It’s quite common in academia, journalism and literature for two authors to team up to write an article or book but significantly less so in music.  Still, it does happen and the results are often fascinating.  Where does one idea start and the other continue?  How do two composers work together to write a seamless piece?

Not surprisingly, the natural world is a never-ending source of fascination and inspiration for composers. From the datura plant in southern China to a rare bird in the wilds of Australia to strange animals that exist only in the composer’s imagination, we’ll feature music inspired by the boundless creativity of nature.

It’s essentially just a conveniently placed grouping of popular percussion instruments and yet, the drum kit is often cited as the dividing line between popular music and classical. We’ll examine how composers are using the drum kit today and what impact it’s having on genre boundaries.

The second part in our two-part feature of the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music includes interviews with composers, performers and organizers of the event and more audio performances recorded live in the concert halls of Warsaw.

Since its beginning in 1956 the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music, for many years the only festival of its kind in Eastern Europe, has presented new music by leading Polish composers and composers from around the world.  Today it is one of the most prestigious contemporary music festivals in the world and we are honored to have the …

Polish composer, concert pianist and educator Zygmunt Krauze is a hugely respected figure on the international contemporary music scene and the recipient of numerous honors including the French National Order of the Legion of Honour among many others. We’ll play selections from his music and talk with him about his storied career.

After discovering Sebastian Huydts’s newest album, Delicias de Blancanieves, Seth is sharing his newest ‘delights’. We’ll share selected works of Huydt, Caroline Eyck, and Johann Johannson and more with you.

It takes fine craftsmanship to achieve a perfect partnership between text and music in which neither element overshadows the other. This week, we’ll listen to a fascinating array of spoken word and music by composers like Aaron Jay Kernis, Joseph Schwantner, David Lang, and more who are striving to achieve this symmetry.

Crossover between classical and rock musicians was common in the 1970’s but has taken a bit of a break until recently. Now instead of composers influencing rock musicians like Brian Eno, a rock band is having a huge influence on a diverse array of composers around the globe. The music of Radiohead has been arranged by countless composers and has …

If you enjoyed our episode “Contemporary Vinyl,” here is something extra! Why is releasing music on vinyl an upward trend currently? Just what is it that makes vinyl so incredible? In this podcast we explore these questions and dive into how exactly vinyl is made. Special thanks to Peter McDowell and Eighth Blackbird, Julia Nicols-Corry from Cedille Records, Bob Weston …