Time for Tabla

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Zakir Hussain was a tabla-playing child prodigy born in Mumbai, touring the world by age 12 and eventually reaching about 160 international concert dates in a year. As an adult, Hussain is still a sought after musician, collaborating with artists like Edgar Meyer and Mickey Hart, performing with groups such as the Silk Road Ensemble, while also finding time to teach tabla to advanced students in both Mumbai and San Fransisco. Hussain has starred in films featuring his virtuoso tabla playing, such as Heat and Dust and the award winning Vanaprastham, for which he also composed the scores. Tonight, we hear Making Music. Also, music of David Macbride and Benjamin Britten.

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

The first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Spoken Like Scott

Monday, October 05, 2009

Scott Johnson helped define what it meant to be a modern day composer when he moved to New York in 1975 and dedicated himself to creating a hybrid music- a style that has its roots in the classical tradition, but welcomes contemporary instruments and technology at the same time. Johnson felt the need to dispel any notion that classical music was dead by embracing the use of electric guitar in concert works, and also using spoken language and tape loops in compositions as a way of creating musical melodies from patterns of speech. Composer Steve Reich was an influence in this regard, with works like It's Gonna Rain and Come Out. Tonight, we hear It Raged, written for the Kronos Quartet with tape loop. Also, music of Thelonious Monk and John Adams.

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

The first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Innovative Improv

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Jimmy Giuffre had his start in a variety of performing groups as a jazz clarinet and saxophone player during the 40's and 50's, and continued to write bold and unusual arrangements of jazz pieces throughout his career. Giuffre is most known though, for constantly exploring new territories in jazz, and developing wholly improvised music years ahead of the free improvisation boom in Europe during the 60's. He was a man living ahead of his time, waiting for the world to catch up to him until his death last year at 87. Tonight, we hear Giuffre perform The Sheepherder and Deep Purple, from his 1956 album. Also, music of Johnny Dankworth and Laurie Anderson.

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

Balloon Ballad

Saturday, October 03, 2009

When Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson premiered his piece Virthulegu forsetar in a large towering church in 2003, the country's biggest newspaper raved that it was the most memorable musical event of the year. The musicians (playing brass, percussion, organs, piano and electronic instruments) were positioned all throughout the church for stereo effect. While a simple melody transformed throughout the piece, blue helium balloons were timed to fall slowly from the ceiling as the light transformed during that late summer evening. Tonight we hear this transporting piece, along with music of Toumani Diabate and Bill Whelan.

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

Year of the Song

Friday, October 02, 2009

At 34 years old, singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has already become an American folk/indie icon, topping the charts with his album Illinois (one state from his Fifty States Project). His soon-to-be released Run Rabbit Run is a re-working of his album Enjoy Your Rabbit, a collection of electronic instrument pieces inspired by each year of the Chinese zodiac. This time around, he collaborates with the Osso String Quartet along with others like Nico Muhly and Gabriel Kahane, and together they create a rich re-invention of Stevens's original work. Also tonight, music of Astor Piazzolla and Vince Guaraldi.

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

The first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Live from Carnegie Hall

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Tonight, Evening Music brings you inside Carnegie Hall as we listen to the opening night gala performance, and celebrate the 119th season of this famed New York venue. This also marks the final week before WQXR joins forces with WNYC as a non-commercial radio station on October 8th. Hosted by WQXR's Jeff Spurgeon, tonight's featured ensemble is the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performing works of Beethoven and Debussy. Two soloists, pianist Evgeny Kissin and harpist Ann Hobson Pilot also take the stage, for Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 and a New York premiere of John Williams's On Willows and Birches for harp and orchestra. The performance also features Daniele Gatti, who will be stepping in for James Levine on the podium.

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

The first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.