Classical Conversations

Emmy® award-winning composer Michael Whalen is a veteran of more than 800 TV and film scores, thousands of commercials and numerous TV themes and video games. In his latest album, he turns his attention to electronic and ambient music with spiritual overtones. Sacred Spaces is a collection of uplifting, deeply layered anthems that was released just as the conronavirus pandemic hit – and as Michael tells us, provides a glimpse of meditation and comfort in the midst of crisis.

Conductor Donald Nally joins us to talk about two new albums from his Grammy-winning chamber choir The Crossing: composer Michael Gordon's Anonymous Man, and composer James Primosch's Carthage. Written for The Crossing, Anonymous Man is a choral reflection on history, home, and homelessness, and a memoir about Gordon's block on Desbrosses Street in Manhattan. Carthage is a collection of works (three commissioned by The Crossing) which displays an astounding range of composing prowess – from intimate works in just two parts, to virtuosic, extended anthems of great power.

WGTE's Haley Taylor checks in with violinist Lara St. John (a "high-powered soloist" according to the New York Times). Lara's new album is Key of A - a collaboration with pianist Matt Herskowitz which pairs Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9, “Kreutzer,” in A Major with César Franck’s Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano.

Founded in Brooklyn in 2008, the yMusic Ensemble has collaborated with the likes of Paul Simon, Bon Iver, and Ben Folds. They've also commissioned numerous works for their unique combination of trumpet, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. Two members of the group, violinist Rob Moose and cellist Gabriel Cabezas, take us on a tour of their new album Ecstatic Science - which features compelling new tracks from Missy Mazzolli, Caroline Shaw, Gabriella Smith and more.

Norwegian-born, New York-based composer Ola Gjeilo is well-known for his many beautiful choral works. In his new album Night, Ola turns his attention to the piano, with a series of musical vignettes indpired by the twilight hours at home in New York City. Ola joins WGTE's Haley Taylor for a preview of the disc, just released by Decca Classics.

Fresh off her Grammy Award win for Best Classical Compendium, pianist Nadia Shpachenko joins us to showcase the winning album, called The Poetry of Places. Featuring several world premieres, the disc has a fascinating premise: composers writing music inspired by the diverse architectural landmarks that have played a role in their lives. In addition to the piano, there are works that include percussion, electronics, voice, and toy piano with contributions from L.A. Phil principal keyboardist Joanne Pearce Martin, and Los Angeles Percussion Quartet members Nick Terry and Cory Hills.

The internationally-acclaimed Miró Quartet have finally released their entire cycle of Beethoven String Quartets (all 8 1/2 hours!) on the Pentatone record label. Fifteen years in the making, the new box set contains dynamic and thoughtful interpretations of these remarkable works - which not only trace the musical lifespan of Beethoven, but document the growth and development of the Miró Quartet itself. Cellist Joshua Gindele and violist John Largess join us to offer a preview.

The String Orchestra of Brooklyn has released their debut album, called afterimage. It features two exquisitely soulful works written for the orchestra by Christopher Cerrone and Jacob Cooper, both of which are in response to classic works by Niccolò Paganini and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (also included on the disc). Conductor Eli Spindel and composer Cerrone join us to preview the recording, which also features contributions from the Argus Quartet and vocal soloists Mellissa Hughes and Kate Maroney.

Trumpet virtuoso (and principal of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra) Paul Merkelo has a new recording out on Sony Classical, which features stand-out performances of four popular concertos – all composed during The Age of Enlightenment in Europe (as Paul explains in this interview, the trumpet and its music was itself going through some changes during this period). Paul brings three different trumpets (including one of them custom made) for fresh and fantastic performances of works by Haydn, Telemann, Leopold Mozart, and Hummel.

The Carr-Petrova Duo (violist Molly Carr and pianist Anna Petrova) discuss their debut album from Melos Records, Novel Voices. Inspired by their Novel Voices Refugee Aid Project, the disc includes a world premiere by composer Fernando Arroyo Lascurain alongside beautifully rendered performances of viola/piano works and arrangements by composers Aram Khachaturian, Mieczysław Weinberg, and Rebecca Clarke.