Modern Notebook for April 23

Modern Notebook for April 23 - 29, 2023

Photo: composer Christopher Stark (photo credit: Laura Bianchi, courtesy of the Bogliasco Foundation)

On this week’s Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline: On the very first page of the sheet music for Christopher Stark’s piece “This is Not a Story,” the clarinetist is instructed to play “incredibly soft, make the audience listen.” The three movement work grows from there, moving through introspective music, to music that “sorts out Beethoven,” and concludes with a movement titled “Cecilia Sings the Music in Her Heart; Captain Leighton Bids Farewell.”

Then, Emma O’Halloran’s piece “Sum of its Parts” was created after spending hours with saxophonist Matthew Levy in a recording studio discussing and recording different sounds and techniques. The result was a vast catalog of coloristic elements that explores the full range of the saxophone, which went on to influence the piece.

Plus music by Benton Roark, Akemi Naito, Reena Esmail, Lei Liang, Jukka Tiensuu, and others; and performances by violist Kate Read, clarinetist Scott Andrews with the Calyx Piano Trio, Brooklyn Rider, Latitude 49, saxophonist Dylan Ward, Trio Klangspektrum, and more.

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Modern Notebook for November 30 - December 6, 2025

By Tyler Kline • November 27, 2025

On the final episode of Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline: Hideaki Aomori’s Split stretches the bass clarinet to its limits, exploring the full breadth of its sound world. This hour also features Baljinder Sekhon’s Drifting Seeds for cello and harp, along with music by Anna Mieke, Vivian Fung, and more. Then: chamber music by Jessica Ackerley called Spark Surge — one of the highlights of the final hour. You’ll also hear Fumiko Miyachi’s piano duo Up, Down, Top, Bottom, Strange Charm , alongside music by Shirish Korde, Oliver Knussen, and others. Also in this episode: music by Tania León performed by pianist Isabel Dobarro; Claire Victoria Roberts performed by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain; Judd Greenstein performed by NOW Ensemble; Justin H. Bush performed by saxophonist Timothy McAllister and pianist Liz Ames; and flutist Tessa Brinckman performing music by Shirish Korde.