News & Reviews

Our guest for Preview! on November 5th was Sara Maria Blanton, the Executive Director and founder of the Raleigh Music Collective. Rob Kennedy spoke with her about the Raleigh Music Collective, its goals for the community, and how it helps music students in Raleigh.

This week on My Life in Music, Rob Kennedy interviews Jean-Willy Kunz, the Organist-in-Residence at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Randall Goosby, a graduate of Juilliard, a student of Itzhak Perlman, and a wonderful violinist in his own right, appears on our program, Preview!, this week. In their May 2023 recording, Randall Goosby and The Philadelphia Orchestra led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin blend compositions by Florence Price and Max Bruch, some of which have never seen a commercial recording release before.

Our Preview guest this week is Dr. Al Sturgis, the Music Director of the North Carolina Master Chorale, discussing their upcoming programs. This will be the NC Master Chorale’s 81st season! If you’d like to find more information about upcoming programs or buy tickets, please visit ncmasterchorale.org.

The famous composer finally received his KBE officially in a ceremony in Washington recently. Photo of John Williams courtesy of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

This week on Preview!, Rob Kennedy speaks with JoAnn Falletta about Claudette Sorel: Rediscovered, the new album release by the Sorel Organization. JoAnn Falletta, in addition to her position as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, is part of the Sorel Organization’s Board of Directors.

Elizabeth Beilman, the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute’s Executive Director, is this week’s guest on Preview! Beyond the NCCMI, Beilman is the North Carolina Symphony’s Assistant Principal Cellist.

This Sunday, The Classical Station will feature GRAMMY-nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane, the mind behind Ayreheart and The Baltimore Consort, and Carolyn Surrick, who has released multi-disciplinary works like her poetry book Between War and Here, but always returns to her beloved viola da gamba. Caleb Gardner discusses their collaboration, As Flows the River, its inspirations, and their musical backgrounds.

This week on Preview!, The Classical Station's Rob Kennedy speaks with Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki about his recording of the Mendelssohn piano concertos. Jan Lisiecki has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, and the Chicago Symphony, and has worked with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Manfred Honeck, and Claudio Abbado.

On August 27th, Ofra Harnoy and Mike Herriott will appear as guests on our Preview! program! They will speak with Rob Kennedy about their newest recording, a 10-track EP of pieces by Gershwin, Delibes, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, and Donizetti, among others. With 5 JUNO wins and a membership in the Order of Canada, Ofra Harnoy is one of Canada’s most well-respected cellists, and Mike Herriott has toured extensively across North America as a producer and solo performer.

Classical pianist Garrick Ohlssohn appears this week on Preview! to speak with Rob Kennedy about his newest recording, The Complete Beethoven Piano Concertos, completed with the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra and conducted by Sir Donald Runnicles.

This week, Jorge Osorio appears on Preview! As one of Mexico’s most respected classical pianists, Osorio has received the Medalla Bellas Artes and collaborated with top orchestras across the world. Now, he has returned to his long-standing relationship with the Minería Symphony Orchestra of Mexico for his recording of Conciertos Románticos, which pairs Ricardo Castro’s Piano Concerto in A Minor with Manuel Ponce’s “Romántico” Piano Concerto. Caleb Gardner discusses the new release with him for this week’s interview.

For My Life in Music, Robert Kennedy interviews Scott Metcalfe, the Artistic Director of the Blue Heron Renaissance Choir. As a specialist in 15th to 17th century music, Metcalfe strives to bring unknown Renaissance artists and composers new appreciation. Tonight, he discusses the history of Blue Heron, as well as the challenges of performing music from centuries ago.