Classical Sprouts

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Kate Botello makes classical music fun, funny and interactive on Classical Sprouts, the AWESOME classical music podcast for kids from Interlochen Public Radio! Classical Sprouts brings families together to plant seeds of classical music curiosity.

Interlochen Public Radio


    • May 20, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 12m AVG DURATION
    • 82 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Classical Sprouts

    All about the celesta

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 7:45


    It looks like a small upright piano, but is shaped like an organ and sounds like a glockenspiel... It's the Celesta! We're learning about and listening to music that features the celesta, a bell-like keyboard instrument that is often associated with magical-sounding music this week on Classical Sprouts.

    The art of listening with Evelyn Glennie

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 8:43


    Scottish percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie has been a rockstar in the classical music world for decades. She's performed at an Olympic opening ceremony, has traveled all over the world to perform a wide variety of percussion instruments and styles, she's known as the first person to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist and she's deaf. We'll learn how this amazing musician uses her whole body to listen on today's episode of Classical Sprouts.

    Cécile Chaminade's Flute Concertino

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 9:23


    Her music was played at Queen Victoria's funeral, she composed an opera, multiple works for orchestra, was an accomplished pianist herself, and wrote a very famous concertino for flute. We're learning about French composer Cécile Chaminade and that famous flute concertino this week on Classical Sprouts!

    Yo-Yo Ma and that one Bach cello suite

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 6:50


    Yo-Yo Ma has been playing the same Bach cello suite since he was only 4 years old, right as he started learning the cello. Now, he's using his fame (and performances of that same cello suite) to promote what he believes in.

    Pachelbel's Canon

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 8:37


    It's chord progression appears in countless pop songs, it's played at tons of weddings and repeats the same 8 notes over and over again… what is it? It's Pachelbel's Canon! We'll get into what makes this piece so popular, and how to spot it in the wild this week on Classical Sprouts.

    Classical Sprouts: Saint-Saens 'The Swan'

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2024 7:27


    It was the only movement of Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals" that he allowed to be performed while he was still alive. "The Swan" depicts a majestic bird gliding along the water and is now standard repertoire for cellists!

    Vivaldi's "Spring"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 7:45


    Snow is melting, the air no longer feels sharp, and the sun has returned! How should we celebrate? With Antonio Vivialdi of course! We're listening for the sounds of warmer weather in the "Spring" movement of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" today on "Classical Sprouts."

    What is a sonata?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2024 6:56


    It's in the name of countless pieces of music… but what makes a sonata, a sonata? We're going to figure out the building blocks of a sonata using Mozart's Sonata No. 16 in C Major this week on Classical Sprouts.

    Season 7 is sprouting!

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2024 1:37


    Spring is just around the corner, which means it's time for our newest season of Classical Sprouts - the Awesome Classical Music Podcast for Kids!

    Ravel's 'Boléro'

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 8:21


    How did composer Maurice Ravel write a piece of music that lasts for 15 whole minutes and only has one rhythm and melody? What did audiences think?? Find out this week on Classical Sprouts.

    'Sleeping Beauty' and the Garland Waltz

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2024 7:08


    Did you know the melody from Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" love duet "Once Upon a Dream" was actually written by Tchaikovsky? We're listening to the Garland Waltz this week on Classical Sprouts.

    Holst's 'The Planets: Jupiter'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 6:22


    This week on Classical Sprouts, we're going to space with composer Gustav Holst, as we explore "Jupiter" from his suite, "The Planets."

    'The Blue Danube'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2024 6:14


    It's played every year on New Year's Day, but what is Johann Strauss II's "By the Beautiful Blue Danube" about?

    The Making of 'Florencia en el Amazonas' at the Met Pt. 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2023 19:13


    Find out what it's like to sing in Spanish at the Metropolitan Opera with your opera idol with soprano and opera star, Gabriella Reyes.

    Classical Sprouts: The Making of 'Florencia en el Amazonas' at the Met Pt. 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2023 21:03


    Find out what it takes to put on a show at the Metropolitan Opera. Classical Sprouts producer Emily Duncan Wilson went to the final dress rehearsal of Daniel Catán's "Florencia en el Amazonas" and spoke with the director, puppet designer, one of the stars and some Sprouts in the audience!

    Classical Sprouts: 'El Sapo': the unhelpful Venezuelan toad dad

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2023 8:07


    Kate shares one of her favorite (but somehow also least favorite) Venezuelan folk song, 'El Sapo'!

    Season 6 is coming soon!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 1:42


    We're getting festive this season and getting ready to dance! We'll learn a Venezuelan folk song, go the the opera, play video games, and head to space!

    Maria Tallchief

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2023 5:21


    Ballet superstar, Native American advocate ... Maria Tallchief was COOL.

    'Spirit Chief Names the Animal People' with Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2023 16:38


    Join the trickster coyote, the lumbering bear, the swimming salmon and the majestic eagle as they get their new names from the Spirit Chief. Composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate is our guest this week on Classical Sprouts guiding us through this musical story!

    Classical Cats! with Clap For Classics

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2023 15:44


    Composers have been inspired by their feline friends for a long, long time. This week on Classical Sprouts, explore cat-themed pieces of classical music and stretch in the sun, chase a mouse, walk on a keyboard and more!

    Stephen Sondheim! with Pasadena Playhouse's Danny Feldman

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 22:35


    Go Into The Woods, to Ancient Rome and to the Tony Awards with the music of Stephen Sondheim and the Pasadena Playhouse's Producing Artistic Danny Feldman this week on Classical Sprouts.

    The Goat Rodeo Sessions!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2023 8:18


    What happens when you combine classical music with bluegrass? A goat rodeo! This week on Classical Sprouts, join Producer Emily as she shares some of the music from The Goat Rodeo Sessions, performed by Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer and Stuart Duncan.

    Have you heard of Agnes Tyrrell?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 7:41


    This composer was a contemporary of Franz Lizst, but didn't have her work published during her lifetime. Now, Interlochen Arts Camp Instructor of Piano Jocelyn Swigger is on a mission to uncover, publish, and perform the music of Agnes Tyrrell! Hear it here first!

    The Story of the Saxophone

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2023 19:53


    Learn about the history of the saxophone through the actual instruments themselves! Jake Goldwasser is a saxophone player, a saxocologist, and the curating fellow with the Greenleaf Collection at Interlochen Center For The Arts, and he's our guest on Classical Sprouts this week, bringing to life the stories of some really cool and really old saxophones!

    Linda Ronstadt and The Anatomy of a Musical Joke

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 4:45


    American rock and pop singer Linda Ronstadt sang the role of Mabel in the 1983 movie version of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, "The Pirates of Penzance." But she wasn't known as an opera singer. Hear how she used that to her advantage in this episode of Classical Sprouts!

    Gilbert and Sullivan's 'The Pirates of Penzance'

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023 21:22


    Soft-hearted Pirates! Fast-talking Major-Generals! Love, insomnia, battles, and love for the Queen! We're heading to the shores of Cornwall, England with our pirate costumes as we explore the Gilbert and Sullivan favorite, "The Pirates of Penzance!"

    Season 5 is on its way!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2023 1:21


    We're swabbing the deck, hanging out with cats and goats, listening to some reallllly old saxophones and more this season on Classical Sprouts!

    'Pictures at an Exhibition' Part 2: From a Piano to an Orchestra and Beyond!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2023 18:17


    Dig into four movements of Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" and hear how they sound as the original piano score, how it grows into a piece for orchestra, and how other ensembles have imagined them!

    A Venezuelan Cow Milking Song

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2023 7:06


    Kate shares a Venezuelan folk song that was used to calm down cows when they are being milked!

    Pictures At An Exhibition Part 1: Let's Go To A Museum!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2023 15:40


    Gnomes, dancing chicks, a witch's hut ... we have lots of paintings and music to explore!

    Flowerpot Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2023 8:18


    It's time to raid your patio for percussion instruments!

    Stravinsky's 'The Firebird'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 13:21


    Enchanted garden + magic bird = hit ballet

    A Satie Sidebar

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2023 2:38


    The self-described "velvet gentleman" had all kinds of quirks.

    Satie's 'Sports et Divertissements'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2023 12:44


    Grab your swimsuit or lace up your tennis shoes — we're getting sporty!

    Partying With Respighi's 'The Birds'

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2023 17:11


    Was that a bird or a violin?

    Eurovision 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2023 8:06


    Recapping the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest!

    BONUS! Blue Tango

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2023 3:47


    Dive into the piece that topped the charts all year long in 1952 — and later got a French twist.

    An American in Paris

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2023 16:30


    Join us in Paris as we step into this 2015 Broadway musical based on music by George and Ira Gershwin!

    The Wiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 18:25


    Lions and scarecrows and tin men, oh my! This 1970s retelling of the Wizard of Oz is full of great music!

    Classical Sprouts: Season 4 is on its way!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023 1:37


    Pokemon and "Pictures at an Exhibition," "The Wiz" and "The Firebird"! Get ready!

    Composers Of African Descent With William Chapman Nyaho

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 18:17


    We're hanging out with this acclaimed Ghanaian-American pianist!

    The Cuckoo Bird

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 17:06


    Welcome to Classical Sprouts: Birdwatching Edition.

    cuckoo bird
    BONUS! Hildegard von Bingen

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023 5:11


    We're rewinding more than 900 years to get to know this medieval composer, poet and nun.

    QuinTango

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 20:01


    What makes tango tango?

    BONUS! Shelest Duo

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 3:32


    Pianists Anna and Dmitri Shelest stand in solidarity with their fellow Ukrainians through music.

    Golda Schultz At The Met!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 18:29


    You get to meet an opera star!

    The Harlem Renaissance

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 16:20


    Learn about some of the composers, artists, and poets active during the Harlem Renaissance, the 1920s Black culture movement in New York City.

    L'Elisir d'Amore

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2023 19:03


    Love! Handsome soldiers! Quack doctors! Weddings! And love potions?

    Amy Beach

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2023 19:11


    Find out more about this American composer, prodigy and nature enthusiast!

    Prokofiev's 'Cinderella'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2023 17:10


    Wish you had a fairy godmother? Us too.

    Coronation Anthems

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2023 17:45


    It's time for royal crowning, anthem playing and tea spilling galore!

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