Andres Segovia popularized the classical guitar. Julian Bream took it to the next level.

When cases of the coronavirus spiked in March, doctors and nurses across the country found themselves overwhelmed with work. The shutdown also took away an important creative outlet for a special breed of medical professional: classical musicians. That's why John Masko, a symphony conductor in Boston, founded the National Virtual Medical Orchestra, giving those in the medical field a chance to perform and connect with each other.

"I kept hearing from musician after musician from our ensemble [about] how much they wish they were playing," Masko says.

Back in the days before the coronavirus pandemic, lots of people found community and comfort in singing together, whether at school, as a form of worship, in amateur groups or performing as professionals. Last year, Chorus America reported that some 54 million Americans — that is, more than 15% of the entire country's population — participated in some kind of organized group singing. And that study revealed that nearly three-quarters of those polled felt less lonely.

On The Bach Hour, a performance by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra reveals, in musical terms, one iconic composer's fascination with another, and Karl-Friedrich Beringer leads the Cantata No. 100.

Watch a Bastille Day celebration with violinist Lara St. John, pianist Marc-André Hamelin, and the Ulysses Quartet, presented by the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts and performed in our Fraser Performance Studio!

Yes, that's right -- Clara Schumann finally has a cocktail named after her. Plus, a face mask that helps you hear music better, a forest full of choral music, and more, all ahead!

Even though everything's a little different this year, the month of September still feels like the start of something new. Well, what better way to celebrate that fresh feeling than with music? Check out our favorite tracks of the month in the latest edition of Instant Replay!

It's a chord change 7 years in the making. Plus, stories about music drowning out hate speech, fixing our mental health, and more! 

The latest in piano technology, plus new classical crossover hits, a deep dive into the world of bardcore, and some extremely good violin music recommendations, all in this roundup. Let's go!