Kansas City Local Feature
Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Join Classical KC each weekend as we feature Kansas City musicians and ensembles.
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This week on the Kansas City Local Feature, we get to know Classical KC's new Community Engagement Specialist and On-Air Host, Christy L'Esperance. We'll learn about her background as a pianist, her large family, and enjoy her quirky sense of humor. Christy has curated a varied program of music that includes works by Maurice Ravel, Anna Clyne, Henry Purcell and Sergei Prokofiev.
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With their "Voices of the Met" concert, Kansas City's Mid-America Performing Arts Alliance will feature singers with local ties, who regularly perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. MAPAA Co-founder Jesse Henkensiefken and Met soprano Lindsay Ohse speak with Classical KC's Christy L'Esperance about this musical reunion. We'll hear works by Jules Massenet, Sergei Taneyev, Jacques Offenbach and even a little Mozart on ukulele.
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Founded in 1958, the Youth Symphony of Kansas City provides a musical outlet for hundreds of area youth through their four orchestral ensembles. Brooke Knoll speaks with conductor Steven Davis and orchestra members Sophia Perez Monroe and Macy Gary about their experience in the group. We'll hear performances from the Youth Symphony, Academy Orchestra and preview their upcoming 65th anniversary season.
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A Kansas City production featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim opens a 'pandora's box of emotions'"Sondheim on Sondheim" is a multimedia exploration of the life and music of Stephen Sondheim. Andy Einhorn — conductor for both the original Broadway show and Lyric Opera of Kansas City's production — speaks with Brooke Knoll about the impact that Stephen Sondheim has had on the world of music, theatre, and himself. Hear performances from Barbara Cook, Audra McDonald, John Williams with the Boston Pops Orchestra, and more.
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Classical KC's Brooke Knoll speaks with the UMKC Conservatory's Noel Torres-Rivera and Ebonee Thomas about the upcoming "América Festival" which highlights music by composers from North, South and Central America. We'll hear music by Ronaldo Miranda, Astor Piazzolla, José Martínez, Carolina Heredia and more.
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Of the many performance outlets for students at the UMKC Conservatory, Musica Nova is one that focuses entirely on new music. Composers, UMKC faculty members and Musica Nova directors Yotam Haber and Zhou Long join Classical KC's Brooke Knoll to talk about the group's mission and upcoming concerts. Hear music from Zhou and Haber as well as Chen Yi and Wang Jie.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.