Classic stories with a classical twist. YourClassical combines illustrated stories from a variety of cultures with classical music.
YourClassical, from American Public Media, is a collection of curated streams, unique programs and relevant features to connect classical listeners with the music they love.
What happens when the world’s greatest harpist gets thrown into the sea …
What happens when the world’s greatest harpist gets thrown into the sea by jealous pirates? Find out in the YourClassical Storytime telling of the ancient Greek myth Arion and the Dolphin, with art and narration by Ana Freeberg and Ally Thompson, and enchanting harp music performed by Susann McDonald.
“After the sun has slipped away and the orange sky turns dark …
“After the sun has slipped away and the orange sky turns dark blue, fireflies put on a display like only they know how to do!” Go on a sparkly summertime adventure with Backyard Night Lights, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring music by Edvard Grieg, illustrations by Mia Jennings and storytelling by Scott Blankenship.
Disney pitched Beauty and the Beast as a "tale as old as …
Disney pitched Beauty and the Beast as a "tale as old as time," but we're retelling the 18th-century French story with a classical twist as the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime — featuring music by great French composers and enchanting illustrations by Nancy Carlson. Follow along as the charming Belle must rescue her father from the clutches of the vengeful Beast, only to find true love. Listen now!
How does a sleepless king deal with clock towers that simply won’t …
How does a sleepless king deal with clock towers that simply won’t chime together in his kingdom? Find out in the timely tale Bells in the Night, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – with storytelling by Valerie Kahler and Michael Barone, music by Leopold and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and illustrations by EJ Thompson.
What happens when a quiet boy named Ronan attends an orchestra concert …
What happens when a quiet boy named Ronan attends an orchestra concert for the first time? Find out in Todd Boss' amazing story, based on a real event — a concert by the Handel and Haydn Society — that rocked the classical music world. It's The Boy Who Said Wow, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring music by Mozart and original illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
What happens when four musical animals set off on an adventure together …
What happens when four musical animals set off on an adventure together and stumble upon a gang of thieves? Find out in the hilarious tale The Bremen Town Musicians. It's the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, with music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Felix Mendelssohn and Gioachino Rossini, and illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
Casey steps up to the plate for the Mudville Nine, but can …
Casey steps up to the plate for the Mudville Nine, but can he save the day for the woeful baseball team? Find out what happens in Casey at the Bat, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring Americana classical music and original illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
Once upon a time, 300 years ago, a beautiful cello was created …
Once upon a time, 300 years ago, a beautiful cello was created by a master craftsman. This wonderful instrument eventually ended up in the gifted hands of one of the greatest cellists in history, Pablo Casals. Soon, the cello became known as Pablo, too. This is the story of A Cello Named Pablo. Listen as modern musician Amit Peled tells how he came to play Casals' favorite instrument. It's the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring an original story written by Marni Fogelson and illustrations by Avi Katz.
Can you have too many presents, too much holiday food, too much …
Can you have too many presents, too much holiday food, too much cheer? When little Noelle wishes for Christmas every day, she gets more than she bargained for in the delightful new YourClassical Storytime episode Christmas Every Day, featuring traditional music of the holiday season and art by Nancy Carlson.
Welcome to YourClassical Storytime! Today's story is all about a young woman …
Welcome to YourClassical Storytime! Today's story is all about a young woman who has many names all around the world, but the one you probably know best is Cinderella. Did you know the Cinderella story was written more than 300 years ago by a Frenchman named Charles Perrault? And Cinderella wasn't the only famous story he gave us. Among his other characters are Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots and another famous princess, Sleeping Beauty. Classical music writers also loved Cinderella. More than 200 years ago, Italian composer Giacchino Rossini wrote a very funny opera called La Cenerentola. "Cenerentola" means "Cinderella" in Italian. But you won't meet all the usual characters in Rossini's opera. He's taken some out and added new ones. Instead of the Fairy Godmother, there's Alidoro, teacher and friend to the Prince. He helps Cinderella get to the ball. And rather than a wicked stepmother, there's her nasty stepfather, Don Magnifico, who insists he had a dream that his daughters, Clorinde and Tisby, will become royalty. Cinderella's real name is revealed as Angelina. And there's no glass slipper! Instead, there's a pair of matching diamond bracelets. And so our story begins.
The first day of school can be overwhelming with new friends, new …
The first day of school can be overwhelming with new friends, new places and new experiences — especially for a special kitty named Clover. Enjoy the latest YourClassical Storytime episode, Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten, by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata, with music by composer Mel Bonis.
It’s Graduation Day at the Service Dog School, and you’re invited to …
It’s Graduation Day at the Service Dog School, and you’re invited to the ceremony! Find out how these highly trained pups help the people who need them most in Dog Days of Summer, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime — with narration by Scott Blankenship and Julie Amacher, illustrations by E.J. Thompson, and classical music just right for this special occasion. Find out more about real-life service dogs and how they use classical music as part of their training: “Classical music has gone to the dogs at Can Do Canines.”
Once upon a time, there was a happy-go-lucky dog named Apollo. He …
Once upon a time, there was a happy-go-lucky dog named Apollo. He seemed to have a lot going for himself, but he wanted more — especially when it came to food. Find out what happened to our greedy pup in The Dog and the Bone, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring music by Edward Elgar and original illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the …
Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is dedicated to remembering loved ones who have passed. Learn more about this special day in the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring narration by Inés Guanchez, illustrations by Raul Villanueva and traditional Mexican music.
Once upon a time, the elephant had no trunk – until a …
Once upon a time, the elephant had no trunk – until a young one had an unfortunate run-in with a crocodile. Find out the long and short of it in the charming tale The Elephant’s Child, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring narration by Scott Blankenship, illustrations by E.J. Thompson and traditional classical music from India.
A vain emperor gets more than he bargained for when two weavers …
A vain emperor gets more than he bargained for when two weavers promise to make him a suit with special powers. What happens when he puts it on? Find out in The Emperor's New Clothes, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring music by George Frideric Handel and original illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
Where does your food come from? Farmers, of course! Hear a famous …
Where does your food come from? Farmers, of course! Hear a famous poem about the hard work of growing food in A Farmer's Tale, the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, featuring traditional Chinese folk tunes and original illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
How much can one vegetable grow? Find out in The Giant Carrot, …
How much can one vegetable grow? Find out in The Giant Carrot, the tale of a root so big that it’s going to take some teamwork to get it out of the ground. It’s the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime – featuring Lynne Warfel, with music by Johannes Brahms and illustrations by E.J. Thompson.
"Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me. I'm …
"Run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man!" Who can catch this speedy pastry? Find out in The Gingerbread Man. It's the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime, with music by Johannes Brahms and illustrations by Nancy Carlson.
What happens when an adventurous girl discovers a house in the woods …
What happens when an adventurous girl discovers a house in the woods owned by bears and filled with classical recordings? Find out how her musical adventure unfolds in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the latest installment of YourClassical Storytime, featuring illustrations by acclaimed children's author Nancy Carlson. Along the way, we'll hear some wonderful melodies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Erik Satie, Giacchino Rossini and more. It's our classical twist on the classic tale.
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