Contemporary Classical Music Podcast
Since its founding in Milwaukee in 1982, the mission of Present Music has been to commission and perform new concert music with programming that introduces innovative concert formats, embraces a broad diversity of repertoire, and makes the music of our time accessible to audiences with deep expression and serious fun. Host Austin Williams talks with … Continue reading #353 Present Music
Access Contemporary Music's latest album features music commissioned as part of their innovative project Composer Alive. Each piece was composed in short installments and rehearsed and recorded in real time as they were received. Host Seth Boustead features a sample of this fascinating music. MUSIC Sunshowers by Jane O'Leary (mvmts 1 and 2) De Ánimos … Continue reading #352 Composer Alive Album Release
Qubit presents an audio(guide) companion to the 2022 Whitney Biennial, "Quiet as It's Kept." Curated by Alec Hall, Loud as It Plays is a listening landscape of contemporary American music arranged around the themes and forces shaping our world over the past two years: breath, time, hope, test, and war. For a biennial survey of American art … Continue reading #351 Qubit’s Whitney Biennial Audio Guide
Shawn E. Okpebholo is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning composer whose music has been described as “devastatingly beautiful” and “fresh and new and fearless” (The Washington Post), “affecting” (The New York Times), “searing” (The Chicago Tribune), “staggering” (The New Yorker), “lyrical, complex, singular” (The Guardian), and “powerful” (BBC Music Magazine). Host Stephen Rawson talks with him … Continue reading #350 Shawn E. Okpebholo
Join Host Austin Williams as he interviews world-class composer Michael Oliva about his upcoming project for various interments playing with Tampura and fixed media. Michael has been creating various collaborations with a variety of instruments for this project to create a diverse sound world for listeners to experience. In the interview you will hear about … Continue reading #349 Michael Oliva
The remarkable Da Capo Chamber Ensemble has been going strong for 50 years and they're celebrating this milestone with a series of concerts called Bridges. Host Austin Williams talks with flutist Patricia Spencer and composer Bruce Adolphe about their incredible run and the featured music in their 50th season.
Castor and Patience is a new opera by composer Gregory Spears and libretto by former poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy K. Smith. The opera takes on the pervasive barriers to land ownership for Black Americans by telling the story of two cousins' struggles to own and keep property long held by their family. … Continue reading #347 Castor and Patience at Cincinnati Opera
Join us as we celebrate and honor the centennial of Charles Mingus! This episode will take a deep dive into his album Mingus Plays the Piano. Charles Mingus was a pioneer of the modern jazz movement and this album speaks to that. Amongst his vast discography, this album takes a slight departure from his typical … Continue reading #346 Charles Mingus Centennial
Host Austin Williams explores the cross roads of experimental music and Jazz. Many artists featured on today’s show come from the Twin Cities area which has a large free and experimental jazz scene. Much like one might see in an improvising chamber group or players working from a graphic score, the music you hear is … Continue reading #345 Cross Roads
Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Hey, isn't that from the "Cheers" theme song? Yes it is but after the last couple of weeks who can disagree? Join host Austin Williams for a much-needed musical escape... MUSIC Conduit by Robert Honstein - Performed … Continue reading #344 Escape Tones