Creators at Carnegie

Pianist Brad Mehldau and reigning American soprano Renee Fleming present a concert of surprises, including a new commission from Carnegie Hall based on the work of German poet Rainer Maria Rilke.

In this two-hour live recording, The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson plays his most ambitious album, Smile, at Carnegie Hall. Released almost four decades after its creation, the album has been reconstructed and reworked from original tapes and new recordings. Listen to songs from Smile, Beach Boys favorites, and excerpts from recording sessions in this Creator's at Carnegie special.

The St. Louis Symphony, conductor David Robertson and pianist Orli Shaham perform a concert celebrating American music. The program includes Aaron Copland's beloved Lincoln Portrait and works by John Adams.

New York native Richard Goode is one of the world's premiere pianists. Creators at Carnegie presents Goode in a solo recital at Carnegie Hall. He performs a program that includes works by Bach and Chopin and Debussy's evocative, impressionist preludes.

k.d. lang performs songs from her latest CD, Hymns of the 49th Parallel. The disc is a tribute to Canadian songwriters from Leonard Cohen and Neil Young to Bruce Cockburn and Jane Siberry.

Pianist and composer Fred Hersch has created his own jazz-infused arrangement of texts from Walt Whitman's exultant poem Leaves of Grass. We take you to Zankel Hall for the New York premiere.

In the 1970s and '80s, the members of Orchestra Baobab were the masters of Afro-Cuban music. After prodding by the man behind the Buena Vista Social Club, the Senegalese group has returned to the stage.

The Magnetic Fields started as a cult phenomenon, but singer Stephin Merritt has taken the band well beyond its indie beginnings in Manhattan's Lower East Side. At Zankel Hall, the group plays songs from its acclaimed CDs, 69 Love Songs and i.

Hailed by critics as a "Copland for the 21st century," John Adams writes music inspired by the wide open spaces of the American West. Creators at Carnegie presents a concert of musical landscapes from the acclaimed composer.

Founded in 1978, the Orchestra of St. Luke's has earned a reputation as one of America's foremost chamber orchestras. At Carnegie Hall, conductor David Zinman leads the ensemble in a program that contrasts the music of 20th-century Polish composer Henryk Gorecki with the 18th-century genius of Mozart.

In 1998, singer Rokia Traoré hit the international music scene with a unique blend of modern sounds and traditional roots. Since then, the Malian chanteuse and songwriter has gained a devoted worldwide following. She performs songs from her latest CD, Bowmboï, at Zankel Hall.

Jazz guitarist and band leader Bill Frisell is the focus of our third show. The former "house guitarist" for pioneering German modern jazz label ECM, Frisell has worked with artists as varied as Elvis Costello, John Zorn and classical composer Gavin Bryars.

Critics call her "alluring" and "utterly enchanting." At Carnegie Hall, Sam Phillips delights her audience with her own songs of love and heartbreak. The Section String Quartet and Phillips' own band join her in an unplugged performance.

Hear music from a week of Zankel Hall concerts dedicated to friends of Emmylou Harris, including Patty Griffin, husband-and-wife songwriters Buddy and Julie Miller, guitarist Steve Earle and singing siblings Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

Four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald debuts her new song cycle, "The Seven Deadly Sins," and sings a few of her favorites from the American popular songbook live on stage at Carnegie's Zankel Hall.

Renowned Latvian-born violinist Gidon Kremer has established a worldwide reputation as one of the most original and compelling artists of his generation. His Kremerata Musica quartet plays an all-Shostakovich program in Carnegie's Zankel Hall.

Legendary Brazilian songwriter and musician Caetano Veloso, often called the "Bob Dylan of Brazil," is joined on the Zankel Hall stage by Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne. Veloso's version of Nirvana's "Come As You Are" is a high point.

Get ready for some high-energy hijinx from this 11-member Romanian Gypsy group. The band was discovered by two Belgian world music fanatics in 1989 in the rural town of Cjelani, 25 miles outside of Bucharest.

One of the world's most beloved and admired sopranos, Dawn Upshaw has a way with complex modern works and also the tuneful melodies of classic American composers like Stephen Foster.

One of country music's most beloved performers, Emmylou Harris performs with her touring band Spyboy. She's also joined on several numbers by singers Julie Miller, Patty Griffin, and Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

Senegal's Youssou N'Dour is one of the most successful and original African pop singers of all time. The set list for this high-energy concert includes some of N'Dour's best material, including "Shaking the Tree" and "Birima."

The Kronos Quartet is known for its unique artistic vision and dedication to experimentation. Since its inception in 1973, Kronos has assembled a body of work unparalleled in its range and scope of expression.

Since releasing his first album in 1968, Newman's career has taken him from pop chart success to Oscar nominations. His latest CD is 'The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 1.'

Hear a Creators at Carnegie season preview, featuring live songs by Randy Newman, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Youssou N'Dour, Bill Frisell and the Kronos Quartet. Also, listen to an interview with Adams about his creative process and full-length tracks from his CDs.