Classical Music In Colors – The Second Street Dreams Audio Network

70 Birthday Songs to America From Pianist Min Kwon

June 2, 2026/0 Comments/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

There aren’t many musicians, classical or otherwise who aren’t presenting their own versions of a birthday song for America’s 250^th.

On this episode, we hear from Min Kwon, a pianist with a little activist nature on the side.

Back in 2021 she started a project called America/Beautiful. Since then she’s commissioned over 70 composers to come up with their musical versions of what’s beautiful about America at this time using the song America the Beautiful as source material. Plus it was important to her because she has two daughters, with birthdays on Presidents’ Day and on the Fourth of July.

Here are links to items mentioned in the podcast.

Here Be Monsters 2026

May 21, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Hundreds of people are expected to voluntarily step outside of their musical genre mode this weekend and hear something new, and different and maybe even odd.

It’s time for the annual HERE BE MONSTERS, Austin’s Indie-Classical music festival.

Co-director Michael Zapruder of Tetractys says this is a growing movement within the classical or near classical genre of new music.

Here are links to some of the stories mentioned in the Classical Music In Colors podcast.

The Black Declaration of Independence

The Het Concertgebouw’s Festival Mind the Gap!

The Chicago Sinfonietta

Nina Simone and Samuel Waymon Music Scholarship Fund

Requiem For America, The Native American Story

May 13, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Many orchestras and chamber groups are celebrating the 250^th anniversary of America’s founding this year.

While most of the music is a positive portrayal of the United States there is at least one musical work telling the tale of the horrific treatment of Native Americans and their lands.

The piece is Requiem For America by Mohican/Munsee-Lenape composer Brent Michael Davids. He describes it as a searing work confronting hard truths about America’s founding. It’ll be performed by the BBC Orchestra in London this month, before its American premiere in November.

Here are the links to the other stories mentioned in the podcast

The Chevalier
The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra

Vanessa, Stripped Down

May 5, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Even though operas from long ago are still being performed, there’s a movement afoot to freshen them up or to do new 21^st century operas.

In the case of the 1958 opera Vanessa, a production by Heartbeat Opera is doing a stripped-down version of the Pulitzer Prize winning work. It’s directed by RB Schlather.

At The Met, they are about to premiere a true 21^st century opera by first-time opera composer and Grammy winner, Gabriela Lena Frank with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Nilo Cruz.

Then there’s the big dispute between the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its patrons over the firing of Music Director Andris Nelsons.

Here are the links to other items mentioned in the podcast.

Yehudi Menuhin School

Step by Step, the Ruby Bridges Suite

April 28, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Sometimes when someone makes a suggestion to you, it kind of sticks with you. That’s what happened to jazz artist Darrell Grant. He decided to act on this suggestion from a friend by composing Step by Step, The Ruby Bridges Suite. It is a piece about the 6-year-old girl who was the first African American student to integrate the New Orleans public schools in 1960. It was not without protests, or strong resistance and a teacher who ignored the noise and taught the little girl in a classroom void of any other students.

Here are the links to the stories mentioned in the podcast.

Artists From Abroad

Black Lives In Music

Artists From Abroad

Music About The Earth

April 20, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

In honor of Earth Month, April, more than a few composers have released albums about their love of our home planet, and their anxiety about its health.

This week’s episode features three of those albums.

UNDREAMED SHORES, THE ELASTIC HEART OF YOUTH AND WHAT IS NOIS

These are links to the competitions and opportunities mentioned in the podcast.

League Digital Workshop Every Student, Every Voice

The Azrieli Music, Arts and Culture Centre

Apply Now for an EMA Engagement Award

Keep Music In Your Life And Dementia Might Never Come

April 1, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

There have been several studies on the effect of music on mental health. This is especially true with the elderly. A long running study out of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia is finding that dementia may be delayed in the over 70 set if music is in their lives.

Dr. Joanne Ryan is the co-author of the study.

Links to other items mentioned in the podcast.

The Sound Of Silent Film Festival The Gateways Music Festival

Composer Chinary Ung stays close to his Cambodian Roots

March 16, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Composer Chinary Ung has been composing music for 60 plus years. His compositions are heavily affected by his childhood in Cambodia and the deadly events that happened there back in the mid 1970’s. But he says he’s blessed that he was able to come to America in the 1960’s to study the western style of music. Many of his compositions will be performed at the Miller Theater at Columbia University School of the Arts in its Composer Portraits series on March 26^th.

Here are the links to the other events mentioned in the podcast.

Castle of our Skins – Two Positions

Misty Copeland on Timothée Chalamet

LA MAESTRA 2026

Composer Kaylen Prince of Houston

African Children’s Choir

The African Concert Series Celebrates Its 8th Season of African Classical Music.

March 9, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

It took pianist Rebeca Omordia 8 years to create the African Concert Series in London. She was even told that African classical music wasn’t really classical at all, nor would anyone want to listen to it. The series is very popular now. So much so that Wigmore Hall in London has gifted Omordia a residency at the world class venue.

Here are links to events mentioned in the podcast:

Timothée Chalamet & Matthew McConaughey

Cincinnati Pops Orchestra album Harlem Renaissance

Toy Music Festival in Seoul

Teach Music Week

A Hero’s Life Meets The Old And The New With A World Premiere Recording

March 2, 2026/in Classical Music In Color/by Judlyne Lilly

Conductor and Music Director JoAnn Falletta of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra has fulfilled a dream. She’s released A Hero’s Life. The album has two pieces, one from Richard Strauss and another that’s a world premiere recording of Behzad Ranjbaran’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Falletta is also releasing another edition of her book of poetry, Love Letters to Music. This is in addition to the upcoming full length documentary about her nearly 30-year career at the Buffalo Philharmonic.