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Concert Hall Classics

Concert Hall Classics, hosted by Curt Timmons, offers three hours of stunning music, presenting extended selections from the KUCO library and his personal collection. The program allows KUCO listeners to indulge in their favorite masterworks as well as discover more unusual offerings.

Curt Timmons

A Preview of Upcoming Programs on CHC

Monday, February 2, 2026

3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday

Historic Northern Italian organs; Historic organs in Newportbury, Massachusetts

Part 1: Organs from the Lombardi region: The organ at Piacenza in the church of San Maria in music of Padre Davide da Bergamo played by Jos van Immerseel; the organ in Pavia at the church of San Maria del Carmine in music of Padre Davide da Bergamo played by Maurizio Ricci; the organ at Trivolzio in the church of Cornelio e Cipriano in music of Beethoven, Marco Enrico Bozzi and Vencenzo Petrali played by Stef Tuinistra

Part 2: Organs from the Napes and Venice regions: The Brussels-Anderlecht organ at St. Guido Cathedral, Naples in music of Girolamo Frecobaldi played by Peter van Djik; The organ at Pistoia,in the Duomo church in music of Nicolaas Woordhouder and August Heirich Wenck played by Peter van Djik and Stephen Taylor;  the Brussels-Anderlecht organ at St. Guido Cathedral in music of Aurelio Bonellia and Gisbert Steenwick played by Peter van Djik; The Aghte-regal organ orginally from Venice in the Brussels Instrument Museum in music of BartelemoTromboncino played by Joris Verdin; the Candide di Cadore organ at San, Maria Assunta church, Venice, in music of Bernardo Pasquini, Baldassare Galuppi and Andrea Lucchesi played by Andrea Marcon; the Tai Cadore organ at San Candido church in Venice in music of Bernardo Pasquini, Mozart, and Baldassare Galuppi played by Leo van Doselaar; the Vincenza organ at San Corona in Venice in music of Vincenzo Petrali and Johannes Bernard van Bree played by Leo van Doselaar

Part 3: The Seven Historic Organs of Newportbury, Massachusets, played by Marian Ruhl Metson: EDWARD LITTLE WHITE: Grand March; Yankee Doodle with Variations; DAVID P. RUHL: Variations, Ein Schifflein sah ich fahren; LEWIS H. JOHNSON: Newburyport Polka – 1834 Joseph Alley / 1889 Hutchings / 1957 Fisk, First Religious Society, Unitarian; ANON.: Flowers of the Forest; GEORGE SHEARING: Amazing Grac; Charles IVES: Variations on America on the 1866 E. & G. G. Hook, Old South Church, Presbyterian; John ZUNDEL: Home Sweet Home (Variations); Johann Christian Heinrich RINCK: Mit sanften Stimmen; THOMAS COMER: Cutter Hamilton Quick Step on the 1863 William Stevens, St. Anna’s Chapel, Episcopal; Pietro A. YON: Humoresque L’organo primitive; BASIL HARWOOD: Communion on Hymn Tune Irish; ARTHUR BIRD: Improvisato on the 1875 Hutchings, Plaisted & Co., Immaculate Conception Church; CHARLES WESLEY: God Save the King with Variations; ANON.: German Waltz; The Downfall of Paris on the1838 Richard Pike Morss, South Meetinghouse, Seabrook; Claude-Benigne BALBASTRE: Marche des Marseillois et l’air Ça-Ira; Louis VIERNE: Prelude from 24 Pieces in Style Libre; ARTHUR CLIFTON: LaFayette’s Welcome March & Quick Step on the 1911 E. W. Lane / 1975 Stuart Organ Co., St. Louis de Gonzague Church; BENJAMIN CARR: Flute Voluntary; ARTHUR FOOTE: Oriental Sketch; DUDLEY BUCK: Concert Variations on The Star-Spangled Banner on the 1867 William Stevens, Belleville Congregational Church

 

 

                

                

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Late Renaissance & Baroque Choral Music

Part 1: Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck: Cantiones Sacre, Volume 1, Non omnis quidicit mihi, Domine; Ecce prandium meum paravi; Ab Oriente venerunt Magi; In te Domine speravi; Diligam te Domine, fortido mea; Beati pauperes spiritu; and Ecce nunc benedicite Dominum

Trinity College Chapel Choir conducted by Richard Marlow

Part 2: Henry Purcell: Royal and ceremonial odes: Arise My Muse, Ode written for Queen Mary’s Birthday, 1690; Ode for Saint Cecelia’s Day 1683 Welcome to All the Pleasures, and the ode for Queen Mary’s Birthday 1689, Now Does the Glorious Day Appear

Soloists and The King’s Consort performing on period instruments lead by Robert King

Part 3: William Boyce: Solomon (serenata, 1742)

Choir and orchestra of The Parley of Instruments conducted by Roy Goodman

 

 

                

                

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

ate Romantic and Early 20th Century German Orchestral Works

Part 1: Richard Strauss: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in d minor

Boris Belkin, violinist; Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy

Part 2: Paul Hindemith: Noblissima Visione (complete ballet, Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, trombone); Five Pieces for String Orchestra, Op. 44, No. 4 (Emma McGrath violin)

Seattle Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gerard Schwarz

Part 3: Wilhelm Furtwaengler: Symphony No. 2 in e minor (1945/46)

Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neemi Jaarvi

 

                

                

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Empire Brass quintet: Rare LP transcriptions

Part 1: The 1977 Sine Qua Non Analog Sessions

GF Handel: Aria; Palestrina: Ricercare del Primo Tuono; Albinoni: Suite en sol; Peuerl: Canzon No. 1; Pezel: Intrade, Sarabande and Bal; Purcell: King Arthur; des Prez: Heth sold ein meisken garn om win; JS Bach: Art of the Fugue – Contrapuntus No. 9; Fantasie in C; Gabrieli: Canzona per Sonare No. 2; Holbourne: Five Pieces: Marie-Golde; Patienca; The Choise; Last Will and Testament; The New Yere’s Gift; Priuli: Canzona Seconda a 6; Schein: Paduana & Galliard; Byrd: Alleluia, Alleluia; Scheidt: Canzona Bergamasca

Empire Brass Quintet:  Rolf Smedvig, trumpet; Charles A. Lewis, trumpet; David Ohanian, French horn; Norman Bolter, trombone; Samuel Pilafian, tuba and euphonium

Part 2: The Digitech Sessions: The First 2 Digital Albums

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767): Sonata in B-flat Major for trumpet, bassoon, and harpsichord: Sonata in c minor for trumpet, bassoon, and harpsichord; Heroic Music

Rolf Smedvig, trumpet; Sherman Walt, bassoon (in Sonatas); Joyce Lindorf, harpsichord

Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000): Sharagan & Fugue, Op. 58; Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): Acht Stücke (Eight Pieces); Oskar Böhme (1870-1938): Sextet in E-flat minor, Op. 30; Antonin Dvorák (1841-1904) – Waltzes Nos. 1&4, Op. 54

Empire Brass Quintet: Rolf Smedvig, trumpet; Charles A. Lewis, flugelhorn/trumpet:David Ohanian, French horn; Donald Sanders, trombone: Samuel Pilafian, tuba; Timothy Morrison, trumpet (Böhme only)

Part 3: Empire Brass Plays Annie (Arranger: John Gale)

Annie; Maybe; Easy Street; You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile; Something Was Missing; N.Y.C; It’s The Hard-Knock Life; I Don’t Need Anything But You; Little Girls; Tomorrow; A New Deal For Christmas; We’d Like To Thank You, Herbert HooverYou Won’t Be An Orphan For Long; I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here; Annie (Reprise)

Empire Brass Quintet: Rolf Smedvig, trumpet; Charles A Lewis, trumpet; David Ohanian, French horn; Mark Lawrence, trombone; J. Samuel Pilafian, tuba

Additional musicians: Derek Smith, piano; Jimmy Young, drums; Jay Berliner, guitar; John Beal, bass; David Carey, percussion

 

 

                

                

Previous Programs on CHC

Monday, January 26, 2026

3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday

Selections from The Montreal Organ Book with Kenneth Gilbert playing the The Wolff organ in Redpath Hall of McGill University, Montreal, Quebec;  Charles-Marie Widor’s Symphony No. 4 for Organ with Olivier Vernet playing the Cavaille-Coll organ at the Cathedral St. Croix d’Orleans, France

Part 1: Livre d’orgue de Montréal 1724 (Montreal Organ Book) Part One

Part 2: Livre d’orgue de Montréal 1724 (Montreal Organ Book) Part Two

Kenneth Gilbert playing the Wolff organ in Redpath Hall of McGill University, Montreal, Quebec

Part 3: Charles-Marie Widor: Symphonie IV in F Minor, Op. 42

Olivier Vernet playing the Cavaille-Coll organ at the Cathedral St. Croix d’Orleans, France

                

                

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Dutch Baroque composer Constantijn Huygens: 1647 collection entitled Pathodia sacra et profana occupati; Three secular cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach in historic mid 1960s recordings with Rudolf Ewerhart conducting

Part 1: Constantijn Huygens: Pathodia sacra

Anne Grimm, soprano; Wilke te Brummelstrote, mezzo-soprano Nico van der Meel, tenor; Peter Kooij, bass; Leo van Doeselaar, organ; Siebe Henstra, harpsichord, Mike Fentross, theorbo; Mieneke van der Velden, viola da gamba

Part 2: Constantijn Huygens: Pathodia profana

Anne Grimm, soprano; Wilke te Brummelstrote, mezzo-soprano Nico van der Meel, tenor; Peter Kooij, bass; Leo van Doeselaar, organ; Siebe Henstra, harpsichord, Mike Fentross, theorbo; Mieneke van der Velden, viola da gamba

Part 3: Johann Sebastian Bach: Three secular cantatas: Cantata No. 203 “Amore traditore” for bass, harpsichord and continuo

Claus Ocker, bass, with Rudolf Ewerhart, director

Cantata No. 209 “Non se che sia dolore”

Elizabeth Speiser, soprano soloist; Württemberg Chamber Orchestra conducted by Rudolf Ewerhart

Cantata No. 204 ”Ich bin in mir vergnügt” for soprano solo, flute, two oboes, strings and continuo

Elizabeth Speiser, soprano soloist; Württemburg Chamber Orchestra conducted by Rudolf Ewerhart

 

                

                

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Seconds, Please! Some of my favorite second concerti and symphonies from my personal collection: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Claudio Arrau, pianist; Beethoven’s Second Symphony with William Steinberg conducting, a rare recording of Schubert’s Second Symphony with Karl Ristenpart conducting; Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto with Gary Graffman, pianist; “Little Russian” Second Symphony with Eugene Ormandy conducting

Part 1a: Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 19

Claudio Arrau, pianist; Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Sir Colin Davis (1987 Philips digital)

Part1b: Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in in D, Op. 36

William Steinberg conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1964 Command analog)

Part 2: Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 16

Karl Ristenpart conducting the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (1967 Checkmate LP analog)

Part 3a: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44

Gary Graffman, pianist; Eugene Ormandy conducts The Philadelphia Orchestra (1965 Columbia analog)

Part 3b: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 in in c minor, Op. 17 “Little Russian”

Eugene Ormandy conducts The Philadelphia Orchestra (1976 RCA Victor analog)

 

                

                

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Featuring The United States Marine Band conducted by Colonel Timothy Foley: Grand Scenes from Opera; Live in Concert; “Emblems”

Part 1: Richard Wagner (arr. Arthur Seidel): Grand Fantasie from Die Walküre; Giaochino Rossini (trans. Wenzel Sedlak): Overture to William Tell; Jules Massenet (trans. Verne Reynolds) Ballet Music from Le Cid; Pietro Mascagni (trans. Carl Ruggles): “Regina Coeli” from Cavalleria Rusticana; Jerónimo Giménez: Intermezzo from La Boda de Luis Alonso; and Giuseppe Verdi (trans. Donald Patterson): “Le Ballet de la Reine” from Don Carlos

The United States Marine Band conducted by Colonel Timothy Foley

Part 2: Tristan Keuris: Catena: Refrains and Variations for 31 Wind Instruments; Darius Milhaud: Suite français, Op. 248

The United States Marine Band conducted by Colonel Timothy Foley

Part 3: Vincent Persichetti: Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6), Opus 69; Andrea Gabrieli (trans. Ghedini): Aria della battaglia; Aaron Copland: Emblem; Henry Purcell/arr. Steven Stucky: Funeral Music for Queen Mary; Paul Hindemith: Symphony in B-flat for Band

The United States Marine Band conducted by Colonel Timothy Foley

 

                

                

Previous Programs on CHC

Monday, January 19, 2026

3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday

Organ concerti of Czech Classical composer Frantisek Brixi; Transcriptions of concerti from Vivaldi’s 12-part L’estro armonico by JS Bach; Recital of famous organ encores with French organist Marie-Claire Alain

Part 1: Frantisek Brixi: Two Organ Concerti in in C major; Organ Concerto in D major

Jan Hora playing the organ in the House of Prayer of the Union of Brethren in Prague; Prague Chamber Orchestra conducted by Frantisek Vajnar

Part 2: Johann Sebastian Bach: Vivaldi’s 12-part L’estro armonico string concerti transcribed into concerti for organ:Op. 3 No. 10 in B minor, BWV 596, Concerto Op. 3 in C major, and Op. 3 No. 8 in A minor, BWV 593

Jean Gillou plays the great Kleuker-Steinmeyer organ of the Tonhalle, Zürich

Part 3: Johann Sebastian Bach: Choral BWV 645 “Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme”; Concerto BWV 593 In A Minor After Vivaldi (Allegro); Choral BWV 615 “In Dir Ist Freude”; Choral BWV 639 “Ich Ruf’ Zu Dir, Herr Jesus Christ”; Choral BWV 734 “Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen G’ Mein”; Concerto BWV 596 In D Minor After Vivaldi – Largo E Spiccato; and Fugue BWV 578 In G Minor; Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata K288 In D Major – Allegro; Louis-Claude Daquin: Noël No. 10 In G Major; Louis-Nicolas Clérambault: Suite No. 2 In G Minor; Claude Balbastre: Noël In D Major; César Franck: Pastorale in E major; Eugène Gigout: Toccata In B Minor; Johannes Brahms: Choral Prelude No. 10 Op. 122 “Herzlich Tut Mich Verlangen”; Louis Vierne: 3rd Suite Op. 54, Impromptu; Albert Alain: Scherzo; Jehan Alain: Choral Dorien and Litanies

Marie-Claire Alain playing two organs the 1964 Kern organ at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame of the White Mantles in Paris, and the Cavaillé-Coll organ at the the Cathedral of St-Antoine of the 300, Paris

                

                

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Music of French Baroque composer Jean-Baptiste Lully: Grand motet Miserere (1663); tragic opera Phaëton (1693)

Part 1: Jean-Baptiste Lully: Miserere

Isabelle Desrochers and Dominique Favat, sopranos; Richard Dugay, alto; Hervé Lamy, tenor; and Peter Harvey, bass-baritone; Le Concert Spirituel conducted by Hervé Niquet

Part 2: Jean-Baptiste Lully: Phaëton (Act 1 & beg. Of Act 2)

Part 3: Jean-Baptiste Lully: Phaëton (Concluding Act 2; Act 3-4-5)

Howard Crook as Phaëton; Rachel Vakar as Clymène; Jennifer Smith as Théone; Veronique Gens as Libye; and Gérard Thereul and Epaphus; Ensemble Vocal Sagittarius and Les Musiciens Du Louvre conducted by Marc Minkowski

                

                

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Czech Classical composer Johann Baptist Vanhal: Two sets of his symphonies framing his choral Missa Solemnis

Part 1: Jan Baptist Vanhal: Symphonies in A major, in g minor and in D major

Prague Chamber Orchestra conducted by Oldrich Vlcek

Part 2: Jan Baptist Vanhal: Missa Solemnis in C

Soloists, Tower Voices of New Zealand; James Tibbles, organist; Aradia Ensemble conducted by Uwe Grodd

Part 3: Jan Baptist Vanhal: Four symphonies: d minor, A major, g minor and F major

Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Thomas Kalb

                

                

Thursday, January 22, 2026

The art of the Baroque trumpet with Niklas Eklund; Horn concerti of Classical era composer Jan Vaclav Stich-Punto; Bassoon concerti of Classical composer Franz Danzi

Part 1: Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in C, RV 537 for two trumpets, strings and continuo; Vivaldi: Combatta un gentil cor from the opera “Tito Manlio”; Arcangelo Corelli: Sonata in D for trumpet, two violins and continuo; Marc’Antonio Ziani: Trombe d’Ausonia from the opera “La Flora” for soprano, trumpet and continuo; Giuseppe Torelli; Concerto in D for trumpet, strings and continou; Tomaso Albinoni: Vien con nuovo orribil Guerra from the opera “La Staira” for soprano, two trumpets, two oboes, strings and continuo; Torelli: Sonata in D for trumpet, strings and continuo; Baldassare Galuppi: All tromba dell Fama for soprano, trumpet, strings and continuo; Alessandro Stradella: Sinfonia avanti il Barcheggio for trumpet, two violins and continuo; Vivaldi: Agitata da due venti from the opera “Griselda” RV718 for soprano, strings and continuo; and Petrinio Franceschini: Sonata in D for two trumpets, strings and continuo

Niklas Eklund, solo Baroque trumpet; Maria Keohane, soprano; Jeffery Segal, Baroque trumpet; Wasa Baroque Ensemble led by Gabriel Bania and Edward H. Tarr

Part 2: Jan Vaclav Stich-Punto: Concerto No. 5 in F; Concerto No. 7 in E-flat; and Concerto No. 10 in F

Vladimira Klaska-Bouchlova, French horn; Prague Chamber Orchestra conducted by Frantisek Vajnar

Part 3: Franz Danzi: Four Bassoon Concerti

Albrecht Holder, bassoonist; Neubranderbuger Philharmonie conducted by Nicholas Pasquet