A heartfelt classical playlist inspired by all forms of love! From composers’ dedications to their loved ones to pieces reminiscent of cherished moments, each selection captures beautiful emotions in even more beautiful music.
“Songs of Travel: IV. Youth and Love” (Ralph Vaughan Williams) – Songs of Holman: The Centered Passion
“Miscellanea, Op.16: IV. Nocturne in B-Flat Major” (Ignacy Jan Paderweski) – Night Music
“Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in” (Yi Chen) – Digital Mist
“Píseň lásky” (Josef Suk) – Tomáš Mach & Hiroko Matsumoto Play Dalibor C. Vačkář
“Africa: Land of Romance” (William Grant Still) – Still: Afro-American Symphony
Observed every November in the United States, National Native American Heritage Month celebrates the diverse histories, cultures, and traditions of Native American and Indigenous populations and promotes awareness of the unique challenges Native people have experienced and continue to face today. This selection of works from Connor Chee, Barbara Croall, R. Carlos Nakai, and more celebrates the myriad contributions Native American and Indigenous artists have made to classical music and showcases the beauty of blended and traditional musical forms.
It’s Halloween season! Perfect for a party or an eerie evening of trick-or-treating, our selection of spooky scores from iconic horror films and television will give you the chills.
“Cabrini Green” (Philip Glass, Michael Reisman, The Western Wind) – The Music of Candyman (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
“Main Title” (John Williams) – Jaws (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
“Polymorphia” (Krzysztof Penderecki) – The Exorcist (Original Motion Picture)
When there’s a chill in the air that just won’t let go, there’s nothing better than coming home to the warmth and dancing light of a freshly prepared fireplace – except, perhaps, having the perfect classical playlist to go with it. Grab your favorite slippers, settle in, and enjoy our playlist of cozy classical picks for the winter season.
“Snowberry” (Yukiko Nishimura) – Music for String Orchestra, Vol. 3 (Excelcia Chamber Orchestra)
Winterreise, D. 911: No. 5 Der Lindenbaum (Franz Schubert) – Schubert: Winterreise
“Northern Lights” (Karen Tanaka) – Crystalline: Piano Music by Karen Tanaka
Hungarian Dance No. 11 in D Minor (Johannes Brahms) – Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances
“Your Hands in Mine” (Florence Price) – Florence Price Piano Discoveries
3 Winter Poems: No. 3. Serenade, “Snow Showers” (William Alwyn) – Alwyn: Chamber Music and Songs
“Walking in the Air” (Excerpt “Lifecycle,” Op. 310) (Howard Blake) – Walking in the Air: The Music of Howard Blake
“Winter Moon” (Margaret Bonds) – Margaret Bonds: The Ballad of the Brown King & Selected Songs
“Elegy for the Arctic” (Ludovico Einaudi) – Ludivico Einaudi: Elegy for the Arctic
Sonata for Solo Harp: II. Lento (Germaine Tailleferre) – V – Chamber Music for Harp
“Song of the Birds” (Pablo Casals) – Sol Gabetta: Prayer
Pièce, Op. 189 (Mel Bonis) – Compositrices: À l’aube du XXe siècle
Lux aeterna: III. O nata lux (Morten Lauridsen) – Light Eternal: The Choral Music of Morten Lauridsen
Start pouring the lemonade – this is your sign to slow down and savor the best of summer! Following the course of a perfect summer day, this classical playlist captures the season’s simplest and most blissful moments: an early riser’s view at daybreak, a leisurely afternoon in the sun, a picturesque evening on the water, and a night sky filled with stars.
The Fisherman’s Song (Yi Chen)
Daphnis And Chloe, Suite No. 2: Daybreak (Maurice Ravel)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48: 12. Am leuchtenden Sommermorgen (Robert Schumann)
The Seasons, Op. 37a: VII. July. Song of the Reaper (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
The Seasons: IV. Summer (Thea Musgrave)
Dances in the Canebreaks (Arr. W.G. Still for Orchestra): No. 2, Tropical Noon (Florence Price)
Letniy den (Summer Day), Op. 65bis: III. Waltz (Sergei Prokofiev)
Crosswinds: 1. Blue Ridges, Dappled Sunlight, Mountain Waltz (Margaret Brouwer)
5 Songs of Sun and Shade: No. 1, You Lay So Still in the Sunshine (Samuel Coleridge-Taylor)
No tricks – this playlist is a treat. Featuring eerie art songs and arias, scary symphonic suites, and frightening film music, WDAV’s “Haunting Melodies for Halloween” Spotify playlist has you covered for the spookiest season of the year. Add the playlist to your Spotify account and listen here… if you dare.
Traditionally known as Hispanic Heritage Month, the period between September 15 and October 15 is a time to celebrate the rich historical and cultural contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx communities. We picked 5 of the countless Hispanic and Latinx artists who have made their mark on the classical music world to add to your listening queue, but don’t stop here! Listen to Concierto – WDAV’s weekly program spotlighting music by Latin American and Spanish composers and musicians – to learn about more influential artists, Sundays at 6 PM. Concierto is presented in both Spanish and English.
Are “Hispanic,” “Latino,” and “Latinx” synonymous? Not quite – though they’re sometimes used interchangeably in the United States, there are important differences between the three terms. “Hispanic” refers to those who descend from primarily Spanish-speaking countries (including Spain), and “Latino” refers to those who descend from Latin American countries, regardless of Spanish-speaking heritage. “Latinx” was introduced around 2004 as a gender-inclusive term for people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity. At the end of the day, identity is personal to each individual!
1. Martina Arroyo
American soprano Martina Arroyo’s remarkable talent was discovered when she began to study voice as a hobby in college. Martina continued her voice training after graduation while working as an English teacher and a social worker, embarking on a legendary career after winning the Metropolitan Opera’s Audition of the Air competition in 1957. Though she built a significant following in Europe, Martina held especially close ties to the Metropolitan Opera, where she was a principal soprano for over a decade. Particularly well known for her portrayal of Verdi heroines, Martina is considered a pioneer for performers of African and Puerto Rican descent and continues to pass on her legacy through teaching and masterclasses.
Award-winning Mexican American conductor Alondra de la Parra, known for her “spellbinding and vibrant” conducting style, shows a particular commitment to the work of Latin American conductors. She was named Music Director of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2017, making her the first female principal conductor of an Australian symphony orchestra, and left the post earlier this year. Alondra currently serves as an official Cultural Ambassador of Mexico.
3. Ricardo Kanji
Brazilian recorder player, flutist, conductor, and luthier Ricardo Kanji, a founding member of both the Orchestra of the 18th Century and the choir and orchestra Vox Brasiliensis, has specialized in Baroque and Classical interpretation for the majority of his career. Recently, his work reflects a special interest in preserving the music of Brazil’s colonial period.
Listed as one of the 35 most significant women composers in history by the Washington Post, composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s music “often reflects not only her own personal experience as a multi-racial Latina, but also refract her studies of Latin American cultures, incorporating poetry, mythology, and native musical styles into a western classical framework that is uniquely her own” (from Gabriela’s personal bio). Among numerous achievements and awards, Gabriela is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a USA Artist Fellowship, and a Latin Grammy award. Outside of composition, Gabriela is a virtuosic pianist who specializes in contemporary repertoire.
Cuban American guitarist, composer, teacher, and author Ricardo Iznaola is one of the preeminent classical guitarists of his generation. Over a career spanning four decades, Ricardo has won 9 international prizes, published over 50 musical scores and 4 books, and served as Professor of Guitar at the University of Denver for 32 years. Ricardo was inducted into the Guitar Foundation of America’s Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the foundation’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award.
