Minnesota has claim to a wealth of creativity; music is no exception. Almost every genre can be heard within our state’s borders. The results range from a simple act of joy, to an influence that reverberates far beyond (the “Minneapolis Sound” is a prime example). The collection below is an introduction to the diverse and talented artists who have called Minnesota home, and the art they share with all of us.
July 16, 1972 - MPR Classical Host Michael Barone interviews Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, music director of the Minnesota Orchestra. They discuss various composers, classical pieces, and Skrowaczewski’s own compositions.
June 22, 1973 - MPR’s Lawrence Dulcie reports on groundbreaking for Orchestra Hall. Segment features Minneapolis Mayor Charles Stenvig, Councilman John S. Pillsbury Jr., former Governor Elmer L. Andersen and Maestro Stanislaw Skrowaczewski.
August 6, 1973 - MPR’s Connie Goldman reports on steel drum concert of pop music as part of a summer enrichment program. It allows junior high students to play the drum without much music training; they play on parts of the drum marked by numbers.
August 8, 1973 - MPR’s Connie Goldman interviews Eric Stokes, Minnesota composer and assistant music professor at University of Minnesota, as he prepares the performance of his composition "Fireflies."
April 1, 1977 - MPR’s Michael Barone interviews 20-year-old classical guitarist Sharon Isbin. Topics include guitar sound, touring, competitions, and contemporary compositions. Isbin also discusses expanding her repertoire.
April 12, 1977 - MPR’s Rachel Krantz talks with makers of ‘bone’ instruments for use in theater and dance. Segment includes examples of sounds created by the various instruments.
September 26, 1977 - MPR’s Dennis Rooney talks with The Delphi Quartet about their year-long tour of the state through the Minnesota String Quartet Residency Project.
May 16, 1978 - MPR's arts reporter Nancy Fushan and Jazz Image host Leigh Kamman prepared this sound portrait of the Twin Cities jazz scene as it existed from the late 1920s to the 1950s, collecting stories on the musicians who played it and the people who listened to it.
May 17, 1978 - MPR's arts reporter Nancy Fushan and Jazz Image host Leigh Kamman prepared this sound portrait of the the post-1950s and contemporary jazz scene in the Twin Cities, collecting stories from musicians, educators, and club owners on an era of both creativity and strife.
August 26, 1978 - On this regional public affairs program, a segment of guitarist Sharon Isbin providing a demonstration on playing the instrument. Isbin shares some views on performance.