YourClassical Minnesota Public Radio provides lively classical music and good company to listeners throughout the day.
01/17/2026
Find out how a chance meeting with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped give composer and conductor Paul Freeman the resolve to make classical music more inclusive and diverse on the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast. Listen now.
Find out how a chance meeting with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped give composer and conductor Paul Freeman the resolve to make classical music more inclusive and diverse on the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast. Listen now.
01/17/2026
On the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ we hear music that honors sadness, grief and healing. Selections include Tamar Sagiv's "Shades of Mourning," “Longing” from Dobrinka Tabakova’s Concerto for Cello and Strings and more. Listen now with host Steve Seel at the link below.
On the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ we hear music that honors sadness, grief and healing. Selections include Tamar Sagiv’s ‘Shades of Mourning,’ “Longing” from Dobrinka Tabakova’s Concerto for Cello and Strings and more. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
01/16/2026
Thursday night at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, scores of classical music fans turned out for the YourClassical MPR Happy Hour, which featured hospitality and live music. Relive the evening now by browsing photos from the event!
Thursday night at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, scores of classical music fans turned out for the YourClassical MPR Happy Hour, which featured hospitality and live music.
01/16/2026
In week two of the Minnesota Orchestra's Nordic Soundscapes festival, the orchestra's own music director Thomas Sondergard conducts Sibelius.
Listen Friday, Jan. 16, at 8 p.m. Central, or at the link below.
Week two of the Minnesota Orchestra’s Nordic Soundscapes festival brings audiences the music of Jean Sibelius and Hans Abrahamsen. Listen to the live broadcast with host Melissa Ousley at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, on YourClassical MPR.
01/15/2026
On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ cellist Dan Ryan and flutist Suzanne Stumpf, the music directors of Musicians of the Old Post Road, talk about the ensemble’s latest recording featuring music by Christoph Graupner and more.
Listen to the episode at the link below or on your preferred podcast platform.
On the latest episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,’ cellist Dan Ryan and flutist Suzanne Stumpf, the music directors of Musicians of the Old Post Road, talk about the ensemble’s latest recording featuring music by Christoph Graupner and more. Listen now with host Julie Amacher!
01/14/2026
Composer Carlos Simon grew up in the African American Pentecostal Church, where lively worship services featured singing, dancing, and sometimes speaking in tongues. Performance Today highlights Simon's 'Four Black American Dances'—music inspired by his experiences in the church and community where he was raised.
Listen at the link below.
Composer Carlos Simon grew up in the African American Pentecostal Church, where lively worship services featured singing, dancing, and sometimes speaking in tongues. Today, we're highlighting Simon's 'Four Black American Dances'—music inspired by his experiences in the church and community where h...
01/12/2026
On Friday, Jan. 9, violinist James Ehnes joined the Minnesota Orchestra in this year’s Nordic Soundscapes festival. The program, led by Thomas Søndergård, featured music by Salonen, Sibelius and Nielsen.
Listen to the full concert at the link below:
On Friday, Jan. 9, violinist James Ehnes joined the Minnesota Orchestra in this year’s Nordic Soundscapes festival. The program, led by Thomas Søndergård, featured music by Salonen, Sibelius and Nielsen. Listen to the concert now.
01/11/2026
With a new year, we bring you two hours of new works on the latest episode of Extra Eclectic — and it’s hard to think of a better way to go than by focusing on the composers who are truly emerging as the voices taking classical music into the future: the women! Host Steve Seel brings us music by Sarah Kirkland Snider, Shelley Washington, Sophie Hutchings, Anna Clyne, and more.
Listen now at the link below:
With a new year, we bring you two hours of new works on the latest episode of ‘Extra Eclectic,’ and it’s hard to think of a better way to go than by focusing on the composers who are emerging as the voices taking classical music into the future: the women. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
01/11/2026
Start your morning with the VOCES8 Scholars' performance of 'When I'm Dead,' a traditional song arranged here by Anthony Trecek-King. Enjoy! 🎶🎶
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The Voces8 U.S. Scholars perform and record under the direction of Voces8 co-founder Paul Smith and managing director Erik Jacobson.
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Recorded in November 2025 in the flagship Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Recording Studio at Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul.
01/10/2026
Join YourClassical MPR for a unique and enchanting happy hour experience at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis on Thursday, Jan. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m.!
YourClassical MPR host Vernon Neal will set the mood with a curated soundtrack before you enjoy a live performance of unique mix of classical and contemporary music from the Havana Quartet ( Cuarteto de Cuerdas Habana ).
Visit the link below to find more info and to RSVP for the event:
Join us for an evening of music and delight on Thursday, January 15, at MacPhail Center for Music
01/09/2026
James Ehnes was a teenager when he made his debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in 1993. He’s been back many times since, and the orchestra is thrilled to have him play Sibelius during this year’s Nordic Soundscapes festival. And the orchestra's music director, Thomas Søndergård, invites you to embrace Symphony No. 1 by Carl Nielsen, one of Denmark’s heroes. Listen to the live broadcast with host Melissa Ousley at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, on YourClassical MPR, and at the link below.
Violinist James Ehnes joins the Minnesota Orchestra in this year’s Nordic Soundscapes festival. The program, led by Thomas Søndergård, features music by Salonen, Sibelius and Nielsen. Listen to the live broadcast with host Melissa Ousley at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, on YourClassical MPR.
01/08/2026
The first Friday of January is January 9; host Tom Crann hosts Theme & Variations that day, playing music you request that fits the month's theme.
For January, our theme is NEW: as the new year is beginning, share a new music discovery that opened your ears.
Visit the link below to make your request — and be sure to listen on Friday, Jan. 9, from 3 to 7 p.m.
We pick the theme — you choose the variation by requesting a piece of music inspired by that theme. Our theme for January is NEW: as we begin a new year, share a new music discovery that opened your ears.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when YourClassical MPR posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) is one of the nation’s premier public radio stations producing programming for radio, digital and live audiences and operates a 46-station radio network serving nearly all of Minnesota and parts of surrounding states. Reaching 1 million listeners each week, MPR and its three regional services—MPR News, Classical MPR and The Current—produce programming for radio, digital and live audiences. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found online.
Mission: Our Mission is to enrich the mind and nourish the spirit, thereby enhancing the lives and expanding the perspectives of our audiences, and assisting them in strengthening their communities.
Vision: We will be the leader in creating trusted and meaningful listening experiences with and for curious people.
Overview and History
Since its origins as a single classical music station in 1967 at KSJR in Collegeville, Minn., MPR has earned nearly 1,000 broadcasting and journalism awards, including seven George Foster Peabody Awards (dubbed the “Oscar of broadcasting”), six Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, a prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award and a Grammy Award.
American Public Media, MPR’s national programming division, is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world and the distributor of several public radio programs—including Live from Here®, Performance Today®and Marketplace®—reaching 20 million listeners on nearly 1,000 radio stations nationwide each week. It is the largest producer and distributor of classical music programming in the country. Learn more about American Public Media.
Minnesota Public Radio uses its regional network and technical infrastructure to deliver vital public services throughout Minnesota, specifically: the state’s Emergency Alert System (EAS); the state’s AMBER Alert System, used for child-abduction warnings; and Radio Talking Book, the reading service from the Minnesota State Services for the Blind.
Minnesota Public Radio’s 100-seat UBS Forum provide venues for discussion forums, political debates, program recordings, cultural programming and more.
MPR Quick Facts
MPR began broadcasting from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., on January 22, 1967.
Every week, 20 million people listen to programming by Minnesota Public Radio’s national programming division, American Public Media
MPR has 46 network stations and 41 translators.
Contributions from corporations, foundations, institutional sponsors and individuals make up 60% of MPR’s overall budget.
MPR News has received more than 1,000 awards, including the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, George Foster Peabody Award and numerous national Edward R. Murrow Awards.
American Public Media produces more classical music programming than any other media outlet and ranks second in the nation for overall public radio programming production volume.
Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.
