Classical KING highlights the influence of folk traditions in classical music this week, alongside a Northwest Focus Live preview of Vashon Opera’s Hansel and Gretel, a fairy-tale favorite filled with folk-inspired melodies and adventure.

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Music Feature: Inspired by Folk Traditions

Monday, May 18 – Friday May 22

Ahead of Northwest Folklife Festival, Classical KING explores the many ways folk traditions have shaped classical music around the world. Throughout the week, hear music inspired by folk songs, dances, and cultural traditions that composers have transformed into orchestral, chamber, and vocal works—highlighting the connection between everyday musical expression and the concert hall. From regional dances to traditional melodies passed down through generations, this special feature celebrates the rich exchange between folk culture and classical music.

Northwest Folklife returns to Seattle Center Memorial Day weekend, continuing a long-standing tradition of celebrating community, culture, and artistic expression across the Pacific Northwest.

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Northwest Focus Live  

Vashon Opera: Hansel and Gretel

Friday, May 22 | 7pm

Host: David Wall

Northwest Focus Live celebrates exceptional classical artists and organizations with ties to the Pacific Northwest, and this week features Vashon Opera’s upcoming production of Hansel and Gretel. Blending folk-inspired melodies with fantasy, humor, and adventure, Engelbert Humperdinck’s beloved opera brings the classic fairy tale to life as Hansel and Gretel journey into the woods and encounter the witch’s gingerbread house. This family-friendly production offers a preview of one of opera’s most approachable and enduring works, brought to the stage with Vashon Opera’s signature intimate style.

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Classical Calm  

Find your moment of calm this May with music designed to help you slow down, reset, and recharge. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Classical KING’s Classical Calm channel offers a peaceful escape with relaxing classical favorites streaming 24/7, uninterrupted. Whether you’re looking to focus, unwind, or simply take a break from the noise of the day, Classical Calm provides a steady, soothing soundtrack whenever you need it. Tune in on 98.1 HD-2, through the Classical KING mobile app, or online at ClassicalKING.org.

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Northwest Focus Concert Calendar  

Find local concerts in your community at: https://classicalking.org/nw-focus-concert-calendar  

Concert in the Cone: James Doyle, Percussion

Thursday, May 21 | 6pm | Museum of Glass, Tacoma

Experience music and visual art together as percussionist James Doyle presents Confluence: Within the Space of Making inside the Museum of Glass Hot Shop. Featuring vibraphone and analog synth alongside live glassblowing, this immersive performance blends sound, movement, and molten glass in a shared creative space. Part of the Museum of Glass Third Thursday series, the event offers a unique multi-sensory experience where contemporary music and live artistry unfold side by side.

Summer Night Sonata | Piano & Violin: Abrahamson & Phelps

Friday, May 22 | 7:30pm | Kenyon Hall, Seattle

Spend a summer evening with contemporary music for piano and violin as pianist and composer Thomas Abrahamson joins violinist Libby Phelps for a program of original works at Kenyon Hall. Set in one of West Seattle’s longtime performance spaces, the concert brings together new classical music and intimate chamber performance in a relaxed and welcoming setting. Hosted at the historic Kenyon Hall, the evening highlights local artists and the enduring connection between community spaces and live performance.

Port Townsend Chamber Music Series: Spring Concert

Saturday, May 23 | 3pm | First Baptist Church, Port Townsend

Enjoy an afternoon of chamber music in Port Townsend featuring local soloists, chamber musicians, and members of the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra. Spanning centuries of music, the program includes works by composers such as Piazzolla, Liszt, Bruch, William Grant Still, and Tito Puente, alongside Renaissance selections and world premieres by Phil Hirschi. Presented as part of the Port Townsend Chamber Music Series, this free community concert highlights the region’s vibrant local musicians and the intimacy of live chamber performance.

Evergreen Community Orchestra | Landscapes in Suspension: National Echoes & Structural Stillness

Saturday, May 23 | 3pm | Snohomish County PUD Theater, Everett

Evergreen Community Orchestra closes its season with a program that balances familiar orchestral favorites with lesser-known discoveries and new arrangements. Featuring works including Ravel’s Boléro, Sibelius’s Finlandia, music from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and orchestrations of Satie’s Gnossiennes, the concert explores atmosphere, motion, and musical landscape through a wide-ranging afternoon of orchestral music. Performed by a multigenerational ensemble of community musicians, the program reflects the orchestra’s commitment to bringing people together through accessible live performance.

Sno-King Community Chorale: Yakhal: Songs of Hope & Expectation

Saturday, May 23 | 7pm | Edmonds Center for the Arts

Sno-King Community Chorale presents Yakhal: Songs of Hope & Expectation, a program centered on connection, compassion, and shared humanity through choral music. Inspired by the Hebrew word yakhal, meaning both hope and expectation, the concert reflects on resilience, belonging, and the possibility of renewal through community singing. Led by director Dustin Willetts, the chorale brings together voices from across the community in a performance that celebrates kindness, reflection, and the power of music to unite people around a common hope for the future.

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The Score with Edmund Stone  

Well Grounded

Saturday, May 23 | 4pm  

They’re not afraid to dig in and get their hands dirty – they’re botanists! These unsung heroes are the science behind the soil, the people behind the plants and they play an integral role in lots of films. Join Edmund Stone for a hands-on adventure in science and fiction with great characters such as astro-botanist Mark Watney in The Martian, Dr. Ellie Sattler from Jurassic Park, and The Lorax as the Guardian of the Environment. 

Must-See List, Part 1: The Classics 

Sunday, May 24 | 4pm  

This year, The Score is celebrating 20 years of music in the movies! To mark that milestone, Edmund Stone has crafted a five-part musical library of “Movies You Should See At Least Once in Your Life.”  The first episode is “The Classics” – films that have stood the test of time and should be on your “Must See” list, including Citizen Kane, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Rear Window and more. 

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Metropolitan Opera 

Puccini: Turandot

Saturday, May 23 | 10am [LIVE] 

Puccini’s Turandot returns live from the Metropolitan Opera in one of opera’s grandest and most visually striking productions. Set in a legendary imperial China, the story follows the mysterious Princess Turandot, whose suitors must answer deadly riddles to win her hand. Featuring massive choruses, an expanded orchestra, and some of opera’s most recognizable music—including “Nessun dorma”—the opera blends spectacle with moments of lyric intimacy. Left unfinished at Puccini’s death and later completed by Franco Alfano, Turandot remains one of the composer’s most ambitious and enduring works.

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Explore More on ClassicalKING.org 

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Stay inspired and enjoy another week of incredible music on Classical KING!