Scotland-based American conductor Kellen Gray is Assistant Conductor of the English National Opera and Assistant Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He’s attuned to the orchestral repertory, including Bela Bartok, Antonin Dvorak, Aaron Copland, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. He’s also passionate about championing African-diasporic composers, and has two critically acclaimed albums — African-American Voices […]
It’s all too easy to be stressed out at this time of year. So you can soothe your jangled nerves and chill out with Sunday Baroque this weekend, listening to pastoral baroque music: cheerful and idyllic, and far removed from all the chaos. The music evokes life in the countryside, with shepherds herding their flocks and playing flutes – it’s on Sunday Baroque this weekend.
Playlist 2023-12-17 Read More »
In 1746 George Frideric Handel was commissioned to compose an oratorio for a victory celebration. He based the work on the heroic story of Judah Maccabee – the Jewish leader who defended his country from invasion and whose story informs the celebration of Hanukkah. You’ll hear selections from Handel’s heroic Judas Maccabaeus oratorio on Sunday Baroque this week.
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Grammy-nominated flutist Brandon Patrick George is a member of Imani Winds and has appeared as a soloist with soloist with the Atlanta, Baltimore, and Albany symphonies, American Composers Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, among others. He’s also on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. Suzanne spoke with Brandon Patrick George about
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The principal oboist for the Berlin Philharmonic LOVES baroque music, and LOVES to play chamber music. Albrecht Mayer has a new recording called BACH GENERATIONS – it has music by Johann Sebastian Bach, one of his older cousins, and two of his musical sons, and it’s on the 2023 Sunday Baroque Holiday Gift List. You can audition a selection from the album on Sunday Baroque this weekend.
Playlist 2023-12-03 Read More »
As a music lover, you may be familiar with Melvin Chen for his recordings of piano music by Dmitri Shostakovich or Ludwig van Beethoven. He put his double degrees from The Juilliard School to work as Professor in the Practice of Piano at Yale School of Music and is Director of Norfolk Chamber Music Festival,
Every year at this time, Suzanne Bona compiles her suggestions for holiday gift giving for music lovers. Starting this week, you can audition selections from the 2023 Holiday Gift List. You’ll hear a spectacular solo guitar recording from a young French guitar virtuoso and Neapolitan baroque cello music. It’s on Sunday Baroque this weekend.
Playlist 2023-11-26 Read More »
Every year at this time, I compile a list of some of my favorite recent recordings to recommend for your holiday gift giving. Now more than ever we need to focus on the things that connect us, the things that bring light and positivity into our lives, and I think these musical selections are a great place to start.
Whether you choose to add any of them to your library, give them as gifts, or simply enjoy auditioning them each week, I hope you will enjoy discovering these wonderful musicians and recordings with me over the last weeks of 2023.
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Monarchies bankrolled a significant amount of baroque era music. And a few royals like Princess Wilhelmine in the 18th century, were hands-on music lovers who composed music themselves! You’ll hear one of Princess Wilhelmine’s Flute Sonatas this weekend on Sunday Baroque.
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Acclaimed harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani – the first and only harpsichordist to be named a BBC New Generation Artist, and the youngest ever recipient of the Wigmore Medal – is an outspoken and passionate advocate for his instrument. Although the harpsichord is most closely associated with baroque music, Mahan Esfahani’s repertory is large and diverse, from
