Part of Classical 105.9 WQXR, Q2 Music is a listener-supported, New York-based online station devoted to the music of living composers; a home for immersive festivals, live webcasts and on-demand concerts from today’s leading new-music performers and venues.

Recently in Q2 Music

George Steel and Phil Kline Indulge Stravinsky Obsession

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Conductor and New York City Opera general manager George Steel joins host Phil Kline for an in-depth look into the feverish, multifaceted innovations of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Hear this interview at 8 am and 8 pm on Q2 Music. 

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Top 10 Essential Rite of Spring Recordings

Monday, May 27, 2013

Recordings of The Rite of Spring began appearing shortly after the advent of the electronic microphone and continue to today. Phil Kline talks about his Top 10 Rite favorites. 

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The Many Musical Caps of Igor Stravinsky

Monday, May 27, 2013

Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring turns 100 on Wednesday! Was there a bolder, more influential work in the 20th century? On the days surrounding Q2 Music's Rite Of Spring Fever, Hammered! focuses in on Stravinsky's variegated piano output and covers his early, neo-Classical, and serial periods.

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Mapping the Vast Unknown

Monday, May 27, 2013

This week's episode of the New Canon features world premiere recordings of Alexander Raskatov as performed by the Hilliard Ensemble and Giacinto Scelsi as performed by violinist Weiping Lin. We also hear from our album of the week, featuring new works by Magnus Lindberg recorded by the New York Philharmonic.

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The First Time I Heard The Rite of Spring

Friday, May 24, 2013

Listen to some of today's leading composers and musicians as well as your favorite NY Public Radio hosts weigh in on the first time they heard The Rite of Spring, as part of Q2 Music's Rite of Spring Fever centennial celebration.

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State of the Woodwind Quintet

Thursday, May 23, 2013

How does a composer approach writing a piece for five instruments that are so different in sound production that creating a perfectly blended sound is almost an impossible task? This week focuses on that most unusual among the standard chamber groups: the woodwind quintet.

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Vote: Your Favorite Rite of Spring Recordings

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

On May 29, Q2 Music will do something it's never done before: play one piece in contrasting interpretations for an entire 24-hour period. Vote now for your favorite recordings of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

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Jherek Bischoff on Making Big Things Out of Very Little

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

The latest episode of Q2 Spaces takes us to Washington’s Puget Sound and the small sailboat where musician, composer, collaborator and producer Jherek Bischoff was raised.

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"Who is This?" with People Get Ready

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

People Get Ready has been honing its unique mix of music and modern dance since its inception in 2009. The group's eponymous debut album was released late last year and the band recently performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry. Hear their Mixtape today at 3 pm.

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Ann Southam's Beautiful and Unsettling Subtleties

Monday, May 20, 2013

The pianist Eve Egoyan performs five haunting piano solos by the late Canadian composer Ann Southam. Stream the full album this week. 

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What's in a Year: 1913

Monday, May 20, 2013

As we approach the 100th anniversary of The Rite of Spring’s premiere, I’ve been thinking about what a time it was, how, as the world teetered on the brink of political and military disaster, revolutionary change was imminent in all the arts.

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Music For The Uncommon Mind

Monday, May 20, 2013

With all the richness, and pianistic splendor of last week behind us, the only suitable response involves music of clarity and sparseness. This week on the program we're balancing Aimard's high note-per-second repertoire with meditative, slow-moving, and delicate repertoire in conjunction with our Spring Fund Drive.

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World Premiere Recordings of Magnus Lindberg, Lee Hyla and Ann Southam

Monday, May 20, 2013

This week, we hear the world premiere recording of Magnus Lindberg's Piano Concerto No. 2, as delivered by the New York Philharmonic. We also sample Lee Hyla's new album "My Life on the Plains" and hear from our album of the week, featuring previously unrecorded music by Ann Southam.

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Claire Chase, Sybarite5 and Momenta Quartet at Look & Listen Festival

Sunday, May 19, 2013

This final concert of the 2013 Look & Listen Festival boasted the talents of Claire Chase, Svet Stoyanov, Phyllis Chen, Cuddle Magic, Sybarite5, and the Momenta Quartet. Stream show audio on demand.

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Ireland's Explosive Crash Ensemble Returns to Carnegie Hall

Friday, May 17, 2013

On May 17, Ireland-based Crash Ensemble returns to New York City to perform a concert with guest Dawn Upshaw at Carnegie Hall. Composer and artistic director Donnacha Dennehy took time out to answer some questions about the ensemble.

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JACK Quartet and The M6 Open the 2013 Look & Listen Festival

Friday, May 17, 2013

On May 17, the 2013 Look & Listen Festival kicked off with performances by the JACK Quartet, the cello-piano duo of Nick Canellakis and Michael Brown and the a cappella group The M6. Stream the complete show on demand.

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Outright Blinged-Out New Music from The Brothers

Thursday, May 16, 2013

What is the blingiest thing going on in new music? This week, The Brothers take an opportunity to look at some of the most glittering, exciting, unusual, and outright blinged-out music on the market. Listen Thursday at 3 pm.

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Listen: International Contemporary Ensemble Premieres Julio Estrada

Thursday, May 16, 2013

On May 16 at Miller Theatre, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and Third Coast Percussion presented the music of Mexico City-born composer Julio Estrada, including the world premiere of a Miller Theatre commission. Hear the whole show.

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Eighth Blackbird's Rough-and-Ready Free-for-All

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Grammy-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird keeps a busy concert schedule, including premieres from Aaron Jay Kernis, Bryce Dessner and Steve Mackey in 2013 alone. Listen to their "free-for-all" Mixtape.

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On-Demand Video: An Evening with Nico Muhly and Two Boys

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

On May 14, Q2 Music and NPR Music presented a live video webcast previewing the American debut of composer Nico Muhly's opera Two Boys. The evening also included performances by songwriter Sam Amidon, violist Nadia Sirota and violinists Angela and Jennifer Chun. Watch the whole show.

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