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 13, 2005 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports that The MacPhail Center for Music is building a new home in Minneapolis…and a new future while breaking down old walls. MacPhail unveiled the design for an expanded music education center in the Mill District, in what's becoming a new cultural corridor.
July 19, 2005 - The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concertmaster Steven Copes usually turns on the CD player in the car or when he's cooking a meal for friends at home. He's drawn to music that has a lot of rhythm, and artists with very distinctive voices, including blues artist Sun House.
July 27, 2005 - Wendy Lewis, lead singer and songwriter for the band Redstart, comes from a musical family. Both her parents are gifted musicians. Her brother Greg and Greg's son Mike are members of Redstart. So it's not surprising Lewis' favorite piece of classical music, "Adagio For Strings" by Samuel Barber, has a familial connection.
July 29, 2005 - Minnesota Orchestra Music Director Osmo Vanska played the clarinet for many years until a busy life as a conductor made it difficult for him to continue. Now after after several years away from the instrument, Vanska makes his Orchestra Hall debut as a clarinetist.
August 2, 2005 - Nirmala Rajasekar has been performing ancient south Indian classical music for most of her life. She's an accomplished player of the veena, a traditional Indian stringed instrument. Rajasekar also happens to be a huge fan of the American musical…”The Sound of Music”
August 2, 2005 - MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles painter, and now composer, Matthew Smith. Combs talks with Smith about the physical and mental transition from painting to composing. Combs also interviews other artists about Smith’s work.
August 9, 2005 - MPR’s Karl Gehrke interviews singer and Duluth native Emily Van Evera about her CD “My Lady Rich” celebrating the life Elizabethan era Lady Penelope Rich.
August 9, 2005 - Chris Silver, former member of bluegrass band Stoney Lonesome, and now frontman for The Chris Silver Band, says he spends many of his waking hours listening to a broad range of music. Lately, he's been pretty fixated on jazz…in particular, Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing.”
August 12, 2005 - MPR’s Dan Olson profiles Minneapolis big band saxophonist Charles Beasley. In interview with Olson, 80-year-old Beasley reflects on the change in race relations in this country and his experiences in big band.
August 18, 2005 - Renowned Twin Cities tenor saxophonist Irv Williams shares his appreciation for the classical composition “Paris, A Night Piece - The Song of a Great City" by Frederick Delius.