Poster Don Juan
Don Juan (Charles S. Ricketts, 1911)
bbc.co.uk
Performance Today®

A tone poem by Strauss

What is sacred? What is worth living and dying for? According to Don Juan, the ubiquitous answer is...love. On Tuesday's Performance Today, take a seat at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for an L.A. Philharmonic performance of "Don Juan" by Richard Strauss.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dances No. 10 and No. 12
Budapest Festival Orchestra; Ivan Fischer, Conductor
Brahms' Hungarian Dances
Hungaroton 12571

Damian Montano: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Wind Ensemble
Sarah Frisof, flute; Naoko Nakamura, harp; Dallas Winds; Jerry Junkin, conductor
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX

Johannes Brahms: Tragic Overture, Op. 81
New York Philharmonic; Alan Gilbert, conductor
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York, NY

David McIntyre: Butterflies and Bobcats
Thomas Yu, piano
Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition, Van Cliburn Recital Hall, Fort Worth, TX

Hour 2

Benjamin Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes: 3. Moonlight
Virginia Symphony; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Seascapes: Virginia Symphony
Hampton 004

Peter Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
Kevin Mills, cello; Carlos Avila, piano
Heifetz International Music Institute, Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, VA

Benjamin Britten: Phantasy Quartet, Op. 2
Erin Hannigan, oboe; Nancy Wu, violin; Brett Deubner, viola; Emilio Colon, cello
Round Top Festival Institute, Festival Concert Hall, Round Top, TX

Richard Strauss: Don Juan, Op. 20
Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA

Love the music?

Donate by phone
1-800-562-8440

Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.

Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.

YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.

More Ways to Give

Your Donation

$5/month
$10/month
$15/month
$20/month
$

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Jacqueline Kerrod and the power of the harp

Jacqueline Kerrod and the power of the harp

Today, we explore the music of harpist and composer Jacqueline Kerrod. Kerrod began her musical journey enchanted by Mozart, but she now boldly straddles the worlds of classical and experimental music. Hear the world premiere of Kerrod’s own composition, Bumping Along, a piece that highlights the powerful, dramatic, and sometimes "gnarly" possibilities of the harp.

1:59:00
Missy Mazzoli: These Worlds in Us

Missy Mazzoli: These Worlds in Us

In 2006, composer Missy Mazzoli wrote a piece dedicated to her father, who served in the Vietnam War. The music explores the connection between her father’s war memories and a poem by James Tate. Today’s show takes us to a recent concert in Switzerland to hear “These Worlds in Us” by Missy Mazzoli.

1:59:00
Kian Ravaei: The Little Things

Kian Ravaei: The Little Things

In 2023, American composer Kian Ravaei created a work inspired by the words of Emily Dickinson. The seven-movement piece reflects on seven of Dickinson's poems, highlighting "nature's easily overlooked wonders" and illustrating a cyclic journey from morning to night. Today, we'll hear the Viano Quartet perform The Little Things by Kian Ravaei at a concert in Tempe, Arizona.

1:59:00
Marc-Andre Hamelin

Marc-Andre Hamelin

Marc-Andre Hamelin is one of the most celebrated and respected pianists of our time. His performances are renowned for their brilliance, technical mastery, and deep musicality. In today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Toronto to hear Hamelin perform from Nikolai Medtner's 'Forgotten Melodies.'

1:59:00
A Far Cry

A Far Cry

Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 ("American Quartet") marked a significant departure from the European string quartet tradition, using pentatonic scales and birdsong to capture the essence of American nature and folk music. So, what might it sound like multiplied by four, with some extra bass thrown in? Tune in today to hear the ensemble A Far Cry perform an expanded arrangement of Dvořák's "American Quartet" at a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Evren Ozel

PT Weekend: Evren Ozel

On today's show, we're featuring Evren Ozel's Bronze Medal-winning performance from the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Hear Ozel's rendition of Rachmaninoff’s demanding 'Variations on a Theme of Corelli,' and 'Rachtime,' a new work by Gabriela Montero.

1:59:00
Carlos Simon

Carlos Simon

Composer Carlos Simon grew up in the African American Pentecostal Church, where lively worship services featured singing, dancing, and sometimes speaking in tongues. Today, we're highlighting Simon's 'Four Black American Dances'—music inspired by his experiences in the church and community where he was raised.

1:59:00
Dvorak's "New World" Symphony

Dvorak's "New World" Symphony

On today's show, we're highlighting Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World." Conductor Cristian Măcelaru explains how the composer's work captures an American soundscape while also beautifully reflecting his own Czech heritage. The result, Măcelaru says, is a powerful contribution from an immigrant artist to American culture.

1:59:00
Lalo Schifrin's love for classical and jazz

Lalo Schifrin's love for classical and jazz

Lalo Schifrin was an Argentine-American composer who combined his classical training with a love for jazz. He was best known for his extensive body of film and TV scores, including the theme for Mission: Impossible. On today's show, we'll hear an all-star ensemble perform Schifrin's ‘Tango a Borges’ at a recent concert in San Antonio.

1:59:00
Eleanor Alberga: Remember

Eleanor Alberga: Remember

The Jamaican folk song 'Come Back, Liza' is full of longing. Composer Eleanor Alberga used that song as the basis for a new piece dedicated to the memory of her mother. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Charleston, South Carolina, to hear 'Remember' by Eleanor Alberga.

1:59:00
VIEW ALL EPISODES

About Performance Today®

To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.

American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

How do I leave a comment?

Send us a comment here.

About Performance Today®
YourClassical Radio
0:00
0:00