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Tonight Evening Music makes room for the very important presidential candidates’ debate from 8 pm until 11 pm. But from 7 to 8 I’ll feature Leonard Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti,” an infrequently heard music theater piece from 1952. It could be more aptly titled “Trouble in Suburbia,” as it depicts alienation within a marriage and […]

We’re in the thick of our 13 day celebration of the musical legacy of Leonard Bernstein, one of the most important figures in the history of American Music. Bernstein touched the lives of so many people, and especially New Yorkers — so if you have one, we want to hear your own Lenny story. Enter […]

Illustration by David Garland
Each Saturday at 10 pm I feature a song chosen for its eloquence, innovation, charm, and/or beauty, and I try to illuminate what gives the song its special qualities. In the last several weeks we’ve heard songs from Leonard Cohen, Franz Schubert, and a range of others. When considering what to play […]

With all of the recent storms and hurricanes that have left so many people displaced, I’ve been thinking about a few composers from the not-so-distant past who dealt with tragic circumstances. In addition to personally working through hardships and circumstances that were far beyond their control, these composers wrote enduring works of art that are […]

Photo by David Garland
Sunday at 7 pm songwriter Amanda Palmer (pictured) joins me on Spinning On Air. That show is already recorded, and in fact you can download the podcast and listen now. Amanda’s best known as a member of The Dresden Dolls, a band with an active, involved fan-base who have built up a […]

Perhaps like me, you’ve been paying close attention to this year’s political debate. And due to the previous eight years, much of the dialogue surrounding this election has been about “change” of varying degrees. Change regarding domestic and foreign policy, energy, health care, and taxation — all of which impact our basic human needs. So, […]

Photo by Lisa Bielawa
Beginning this week, Evening Music resumes Sacred Sundays, featuring pieces that present, draw on, transform, and/or personalize various traditions of sacred music. I began this feature last spring, and it continues on a larger scale from now to the end of December.

Lisa Bielawa (photo by Liz Linder)

September 7th: Lisa Bielawa
The series begins […]