A resource and place of discovery for students and the public, UMKC's Music/Media Library is home to over 130,000 scores, recordings, books and other materials. Classical KC's Brooke Knoll talks with Nara Newcomer and Libby Hanssen about the library's "Shining a Light" project, which highlights underrepresented musical voices. Plus, we will hear music by Joan Tower, Libby Larsen, Viet Cuong, Chen Yi and more.

The music of composer Claude T. Smith is some of the most played in all of the symphonic band repertoire, being performed in classrooms as well as concert halls. He was born in Monroe City, Missouri and spent many years in Lawrence and Kansas City. Classical KC's Brooke Knoll speaks with Smith's daughter Pam Smith Kelly about Claude's life and music. Plus, hear several of his compositions.

UMKC Professor of Film Mitch Brian joins Brooke Knoll for a conversation about orchestral performances in film. They'll discuss movies such as "Unfaithfully Yours," "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Shine," and the 2022 Oscar nominated film "Tár." We will also hear music from those films' soundtracks by Rossini, Rachmaninoff, Mahler and Michael Kamen.

Classical KC's Brooke Knoll speaks with multi-instrumentalist and improviser Gerald Trimble about his eclectic instruments and musical influences. Hear him perform in our studio and learn more about his upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Candlelight Ceilidh.

Discover the diverse musical influences of trumpeter, composer, traveler and radio host Hermon Mehari. Brooke Knoll speaks with Mehari about his own music, his love for opera and his path from Jefferson City to Kansas City, and now Paris.

Kansas City is full of talented musicians … and talented musical couples. In honor of Valentine's Day, we asked several of them to pick some music that is meaningful to them as couples in this special episode of the Kansas City Local Feature.

After nearly 50 years, the Grammy-Award winning Emerson String Quartet is embarking on its farewell tour. Before their Friends of Chamber Music performance in Kansas City, Classical KC's Brooke Knoll spoke with violinist and co-founder Eugene Drucker about the group's history and future. We'll hear Emerson recordings of music by Tchaikovsky and Schubert.

Bach Aria Soloists — Kansas City's all-star, all female chamber ensemble — is releasing a brand new album. Classical KC welcomes founder, artistic director and violinist Elizabeth Suh Lane and soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson to talk about the new release and what they're working on next. We'll hear selections from the album including music from Bach, Handel and a new work from contemporary British composer Cecilia McDowall.

Classical KC's Brooke Knoll welcomes Jim Murray and Andrea Johnson from the Northland Symphony Orchestra. We'll learn about the group's origins, mission to keep concerts free and educational efforts. We'll hear performances of music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Édouard Lalo and Camille Saint-Saëns.

Classical KC presents a recent Harriman-Jewell Series Discovery Concert performance at the Folly Theater from pianist, composer and chess champion Harmony Zhu. We'll hear works by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Kapustin and Debussy followed by a post-concert audience question and answer session led by Harriman-Jewell Series director Clark Morris.