Stay ConnectedA podcast about the most fascinating time in classical music history: right now.
Relevant Tones features interviews with and music by some of the most creative figures in contemporary classical music, themed shows exploring new trends in classical music and frequent live streamed shows featuring conversations and music performances.
Hosted and produced by Seth Boustead, Austin Williams, Stephen Anthony Rawson and Matt Dotson.
Copyright: © Seth Boustead
Access Contemporary Music has begun an innovative collaboration with Warsaw composer Agnieszka Stulgińska in which a piece of music is publicly performed in installments as work on it progresses.
We’ll hear Agnieszka’s thought process, play each installment, and sit alongside the composer as she hears the world premiere of the completed work.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Agnieszka Stulginska: Dance with My Breath (installments + complete piece)
Palomar Ensemble/Francesco Milioto
Marta Ptaszynska: Moon Flowers
Palomar Ensemble/Francesco Milioto
Relevant Tonespartners with the Santa Fe Opera to feature a sneak preview of Jennifer Higdon’s soon-to-be-premiered first opera, Cold Mountain, based on Charles Frazier’s best-selling novel.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Jennifer Higdon: String Poetic, III (excerpt)
Jennifer Koh, v.; Reiko Uchida, p.
Jennifer Higdon: Cold Mountain (excerpts)
“The Metal Age has Come”
“Listen”
“A Fence is a Good Thing”
“I Don’t Know Why”
“Come Back to Cold Mountain”
Recorded live at the Guggenheim Museum, NYC, 3/30/2015
Jarrett Ott, baritone; Emily Fons, ms.; Isabel Leonard, ms.; Jay Hunter Morris, ten.; Kevin Burdette, bass; Roger Honeywell, ten.; Lisa Keller, p.
Jennifer Higdon: Cold Mountain (excerpts)
“Why Can’t We?”
“What Was His Name?”
“Ada’s Aria”
“Orion Duet”
Recorded live at the Curtis Institute of Music
Relevant Tones has been carrying on a correspondence with several musicians in this war-torn region, where making music has recently been a challenge. We’ll share their stories and feature chamber and orchestral works by composers determined to carry on.
Julia Gomelskaya: Planet “The Life” for String Orchestra and Piano (excerpt)
Kiev Camerata/Valeriy Matiukhin; Dmitry Tavanets, p.
Valentin Silvestrov: “World of Peace” fr. Songs for Vespers
“Our Father” fr. Psalms and Prayers
Kiev Chamber Chorus/Mykola Hobdych
Igor Shcherbakov: Sonata for Violin and Violoncello, I
Olga Akolishnova, v.; Zoltan Almashi, vc.
Vladimir Runchak: Hosanna, to musicians who are no longer or not yet with us (excerpt)
Yevhen Kalyuzhny, saxophones; Christian Orosko, perc.; Nataliya Chuprina, p.
Yevhen Stankovich: Concerto for Violin and Piano (excerpt)
Lemberg/Lviv Youth Orchestra/Volodymyr Sirenko; Valeriy Sokolov, v.
Gabriela Ortíz: Denibee, Para Flauta, Percusión Y Contrabajo- Siempre Ritmico (excerpt)
Onix Ensemble
Gabriela Ortíz: Concierto Candela, I (Marimba Candela)
UNAM Philharmonic Orchestra/Zollman; Gallardo, perc.
Mario Lavista: String Quartet No. 6, Suite in cinco partes
I. Danza
II. Motete
III. Canon
Cuarteto Latinamericano
Toccata 106 (Purchase)
Javier Álvarez: Metal de Corazones
TM+ Ensemble Orchestral de musique d’aujourd’hui and Tambuco Percussion
Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2
Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela
Samuel Zyman: Música para Cinco- Con anima
Onix Ensemble
It gives technicians fits, but composers and performers are always experimenting with new “wrong” ways to play their instrument.
From Bartok pizz to prepared piano, multiphonics to slap tongue, many of these techniques have made it into the standard repertoire. What new extended techniques are being pioneered today?
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Stephen Scott: Four Note Aria fr. Baltic Sketches
The Bowed Piano Ensemble
George Crumb: Black Angels, III (excerpt)
Kronos Quartet
Frances-Marie Uitti: Britsum 2 Bow Chorale
Frances-Marie Uitti, vc.
Junghae Lee: Sonorence (excerpt)
Barbara Lieurance, p.; Chelsea Czuchra, flutes; Nora Krahl, vc.
Helmut Lachenmann: Pression (excerpt)
Walter Grimmer, vc.
Eric Mandat: Sub(T)Rains O’ Strata’s Fears
Robert Spring, cl.
Meredith Monk: Dolmen Music (excerpt)
Paul Langland, voice; Julius Eastman, voice and percussion; Robert Een, voice & vc.; Monica Solem, voice; Andrea Goodman, voice; Meredith Monk, voice; Julius Eastman, voice
Dai Fujikura: Calling, for solo bassoon (excerpt)
Rebekah Heller, bassoon
One of the leading composers of our time and an ardent promoter of new music throughout the world, Augusta Read Thomas is an artistic force to be reckoned with.
Championed by Pierre Boulez in her early years and later named composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Thomas rose early to the top of her profession and has remained there ever since.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Augusta Read Thomas: Words of the Sea, III
CSO/Boulez
Thomas: Aureole (excerpt)
DePaul University Symphony Orchestra/Colnot
Thomas: In My Sky at Twilight, I. Deeper than all Roses
CSO MusicNOW Ensemblep/Boulez; Brandes, s.
Thomas: Terpsichore’s Dream
Chamber Orchestra/Colnot
Thomas: Caprice fr. Traces
Makiko Hirata, p,
Thomas: (kiss me) fr. Two E.E. Cummings Songs
The Elm City Girls’ Choir
Literally “light-dark,” chiaroscuro in art is the creation of depth through the play of light and shadow. This artistic technique has inspired legions of composers to try and create the same contrasts in music through timbral shadings and instrumental colors.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Jacob Druckman: Chiaroscuro (excerpt)
Juilliard Orchestra/Foss
Steven Block: Shadows
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Robert Stankovsky
Colin Brumby: Chiaroscuro, III
Perihelion
Huck Hodge: Pools of Shadow from an Older Sky, II. Ave Maris Stella
Huck Hodge, piano and computer
John Corigliano: Chiaroscuro, I & II
Jerome Lowenthan & Ursula Oppens, pianos
Richard Lavenda: Chiaroscuro
Matthew Strauss, vibraphone; Leone Buyse, alto flute; Benjamin Kamins,
bassoon; Timothy Pitts, double bass
Laura Schwendinger: Chiaroscuro Azzurro, III
Madison Sinfonietta/Nicole Paiement; Curtis Macomber, v.
Acclaimed micro-tonal composer Ben Johnston is justifiably famous for his rigorous work ethic, attention to detail and for constructing a sound world entirely his own.
One of the few composers using just intonation who is also interested in writing rhythmic music, Johnston is a true original and we’re happy to shine the spotlight on this modern master.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Ben Johnston: String Quartet No. 9 (excerpt)
Kepler String Quartet
Johnston: String Quartet No. 3 (excerpt)
Kepler String Quartet
Johnston: Sonata for Microtonal Piano, I & II
Robert Miller, p.
Johnston: String Quartet No. 4, Amazing Grace
Kepler String Quartet
Johnston: Prelude, The Many Wines & The New Rule fr. The Tavern
John Schneider, voice & microtonal guitar
Johnston: Trio
Trio Amici
Johnston: Calamity Jane (excerpt)
Dora Ohrenstein, soprano; Mary Rowell, violin; Phillip Bush, synthesizer; Bill Ruyle, drum set
Johnston: String Quartet No. 10, III
Kepler String Quartet
Ever since Ezra Pound’s famous advice to young artists, “make it new!” there has been a relentless interest in breaking new ground in art and music. But what about composers who are genuinely inspired by older forms like fugues, rondos, capriccios, even rags?
We’ll feature music by these “composers out of time” this week on Relevant Tones.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Lawrence Axelrod: Brandenburg Fantasia No. 5, V
Ensemble Nouvelle Epoque/Axelrod
Paul Chihara: Misty Fugue and Kleine Toccata fr. Bagatelles for Piano
Jerome Lowenthal, p.
Michael McLean: Suite for Viola and Orchestra, II
LSO/Francis; Meyers, vla.
Lawrence Axelrod: Brandenburg Fantasia No. 2, II & III
Ensemble Nouvelle Epoque/Axelrod
Carl Vollrath: Past Recollections, I. Piazzolla in Paris
Michael Norsworthy, cl.; Yoko Hagino, p.
Timo Andres: Mozart Coronation Concerto Re-Composition
Metropolis Ensemble/Cyr; Andres, p.
George Perle: Classic Suite
Michael Brown, p.
Reginald R. Robinson: Man Out of Time
Robinson, p.
Maria Newman: Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra, III
Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra/Scott Hosfeld
Pierre Boulez: Notations I – IV
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, p.
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Concerto for Violin, I
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Salonen; Leila Josefowicz, v.
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Hrím
Caput Ensemble/Snorri Sigfus Birgisson
Anna Clyne: Fits + Starts
Ben Capps, vc.; Anna Clyne, 2nd cello
Shulamit Ran: Mirage (excerpt)
The Da Capo Chamber Players: Patricia Spencer, fl.; Laura Flax, cl.; Eric Wyrick, v.; Andre Emelianoff, vc.; Sarah Rothenberg, p.
Thea Musgrave: Concerto for Orchestra, I (excerpt)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Sir Alexander Gibson
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
