Join me and Leah live from the Sauna studio as we explore the music of Finland through its greatest composer - Jean Sibelius. Find out about the hallmarks of Sibelius style, his dealings with the Russian censors, and why he disliked his most published piece - the Valse Triste.

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For my first podcast with radio personality Leah Lewis, we explore the life of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  From his failed marriage and other relationship disasters to the juicy rumors about his death, discover the secrets behind the man who brought us some of the most beautiful and powerful music ever written.

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Join me in exploring the life of one of the greatest composers to lend his talent to the opera stage, Giuseppe Verdi, and find out what inspired him to write his only major work for the concert hall - the Requiem!  (NOTE: this is a large file so depending on your Internet connection speed it may take a minute to start to play.

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Two pieces on this month's MSO concert program are based on the bard's great dramatic masterpiece. But the roots of musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet stretch back into the 18th century. Find out how the greatest love story ever told inspired some of the best known masterpieces.

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Discover the history of the timeless holiday classic - Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Find out about the performance history of the piece, and what happened when jazz legend Duke Ellington got his hands on this masterpiece. Learn about what it is like to engage a guest artist for the symphony orchestras these days, and meet John Driscoll, the principal trumpet of the Missoula Symphony.

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Darko Butorac is the new music director of the Missoula Symphony. He loves performing and learning about all kinds of music. Originally from Belgrade, Serbia, Darko grew up in Seattle where he started to play the cello and fall in love with the orchestra. He loves being a conductor, partly because it goes really well with his other passion - traveling (34 countries on five continents to date). His sojourn in the SW (Flagstaff, AZ) made him fall in love with hiking and red rocks in particular - on one occasion, he managed to visit all five of Utah's National Parks in a whirlwind 48 hour tour. Having grown up in Serbia, and being an Indiana alum, Darko is a naturally avid basketball player and fan (one of the rare conductors who can get above the rim). His favorite teams used to be the Sonics (now history!) and the Sacramento Kings (but then both Pedja and Vlade left). When at home (kind of rare these days) Darko loves to cook. His interests lie in what can be broadly described as Mediterranean cuisine - a mix of Serbian, Italian, and Greek food. However, while at the Aspen Music Festival he came across an out of the way Taqueria El Nopal, possibly the most delicious Mexican food north of the border (in Basalt, CO), and the inspiration to experiment with Mexican cooking. In the dessert department he makes a fine baklava (no honey, please), a recipe which was published by the Missoulian a year ago. This love of cooking actually helped Darko become a conductor: he cooked meals for up to 75 of his friends that played in his 'ad hoc' orchestras over the years. Since moving to Montana, he has rediscovered his love of skiing and is intrigued by fly-fishing. He looks forward to sharing his love of music and life with his new hometown.