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Is this the piano of the future? It sure looks like it
Has the evolution of the piano stalled? Having evolved from humble origins, the piano had reached more or less its present state — in both upright and grand configurations — by the end of the 19th...
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Yes, this robot can actually play the trumpet
Last week, we published an essay about science and music, illustrated with a photo of a trumpet-playing robot. The photo piqued the interest of our archivist Steve Barnett, who did some research and...
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Leonard Nimoy on Naxos: American Jewish music available as podcast
As we mourn Leonard Nimoy, John Birge observed that classical music fans—particularly those interested in American Jewish music—may be interested in a 13-part audio series that Nimoy narrated in 2005....
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Hilary Hahn’s violin case hears ‘graphic coughing’ in St. Paul
One of the most popular Twitter accounts in classical music is that ostensibly run by Hilary Hahn’s violin case. After Hahn’s recital last Wednesday at the Ordway, WQXR noticed, her instrument...
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‘Living on Love,’ play starring Renee Fleming, disappoints on Broadway
After fewer than 40 performances, the Broadway play Living On Love, starring renowned soprano Renee Fleming as a singer who’s in a troubled marriage with a conductor, will close on May 3. Billboard...
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VocalEssence to perform with the Rolling Stones in Minneapolis
When the Rolling Stones perform on June 3 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, they’ll be joined by VocalEssence, the choir announced today. “VocalEssence is honored—and thrilled—to be before an...
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An erhu master takes on the ‘Queen of the Night’
Erhu Master George Gao (Courtesy of the Artist) The erhu is a two-stringed bowed instrument — sometimes referred to as the “Chinese fiddle” — with origins stretching back to over one thousand years ago...
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A musical mentor gets a Minnesota Fringe Festival tribute
When I started work as a digital producer at MPR in October 2013, the very first story I assigned and edited for Classical MPR was Barb Teed’s moving (and amusing) tribute to her musical mentor: her...
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Former SPCO cellist caught with 113 pounds of marijuana
Recreational marijuana use is legal in Oregon — but it’s not this legal. David Huckaby, a Juilliard-trained cellist who played with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra from 2009 to 2014, was arrested on...
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Macy’s Flower Show in seven GIFs
The eighth-floor auditorium in Macy’s downtown Minneapolis store makes it a uniquely immersive venue for the chain’s annual flower show. The theme for this year’s show, which opens to the public today...
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