Dan Margolies
Former Co-host, The Kansas City Symphony on Classical KCAs a reporter covering breaking news and legal affairs, I want to demystify often-complex legal issues in order to expose the visible and invisible ways they affect people’s lives. I cover issues of justice and equity, and seek to ensure that significant and often under-covered developments get the attention they deserve so that KCUR listeners and readers are equipped with the knowledge they need to act as better informed citizens. Reach me by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.
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Jonathan Leshnoff is one of America’s leading composers. The Baltimore resident’s works have been performed by more than 100 orchestras, including the Kansas City Symphony. Classical KC's Dan Margolies speaks with Leshnoff about becoming a composer and incorporating Jewish mystical traditions into his compositions such as his Symphony No. 3 and Piano Concerto. -
This week, Igor Stravinsky pulls the musical strings with his groundbreaking ballet "Pétrouchka," and Antonin Dvořák's melodies soar through Helzberg Hall in a performance of his Symphony No. 6. We'll also hear the Kansas City Symphony perform Josef Suk's "Scherzo fantastique" and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio espagnol." -
This week we'll hear two recent Kansas City Symphony performances: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Serenade No. 10 known as the "Gran Partita," and Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis." The program closes with Peter Tchaikovsky's rousing Symphony No. 3. -
This week we'll hear the Kansas City Symphony perform a delightful early symphony by Franz Joseph Haydn known as "The Philosopher" and Ludwig van Beethoven's groundbreaking third symphony: "Eroica." We'll also hear two crowd pleasing tone poems: Richard Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks" and Ottorino Respighi's majestic "Pines of Rome." -
This week we'll hear Kansas City Symphony perform Giuseppi Verdi's Overture to his opera "Nabucco" and Leoš Janáček's haunting work "The Fiddler's Child." The program closes with Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 9, the last symphony that he completed. -
After 19 seasons, Michael Stern is stepping down as music director of the Kansas City Symphony, with Matthias Pintscher taking over at the start of the 2024-25 season. Dan Margolies and Classical KC spoke with the outgoing maestro, as well as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, a longtime friend of Stern’s, about Stern's time in Kansas City and what’s ahead for the orchestra. -
As Michael Stern's time as Kansas City Symphony music director comes to an end after 19 seasons, he and co-host Dan Margolies put together a very special program of music from two of Stern's favorite composers: Leonard Bernstein and Richard Strauss. We'll hear Bernstein's shore leave ballet "Fancy Free," and Strauss tone poems "Death and Transfiguration" and "A Hero's Life." -
This week we'll celebrate the birth of Robert Schumann with performances of his Overture, Scherzo and Finale, and his A minor Cello Concerto featuring soloist Narek Hakhnazaryan. Also, bassist Xavier Foley is featured on his own composition "Soul Bass," and we'll hear a world premiere by Angel Lam. The program closes with Alberto Ginastera's "Variaciones concertantes," where everyone in the orchestra gets a moment to shine. -
This week, we celebrate the June birthdays of composers Edward Elgar and Mikhail Glinka. We'll hear Glinka's barn burner of an overture to his opera "Ruslan and Ludmila." We'll also hear Edward Elgar's first symphony led by guest conductor Michael Francis alongside a performance of his violin concerto featuring Pinchas Zukerman. -
Not only was Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold a brilliant film composer, he also wrote acclaimed works for the concert stage. We'll hear the Kansas City Symphony perform his Symphonic Serenade and Symphony in F sharp. Co-hosts Michael Stern and Dan Margolies delve into his composing technique and explain how he borrowed material from his own film scores. We'll also hear "Amen!" by modern American composer Carlos Simon that pays homage to his gospel influences.
