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Julie Amacher's desire to introduce others to great music is what led her to radio. She began her professional broadcast career at a station in Sun Prairie, Wis. She went from rock 'n' roll to the Rocky Mountains, where she found her niche in public radio at KUNC in Greeley, Colo. Julie spent 13 years at KUNC, where she managed the announcers and their eclectic music format. During that time, she earned four national awards for best announcer. She joined Minnesota Public Radio in 1997 as an on-air host and also produces New Classical Tracks, a weekly podcast critiquing a new release each week. It airs locally at 7:15 a.m. Wednesdays and 5:15 p.m. Fridays.


Julie Amacher

On this week’s episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ the Weiss Kaplan Stumpf Trio presents its latest recording, featuring all of Beethoven’s piano trios. Listen now!


New Classical Tracks (Extended Interview) - Mark Kaplan

New Classical Tracks - Mark Kaplan

Weiss Kaplan Stumpf Trio: Beethoven Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70 No. 2 (complete)

New Classical Tracks (Extended Interview) - Weiss Kaplan Stumpf Trio

New Classical Tracks® 

Provided

Weiss Kaplan Stumpf Trio presents Beethoven's complete piano trios

Tom Huizenga

The 86-year-old Kyiv native, living in exile in Berlin, has a new album of symphonic works that explores the idea of reminiscence.


Listen to the Story

Postludium for Piano & Orchestra

Dmitri Matveyev/Naxos

What's past is present for Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov 

On May 8, conductor Elim Chan made her Minnesota Orchestra debut in a program featuring music by Chin and Tchaikovsky, as well as the return of soloist Benjamin Beilman in Korngold’s Violin Concerto. Listen to the concert now!


Minnesota Orchestra - May 10, 2024

Minnesota Orchestra - May  4, 2024

Minnesota Orchestra - April 19, 2024

Minnesota Orchestra - Tony Ross Interview

Thomas Søndergård: Taken by the Sound

Erin Keefe and Steve Staruch Interview

Celebrating a Century on the Airwaves

Minnesota Orchestra

Courtesy of artist

Listen: Elim Chan conducts the Minnesota Orchestra, featuring violinist Benjamin Beilman

Lynne has been at this radio thing since 1984 when she fell into an historic job at KFAC AM and FM, the commercial classical station in Los Angeles.  She was the first woman staff announcer in the station's history, and it was such big news back then, it made the LA newspapers and national radio publications.  She is thrilled women in radio is no longer newsworthy.


Lynne Warfel

On the latest episode of ‘Saturday Cinema,’ host Lynne Warfel celebrates moms, grandmas and mother figures — human and otherwise — with music from ‘Steel Magnolias,’ ‘Forrest Gump,’ ‘Dumbo’ and more. Listen now!


Saturday Cinema - May 11, 2024

Saturday Cinema

Mother's Day at the movies

Vernon Neal is the host of the podcast ‘Rhapsody in Black,’ where we turn up the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music.


Host/Producer

Vernon Neal

Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' is an unforgettable and mesmerizing classic that speaks to racial violence and anti-lynching legislation.  Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast. 


Where we turn up the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music, with host Vernon Neal.

Rhapsody in Black Ella Fitzgerald Strange Fruit

Billie Holiday performs in New York, Feb. 1947

Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra - Strange Fruit (Audio)

Rhapsody in Black Billie Holiday Strange Fruit

Rhapsody in Black

William P. Gottlieb Collection / U.S. Library of Congress

Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' speaks to us about racial violence

The Oxford Dictionary defines “gallimaufry” as “a confused jumble or medley of things.” It’s that kind of grab-bag of selections we enjoy on the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ with works from Ying-Hsueh Chen, Juri Reinvere and Rob Deemer. Listen now with host Steve Seel!


Extra Eclectic - May 8, 2024

Extra Eclectic

Miscellany, hodgepodge or mishmash?

On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ tenor Jonathan Tetelman pays tribute to Giacomo Puccini, whose 100th death anniversary falls in 2024. Find out more!


New Classical Tracks (extended interview) - Jonathan Tetelman

New Classical Tracks -Jonathan Tetelman

Tenor Jonathan Tetelman at a stone staircase

Puccini: Turandot, SC 91 - Nessun dorma

Tenor Jonathan Tetelman pays tribute to Puccini on latest album

Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks with composer Jeff Beal about his new collection of solo piano works, "The New York Etudes," and about living and working with multiple sclerosis.


Jeff Beal's new collection of solo piano work speaks to living with multiple sclerosis

On the latest episode of ‘Saturday Cinema,’ host Lynne Warfel features an overview of the all-time greatest films as tallied by the American Film Institute and the British Film Institute. Selections include ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Citizen Kane.’ Listen now!


Saturday Cinema - May 4, 2024

AFI and BFI's best of the best

Steve Staruch can be heard on Classical Minnesota Public Radio from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, including hosting Music with Minnesotans, Regional Spotlight and Friday Favorites. Prior to joining the staff of MPR in 2004, Steve presented a variety of radio programs on WCAL in Northfield, Minn., where he created an immensely popular call-in program, and on WXXI in Rochester, N.Y. Outside radio, Steve also enjoys work as a freelance tenor and violist. Steve and his wife, Naomi, enjoy traveling, gardening and hosting dinner parties.


Steve Staruch

Spencer LaMott — known to his fans as Skippy Stone — is a gifted singer and songwriter. He lives to make music, creating songs about self-discovery and, of course, love. Spencer brought all his talents to co-hosting the latest ‘Friday Favorites’ with Steve Staruch. Listen now! 


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