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Music

Dancing to the sounds of the Duluth harbor

Most people who visit Duluth spend some time sight-seeing on the waterfront. But the sounds of the harbor can be just as inspiring as the sights. A young composer has turned those sounds into music.

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Valentine's Day recordings

To complement your Valentine's Day, Minnesota Public Radio music director Rex Levang recommends recordings by three women whose stunning voices pull at the heartstrings.

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St. Cloud's orchestra reaches new heights

The St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra has been around since the early 1970s. But just in the past couple years, it has attracted critical raves, and popular support.

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Fortepianos: a link in a musical evolutionary chain

Most people know the modern piano evolved from the harpsichord. But few know there was an intermediate instrument, called the fortepiano. A Duluth concert features a rare treat: matched fortepianos playing works of Mozart in a way rarely heard today.

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Whither the indie record store?

After years of slumping CD sales and the illegal downloading of songs, the music retail industry is finally embracing the digital age. Online music sales through companies such as Apple Computer, Napster and even Walmart are growing, and several major record labels are converting their music catalogs to digital. Many industry observers say the shift to digital delivery of music spells doom for the independent record store. Yet, the few such stores that remain in the Twin Cities say reports of their impending death may be premature.

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Ani DiFranco gets back to basics

In a time when many musicians rely on digital technology to enhance their sound, folk icon Ani DiFranco is returning to basics. She recorded her new album, Educated Guess, by herself, in her living room, using an old reel-to-reel tape recorder. The result is a raw, intimate, sound. DiFranco brings that sound to the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis this weekend.

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SPCO musicians take charge

At the end of this season, the SPCO will dissolve its Music Director position. The musicians will assume many of the responsibilities for running the orchestra. The SPCO says the move is designed to strengthen its position as one of the premier chamber orchestras in the country. Most of the musicians say they're energized and excited by the transfer of power. But some observers say they'll face a number of challenges as the new system is put in place.

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Music in Baghdad: An Iraqi pioneer looks back

Beatrice Ohanessian is a woman of many firsts. She was Iraq's first concert pianist. She was the first ever Iraqi female composer. She performed with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra for three decades. Now she makes a quiet living teaching piano from her home in the Twin Cities suburbs.

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