Explore every episode of the podcast Intermezzo

Sophia Suwiryo spent her summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear her perform music by Frederic Chopin recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Chopin: Nocturne in D-flat major, op. 27, no. 2

Alexander Liu spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform music by J. S. Bach recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Bach: Toccata in E minor, BWV 914

Raditya Muljadi spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform music by Franz Liszt recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Liszt: Concert Etude No. 2, "La leggierezza"

Taige Wang spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform music by Frederic Chopin recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Chopin: Nocturne in C minor, op. 48, no. 1

Julian Zhu spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform music by Robert Schumann recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Schumann: "Fantasiestucke" op. 12, no 5 "In der Nacht"

JingXing Wang spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform "Pi Huang" by Zhao Zhang recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Zhao Zhang: "Pi Huang"

Sencheng Zhang spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform Schumann's "Arabeske" recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Schumann: Arabeske, op.18

Ryan Lu spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform a Prelude and Fugue by Bach recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: J. S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp minor from WTC II, BWV 883

Ryan Huang spent his summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear him perform Scriabin's "Fantasy" recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Scriabin: Fantasy, op.28

Anna Kesselman spent her summer touring with the Lang Lang Young Scholars. Hear her Chopin set recorded in IPR's Studio A on "Intermezzo." Music in this episode: Chopin: Mazurkas, op. 30

Some experiences just stick out. Maybe because they’re out of the ordinary, or maybe because our senses were on high alert that day. In this episode, Christy and her cohost Betty dig into the kind of memories that pop up when you least expect them — and how music can take us right back to those moments. That spark of nostalgia leads the conversation into how composers throughout history have done the same thing. Meet Fanny Mendelssohn, who, after a yearlong family trip through Italy in 1839–1840, wrote a set of pieces inspired by her time in Rome. One of them, "Farewell to Rome," really captures that feeling of not wanting to say goodbye. Music in this episode: Fanny Mendelssohn: "Farewell to Rome"

Ever wonder what a song about a pet would sound like? If someone wrote a song remembering their dog — would it feel different than a song about a person? Maybe softer, funnier or just more… tail-waggy? Composer Leonard Bernstein actually wrote music for dogs. He wrote a piece called "Fanfare for Bima." Bima was a black cocker spaniel, and the melody came from the whistle used to call her inside. Leonard Bernstein also wrote a second piece for a pet. When his brother’s dog Mippy passed away, Bernstein composed a tribute called "Elegy for Mippy." It’s just a trombone and a tapping foot. Honestly, it sounds like a dog’s tail thumping on the floor. Sweet and a little silly — just like pet memories often are. Music in this episode: Bernstein: "Fanfare for Bima" Bernstein: "Elegy for Mippy II"

In this episode, we dive into the unexpected ways nostalgia shows up in our lives. We start by asking our cohost Betty: "What sparks nostalgia for you?" For Betty, it’s often photos — especially the ones that pop up unexpectedly. These days, it’s Google Photos or Facebook memories, quietly waiting to catch you off guard with a flood of emotion. But before that, it was printed photo albums. And even earlier, people kept memories alive through lockets, painted miniatures, and carved cameos worn around the neck. Then we turn to music. Betty shares a personal story: when her mom was a baby, her grandfather would hum the "Volga Boat" song as he walked her around, trying to get her back to sleep. We then introduce a piece by composer Antonín Dvorak called “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” written in 1880. Music in this episode: Dvorak: "Songs My Mother Taught Me" Balakirev: "The Song of the Volga Boatmen"

Christy and her cohost Betty unpack how nostalgia for home is more than just longing — it's an emotion made of memories, culture and identity. Composer Teresa Carreno was born in Venezuela, and was already writing her own piano pieces by age six. Her family believed in her talent so much, they moved to New York City. By age nine, she was performing sold-out concerts in Boston and she even played for Abraham Lincoln at the White House! Carreno's career took her all over Europe, and while her life was full of excitement and adventure, she still missed the Venezuela she left as a little girl. One of her most moving pieces is called "Souvenirs de mon pays," which is French for “Memories of my country.” She wrote it while living in Paris, but you could say the notes are in Spanish — the language of her heart, and of Venezuela. As you listen, maybe it’ll stir up a bit of your own nostalgia for home. Music in this episode: Carreno: "Memories of my country"

We're exploring nostalgia this week: memories, emotions and classical music. In this first episode with our cohost Betty, the focus is on childhood — a time of wonder, play and imagination. Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood), a suite of 13 short piano pieces that reflect the emotional world of a child. Music in this episode: Schumann: "Scenes from Childhood" Bonis: Suite for Flute, Violin and Piano, Op. 59 Beach: "Children’s Carnival." Op.25 Beach: "Slipping on the Ice" from "From Six to Twelve"

We're following the mischief of Till Eulenspiegel... but today it catches up to him. Richard Strauss's score sets Till's antics to music. Till has been captured! Someone has tied his hands and thrown him into a burlap sack. Has justice finally come for Till Eulenspiegel? Who has managed to catch the uncatchable trickster? Music in this episode: Richard Strauss: "Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks"

After escaping from the monks, Till finds himself outside a garden party, which he crashes. Once inside, he begins showing off for a girl he just met. You’ll hear his love theme (yes, he has one!) and some very dramatic music that shows how badly he handles rejection. In the music, Richard Strauss uses playful leitmotifs, or musical themes, to help us recognize who’s who. Leitmotifs are kind of like musical name tags for Till and the people he meets. Till bounces back from rejection and moves on to his next target: a group of professors arguing about rock, parchment and shears. As their musical theme plays in the background with the bassoon leading the way, things get heated. Till’s prank goes out with a bang, and we’re left wondering… is all this trouble finally going to catch up with him? Music in this episode: Strauss: "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks"

Follow the outrageous antics of the trickster Till Eulenspiegel as told through Richard Strauss’s playful music. Tuesday's episode dives into his wild adventures at a market chaos and then a church mischief — all brought to life through Strauss’s score. Music in this episode: Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Till Eulenspiegel is a rascal of a character from German folklore and composer Richard Strauss captures his "merry pranks" with sound. Eulenspiegel was a both a nuisance and a folk hero — some say he lived around 1300, although his stories didn’t show up in literature until 200 years later. Real or not, we can laugh at him and learn from him. His stories are lessons on where troublemaking can lead you and also a peek into Medieval lifestyles. Music in this episode: Richard Strauss: "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks"