Classical 88.7

A century ago, as Europe was coping with both the aftermath of World War I and the influenza pandemic, concerts were pretty far from most people’s minds. But amidst the chaos and uncertainty, one Viennese composer saw an opportunity. In the fall of 1918, Arnold Schoenberg and his students founded a bold, new organization – a Society for Private Musical Performances – to promote contemporary music by reinventing the concert experience altogether. 

The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra is going DIGITAL! You can now listen to select special performances broadcast exclusively on KWTU Classical 88.7! Public Radio Tulsa and the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra are partnering throughout 2021 so you can listen from the warmth, safety, and the comfort of your home.

To call pianist Lara Downes “busy” is an understatement. In just the past year, she’s released three albums, including one of my favorite new releases of 2020, Florence Price Piano Discoveries. She also launched a new interview series for NPR Music, Amplify, where she hosts revealing conversations with compelling music makers, like clarinetist Anthony McGill and the multitalented Rhiannon Giddens.

Every now and then on my show, I like to explore some of the genres and ideas we take for granted in classical music. I’ve covered subjects from rhapsodies to minimalism before, but on Classical Tulsa this week (Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 at noon on KWTU 88.7 FM), I’m taking a look at one of the most evocative of all musical forms: the fantasy.

What does it mean to be an American? And who gets to define the American experience? These are questions we often ask ourselves, particularly around the inauguration of a new president, but they’ve taken on a new urgency in light of recent events. 

Here’s a bit of trivia: no one knows when Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday really was.

Some are new, some are annual favorites, and some are timeless classic stories...all intended to bring you a little holiday comfort and joy. Tune in to KWGS Public Radio 89.5 or KWTU Classical 88.7 during these days and times to hear holiday specials on Public Radio Tulsa. You can also listen live on our website HERE. 

This week on Classical Tulsa, we’ll give the radio premiere of a new composition by Tulsa Opera Artistic Director Tobias Picker. Tobias has composed six operas to date, but this new piece represents his return to symphonic music – with an operatic twist. 

This fall, you’ll have the chance to learn even more about some of the greatest works of classical music, as our Masterworks in 10 Minutes or Less podcast returns for its second season. Starting next week, you can my hear bite-sized audio introductions to six of the pieces on Chamber Music Tulsa’s streaming and live 2020-21 season, complete with a quick historical background and highlights from the musical themes. 

For classical music lovers, fall means the beginning of a new season and the promise of an exciting mix of new discoveries and familiar favorites. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed most of Tulsa’s concerts, but the Tulsa Symphony has just announced a plan to kick off their 2020-21 season in a responsible way.

For nearly a month, the Public Radio Tulsa studios have been closed to everyone but the news team. This means that many of the local shows on 88.7 and 89.5 have been in reruns for the past few weeks. My own show, Classical Tulsa, was in that same boat – until now, that is: I’ve just finished setting up a home studio, so I can record new episodes while I shelter in place!

For nearly a month, the Public Radio Tulsa studios have been closed to everyone but the news team. This means that many of the local shows on 88.7 and 89.5 have been in reruns for the past few weeks. My own show, Classical Tulsa, was in that same boat – until now, that is: I’ve just finished setting up a home studio, so I can record new episodes while I shelter in place!

Join Public Radio Tulsa for the 2019 holiday specials. There are the perennial favorites and a few new specials along the way. Tune in to these scheduled dates to KWGS Public Radio 89.5 or KWTU Classical 88.7 for all these can't-miss specials.

Mindy Ratner fell hopelessly in love with radio as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she volunteered at an on-campus student station.  Lucky for us, her love affair with radio continues, and we hear her most afternoons on KWTU Classical 88.7!

Tulsa's Signature Symphony has announced that music director Andrés Franco will step down at the end of their upcoming 2019-20 season. The orchestra, which is affiliated with Tulsa Community College, expects to launch a search for a new music director quickly, with candidates leading concerts as early as the 2020-21 season.

Spring is already upon us, which means it’s time for Tulsa’s classical music institutions to set their programs for next season. Whether you have season tickets to the Tulsa Opera or it is on your bucket list to attend a Tulsa Ballet performance, there is something for eveyrone right here in our hometown. Here’s an overview of what you can look forward to hearing next season:

This month, I’m excited to join the classical music world in paying tribute to French romantic composer Hector Berlioz on the 150th anniversary of his death. 

This past September, the Tulsa Ballet gave the world premiere of a brand-new work commissioned by the Philbrook Museum. Called Pentaptych, the music was composed by Ryan Lott, a Los Angeles-based musician and founder of the electronica ensemble Son Lux, and realized by Lott together with violinists Hajnal Pivnick and Rob Moose and cellist Eric Byers.

This week, the Catalyst Quartet was in town to perform for all of the fourth graders in the Tulsa Public Schools as part of Chamber Music Tulsa's contribution to the Any Given Child program.

This month, Chamber Music Tulsa brings the exciting Catalyst Quartet to Tulsa to introduce chamber music to all of the fourth graders in the Tulsa Public Schools system. But you don't have to be in grade school to hear a special live performance by the quartet in our studios on the May 11 episode of KWTU’s Classical Tulsa!

Nothing comes close to public radio.

Public Radio Tulsa and NPR are like nothing else.  When you listen, you hear balanced, fact-based journalism.  You hear programs that nourish your mind.  You experience “driveway moments,” those bits of bliss when you just can’t miss one second of that great story.

Independent journalism and intelligent entertainment this good are worthy of our support.

Supporting Public Radio Has Never Been This Great! 

Wine Spectator magazine in your mailbox each month for donations beginning at $60!

Our newest mug: it’s beautiful, it’s bold, and it celebrates NPR’s award-winning All Things Considered!

All this, plus TWO Early-Bird Specials (EXPIRED!).        

YES! I would like to make my Spring 2018 Pledge to Public Radio Tulsa

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