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Music

The return of Hugh Wolff

After living in Europe for the past five years, former St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Music Director Hugh Wolff returns to the Twin Cities, the place his family considers home.

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Mr. Smooth keeps on playing

West St. Paul jazz saxophonist Irv Williams is 86-years-old, and as busy as ever. In just over a year, Williams, who some say is a living legend, has released two cds. He also has a standing Friday afternoon gig at the Dakota in Minneapolis.

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Working for orchestral equality

Marin Alsop made history this summer when she became the first female music director of a major American orchestra. Her appointment reflects the changes in gender balance which have occurred in classical music over the past few decades, including in Minnesota.

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Collecting compilations

There's a lot of local music compilations out right now. The "compilation" is an increasingly popular and practical way for musicians to get their music out. Observers say they demonstrate the vitality of Minnesota's music scene.

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Miracle on 57th Street

On Nov. 13, 1943, 25 year-old Leonard Bernstein heard his song cycle "I Hate Music" premiered in New York. A fine title by a young man who, the very next day, would become the most famous musician in America. Open Air host Bill Morelock follows Leonard Bernstein on perhaps the most remarkable day in a remarkable life in music.

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Payola's prevalence in the music industry

How much does it cost to make a hit? The drummer of the former Minneapolis band Semisonic knows. He'll talk about that and give his perspective on payola.

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Open Ears: Irv Williams

Irv Williams, 86, has been a fixture in the Twin Cities jazz scene for more than 50 years. His favorite classical piece comes from a composer known in jazz circles for his jazz sensibilities.

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Opera by the ore docks?

You can bring opera to Duluth, but will anyone be listening?

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The Waltz King and the Land of Giants

When Johann Strauss, Jr. came to America in 1872, concert promoters in Boston went all out. They built a great wooden hall which held an audience of 100,000, not to mention an additional 20,000 singers and musicians. Strauss conducted his own music, communicating with the multitudes through 100 assistant conductors. A sincere expression of our love of Strauss' music (or celebrity?), or a megalomaniacal lust for spectacle? Strauss was pretty sure he knew. Bill Morelock looks at the American sojourn of a reluctant Waltz King.

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