Up until a few weeks ago, you'd hear a generous amount of recordings from pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. But now that Pletnev is under investigation for child rape in Thailand his voice has been silenced in concert halls and on the radio – in the U.S. and U.K that is. But back home in Russia, and elsewhere his beat marches on. Pletnev founded the Russian National Orchestra 20 years ago and its season kicked off this month as planned with Pletnev on the podium. 

An acquaintance recently said to me, "Terrance, I think you might be too square for her" (referring to a friend of hers). That comment got me thinking about the degree to which one's personality is shaped by vocation.

Monday night I played a recording of J.S.Bach's Capriccio on the Departure of his Beloved Brother. It's one of those pieces that at times sounds easy enough for a novice. Bach was in his teens when he composed it.

How many of us could've predicted this pairing, Aretha Franklin and Condoleezza Rice singing and playing the classics. Neither of these women is a stranger to classical music. Dr. Rice has performed at the White House with Yo Yo Ma and Ms. Franklin stepped in and covered for Pavarotti at the Grammy Awards in 1998.

This week we celebrated the 150 anniversary of Gustav Mahler’s birth. Throughout the week, I heard several commentators and hosts quoting Mahler. One quote that kept coming up was “My time will come.”

Musicians and music lovers have been known to go to extremes for their love of the art form.

Finding one’s own voice is a journey that every artist takes. And in most cases the very successful ones are those who are able to cast an artistic shadow that is unmistakably their own.

Just like I expected Lebron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers to knock off the Boston Celtics, I was hopeful that Gustavo Dudamel and his Los Angeles Philharmonic would knock Bernstein out of the park during their East Coast tour last week. Over consecutive weeks, both superstars appeared mortal.

Dogs enjoy many of the things that we enjoy: table food, water, beer and surprises. But what about music? Some seem to, but perhaps their pleasure is derived from the enjoyment they sense from their owners as they listen. 

A few weeks ago I got a text message from a friend saying she was listening to me on air at a bodega in Brooklyn. Just last week I listened to my colleague Midge Woolsey while at my doctor’s office in Manhattan.

A few nights ago I saw a commercial for a video game called "Tom Clancy's Conviction."  The ad depicted a father, automatic rifle in tow, walking through an abandoned town Wild, Wild West-style. Here’s the juicy part: the theme music in the ad was the spiritual “Run on for a Long Time.”

Jerusalem, City of Heavenly and Earthly Peace by Jordi Savall is a performance that explores how the three major religions have shaped Jerusalem. WQXR presents a live broadcast hosted by Fred Child and Terrance McKnight, Monday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m.

Recently I went to a birthday party where there was a piano. When asked to play, I had one piece in my fingers, the Op. 118 Intermezzo by Brahms--the Intermezzo isn't party music. That incident reminded me of a piano teacher saying "always have a piece in your fingers." In this case I needed two.

On my coffee table (more like empty glasses/laptop table) are small stacks of CDs that include Garrick Ohlsson‘s recording of Chopin's Nocturnes and Glenn Gould’s “The Young Maverick” set.