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Classical Highlights

Classical Music News from NPR

Then The Curtain Opened: The Bracing Impact Of Stravinsky's 'Rite'

The aggressively modern ballet premiered in Paris in 1913, and provoked a response just as striking as the music and dance.


Leonard Bernstein's 'Rite of Spring' Thrill Ride

Watch the energetic conductor take flight conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in Stravinsky's iconic score. A recently released DVD of a 1966 performance includes an interview with Bernstein, in which he says the famously brutal music "makes a marvelous kind of savage sound."


The Cocktail Party Guide To Igor Stravinsky

Don't know neo-nationalism from neoclassicism? Bone up on the surprisingly multifaceted career of Igor Stravinsky as the 100th anniversary of his iconic Rite of Spring approaches.


Sidney Insists On Stokowski's Stravinsky

Fridays are funner with a classical cartoon at noon from Deceptive Cadence.


Igor Stravinsky's 'Rite Of Spring' Counterrevolution

Not long after his shocking ballet, the composer branched out into a broad range of styles, ushering in new musical trends far from the violent tone of his iconic Rite of Spring.


Where's Your Awesome 'Rite Of Spring' Video?

We've gotten some really funny and creative entries so far in our video project celebrating the Rite of Spring centennial. Where's yours? Check out some videos, grab the music and get cracking — you only have until Tuesday, May 28.


Come Dance The 'Rite Of Spring' With Us!

We're inviting you to create your own video using the last minute of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Dance it, animate it, improvise it, whatever you like — and then upload your creation to YouTube before May 28th. We'll be featuring some of the best videos on NPR Music in the weeks ahead.


Imani Winds: Tiny Desk Concert

Imani Winds' members play David to Igor Stravinsky's imposing Goliath, as they shrink the massive Rite of Spring down to size in a rendition for just five wind instruments. The result is an epic in miniature — and a performance perfect for a Tiny Desk.


Henri Dutilleux, Leading French Composer, Dies At 97

The composer, who never fit into any particular school of composition, will be remembered for a relatively small quantity of perfectly realized, richly textured works created for some of the 20th century's leading virtuosos.


Jherek Bischoff On Q2 Music's 'Spaces'

The young composer has worked with David Byrne, Caetano Veloso and Amanda Palmer. But before all that, Bischoff spent his childhood living on a tiny sailboat. Take a video tour of his old bedroom — and the place where he currently makes his beguiling blend of rock, pop and classical music.


Latest News

  • Connections

    Host Stephen Peithman explores ideas, themes and people shared by various classical works, Saturday afternoons at 4.

  • At the Opera

    Beginning at 8 o'clock Saturday evening host Sean Bianco brings you a full-length opera featuring great voices from the past and present followed by “Opera Potpourri.”

  • Overnight and Weekend Classical Music

    Playlists and information about our Weekend and Overnight Music

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