Classical music
Composer and Performer Meredith Monk
Composer and performer Meredith Monk tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about her approaches to writing music, singing and live performance.
Vocalist Marni Nixon: On-Stage and Behind the Camera
Classical singer Marni Nixon is best known for dubbing vocals for musical films like West Side Story, My Fair Lady, and The King and I. She tells Terry Gross about expanding the audience for opera and concert music.
Steve Reich: Composing and Performing Minimalist Music
Minimalist composer Steve Reich explains his approach to writing music.
An Opera Singer Goes Behind the Scenes
Soprano Beverly Sills retired from singing in 1980 at the age of fifty, but still works in opera as the director of the New York City Opera. Rather than traveling abroad to hone her craft, she studied and built a career in America.
Clarinetist Richard Soltzman
In order to develop a sizable repertoire as an orchestral soloist, Soltzman has had to transcribe several classical pieces written for other instruments.
The Forward-Thinking Music of P.D.Q. Bach
Composer Peter Schickele invented the fictitious, forgotten son of J.S. Bach and writes music under that name. Schickele believes that a more lighthearted approach to classical music could expand the genre's audience.
An Opera Singer Goes Behind the Scenes
Soprano Beverly Sills retired from singing in 1980 at the age of fifty, but still works in opera as the director of the New York City Opera. Rather than traveling abroad to hone her craft, she studied and built a career in America.
Bringing New Music to the Concert Hall
Composer Richard Wernick works with the Philadelphia Orchestra to expand their repertoire and incorporate contemporary works by living composers.
Restoring "Rhapsody in Blue"
Fresh Air jazz critic Francis Davis reviews a new recording of a 1924 arrangement of the Gershwin classic, which emphasizes the piece's jazzier elements.
German Conductor Helmuth Rilling
Rilling has devoted his life to performing Baroque music, focusing on sacred music and the compositions of J.S. Bach.