Trevor Harris

When the jazz pianist Don Shirley died on April 6, his passing was not widely reported.

A New York Times obituary noted that the Jamaican born virtuoso pianist was trained in the classical repertoire. Later, the impresario Sol Hurok advised Shirley “to pursue a career in popular music and jazz.” Hurok warned Shirley that “American audiences were not willing to accept a ‘colored’ pianist on the concert stage.”

After her daughter was born, the classical violinist Rachel Barton Pine started looking into the range of Berceuse or lullabies written for violin.

Classical music fans who like a little visual to go with their orchestra may enjoy this video featuring an animated graphical score of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Part 1: Adoration of the Earth.

  Missouri culture might be better known for glittering Branson shows, down home fiddle music and hip-hop from our state’s urban centers, but a local performance organization aims to add classical music to the list of artistic creations born in the Show-Me State.

Making music from the classical repertoire is standard fare for Simone Dinnerstein.

If a classical musician wishes to replicate a sound from a specific period then the musician needs a period instrument. KBIA's Trevor Harris recently interviewed Vienna-based pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.

St. Louis' northernmost neighborhood is Baden. First settled by German immigrants and African-Americans near the turn of the last century, Baden today is populated by fewer people than in recent years. This depopulation is due to a complex mix of forces that include disinvestment, modest housing sizes, supply and demand. Those who remain in Baden are dug in and consider it a diamond in the rough. KBIA's Trevor Harris visited the St. Louis neighborhood of Baden for the 40-40 Project and filed this report.

Klaus Heymann has built NAXOS into one of the world's largest classical music labels. Based in Hong Kong, NAXOS has developed a business model that has led to growth in classical music sales and downloads in a time when sales of physical recordings are generally in decline. KBIA's Trevor Harris recently visited with NAXOS's founder and President Klaus Heymann. Here is their conversation about the economics and politics of recording and distributing classical music in the 21st century.

Residents of Versailles, Missouri are aware of what makes the town hum. KBIA's Trevor Harris met some residents who expressed their appreciation for close friendships and the commerce that visitors to the Lake of the Ozarks bring. One hidden gem in Versailles? The Historic Royal Theater on the square presents live theater and concerts that are a central part of the town's cultural landscape.

Faculty at Central Methodist University in Fayette have a deep appreciation for the arts, culture and history that abounds on their campus while town residents relish the connections they have with friends and neighbors. KBIA's Trevor Harris talked with some proud locals on a recent visit to Fayette.