Wednesday, April 26, 2017, 1:00pm
Jazz bassist Linda May Han Oh stopped by our Buck Studio and provided some insights into the life of a New York musician. Along the way, she played "Lucid Lullably," Pat Metheney's "Change of Heart," and "Slow Boat to China." She's in Madison in conjunction with the Mead Witter School of Music Annual Jazz Festival being held on the UW campus from April 25-28, 2017.
Linda Oh was born in Malaysia and raised in Perth, Western Australia. She began playing piano, bassoon and at fifteen dabbled on electric bass playing jazz in high school bands. She graduated from...
Tuesday, April 25, 2017, 12:00pm
Norman welcomes Karl Lavine and members of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra that play in their Chamber Music programs. The string quartet (pictured above) played the 2nd movement of Béla Bartók's String Quartet No. 2. The second ensemble (pictured below left) was piano and strings playing Brahms' Scherzo in C minor. The last string quartet (pictured below right) played the String Quartet No. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich.
Monday, April 17, 2017, 12:00pm
Norman visits with Gary Wedow, conductor of the Madison Opera, about the opera company's performance of The Magic Flute on April 21 and 23 in Overture Hall in Madison. They play and discuss several excerpts from the opera.
Friday, April 7, 2017, 12:00pm
The 40-piece UW Russian Folk Orchestra is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a free concert on Saturday, April 8th at 7:30pm in Mills Concert Hall on the UW Campus. Music Director and guitarist Victor Gorodinsky, guest soloist and balalaika player Tetiana Khomenko, alto Anna Gubenkova and Assistant Conductor and domra player Nebojša Macura performed several pieces in the WPR music studio.
Thursday, April 6, 2017, 12:00pm
Norman welcomes French pianist Philippe Bianconi to the WPR performance studio. Bianconi will be performing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Madison Symphony Orchestra on April 7-9 at the Overture Center. The concerto is considered one of the most difficult pieces to play every written.
Since his debut at Carnegie Hall in 1987 he has performed in major concert halls and festivals throughout the world. He has also recorded more than 18 CDs of works by Chopin, Debussy, Schubert, Ravel and Brahms.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017, 9:30am
In a former monastic retreat along the Fox River, musicians and painters from France, New York and California, as well as across Wisconsin have found a space where they can create.
Friday, March 31, 2017, 12:00pm
Live from Viterbo Fine Arts Center in La Crosse, members of the Viterbo University music faculty gave a concert celebrating the 100th Anniversary of WPR’s first broadcasts. Violinist Nancy Oliveros and pianist Mary Ellen Haupert played works by Respighi, Debussy, and Sibelius. Baritone Daniel Johnson-Wilmot and pianist Judy Stafslein performed three songs by Brahms. Soprano Ann Schoenecker sang three songs by Respighi, and pianist Mark Tollefsen played two movements from contemporary composer Douglas Pew’s “On the Shore of Silence.”
Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 12:00pm
Norman talks to Andy Abrams, founder and Artistic Director of Capital City Theatre in Madison, and Tracey Conyer Lee, who is performing the one-women show "Lady Day at Ermerson's Bar and Grill" starting March 31 at the Overture Center.
Abrams received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the UW-Madison and holds a Masters of Arts in Musical Theater from Goldsmiths College-University of London. Lee has a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University and is an MFA candidate at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. She is an actress, musician and playwright.
Monday, March 27, 2017, 3:15pm
Join WPR’s NPR News and Classical Music Network at 7 p.m. Wednesday for a live broadcast of the 2017 Final Forte competition hosted by WPR’s Lori Skelton and Jim Fleming.
Thursday, March 23, 2017, 12:00pm
Norman talks to violist Vicky Powell who will be performing Vaughn Williams' Suite for Viola and Orchestra with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra on Friday, March 24th in the Capitol Theater in Madison. Powell is a Madison native and an alumna of Suzuki Strings of Madison.
Thursday, March 23, 2017, 11:15am
This may sound like a Midday quiz question — just without the 30 minute time limit. Look for hints in the titles but more importantly, listen and feel for the lush and blissful energies that each piece offers. Enjoy these five classical pieces and what they represent in the days to come.
Thursday, March 16, 2017, 12:00pm
Friday, March 10, 2017, 2:15pm
Hip-hop/classical duo Black Violin will be performing Sunday in Green Bay as part of their nationwide tour. The classically trained artists, Wil "Wil B" Baptiste and Kevin "Kev Marcus" Sylveste, have worked for years to use their music as a means of pushing back against stereotypes.
Thursday, March 9, 2017, 12:00pm
Norwegian trumpet soloist Tine Thing Helseth talks to Norman about her upcoming performances on March 10-12 with the Madison Symphony Orchestra at the Overture Center. She'll be performing Johann Hummel's Trumpet Concerto. She also performs several pieces in the WPR studio.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 1:10pm
A perfect way to combat the chill and darkness is to cozy up by a fire with hot beverages and classical music. Here are 10 great classical pieces that will warm you from the inside out and are perfect for a cuddly winter night.
Monday, January 2, 2017, 12:45pm
WPR’s Lori Skelton hosts this national series of broadcast concerts by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. The series will air Sundays Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. on the NPR News and Classical Music Network, and on the Classical HD Network.
Friday, December 9, 2016, 2:35pm
The seventh annual Madison Hip-Hop Awards recently took place, and co-founders Karen Reece and ShaH Evans discuss the burgeoning art form, educational initiatives using rap, and racism as it relates to access to venues for the genre - especially for local artists.
Saturday, December 3, 2016, 4:25pm
The Metropolitan Opera's 86th consecutive season of live Saturday afternoon broadcasts is underway, and continues through May 13.
Friday, November 4, 2016, 11:15am
"On Wisconsin" is a song Wisconsinites hold near and dear, especially during football season. Not only is it the famed fight song for the University of Wisconsin-Madison football team, it is also the official state song, just with different lyrics. The song, however, was not originally intended for Wisconsin, but rather for one of UW's biggest rivals, the University of Minnesota.
Friday, October 21, 2016, 10:50am
It’s the time of year when leaves are falling, nights are getting longer and Halloween is just around the corner. Whether or not you are playing ghosts in the graveyard or going to a haunted house, this is certainly a spooky time of year. Costumes, decorations and candy are not a celebration without a frightening playlist. From silly to bone-chilling, this compilation is great for pumpkin carving, parties, costume making or any time you want to get in the Halloween spirit. Boo!
An excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s "Swan Lake" was used as the theme song for the 1931 Bela Lugosi film...
Friday, October 14, 2016, 12:00pm
Stephanie Elkins interviews violinist Ilya Kaler who will be performing with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in the Capital Theater in Madison tonight at 7:30pm. The performance will include Boyce's "Symphony No. 5 in D major", Tchaikovsky's "Violin Concerto in D major", and Schubert's "Symphony No. 4 Tragic in C minor."
Kaler studied at Moscow Conservatory under Leonid Kogan and Viktor Tretiakov, earning both a master's and doctorate degree. He is a gold medal winner at three of the worlds prestigious international violin competitions: the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1986), the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki (1985), and the Paganini Competition in Genoa (1981).
Sunday, October 9, 2016, 1:00pm
Preview season-opening concerts from the Wisconsin Philharmonic, the Racine Symphony and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
Thursday, September 29, 2016, 12:00pm
Norman Gilliland talks to the members of the world renowned Pro Arte Quartet which includes David Perry, violin; Suzanne Beia, violin; Sally Chisholm, viola; and Parry Karp, cello. They play several pieces in our Madison studio.
The Quartet will be performing the Brahms' F minor Piano Quintet with pianist Leon Fleischer in a free concert at Noon on October 6th at Mills Concert Hall in Madison. The group was founded in Belgium 100 years ago, but they became "Artists in Residence" at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1938.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2016, 1:05pm
Although the name suggests otherwise, Oktoberfest actually begins mid-September and sometimes runs long enough to end during the beginning of October. It was first celebrated in Munich in 1810 as a party for the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. From there it expanded to the world-wide festival that it is now. It used to be held entirely in October, but as popularity grew, the festival was moved to September to allow for warmer weather and longer nights.
With so many German-Americans in Wisconsin, it is not hard to understand how Oktoberfest became a big deal...
Wednesday, September 7, 2016, 11:35am
It's time to celebrate harvest time in Wisconsin! There is plenty of music inspired by this time of year, from joyous jigs in praise of bounty to solemn songs about the hard work.
Here's a collection of 10 pieces that will remind you of this time in earth’s beautiful cycle. Whether in the city or country, harvesting or not, these pieces are worth exploring.
Percy Grainger’s “Harvest Hymn” has a lovely tune that speaks for itself. It's inspired many arrangements.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016, 10:15am
The excitement of the recent arrival of NASA's Juno probe at Jupiter, combined with summer’s warm, clear nights might put you in the mood for stargazing. Our understanding of space has dramatically changed over the years, yet mystery still surrounds the night sky.
The English composer Gustav Holst was fascinated by both astronomy and astrology, and in 1916 produced his orchestral suite "The Planets." The suite's seven movements portray each planet (except Earth) with a colorful array of sounds and feelings, from playful to mysterious. A great time to enjoy "The Planets" is when you have a chance to view...
Thursday, May 26, 2016, 10:45am
Summertime in Wisconsin offers many opportunities to explore new music and revisit old favorites all over the state. Although the festivals vary in size and content, they all feature great music in memorable settings. This is merely a sampling of this summer's music festivals, so be on the lookout for more as the season progresses!
Midsummer’s Music Festival
Sister Bay hosts this popular series from June through September. It features chamber music in intimate settings around Door County, including art galleries, churches, and private homes. Performances have featured a broad range of music, from classical standards to contemporary works. You...
Friday, May 13, 2016, 3:50pm
Wisconsin Public Radio will broadcast Madison Opera’s production of Puccini’s "La Boheme" on Saturday, May 7 at 1 p.m. The performance was recorded for WPR last November at Overture Center in Madison.
Join WPR next week at 1 p.m. for Madison Opera’s production of Offenbach’s "Tales of Hoffmann."
One of the most-loved of all opera’s, "La Boheme" tells of the lives, loves and losses of a group of young artists in a Bohemian quarter of Paris, all set to Puccini’s beautiful score.
WPR's broadcast will also feature Lori Skelton’s conversations with the cast and conductor, along with background information about the...
Friday, April 22, 2016, 11:20am
William Shakespeare’s birthday is observed, oddly, on the day of his death, April 23. His actual birthdate is unknown but he was baptised on April 26, 1564. Not only is April a great month to honor Shakespeare's birth, this month also happens to be the 400th anniversary of his death. In fact the entire year is filled with events to commemorate his life and work.
Shakespeare’s impact on classical music has been significant, of course, and this list contains just a few of the many pieces inspired by his works. You can spend many happy hours exploring more!
It seems appropriate...
Wednesday, April 20, 2016, 7:25am
"The Midday" celebrates its 25th anniversary this week. Norman Gilliland gives us a brief history of hosting two and a half decades of this WPR classical staple.