghosty kind. The happy kind.

PS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, listeners! We hope your holidays are both merry and bright.

Composer David Ashely White. Photo courtesy of the Moores School website.

Audio production by Todd “Feliz Navi-Todd” Hulslander with elfin shenanigans by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode:

Pianist, Shepherd School of Music professor, and recording artist Jon Kimura Parker – or as we like to call him, Captain Jon Solo – talks about the hidden world of the guest soloist. From the singular experience of performing with an orchestra in one ear and a concert hall in the other, to rehearsal times that will give you stage fright just hearing about them, it’s a behind-the-scenes tell-all exposé of concertic proportions. (That’s a word. We swear.)

Audio production by Todd “The Tobogganator” Hulslander with a running start by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode was recorded live with Jon Kimura Parker in the Geary Performance Studio at Houston Public Media except for:

– Ludwig van Beethoven: Klavierkonzert Nr. 1 C-Dur, op. 15 played by Martha Argerich and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra – P.D.Q. Bach: Concerto for Two Pianos vs. Orchestra, S. 2 are better than one (P.D.Q. Bach).

For more about Jon Kimura Parker: www.jonkimuraparker.com