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British conductor Andrew Davis was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1944, and as a small boy started piano lessons. Showing great promise, as a teenager he began studying the organ, too. Later he became an Organ Scholar at Kings College, Cambridge. These formative years led to a long international career. While still in his 20s, […]

Shall we dance? Today’s Beautiful Music is a tango with a baroque twist. Musician Leonhard Bartussek has arranged the Tango Malena and performs it on baroque cello with baroque violin player Alfia Bakieva. It’s enough to make you want to push the furniture out of the way and dance along.

Gateways Brass Collective is a top-tier ensemble of instrumentalist-educators — trombonist Isrea Butler, trumpeters Herbert Smith and Courtney Jones, French horn player Larry Williams, and tuba player Jerome Strover. Today’s Beautiful Music features them from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) 2022 Grand Rally for Music Education. They’re playing Astor Piazzolla’s OBLIVION, and Dizzy

Today’s Beautiful Music has a co-curator — Sunday Baroque producer (and my longtime friend) Julie Freddino! Julie is a self-professed super-fan of American singer, songwriter, and actress Sara Bareilles. (and thanks to Julie, I’m now a fan, too) She recommended a song she comes back to over and over when she needs a pick-me-up, and

Today’s Beautiful Music features the marvelous cellist Seth Parker Woods with pianist Andrew Rosenblum. They are playing the Cello Sonata written in 1957 by American composer, pianist, and organist George Walker (1922-2018.) This performance took place at The 92nd Street Y in New York City. The Grammy-nominated cellist met George Walker in 2008, and you

Dutch conductor Edo de Waart’s career has spanned decades. The 82 year old musician is Music Director Laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, former chief conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Artistic Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He has also had Music Directorships with

Close your eyes and enjoy a few moments of pure bliss. Today’s Beautiful Music features the artistry of pianist Lara Downes playing a sweet and touching solo by Florence Price called CLOUDS. You can almost imagine puffy clouds floating lazily overhead. Lara Downes is a stunning and versatile musician, and I’ve had the privilege to

It’s April 15 — tax day! — and we’re injecting some levity into the mix. Today’s Beautiful Music is a classical rendition of the ABBA song MONEY, MONEY, MONEY featuring The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Have you ever heard of a musical instrument called a lirone? It’s a bowed string instrument in the lira family that was popularized in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today’s Beautiful Music is an introduction to the lovely and interesting lirone. Virtuosa lirone player Emilia Benjamin gives a captivating explanation and demonstration for you to

Leonara Duarte (1610-c.1678) grew up in Antwerp in a family of Portuguese Jewish heritage. She was steeped in art and music and culture, and learned to play harpsichord, lute, and viol as a girl. Leonara Duarte also composed music. Today’s Beautiful Music is one of her seven five-part Sinfonias for viol consort, arranged for brass