Transcendental Music

This fall, the renowned conductor Cristian Macelaru begins his tenure as the Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO). One piece he recently shared with Cincinnati audiences is by one of his favorite composers: Wynton Marsalis. On today's episode, we'll hear Macelaru lead the CSO in a performance of Marsalis's Blues Symphony.

During Yom Kippur, cantors sing the Kol Nidre, a musical prayer for forgiveness that has captured the attention of several composers. We’ll hear an adaptation of Kol Nidre by Max Bruch on today’s show.

It was arguably the biggest classical music event of 2025: a gala concert in Paris celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Opera Garnier venue. We'll take you there to hear the Vienna Philharmonic and pianist Yuja Wang perform the opening movement of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1.

Today, we explore the spiritual and creative ideas behind the music of Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. We'll hear from Ortiz's "Altar de Cuerda”, music she envisions as an altar—a space to elevate music—where the solo violin floats above the orchestra and the ethereal sound of tuned crystal glasses. Today’s performance features violinist Susie Park and the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Paolo Bortolameolli.

So, what is a Piano Puzzler, you might ask? Well, it's a familiar tune that Bruce Adolphe has rewritten in the style of a classical composer. Can you identify the hidden tune and the composer whose style Bruce is imitating? Join us for this week’s Piano Puzzler on this episode of Performance Today.

Sure, it's a flashy showpiece for piano, but Kirill Gerstein says, "If you dig deeper, it's also a sincere expression straight from the heart." On today's show, hear Kirill Gerstein play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with conductor Hannu Lintu leading the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Composer Zoltan Kodály grew up listening to Roma bands in Hungary and later incorporated some of their melodies into his music. On today's show, we’ll take you to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for a performance of Kodály's Dances of Galánta.

Today, we present a captivating performance by one of today's most talented violinists, Alexi Kenney. Accompanied by pianist Inon Barnatan, Kenney explores a rarely heard piece by Romanian composer Georges Enescu.

The acoustics of a concert hall can profoundly shape the sound of an orchestra, for better or for worse. On today's program, we’ll take you to the stunning Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg to hear Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, performed by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under the direction of conductor Alan Gilbert.

On today's show, pianist Gabriela Montero performs a groundbreaking piece by Igor Stravinsky: his 1924 Piano Sonata. With this work, Stravinsky intentionally departed from the Romantic era and reimagined the structured forms of the Classical period with a rhythmic, modern sound.