Russian composer Alexander Tcherepnin discusses his early upbringing, training, and composing in Saint Petersburg, as well as the influence of his composer father, Benois family relatives, and associates of Ballet russes.

Russian composer Alexander Tcherepnin discusses his travels to China & Japan and their influence on his music, composing for non-traditional instruments, electronic music, teaching young composers, and his "Concerto No. 2".

Studs Terkel presents a “musical portrait” of Steve Goodman with the musician joining him in the studio to discuss, listen to, and play songs from his album “Words We Can Dance To.” Goodman begins by performing the blues song “Glory of Love,” and Terkel plays a clip from Big Bill Broonzy’s rendition of the song; Goodman cites Big Bill as one of his many influences. Goodman also plays an old jazz song called “When the Red, Red Robin,” with Terkel connecting that song to his first memories of jazz.

The Newberry Consort is the resident early music ensemble of the Newberry Library specializing in the music of the late Middle Ages.

Studs engages the former Chicago Symphony Orchestra conductor, Sir Georg Solti, in a wide-ranging conversation about his life and career. From his early studies in Budapest with Béla Bartók, his string of good-luck opportunities before, during, and after World War II, meeting Toscanini in Lucerne, and starting on top conducting in Frankfurt, London, and finally Chicago. He discusses his many German and European musical influences and contemporaries, and stresses the importance of education, arts funding, and hard work.

Ned Rorem discusses the differences between writing books and writing compositions, his book "The Paris Diary of Ned Rorem", and how he uses poetry in his compositions.

Terkel comments and presents a musical performance by the Loop Group

Studs interviews Allen Stone, Steven Larson, and Judith Erickson about the opera, "Regina," playing at the Chicago Opera Theater. They describe the variety of music and dances in the opera. Stone, Larson, and Erickson name the cast and their roles and describe the characters. Each share how they came to be in theater. Stone explains how the company started. Larson describes the orchestra and the chorus. Erickson reads some of the lyrics of the aria, "The Best Thing of All," at the end of act one. Stone, Larson, and Erickson read various lines from the opera.