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This week we have two marvelous works by Johannes Brahms not originally composed for orchestra. But when reimagined for a full symphony orchestra, they are even more glorious. One was transformed by Brahms himself, and the other by composer Bright Sheng. With the resources and colors of a full symphony orchestra, we hear Brahms at his most magnificent.

Bedřich Smetana’s “Ma Vlast” is one of the most ravishing orchestral works ever written. One writer observed that “Ma Vlast” has “history imbedded in every detail” and that the music is “Liszt’s tone poems at their most glorious.” No wonder that this music made Smetana a national hero of the Czech people. We’ll hear it realized in a magnificent recording by the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Václav Talich.

This week we feature two of the greatest compositional prodigies and piano virtuosi the world has ever known. While both Mendelssohn and Mozart died in their 30s, they each created a lifetime of incredible music. We’ll hear a stunning concerto by Mendelssohn, and a chamber version of a Mozart concerto that was a particular favorite of Beethoven, and one he frequently performed.

Three contrasting works by Beethoven make up this week’s show: a Romance for violin and orchestra arranged for cello, a stunning recording of his Fourth Piano Concerto with legendary pianist Robert Casadesus and the Concertgebouw Orchestra, then a world-shaking fugue that shocked listeners at its premiere. We’ll hear Beethoven at his most intimate, his most virtuostic, and – being the innovator he was – his most thundering and brilliant.

Guest host Brian Ellison speaks with composer Mason Bates and Kansas City Symphony Associate Conductor Gonzalo Farias about performing Mason's multimedia depiction of the orchestra, "Philharmonia Fantastique." We'll also learn about their early music influences and how orchestras are embracing 21st-century technology.

Classical KC presents a recent Harriman-Jewell Series Discovery Concert performance at the Folly Theater from pianist, composer and chess champion Harmony Zhu. We'll hear works by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Kapustin and Debussy followed by a post-concert audience question and answer session led by Harriman-Jewell Series director Clark Morris.

We’ve reached another milestone together – it’s the 200th episode of From the Archives. It’s a program with some of Frank Byrne's favorite music, each with a personal connection.

Bach Aria Soloists — Kansas City's all-star, all female chamber ensemble — is releasing a brand new album. Classical KC welcomes founder, artistic director and violinist Elizabeth Suh Lane and soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson to talk about the new release and what they're working on next. We'll hear selections from the album including music from Bach, Handel and a new work from contemporary British composer Cecilia McDowall.

Discover the diverse musical influences of trumpeter, composer, traveler and radio host Hermon Mehari. Brooke Knoll speaks with Mehari about his own music, his love for opera and his path from Jefferson City to Kansas City, and now Paris.

After nearly 50 years, the Grammy-Award winning Emerson String Quartet is embarking on its farewell tour. Before their Friends of Chamber Music performance in Kansas City, Classical KC's Brooke Knoll spoke with violinist and co-founder Eugene Drucker about the group's history and future. We'll hear Emerson recordings of music by Tchaikovsky and Schubert.