Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9 made such an impression, it inspired a novella by Leo Tolstoy. The “Kreutzer” is bold and emotionally charged. Hear the sonata that stirred imaginations far beyond the concert hall tonight on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

We're celebrating America 250 with The American Experience, a weekly series exploring the story of our nation through music. We’re kicking off the weekly series with a focus on African American artists for Black History Month, starting with the first Black American to have his sheet music published. Listen Tuesdays at 10am and 2pm.

A young Max Bruch wrote a fiery Violin Concerto. The older Bruch gave us something more personal. His Eight Pieces, written decades later, are more intimate. It's music shaped by experience and reflection. Hear the older, more seasoned Bruch tonight on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

The concert in the art museum started late in the day, as the sun was setting, so it was dark in the gallery by the time the final piece began. Hear music that lit up the space with lyricism and grace at its premiere...Cesar Franck’s Violin Sonata.

Do you remember the 1988 Bobby McFerrin song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”? The extraordinarily talented and versatile musician’s parents were opera singers – Robert McFerrin Sr. was a regular at the Metropolitan Opera, and his baritone voice was dubbed in for Sidney Poitier in the film version of Porgy and Bess. You can hear Bobby McFerrin Jr. leading the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra while singing one of the cello parts for a Double Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi on Sunday Baroque this week.

Rachel Portman made history as the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Score, for her music in Emma. Her scores quietly guide the story, without overpowering it. Hear themes from her film scores, including The Cider House Rules and Julia, on the next Reel Music, Saturday at 9 and Sunday at 6 on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

Duke Ellington’s Harlem captures uptown New York in sound, pairing jazz band with orchestra. It’s like a night out in the city, without leaving home.Hear it tonight on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

Louise Dumont was studying piano and composition when she met a young flute student, Aristide Farrenc. They fell in love and got married. Rather than follow convention and give up her creative pursuits, Louise Farrenc became a trailblazing professional. Hear her Trio for Piano, Flute, and Cello.

Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 4 began as music for his ballet The Prodigal Son. He reworked that story's tension and struggle into a dramatic symphony for the concert hall. Hear Prokofiev’s Fourth tonight on 91.1, 107.5, and our music stream.

Los Angeles was home for composer Eric Whitacre for 25 years. After friends’ tragic loss caused by the Palisades Fire, he responded with music. The title, The Pacific Has No Memory, comes from a line in one of his favorite films, The Shawshank Redemption.