- Composer Julia Wolfe lives in Lower Manhattan, just blocks from where the Twin Towers once stood. She and her family watched 9/11 unfold around them, and dealt with the aftermath. She wrote one of her most stark, concise works as a response. She called it “Compassion.” Hear the piece performed in concert by pianist Conrad Tao at the Aspen Music Festival and School -- and more of Julia's story -- in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.
- Thomas Blomster recently traveled to Mongolia to conduct the premiere of his piece, written for the country's traditional instruments.
- Now, listeners will have a chance to spend more time with Laitman’s music, through a newly released recording of Opera Colorado’s production.
- "Gitana" is a piece by one of history's greatest harp players.
- Composer Loretta Notareschi remembers early motherhood as one of the hardest moments of her life. She felt completely in love with her infant daughter but she also grappled with a frightening postpartum mood disorder. She decided to use music to tell her story, and start a conversation with others going through the same thing. Hear Loretta’s piece, “String Quartet OCD,” performed by the Playground Ensemble String Quartet in the CPR Performance Studio, and the story behind the composition, in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.
- The world is about to hear more music from the six-story metal structure, starting with music by Grammy-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth.
- Composer Kevin Michael Olson used to work in a lab that developed military technology. And he wrote about that experience in his music. It sounded pretty dark. So one day, he wanted to write something that sounded less heavy. The piano music that came out sounded more complicated than he intended. It’s filled with stark contrasts. He called it “Dichotomiae.” Hear pianist Hsing-ay Hsu play the piece in an exclusive CPR Performance Studio session, and the story behind the composition, in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.
- Hear an exciting young pianist play a beloved -- and difficult -- piece in the CPR Performance Studio.
- Composer Egemen Kesikli spent last summer in his home country of Turkey. He was waiting to return to the United States, where he studied composition at the University of Colorado. Then Egemen heard about the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Forty-nine people died at the popular gay club. Egemen, who is gay, felt horrified. He dealt with the shock by writing a string quartet. Hear an exclusive CPR Performance Studio recording of the piece played by Playground Ensemble -- and the story of how Egemen shaped his sadness into music -- in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.
- It's a complex piece: a little moody and a little manic.
- The summer of 2016 left Egemen Kesikli in shock. He responded by writing a string quartet.
- The contemporary chamber ensemble yMusic set out to make a different kind of classical record with its latest release. The group enlisted one of its favorite collaborators, Son Lux, to compose an album of compositions with the feel of a rock LP. The result is called "First." Hear a CPR Performance Studio recording of two pieces from the album, and the story of the record's creation, in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.
- CPR Performance Studio several times, will take part in this year’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States.
- The Flatirons Chamber Music Festival wants to bring a different kind of concert experience to Boulder.
- A few years ago, composer Carter Pann heard the saxophonists in the Capitol Quartet in concert. The music blew him away. He convinced the group to collaborate with him, and the resulting piece -- called "The Mechanics" -- made Carter a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Hear a CPR Performance Studio recording of the piece by the up-and-coming Black Diamond Saxophone Quartet -- and the story of what inspired Carter's piece -- in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.
- A stunning rendition of a beloved piece, filmed in the CPR Performance Studio.
