Emily Boyer

What do rock stars do when they want to get serious? After Franz Liszt grew tired of his touring pianist rock star era, he settled down and got philosophical. His work Les Preludes reflects on love and death, pointing us to things bigger than ourselves.

Just because you aren’t given the spotlight doesn’t mean you don’t have something valuable to say. Ludwig Thuille didn’t get nearly as much attention as his friend and fellow composer Richard Strauss, yet his artistry lives on in his gorgeous Sextet.

Stereotypes say middle age is when we become set in our ways and, maybe a little, well...boring. Experience said otherwise for Darius Milhaud, who wrote his first symphony in his 40s, and then went on to write 11 more. It’s never too late to discover Milhaud’s Symphony #1.

Pack up the RV, we’re crossing the country to hear the best from music festivals. The trip starts with early music in Boston, stops in the Green Mountains to feature a monumental American woman, and ends celebrating Johann Sebastian Bach in Oregon. You bring the snacks, I’ll bring the road trip soundtrack on this week’s America 250: The American Experience.

How does his Diné heritage inform his musical expression? That’s the question Navajo composer and pianist Conner Chee asks, leading to inspiration from traditional Navajo stories and beliefs, as well as his classical training. Hear Chee’s evocative piano music this morning.

Can you believe it’s the last day of July? Don’t worry — there are more simple, carefree days of summer ahead. And even if your schedule is jam-packed, feel simple and carefree listening to Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony.

Sometimes just a simple collection of notes can transport you somewhere else, a moment of peace in a busy day. Go with pianist Simone Dinnerstein into the divine world of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Giuseppe Verdi was a beloved public figure in Italy, drawing attention for his moving operas and his political presence as the country was unifying. There are even stories of thousands singing his melodies on the street. Hear another side of Verdi this morning — his Variations for Piano and Orchestra.

It’s the best of winds, brass, and percussion in this week’s episode of America 250: The American Experience. From the king of marches, John Philip Sousa, to a composer who uses wind ensembles to show color and joyous moods, Michael Torke.

Cuban guitarist and composer Leo Brouwer said that guitar concertos should fizz, like a good champagne. Make Monday morning an occasion when you pop open a guitar concerto by Brouwer.