YourClassical

The Lakes Area Music Festival — a nonprofit organization that has brought world-renowned orchestra, opera, and chamber music performances to central Minnesota each July and August since 2009 — has received a $2 million endowment to help fund future seasons. Scott Lykins, the festival’s artistic and executive director, announced the gift following the festival’s Sunday-afternoon presentation of Bizet’s Carmen at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts in Brainerd.

Editor's note: YourClassical MPR will broadcast A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at 9 a.m. Central on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, hosted by Michael Barone, with a rebroadcast later that day at 7 p.m. Central. After that, it will be available here as on-demand audio for 30 days. Since 1918, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has offered listeners an opportunity to share in a live, worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of biblical readings, carols and related seasonal classical music.

Welcome to the Daily Download, a handpicked, free, downloadable piece of classical music available every weekday — plus a choral-only selection on Sundays as part of the Choral Stream Download. Don’t forget to sign up for the Daily Download newsletter to get a bonus download so you never miss a free classical track! Download today’s track below. Can you guess this week’s theme? Come back each day until you’ve figured it out. We’ll post the answer around midday central time Friday.

Movies and music are inextricably linked — think Star Wars, or Psycho, or Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti westerns. Music helps tell the story you’re seeing onscreen. Even more so with a silent film, in which most dialogue is inferred. Accompanying and dramatizing a silent movie with live, original music is somewhat of a lost art, but Katie Condon is keeping this niche tradition alive.

For half a century, students have come to Red Wing to learn the art and craft of instrumental building and repair at Minnesota State College Southeast. On May 15 and 16, the school is celebrating those “50 Years of Lutherie” with a showcase of its guitar and violin programs.

A new, delightful hour for everyone to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights! Hosted by Mindy Ratner, Candles Burning Brightly features lots of music from Jewish communities worldwide, a hilarious lesson on preparing a classic Hanukkah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home.

Cellist Joshua Roman almost quit music altogether after developing Long Covid in 2021, but an encounter with Bach reminded him that the cello has been his lifelong friend. He's now shifted his mindset to center human connection over perfection in music and life. On today's show, he'll join Fred Child to discuss his journey with Long Covid and his new project, Immunity.

Every day, YourClassical’s programming team (music director Joe Goetz and associate music directors Jennifer Allen and Robin Gehl) listen to dozens of recordings as they create our daily radio playlists and on-demand streams. Here are some of their favorites for May 2024. Jeff Beal: New York Etudes; Jeff Beal, composer and piano (Platoon Records) Composer and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Beal was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007.

Every day, YourClassical’s programming team (music director Joe Goetz and associate music directors Jennifer Allen and Robin Gehl) listen to dozens of recordings as they create our daily radio playlists and on-demand streams. Here are some of their favorites for April 2024.

Pianist Lara Downes is passionate about sharing the music of Black composers and strives to make previously overlooked music accessible for other musicians to play. On today's show, Lara Downes plays Florence Price's 'Piano Concerto in One Movement' with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Episode Playlist Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter Symphony" Movement 3: Menuetto: Allegretto Orchestra of St. Luke's | Donald Runnicles, conductor Album: Mozart: Symphonies Nos.