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Vivaldi's Young Star
The Baroque genius Antonio Vivaldi composed much of his work for an all-female orchestra and chorus based at an orphanage. Today on Soundcheck, the author of a new historical novel talks about the girl who was Vivaldi’s star pupil. Plus, the 27-year-old Russian pianist Yevgeny Sudbin is already known for his powerhouse keyboard style. He performs live in our studio. And later: guest reviewer Peter Morén of the Swedish band Peter, Bjorn and John joins us for Soundcheck’s Picks of the Week.
Coming of Age in Vivaldi's Shadow
Antonio Vivaldi's career was marked by his tenure at Ospedale della Pietà, a convent orphanage and music school. He taught music to girls, directed an all-female orchestra and chorus, and composed much of his work while there. His favorite pupil was Anna Maria, to whom he dedicated 30 concertos. Writer Barbara Quick, author of Vivaldi’s Virgins, follows Anna’s life in a time of wild extremes and intriguing mysteries.

Soundcheck Picks: Peter Morén
This week, Peter Morén of the Swedish rock band Peter, Bjorn and John weighs in with music picks from every corner of the musical universe. He explains how an indie-rock book, an East Village basement, and a San Francisco record store helped these discs find their way into his heart:
Various Artists, Origins of Guitar Music in Southern Congo & Northern Zambia
"Origins of Guitar Music" is available for purchase at Amazon.com
Mission of Burma, “Signals, Calls, and Marches”
"Signals, Calls, and Marches" is available for purchase at Amazon.com
Foreign Born, “On The Wing Now”
"On The Wing Now" is available for purchase at Amazon.com
Milton Nascimento, “Clube Da Esquina”
"Clube Da Esquina" is available for purchase at Amazon.com
Peter Morén is the vocalist and guitarist for the Swedish rock band Peter, Bjorn and John. The group’s latest album is Writer’s Block.
Yevgeny Sudbin
Russian pianist Yevgeny Sudbin was called "potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century" by the London Daily Telegraph. The 27-year-old performs live in our studio.
Yevgeny Sudbin performs tonight at 8 p.m., as part of the Metropolitan Museum's Piano Forte series.
Yevgeny Sudbin website
More info about the Met Museum performance
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Go behind the scenes!
Find out what John Schaefer and the Soundcheck staff have to say about recent segments on the show. Plus, watch videos from in-studio performances.
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Sound Off
Soundcheck
Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.