Lang Lang Plays

<p>Estonian conductor Paavo J&auml;rvi is one of the most in-demand maestros in the world, and one of Alec&rsquo;s favorite conductors. J&auml;rvi is currently the chief conductor of the NHK symphony orchestra in Tokyo and the Tonhalle Orchester-Z&uuml;rich. Over his career, he&r ... Show More

<p dir="ltr">Mallory McMorrow is a state senator representing Michigan&rsquo;s 8th district and also a candidate for the United States Senate in the 2026 election. Mallory McMorrow currently serves as the Michigan Senate Majority Whip and is the first woman in state history to ho ... Show More

Coming from a challenging, working class upbringing in the United Kingdom, Steve Jones discovered his outlet in music - as founding guitarist of the groundbreaking punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Despite the release of only one album,”Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pisto ... Show More

Sean Rafferty spends time in the company of the pianist Lang Lang, one of the most famous classical musicians in the world today. He has had a hugely creative, successful and glamorous career, performing all over the world and collaborating with musicians from Herbie Hancock to S ... Show More

Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto - famously featured in David Lean's film "Brief Encounter" - is one of the world's most popular pieces of classical music. Some of its fans describe the way in which it has touched and shaped their lives. Featuring a pianist from Taiwan whose memo ... Show More

<p>The Doobie Brothers frontman, Tom Johnston, joins Bob to talk about his early beginnings and being drawn to R&amp;B artists like Little Richard. He played saxophone, clarinet and drums in his youth but ultimately fell in love with the guitar and taught himself how to play. Alw ... Show More

Synopsis 1685 was a good year for composers: Bach, Scarlatti and Handel were all born in 1685, as was, on today’s date, Italian composer Lodovico Giustini. Like Bach, Giustini came from a family of musicians, and he began his career by succeeding his father as church organist, ev ... Show More

For more than 300 years, the piano has captivated audiences, while composers have pushed the instrument’s boundaries. Susan Tomes, author of The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces, discusses some of the most impressive pieces of piano music ever written, and shares the stories of the ... Show More

Today, Lilah and journalist Nadia Beard listen to two musicians play the same piece of music: one at 41 years old, and the other at 97. Nadia recently wrote about musicians who are debuting on major stages in their 80s and 90s. She came to this story after deciding to take up pia ... Show More

<p>As musical instruments go, pianos are pretty amazing -- they're also not particularly easy to move. Clunkiness aside, pianos provide endless hours of entertainment, lightening the mood in even the darkest of times. In today's episode, Ben and Noel explore how the US government ... Show More

Synopsis Today’s the birthday of the versatile Argentinean-born American composer, arranger and jazz pianist, Boris Claudio “Lalo” Schifrin, who was born in Buenos Aires on today’s date in 1932. From his background, you’d guess Schifrin was destined for a concert career. His fath ... Show More