KGNU Music

KGNU's Sanford Baran interviews Rune Tonsgaard Sorenson, a violinist from the Danish String Quartet, known for their mix of classical and folk music. Sorenson shares his musical journey and his early love for the violin. He discusses the quartet's formation in 1998 and highlights their diverse repertoire, which includes both classical and folk music, and their creative process for arranging and performing these pieces. He also mentions their upcoming album "Keel Road," which explores musical traditions from Scandinavia and the British Isles, and future projects like a recording of Schubert's chamber music and a multi-art form project for Shostakovich's 50th anniversary. The quartet will perform at the Colorado Music Festival on July 30th.

C.J. Lewandowski, mandolinist of The Po' Ramblin' Boys, discusses his band's origins and upcoming performances in an interview with KGNU’s Shawna Sprowls. Lewandowski shares insights about their new album, "Wanderers Like Me," set to release on August 16th on Smithsonian Folkways Records. He highlights their excitement for upcoming shows, including a performance in Denver at the Levitt Pavilion on August 2nd, and praises their supportive bluegrass community (Interview date: 7/24/2024)

KGNU’s Big Daddy and Tony Ortega interview Bruce Bouton, a renowned steel guitar player. Bouton talks about his beginnings in steel guitar and his influential solos, notably "Highway 40 Blues." He discusses playing with artists like Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, and others. Bouton reflects on the evolution of the country music industry and songwriting. Bouton will perform at the Denver Steel Guitar Show on August 11th (Interview date: 7/20/2024)

KGNU’s Sanford Baran interviews Christina and Michelle Naughton, renowned piano duo, ahead of their performance at the Colorado Music Festival. The sisters share their early musical influences, starting with piano at age four. They discuss the challenges and rewards of playing as a duo, particularly the unique dynamics of performing on one piano versus two. They explain their careful selection of pieces and highlight their work with living composers, innovative projects, and the excitement of playing Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos in Boulder.

South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo speaks with KGNU’s DJ Jules. The group, celebrating their 64th anniversary, discusses their mission of spreading love, peace, and unity through their music. They share a few songs and talk about the origins and legacy of the group. Ladysmith Black Mambazo kicked off their U.S. tour at the Boulder Theater on July 21st (Interview date: 7/20/24)

In an interview with DJ Umo 1 of KGNU, producer Sirplus of the Dirty Science Crew discusses his background, recent U.S. tour, and latest album "Squares". Sirplus, who hails from Orange County, details his collaboration with Exile and their recent tour stops. He talks about "Squares", an instrumental project featuring 16 tracks, and shares his production process using the MPC 2000XL. Sirplus and Exile have a free show July 19th at the Bear Creek Distillery in Denver!

KGNU’s Shawna Sprowls talks with Barrett Smith of the Steep Canyon Rangers. Barrett chats about the band’s upcoming performances in Colorado and reflects on the Steep Canyon Rangers’ long-standing connection to the state. He emphasizes the band's passion for live music, which led them to create a live album showcasing their current sound, set for release in August. The Steep Canyon Rangers has a show at the Boulder Theatre on July 20! (Interview date: 7/18/24)

KGNU's Neil Smart hosts Bluegrass band Lost Penny in the studio (Interview date: 3/2/2024)

KGNU's Meredith Carson speaks with the winners of the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras Concerto Competition, who share some music (Interview date: 4/19/2024)

KGNU's Dan Willging interviews record producer Marshall Chess (Interview date: 4/5/2024)