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Pianist Gabriela Montero's Election Improv

Gabriela Montero takes ideas from audience members to create on the spot improvisations. Colin Bell hide caption

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Colin Bell

Deceptive Cadence

Pianist Gabriela Montero's Election Improv

November 5, 2012 • The outspoken pianist is a fearless improviser with a passion for politics. At a concert at Northwestern University, hear her make up a tune on the spot, contrasting the two major presidential candidates in a freewheeling, thoroughly American musical debate.

Pianist Gabriela Montero's Election Improv

6:25

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Finnish Accordions, Schubert's Blues: New Classical CDs

Violinist Lisa Batiashvili grew up hearing her father play Shostakovich's music. Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon hide caption

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Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon

Review

Deceptive Cadence

Finnish Accordions, Schubert's Blues: New Classical CDs

February 27, 2011 • From Argentine improvisations to the dark night of a Viennese songwriter, NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and host Guy Raz spin a multifarious mix of new releases.

Finnish Accordions, Schubert's Blues: New Classical CDs

Listen · 10:46 10:46

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Transcript

Presidential Inauguration Of Barack Obama

What's The Big Deal With Inauguration 'Lip-Synching'?

January 23, 2009 • The New York Times reported Thursday night that the lovely, contemplative musical preface to President Obama's swearing in was, essentially, a fake: Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill and Gabriela Montero were not actually playing "Air and Simple Gifts" live. Instead, they were doing the classical-music equivalent of lip-syncing.

Studio Sessions

Gabriela Montero: A Song of Self-Discovery

American Public Media

January 18, 2008 • Pianist Gabriela Montero is a natural-born improviser. On this edition of Sing It and Wing It Montero improvises around the Melissa Etheridge song "Bring me Some Water," sung by Carrie Hamblen, calling from Las Cruces, N.M.

Gabriela Montero: A Song of Self-Discovery

Studio Sessions

Gabriela Montero: Bach Meets the Balkans

American Public Media

November 19, 2007 • Sing a tune and Montero will come up with an instantaneous four minutes of new music. This time on Sing It and Wing It, Montero improvises around a Balkan folk tune, sung to her by a listener in Brooklyn.

Gabriela Montero: Bach Meets the Balkans

Studio Sessions

Gabriela Montero: Improvising With The Band

August 28, 2007 • Pianist Gabriela Montero fields songs sung over the telephone and creates her own improvisations around them. This week, hard work on a sailing team inspired a listener to sing the song "The Weight" by The Band.

Gabriela Montero: Improvising With The Band

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Studio Sessions

Gabriela Montero: Improvising in the Stars

December 28, 2006 • A Performance Today listener calls in with a song to sing, and pianist Gabriela Montero creates her own improvisation around it, right on the spot. This time, memories of jazz singer Betty Carter inspire the caller to sing "So Many Stars."

Gabriela Montero: Improvising in the Stars

Audio will be available later today.

Shadow Classics

The 'Overlooked 11' of 2006

December 20, 2006 • Given the proliferation of year-end Top 10 lists, it seems natural that Shadow Classics — which gives shelter to under-appreciated music — would feature its own list of 2006 recordings likely to become Shadow Classics down the line. Don't let these gems go unnoticed.

Studio Sessions

Gabriela Montero: Just 'Plain' Improvising

December 8, 2006 • Montero has had a terrific year as a classical pianist: making her debut with the New York Philharmonic, releasing two solo CDs, getting profiled on 60 Minutes. Montero returns for another edition of "Sing It and Wing It," in which she improvises around a song sung by a guest on the phone.

Gabriela Montero: Just 'Plain' Improvising

Audio will be available later today.

Music

Gabriela Montero: Improvising on Sunshine

October 27, 2006 • Gabriela Montero loves it when listeners sing her a tune that she can improvise around, right on the spot. This time, the song is the well known "You Are My Sunshine." You can hear the rays of sunlight shining through in Montero's off-the-cuff rendition.

Gabriela Montero: Improvising on Sunshine

Audio will be available later today.

Studio Sessions

Gabriela Montero: Improvising Down a Country Road

October 20, 2006 • Gabriela Montero and a Performance Today listener team up to give John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" a new twist.

Gabriela Montero: Improvising Down a Country Road

Audio will be available later today.

Studio Sessions

Classical Detour: 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'

September 1, 2006 • Gabriela Montero joins Fred Child in NPR's Studio 4A for an ingenious Classical Detour. She's not a baseball fan, but she takes us out to the ballgame anyway. How she gets from a Mozartian minor key to a major-key variation on "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is what makes Gabriela Montero unique.

Classical Detour: 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'

Audio will be available later today.

Music

Gabriela Montero: Classical and Improvisational

July 5, 2006 • Gabriela Montero combines classical piano playing with improvisation. She stops by the NPR studios to share some of her music, including improvisations on Rachmaninoff's Moment Musicaux Op. 16, No. 4 and Bach's Toccata in D Minor.

Gabriela Montero: Classical and Improvisational

Audio will be available later today.

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