In the WQXR Café, the effusive 29-year-old Alisa Weilerstein evoked a classical version of Janis Joplin, fearlessly lunging into the grand emotional climaxes of Bach's Third Cello Suite while reducing soft passages to barely a whisper.

From working on a state farm during China's Cultural Revolution to winning the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Music, composer Zhou Long has come a long way. Reaction from across the music industry is enthusiastic.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has become the first major U.S. orchestra to file for bankruptcy. Now many communities are wondering: what's the prognosis for my symphony? On May 3 join us for a discussion on American orchestras, webcast at WQXR.org.

Jewish weddings have a particularly unique tradition of music. Here are several highlights:

When you defy the commonplace wedding traditions to get married in Vegas, your wedding music should reflect your unconventional attitude. Rock down the aisle with style with these selections.

In conjunction with our wedding music guide, we want to hear about your wedding music. Give us your playlist, including the processional, recessional and other music that was part of the ceremony to win our Royal Wedding Package.

A wedding in a church requires music that respects the surroundings while reflecting the celebratory nature of the day. Here are several processional and recessional pieces to consider.

Music can play a part in civil ceremonies, whether one is getting married in a reception hall, on a sandy beach or in city hall itself. Here are several processional and recessional pieces. This list is neither exhaustive nor exclusive, but includes many popular selections.

Against the ostinato of a still-fragile economy, the board of the 111-year-old Philadelphia Orchestra voted to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Saturday.

From a 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon to a Looney Tune short produced in 2006, the William Tell Overture has provided children the perfect setting for chaos, fights and chases among members of the orchestra. Watch all the videos.

Dame Kiri Te Kawana recently visited WQXR and spoke about her homeland, her favorite roles, a famously difficult relationship with crossover music and her experience performing in the 1981 royal wedding.

The prize is a gift certificate for afternoon tea for two at Tea & Sympathy plus a fish & chips dinner for two at A Salt & Battery in Greenwich Village.

Royal Harpist Claire Jones will welcome Prince William and Catherine Middleton to their reception after the royal couple’s Westminster Abbey wedding on April 29. She tells us about the royal gig.

New York City Opera is facing an “almost certain” work stoppage of its chorus members and production personnel, according to the American Guild of Musical Artists. If it proceeds, it will affect the season's final productions.

Classical music producer Anna Berry will coordinate the recording of the royal wedding on April 29. "The pressure to get this absolutely right will be enormous. The consequences of making a mistake on this one would be so horrible and public and awful."

Ray Chen set himself a certain challenge with the name of his debut album: "Virtuoso." But the 22-year-old Taiwanese-Australian violinist proves his mettle in fiendishly difficult works by Tartini, Wieniawski, Franck and J.S. Bach.

German violin dealer Dietmar Machold lived in an Austrian castle, owned a collection of sports cars and was always impeccably dressed. Over several decades, he allegedly swindled banks, customers and dealers from millions of dollars. It recently all caught up with him.

With two free concerts this weekend, the Detroit Symphony brought to an end a bitter six-month strike that resulted in the cancellation of dozens of performances, the departure of some key musicians and an at times vicious public relations campaign.

Disney's Fantasia used Stokowski's transcription of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565. The piece begins with a more literal visual interpretation, but develops into the abstract. Watch the drama of the tense, building chords unfold with the conductor's arm strokes. Each section of the orchestra get highlighted in shadow before the flowing melodies spawn colorful clouds and fireworks.