Hour 1
- Restless Oceans by Anna Clyne
- Alyssa Morris’s Where the Colors Fall
- anew by Joseph Jones
- Nicky Sohn’s Fresh Breath of Hope
- Tripartita by Dawn Avery
- Toru Takemitsu’s Star-Isle
- Motivic Moments by Drew Phillips.
Modern Notebook for August 31 - September 6, 2025
Photo: composer Nicky Sohn. (Photo credit: Natalie Gaynor).
On the next Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline: Out of conversations and community, a phrase stayed with composer Nicky Sohn: “a fresh breath of hope.” Written for violinist Mary Grace Johnson and inspired by the stories of women rebuilding their lives, this piece becomes a gesture of resilience — breathing color into darkness.
Then: In the journals of Canadian painter Emily Carr, composer Tawnie Olson found something familiar: the highs, lows, and quiet intensity of the creative process. Beloved of the Sky sets Carr’s words to music — a choral portrait of solitude, beauty, and the persistence of making art in a world that doesn’t always understand it.
Also featured this week are works by Anna Clyne, Alyssa Morris, Joseph Jones, Dawn Avery, Toru Takemitsu, Drew Phillips, Unsuk Chin, Naoko Hishinuma, Libby Larsen, and Nathalie Joachim. Performances by Duo AYA, cellist Benjamin Larsen, pianist Ava Nazar, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the National Brass Ensemble, Ligeti Quartet, vocalist Michelle O’Rourke, Ficino Ensemble, cellist Gwendeline Lumaret, Stargaze, pianist Blair McMillen, clarinetist Jeff Anderle, and Crash Ensemble.
Hour 2
- Subito Con Forza by Unsuk Chin
- Naoko Hishinuma’s On a Full Moon Night
- Beloved of the Sky by Tawnie Olson
- Libby Larsen’s Raspberry Island Dreaming
- Nathalie Joachim’s Watch Over Us
Recent Shows
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.
Photo: composer Aart Strootman (photo courtesy of the composer's website).
Photo: composer and cellist Andrea Casarrubios (photo credit: Titilayo Ayangade).
Photo: composer Ellie Wilson. (Photo credit: Dimitri Djuric)
Photo: Les Percussions de Strasbourg (photo credit: Christophe Urbain)
Photo: composer Daniel Thomas Davis (photo credit: Melissa Rivard).
