The classical music series "Now Hear This" is set to premiere its seventh season, signaling a notable expansion in its exploration of musical genres. Hosted by violinist Scott Yoo, the program will return Friday at 9 p.m. on PBS, venturing beyond its traditional focus on Western classical composers to encompass a broader spectrum of global and historical music forms.

The season kicks off with "Brahms: Free but Alone," an episode dedicated to Johannes Brahms. Yoo travels through Hamburg and Lübeck to delve into the life and work of the Romantic composer, including his complex relationship with Clara Schumann. The episode contrasts Brahms' retrospective compositional style with the more forward-looking approach of his contemporary, Franz Liszt, demonstrated through performances of Liszt's B-minor Sonata by pianist Paul Rivinius. The core of the episode features Brahms' compositions, including the Piano Trio No. 3, performed by Yoo with Mariko Ashikawa and cellist Johannes Moser; the Clarinet Trio, with Alexander Bader; and the String Quartet No. 1, featuring violinist Sarah Christian, violist Jano Lisboa, and cellist Maximilian Hornung. Pianist Elisabeth Brauss also contributes several Brahms piano works.

Subsequent episodes continue the series' broadened scope. "Everyone Loves Joplin" explores the origins and characteristics of ragtime music, tracing its development from European quadrilles, African rhythms, Sousa marches, and banjo styles. Pianist John Novacek, an aficionado of Scott Joplin, guides viewers through this history, while Reginald Robinson performs his own composition, "Footloose," showcasing the virtuosity required for the genre. The episode also incorporates excerpts from Joplin's opera, "Treemonisha," to illustrate connections within his work.

The travelogue aspect of "Now Hear This" becomes more prominent in the following two installments. "The Call of Istanbul" investigates the musical tapestry of the city, highlighting the use of microtones in Turkish music through the insights of fretless-guitarist Cenk Erdoğan and pianist-composer Fazil Say. The episode also touches on historical influences, such as Janissary bands on composers like Mozart, and features a visual exploration of Ottoman-era architecture, including the Blue Mosque. Finally, "The Iceland Sound" examines the distinguishing features of traditional Icelandic music, particularly its use of parallel fifths—a harmonic practice that deviates from the "Common Practice Period" of Western classical music, which historically formed the bulk of the series' subject matter. This expansion reflects the program's evolving mission to present and explain diverse musical forms.