WRTI Picks from NPR Music

On the 80th birthday of Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki — whose music helped make The Shining so terrifying — NPR's Arun Rath considers how the classical music of Penderecki's generation has been shaped by real-life horror.

Listen to an unforgettable response to the tragedy. Hear what happened next at Boston's Symphony Hall, just after conductor Erich Leinsdorf announced news of the assassination, and learn more about the backstage story.

The celebrated pianist, and newly minted MacArthur fellow, describes the 'naughty, wicked and bittersweet' sides of Bach's iconic keyboard work. Denk's new recording includes a DVD with him discussing various aspects of the music.

Singer-songwriter and pianist Anthony Strong, 29, waited until he could create something "authentic" before launching his solo career. Now, he's mining the classic jazz-pop tradition on his new album, Steppin' Out.

British composer Sir John Tavener — whose music was beloved by many far outside the usual classical sphere — died Tuesday at age 69. We look back at a career that took him from being signed by The Beatles' Apple label to a performance of his music as part of Princess Diana's funeral.

Down-home and majestic, the tenor saxophonist's sound was like a cane stalk shooting up out of rich earth. His 1960 album The Book Cooks features fellow sax-man Zoot Sims in a friendly square-off.

As a bandleader in the 1960s and '70s, Smith wrote timeless music — and secured that label during the '80s and '90s, when hip-hop producers sampled his work left and right. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Smith on the occasion of a new album that revives the out-of-print gems of a six-decade career.

Alchemy is a step forward in defining and refining the trumpeter's mix of jazz and Iraqi rhythms.

This week, harpist Elizabeth Hainen and the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform the U.S. premiere of Tan Dun's Nu-Shu: The Secret Songs of Women. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Tan and Hainen about the work, which was inspired by an ancient secret language spoken by women in Tan's home province.

The Leonard Bernstein Letters, edited by Nigel Simeone, compiles correspondence to and from the legendary composer and conductor. The letters — from serious to silly — offer a detailed look at both the distinguished career and the adventurous personal life of a singular American genius.