Classical Music Happy Hour

Latest Episodes:

David Hyde Pierce - a.k.a. Niles Crane Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Actor David Hyde Pierce has had a long career in film, television and the theater. He’s best known to listeners for his portrayal of Niles Crane on the sitcom "Frasier." He joins Manny to talk about his life and love of classical music and listen to some of their favorite recordings. They also play a game called “Animal or Instrument.”

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80 "Choral Fantasy": Fantasia in C Minor, Op. 80
Beethoven
Leon McCawley, piano
City of London Choir
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Piano Trio No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 97 "Archduke": III. Andante cantabile
Beethoven
Xyrion Trio

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 "Emperor": I. Allegro
Beethoven
Boris Giltburg, piano
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & Vasily Petrenko

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeanine Tesori - from “Fun Home” to the Met Opera Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Composer Jeanine Tesori is a two time Tony Award winner, a two time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and in 2024, she became the first woman composer to open the Metropolitan Opera Opera season in its 139 year history. On this edition of CMHH she tells Manny about her time living in a lighthouse, about her love of Stravinsky, and why she decided not to be a doctor.

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

3 Movements from Petrushka: No. 1, Danse russe
Stravinsky
Antonii Baryshevskyi, piano
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Carmen, Habanera
Bizet
Graciela Alperyn, mezzo-soprano
Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Alexander Rahbari, conductor
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Turandot, SC 91: Nessun dorma (Live)
Puccini
Mario Malagnini
Genoa Carlo Felice Theatre Orchestra & Donato Renzetti
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Carmen: Act I: Habañera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Bizet
Marjana Lipovšek, mezzo-soprano
Munich Radio Orchestra
Giuseppe Patanè, conductor
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Boléro, M. 81
Ravel
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Adrian Leaper
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yo-Yo Ma - 53 years of friendship and duets Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

Live from Tanglewood, cellist Yo-Yo Ma chats with Manny about their long musical relationship and friendship. The two treat the live audience to a few musical performances, and they take questions from the audience about their burning musical questions, like “why does a piano have three pedals?”

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Music Performed in Today’s Episode:

Lieder ohne Worte (Song without Words)
Mendelssohn
Yo-Yo Ma, Cello
Emanuel Ax, Piano

Ave Maria
Schubert
Yo-Yo Ma, Cello
Emanuel Ax, Piano

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John McWhorter - Lover of Language Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Columbia University Professor of Linguistics John McWhorter, chats with Manny about swear words, Broadway, and tackles the conundrums of musical etymology. McWhorter also makes the case for the brilliant first movement of Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor. The two then square off in a game about famous classical pieces that bombed at their premieres.

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Music used in today’s episode includes:

Strike Up the Band: The Man I Love (Arr. For orchestra)
George Gershwin
Richard Hayman Symphony Orchestra & Richard Hayman
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115, I. Allegro
Brahms
József Balogh, clarinet and Danubius Quartet
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3 “The Hunt”
Beethoven
Joyce Yang, Piano
Live Recording at The Greene Space

Herzgewächse
Arnold Schoenberg
Alumni Musicians of the Bang on a Can Summer Festival
Live Recording

Symphony No. 5 in D Major, I. Preludio. Moderato. Allegro
Vaughan Williams
Kees Bakels and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178
Liszt
Juan Pérez Floristán, piano
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53, B. 108: I. Allegro ma non troppo
Dvorak
Ilya Kaler, violin and Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Camilla Kolchinsky
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Adams - not the President Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

Renowned American composer John Adams joins Manny to discuss his approach to opera composition, the stories behind his intriguingly titled works, and the time he was once mistaken for John Cage. Adams answers listener questions on the evolution of music and the emotional pull of minor keys. He also shares his love of Stravinsky and Handel. For our game segment, Adams puts his knowledge to the test as Manny quizzes him on outrageous performance directions.

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Music used in today’s episode includes:

Italian Concerto in F Major BWV 971, III: Presto
Bach
András Schiff, Piano
Live Recording at The Greene Space

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Var. 25
Bach
Anne-Catherine Bucher, Harpsichord
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Var. 25
Bach
Simone Dinnerstein, Piano
Live Recording at The Greene Space

Violin Sonata No. 21 in E minor, K. 304
Mozart
Takako Nishizaki,
Violin
Jeno Jando, Piano
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38, I. Allegro non troppo
Brahms
Johannes Moser, Cello
Michael Brown, Piano
Liver Recording at The Greene Space

Symphony No. 5, I. Trauermarsch
Mahler
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, IV. Finale–Adagio lamentoso
Tchaikovsky
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Tu Del Ciel
Il Trionfo Del Tempo E Del Disinganno
Handel
Claron McFadden, Elisabeth Scholl, Joachim Carlos Martini, Junge Kantorei, Barockorchester Frankfurt, Nicholas Hariades & Peer Abilgaard
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Gnossienne No. 3
Satie
Klara Kormendi, Piano
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Horn Concert No. 2 in E-Flat Major, K. 417, III. Rondo Allegro
Mozart
Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Michael Thompson
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.
Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gabriela Ortiz - Composer and Grammy Gal Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Composer Gabriela Ortiz joins Manny to talk about her grandfather’s surprising connection to Mahler, her own compositional process, and her enduring love for works by Debussy and Stravinsky. Listeners call in with tricky questions about folk music’s influence on classical works, new developments in orchestral instruments, and the realities of orchestra cliques. In our game segment, Manny puts Gabriela to the test—can she identify which famous composer was panned by critics?

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Music used in today’s episode includes:

Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp minor, IV. Adagietto
Mahler
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antoni Wit
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Le Sacre du Printemps
Stravinsky
Brussels Philharmonic, Ali Rahbari
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

La Mer, L. 109, II. Jeux de vagues
Debussy
Brussels Philharmonic, Ali Rahbari
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Miroirs, M. 43 Une barque sur l'océan
Ravel
Francois-joel Thiollier, piano
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Estancia, Op. 8, Scene 5: Danza Final. Malambo
Alberto Ginastera
London Symphony Orchestra, Gisele Ben-Dor
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Romanian Folk Dances
Bartok
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Live Recording

Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36
Beethoven
Danish Chamber Orchestra, Ádám Fischer
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marc-André Hamelin - Rocks Rachmaninoff Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Composer and pianist Marc-André Hamelin joins Manny to talk about growing up with a musical father, the mechanics of piano playing, and the influences behind his prolific performing and recording career. He answers listener questions about piano transcriptions and why music is written in so many different keys. In the music segment, Hamelin performs one of his favorite works by Rachmaninoff live in the studio.

The piece performed by Marc-André Hamelin is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Etude-Tableau op39/5 in E-flat minor.

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Music used in today’s episode includes:

53 Studies on the Chopin Études: No. 12 in G-Flat Major (6th Version)
Leopold Godowsky
Robert Helps, Piano

53 Studies on the Chopin Études: No. 45 in E Major (1st Version)
Leopold Godowsky
Robert Helps, Piano

Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade
Modest Mussorgsky
Yutong Sun, Piano

Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade
Modest Mussorgsky
Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Serov

Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-Flat Major
Mozart
Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Michael Thompson

Fantasia in C minor, K. 475
Mozart
Péter Nagy, piano

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yuja Wang - Superstar Pianist Plays Too Many Encores Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Superstar pianist Yuja Wang joins Manny Ax to talk about bad pianos, encores, what influences her musical interpretations, and her love for Prokofiev. In our Newly Dead game, Yuja puts her knowledge of composer deaths to the test.

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Music used in today’s episode includes:

Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3 "La chasse": IV 
Beethoven
Boris Giltburg, Piano

Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: I. Allegro
Beethoven
Boris Giltburg, Piano

Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545 "Sonata facile": I. Allegro
Mozart
Jenő Jandó, Piano

Concerto No. 2 Op 18 II Adagio Sostenuto
Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff, piano
Leopold Stokowski, conductor
The Philadelphia Orchestra 1924

Scythian Suite, Op. 20: II. The Enemy of God, III. Night
Prokofiev
Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra
Theodore Kuchar, conductor

Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 6: IV. Marche Funebre
Scriabin
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Konstantin Scherbakov & Igor Golovschin

Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica": II. Marcia funebre
Beethoven
Danish Chamber Orchestra & Ádám Fischer

Symphony No. 44 in E minor Trauer Sinfonie Mourning III Adagio
Haydn
Capella Istropolitana & Barry Wordsworth

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Introducing Classical Music Happy Hour with Manny Ax Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Join renowned pianist Emanuel Ax for Classical Music Happy Hour: a new podcast full of music, merriment, and conversation. Manny (Emanuel) talks with special guests about their lives, listens to some of their favorite classical gems, plays music-inspired games, and answers questions from listeners. Grab a cocktail and press play on a podcast celebrating our love of all things classical music! Episode one with guest and pianist Yuja Wang drops next week.

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our Common Nature Recommends: Classical Music Happy Hour Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Hello Our Common Nature fans, Ana González is dropping into the feed to tell you about Classical Music Happy Hour, a new podcast you might be interested in, hosted by Yo-Yo Ma’s friend and pianist Emanuel Ax.

The show is all about the joy in chatting about music with all sorts of people, including some of Manny’s dearest friends like pianist Yuja Wang, composer John Adams, actor David Hyde Pierce, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

In every episode, Manny Ax speaks with a guest about their relationship with music. We’ll hear their favorite music selections–sometimes performed live in the studio! Manny also takes listener questions, and he and his guests play music-inspired games.

To Our Common Nature fans, please join Manny for music, merriment, and conversation. And to give you a taste of what you can expect, here’s just a bit of the episode with guest Yo-Yo Ma.

Follow or subscribe to this show for upcoming episodes of Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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