Classical Conversations

Multi-instrumentalist and conductor Dr. Chaerin Kim once again joins us to talk about her music making and the rewards and challenges of playing two instruments (harp and piano concertos) on the same concert.

A conversation with Roger Grieve, who was there at the beginning of FM 91 and has interesting stories to tell about the founding of the radio station and how yesterday is different from today.

Paul Monachino is Director of Liturgical Music & Organist for Rosary Cathedral. He's also retiring at the end of this month. In this conversation, Paul reflects on the past of music at Rosary, his advice for young organists, and his plans for the future.

We hear from ballet legend Nigel Burgoine about his new book "The Ballerina, The Mermaid and the Unicorn" and what he's been up to lately.

Mary Claire Murphy welcomes Josh Gindele of the Miro Quartet to Classical Conversations for a celebration of the holiday album Hearth, a rich and varied collection of traditional carols and holiday favorites in imaginative arrangements by 15 contemporary composers.

In his concept album, Mt. Mundane, composer Stephen Emmer invites us to leave the banal behind. He elaborates, in conversation with Mary Claire Murphy, on this collection of 15 adagios for piano, orchestra, and choir.

Master guitarist and educator Nicholas Goluses joins WGTE for a conversation about his album, "Across the Horizon." In addition to his formidable solo performing career, Nicholas Goluses is Professor of Guitar at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. https://goluses.com/ https://www.albanyrecords.com/catalog/troy1992/

Uruguayan-American composer and pianist Miguel del Aguila presents the album Torrential Raindance as a colorful showcase of lyrical themes blended with elements of his South American heritage. He overviews the five featured works of Torrential Raindance in this Classical Conversation with Mary Claire Murphy.

Violist Bill Neri speaks on his work at the Sphinx Organization and overviews the album American Mirror, recorded by the organization's self-conducted chamber orchestra and flagship performing ensemble, the Sphinx Virtuosi.

Violinist Anna Williams and pianist Eri Nakamura relay the latest with the Neave Trio, including a new album of French works for piano trio.

Cellist Tamar Sagiv makes her debut on Sono Luminus with a poignant reflection on personal loss, collective grief, and enduring hope.

Violinist Matthew Detrick introduces us to an array of new commissions by the Apollo Chamber Players for the album Ban: Stories of Censorship. https://www.apollochamberplayers.org/ban.html

With the release of the album Song of the Birds, mandolinist Avi Avital joins the Between Worlds Ensemble in a vibrant celebration of folk traditions from Italy, Iberia, and the Black Sea regions. Learn more at https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/avi-avital/news/avi-avitals-song-of-the-birds-a-dialogue-between-folk-and-classical-music-275906

Violinist, composer and educator Austin Wulliman talks about his latest album (Escape Rites) of music written for - and inspired by - the Jack Quartet (of which Austin is a violinist). We hear about his career and music, the inspiration behind his titles and pieces, his John Cage obsession, and more!

Baritone and pianist Will Liverman returns to Classical Conversations with Mary Claire Murphy, this time sharing his newly adopted composer’s perspective on the release of his first complete album of original art songs: The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Volume II.

We checked in with Dr. Chaerin Kim to hear about her extraordinary experience performing as an instrumental soloist—playing two different instruments in two separate programs on the same stage— with an orchestra. In a few weeks, she will also conduct the orchestra while performing her own compositions. https://www.chaerinkim.com/blog/ Rendezvous with harp and orchestra

Through the album Take Me To The Water, harpist Ashley Jackson fuses traditional classical music with the rich heritage of Black spirituality. She celebrates, in this Classical Conversation with Mary Claire Murphy, music’s ability to connect cultures. Watch Ashley in performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSdECFLQ2fc

Lima Symphony Music Director Andrew Crust talks about the last LSO concert of the season, "Gershwin and The American Sound."

Ballet Theatre of Toledo presents "Alice in Wonderland." Artistic Director Nigel Burgoine and composer David Jex preview the timeless story which comes to life this weekend on The Valentine Theatre stage.

Cellist Peter Gregson showcases his signature cello and synthesizer sound in his self-titled portrait album of nine modern songs without words. Learn more in this Classical Conversation, hosted by Mary Claire Murphy.

Composer and scholar Lei Liang speaks with Mary Claire Murphy on his album Dui, which he describes as “the ultimate tribute to the past and present bonds that have shaped [his] life.”

Supertrain Records has released Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Symphony in F# in an archival piano recording by the composer himself and in a 1997 live concert performance by the Italian Swiss Radio Orchestra and Conductor John Mauceri. Maestro Mauceri and Leslie Korngold, the composer’s grandson, join Mary Claire Murphy for the backstory in this Classical Conversation.

Baritone Theo Hoffman implements a “pop bel canto” approach to his program of songs by Schubert and The Beatles, underscoring core similarities between the two in this Classical Conversation with Mary Claire Murphy.

Violinist María Dueñas explores capricious works by Nicolo Paganini and his successors, including Fritz Kreisler, Henryk Wieniawski, Jordi Cervello, and others. She surveys the album here in this Classical Conversation with Mary Claire Murphy.

In this Classical Conversation, Mary Claire Murphy asks composer Cliff Eidelman about the behind-the-scenes of his creative process for film scoring. Mr. Eidelman also comments on his concert discography, including a recent reinterpretation of his symphonic poem The Tempest.

WGTE's Mary Claire Murphy and Logan Cooney sit down with Rick Steves as he visits Toledo, Ohio on his "A Symphonic Journey" tour.

Dr. Chaerin Kim returns to FM 91 to talk about the European premiere of her signature work as a composer, Rendezvous, which she conducts in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31DEEYbgvdw. Dr. Kim shares her passion for music and answers questions about her musical philosophy and background. https://www.chaerinkim.com/blog/

The emerging Fourth Wall Ensemble, founded in 2023, has made a splash in its first year with a double album release, including Awake, with music by Samuel Siskind; and Ad Manus, with vocal selections by Caroline Shaw, Dietrich Buxtehude, Jeff Beal, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, and Reena Esmail. Christopher Allen, the ensemble’s artistic and creative director, speaks with Mary Claire Murphy and highlights some of Fourth Wall Ensemble’s recent live performances, especially their appearance on the Death of Classical series that’s held in crypts and cemeteries in New York City.

Percussion guru Rob Desmond and Development guru (and percussionist) Dave Gierke talk with WGTE's Mary Claire Murphy and Brad Cresswell about the Steel Pan Band at Toledo School for the Arts, and the November 5th concert by "Paganini of the Steel Pan" Liam Teague.

Violinist Ray Chen collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Cristian Macelaru to release Player 1, an album replete with nostalgia for fans of video game, television, and film music. His conversation with Mary Claire Murphy is an invitation to reminisce and delight in cinematic orchestral arrangements as Ray performs on the ‘Dolphin’ Stradivarius.

In this conversation with WGTE's Mary Claire Murphy, Stathis Karapanos speaks on the often-misunderstood musical language of Paul Hindemith and introduces his album of complete Hindemith flute works.

Lima Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andrew Crust joins us for a chat about the LSO's new season and their October 19th season opener. Explore the Lima Symphony Season: https://www.limasymphony.com/2024-2025-season

Organist Gail Archer discusses her research on equity in the workplace for women organists and introduces us to the variety of programs scheduled for her fall 2024 performance season.

Soprano Karen Slack and pianist Michelle Cann have collaborated with ONEcomposer to present the album Beyond the Years, featuring 19 unpublished art songs by Florence Price. Learn more in this Classical Conversation with Mary Claire Murphy.

Conductor Gil Rose founded the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) over 100 albums ago; he joins us for a conversation about the orchestra and their two recent albums, John Alden Carpenter: Complete Ballets, and Paul Dooley: Masks & Machines. Please note: The first part of our chat was lost due to technical concerns; Gill starts off by telling us about BMOP (also, the music excerpts have been truncated for the online posting due to copyright concerns). Hear "Point Blank" at Paul Dooley's website: https://www.pauldooley.net/works/pointblankband Photo Credit: Kevin Condon

Trumpet virtuoso Mary Elizabeth Bowden furthers her mission to build the contemporary trumpet repertoire with an album of story-telling concertos, and she gives voices to some of those stories in this conversation with Mary Claire Murphy.

With the polarizing political season in full swing, it's important to remember that despite our differences, we're still neighbors and should treat each other as such. Enter Neighbor2Neighbor, a 2024 election year peace initiative, which has taken off in our community. In this radio roundtable, we're joined by four guests: Rev. Gayle Catinella (Rector of St. Michael's in the Hills Episcopal Church), Carol Nichols (who came up with the concept), Dave Karmol (neighbor of Carol's but on the opposite end of the political spectrum), and Brent Cousino (project advisor and community partner). https://www.neighbor2neighbortoledo.com/

Composer Robert Kyr provides an immersive experience of nature through several environmentally themed oratorios and choral dramas, including A Time for Life and Earth Vigil. He speaks with Mary Claire Murphy on his concepts and collaboration with the acclaimed ensemble Conspirare and their artistic director, Craig Hella Johnson. As a supplement to the conversation, see below for nature photography by Robert Kyr (captioned: Illuminated Cloud Beyond Mesas, Bright Mesa Rising from Stillness (High Noon), Bright Mesa Rising from Stillness (Twilight), Mesa with Three Trees, Bright Mesa Face, Illuminated Cathedral Mesa, Premiere of Earth Vigil, Mesa Descending into Twilight, The Tree of Life.

Octavist Glenn Miller speaks to Mary Claire Murphy on Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, as arranged for men’s choir and recorded in Jerusalem by the PaTRAM Institute Male Choir.

Composer Scott Wollschleger talks about his new album from New Focus Recordings called Between Breath. The album contains four works for different duo and solo combinations that are presented here as a multi-movement complete work. Wollschleger's music balances exuberance and intimacy with characteristic sensitivity to timbre and structural proportions.

Celebrate the centennial of the “Rhapsody in Blue” with the album Norman Krieger Plays Gershwin. Norman joins Mary Claire Murphy on Classical Conversations for more details on the Rhapsody, Gershwin’s preludes, and his Piano Concerto in F.

In this Classical Conversation with Mary Claire Murphy, pianist/composer Chad Lawson speaks on his meditative approach to music composition and invites us into his album of piano solo music, “Where We Are.”

Violinist Elizabeth Chang speaks to Mary Claire Murphy about her unique album Sonatas and Myths, featuring seminal works by early 20th century composers Bela Bartok, Karol Szymanowski, and Ernst von Dohnanyi.

In her poetic Six Pieces for Solo Violin, composer Sophia Jani unfolds a series of targeted techniques to celebrate the solo violin and its place as a sweetheart of music history and modern times. In collaboration with violinist Teresa Allgaier, she foreshadows the set with an introductory prelude and then proceeds with great intentionality through a variety of musical characters; she shares the details with Mary Claire Murphy.

Through their album, Project Earth: The Blue Chapter, the Iris Trio takes a multi-disciplinary approach to celebrate the environment and the beauty of biodiversity. Anna Petrova, pianist of the Iris Trio, speaks with Mary Claire Murphy on the nuances within the poetry and accompanying compositions, crafted by Don McKay and Florian Hoefner, respectively.

We're joined by two members of the cast and two of the creatives behind Toledo Opera's production of Ragtime. Soprano Raquel Suarez Groen (Mother) and baritone Derrick Davis (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.) sing their big showpieces in the WGTE studios (with pianist Kevin Bylsma). Also, we hear from director James Norman, and the conductor of Ragtime, J. Ernest Green.

Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs is helping the King of Instruments retake its rightful place in classical music. The acclaimed musician joins Mary Claire Murphy and Brad Cresswell for a conversation about his return appearance at the Peristyle with the Toledo Symphony.

Dr. Chaerin Kim joins us to talk about her substantial career as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, conductor and professor, and gives advice for young musicians hoping to find success in the many competitions she has judged. We also hear her piano version of "Rendezvous" - a piece by Dr. Kim which has 100 versions (including many different languages).

In her sophomore album, "I Long and Seek After," violist and composer Jessica Meyer contemplates the question, "Am I doing all that I am supposed to be doing?" Themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery pervade the texts, which she set as intimate art songs. And on this, her 50th birthday year, she shares with Mary Claire Murphy her reflections on how to embrace the passage of time to age with utmost grace.

Ballet Theater of Toledo's Artistic Director Nigel Burgoine and composer David Jex talk about their collaboration "The Great Pancake Escape" - which features BTT dancers, magician Andrew Martin and narrator Tony Geftos reading from the book by Toledo-area author Paul Many. https://ballettheatreoftoledo.org/performances/