American Music?

What is American music? In the classical world most of it was watered down European "isms" Impressionism, Neo-Romanticism and more. Charles Ives was a Connecticut Yankee that studied music in this country and took his dissonances, "straight up, like a man". On the Piano this Sunday Baseball, Hawthorne and Emerson. You don't get much more American than that, on the Piano hear it at 5pm on KPAC and KTXI.

host Randy Anderson

Relive the moment

Or hear it for the first time! We're pleased to announce the Emersons in San Antonio will air nationally this Wednesday:
Wednesday, December 3rd, Performance Today will broadcast the Emerson String Quartet’s performance of Bach’s Fugue, from the Well-Tempered Clavier arranged by Mozart. The concert took place at Alamo Heights United Methodist Church on September 28th, 2008, and was recorded by KPAC. Also this week, on Thursday 12/4 we’ll be airing another Emerson performance from the same concert – Haydn’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 74, No. 2.
American Public Media's Performance Today is broadcast on 245 public radio stations across the country and is heard by about 1.1 million people each week. Each station individually decides what time to air the program. To find out where and when Performance Today is broadcast in your area, please visit performancetoday.org.

You may also visit publicradiofan.com, an independent website that can point the way to on-line listening. Many radio stations stream their signal on the internet, so it may be possible for you to tune in to a radio station across the country and hear Performance Today by visiting that station's website at the time they air it. This Wednesday’s show will be available on our website for seven days. We also archive many interviews, Studio MMW performances, Piano Puzzlers, and other features on our website.

Classical Spotlight - Passionate Stars

This week we feature the Emerson String Quartet, a local violinist performing tomorrow night, and the cast of San Antonio Opera. Tune in for Classical Spotlight this afternoon at 2pm and listen to the show online here.

First we head backstage at the Lila Cockrell Theater to talk with Carmen, Audrey Babcock; Don Jose, San Antonio's own Michael Wade Lee; Micaela, Sandra Lopez; Escamillo, Franco Pomponi; and Director Michael Scarola. They perform tomorrow through Sunday, find out more here. And read the TPR news report here.

Next, Stephanie Tepley, violin and Brent Watkins, piano, talk about their program of Mozart, Franck and Debussy at UTSA tomorrow night at 7:30. Admission is free. Learn more here.

Finally the Emerson String Quartet plays at Alamo Heights United Methodist Church as guest of the San Antonio Chamber Music Society. We'll talk with violinist Eugene Drucker and violist Lawrence Dutton about their music and recordings. Find out more, including ticket information online here or by calling 408 1558.

Next week we'll hear from the San Antonio Symphony and learn about some new music in Austin!