There's a small but powerful force of radio hosts, producers and writers who are winning the war against the music education traditions that have made "music education" a four letter word on classical music radio.

Here's one of those victories.

"Symphony Space Live: The Ying Americans" is a pure musical experience with concise, well intoned and interesting musical and historical background. The Ying Quartet plays Samuel Barber's String Quartet, and relatively new quartets by Michael Torke and Patrick Zimmerli. (Please note the music and performance advisory at the end.)

Without pomp and circumstance, host Stefon Harris and writer Jackson Braider give us a sense of who put the American in String Quartets written by American composers. It's a question that can't necessarily be completely understood or answered, and that may be what makes the program work as both music and "music education." The host, writer and producers don't try -- or try too hard -- to find definitives. Nor do they leave us guessing. Discovering or getting close to identifying the source of the American in American String Quartets is confidently left to our own ears.

Consider airing this program after ATC on Weekdays, or later in the evening as your schedule permits. It's also suitable for weekends and any of your regularly established documentary or specialty programming slots.

The music to talk ratio is ideal.

As always, significant pre-promotion is highly recommended to get the sound of the show and the music in the heads of your listeners. Barber's String Quartet, and its eternal Adagio, is one of the program's draws, and that may be the only invitation your listeners need.

The melodies and harmonies of Michael Torke's "Corner in Manhattan: Sixth Avenue in the Afternoon" will grow on you (a few moments of Ying scratchiness aside). Patrick Zimmerli's "American Spiritual" for String Quartet begins warmly and reclaims much of that warmth after alternating sections that are more conflicted in nature. Some of Zimmerli's motifs are profoundly moving.

The Barber, Torke and Zimmerli quartets each project a clear, deep beauty and deserve radio consideration. The decision of whether the music fits stations' programming philosophy will likely vary. I'd like to stay out of that decision process, because it understandably and properly varies from station to station. But, I definitely feel the substance and craft of the music is worth your consideration.