Madison Opera
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.
UW Russian Folk Orchestra
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...
Philippe Bianconi
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...
Midday Centennial Celebration
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...
Tracey Conyer Lee
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...
Vicky Powell
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.
What Common Theme Ties These Five Pieces Together?
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.
Bach Around The Clock
Thursday, March 16, 2017, 12:00pm
" Bach Around The Clock" celebrates Bach's birthday with this free event held from noon to midnight on Saturday, March 18th at St Andrews Episcopal Church in Madison. One of the groups performing include this string quartet which includes Marika Fischer Hoyt , baroque Viola; Eleanor Bartsch ,...
Tine Thing Helseth
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.
A Wintry Mix Of Classical Music To Warm You Up
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.
Experience The Milwaukee Symphony In A New Broadcast Series
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.
Community Leaders Speak About State Of Hip-Hop In Madison
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.
The Surprising Origin of Wisconsin's Fight Song
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.
13 Musical Treats For Halloween Frights
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...
A Conversation with Violinist Ilya Kaler
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...
A Bountiful Musical Harvest
Sunday, October 9, 2016, 1:00pm
Preview season-opening concerts from the Wisconsin Philharmonic, the Racine Symphony and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.