Hear an excerpt from the most fantastical and kaleidoscopic orchestral works of our time.
Thomas Adès, ‘Paolo and Francesca — the endless whirlwind’
April 21, 2023 by
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Lara Downes: Tiny Desk Concert
April 21, 2023 by
With a piano draped in spring flowers, Lara Downes plays a smart set of music, new and old, that offers the power of renewal.
WRR 101 Focus on the Arts: Meet the Pulitzer Prize-nominated 27-year-old composer from Arlington, TX, making his Dallas Winds debut
April 20, 2023 by Amy Bishop
“It’s music that is this mixture of contemporary classical music, with jazz, with R&B, with hip hop, with fusion,” says Kevin Day, describing his Pulitzer Prize-nominated Concerto for Wind Ensemble. “It’s just telling a narrative about how fun this music is – It’s meant to be fun, it’s meant to be enjoyable.” The Dallas Winds… Read more »
yMusic, ‘Cloud’
April 14, 2023 by Justin Bowers
Let the new music sextet yMusic serenade you with a light-as-air track from a forthcoming album.
A music director goes public with a secret stash of private instruments
April 14, 2023 by
National Symphony Orchestra Music Director Gianandrea Noseda is reshaping the ensemble’s sound with the help of 17th and 18th century instruments he purchased secretly.
Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s unexpected path into the opera house
April 14, 2023 by
The five-time Grammy winner has mounted two operas at the Metropolitan Opera, which until 2021 had never staged a work by a Black composer. Hear him discuss the future of opera with Lara Downes.
WRR 101 Focus on the Arts: Verdigris presents Rumi’s poetry like we’ve never heard (or seen) before
April 12, 2023 by Amy Bishop
“This work has been in progress – and in process – for three years,” says Sam Brukhman, founding Artistic Director of the Verdigris Ensemble, speaking of their world premiere of “SHAMS.” The production includes poetry of Rumi, set to original music by internationally recognized composer Sahba Aminikia and improvisational art by Kevork Mourad. Hear Sam… Read more »
‘Champion’ is not your grandmother’s Metropolitan Opera
April 8, 2023 by Justin Bowers
Terence Blanchard made history last season when his opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones was the first work by a Black composer staged by the Metropolitan Opera. And the Met has asked for more.
From Daft Punk to ballet: Thomas Bangalter makes full swing to classical
April 7, 2023 by Justin Bowers
Thomas Bangalter, formerly of French electronic music duo Daft Punk, has released a classical music album: the score to a ballet titled Mythologies that draws on American minimalism and Baroque works.
WRR 101 Focus on the Arts: Feel the intimacy of Beethoven at this TCU faculty recital
April 6, 2023 by Amy Bishop
“The Archduke Trio is the pinnacle of Beethoven’s piano trios, and one of his iconic masterpieces,” says John Owings, the Herndon Professor of Music and Chair of the Piano Division at Texas Christian University. “Right from the beginning, you hear this sense of grandeur and nobility, (which) of course, befits the title, The Archduke.” Owings… Read more »
Ryuichi Sakamoto, a godfather of electronic pop, has died
April 2, 2023 by Justin Bowers
The influential Japanese composer died March 28 from cancer. A wide-ranging musician, the Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder was a synth-pop idol and the writer of sweeping movie scores.
WRR 101 Focus on the Arts: The Competitors for The Cliburn’s Junior Competition have been announced!
March 28, 2023 by Amy Bishop
“We received 248 applications, which is huge, considering the workload,” says Jacques Marquis, president and CEO of The Cliburn. “And that’s good also, because it means that the competition is well known in the world.” Some of the world’s best teen pianists will come to Dallas to compete for the gold June 8-17th in a… Read more »
The voice of Jessye Norman soars again in trove of unreleased recordings
March 24, 2023 by Justin Bowers
A new collection of recordings finally freed from the vaults offers a chance to hear one of opera’s greatest artists sing Wagner, Strauss, Berlioz and more.
WRR 101 Focus on the Arts: This teenage pianist in North Texas isn’t letting disability stand in her way
March 23, 2023 by Amy Bishop
“Don’t let your disability hold you back,” says 16-year-old Grace Novacheck, a pianist who lives in Westlake, Texas. “You can try two, three, four, five, ten instruments until you get it right, and it can also lead to a lot of amazing opportunities.”Grace – who was born with Escobar Syndrome – had an amazing opportunity… Read more »
Scientists sequence Beethoven’s genome for clues into his painful past
March 22, 2023 by Justin Bowers
Scientists have sequenced the genome of Ludwig van Beethoven from two-century-old locks of hair, and found clues about the ailments that plagued him in life.