'Performance Today' at 20: A Look Back

During a time when Soviet officials sidelined her work for being "irresponsible" and religious, Sofia Gubaidulina found a kindred spirit in an unlikely place: a piece of chalk. In her story, the chalk dreams of drawing castles instead of classroom geometry—a metaphor for Gubaidulina’s own resilience as a composer. On today’s show, Andris Poga conducts the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Gubaidulina’s Marchen-Poem (Fairytale Poem).

On today's show, we explore the fascinating career of German composer Emilie Mayer. Join us at a concert in Houston for a ROCO performance of Mayer's Symphony No. 4, a piece she composed in 1850 that was only recently reconstructed by German composer and arranger Andreas Tarkmann.

Composer Jennifer Higdon wrote 'blue cathedral' in 2000. It was inspired by an imaginary vision of a glass cathedral in the sky. We'll take you to the Grand Teton Music Festival for a musical journey to Higdon’s ‘blue cathedral’ on today's show.

The nominating period for the 2026 Classical Woman of the Year has now closed. Stay tuned to find out who will be selected by the Performance Today team in late March!

French composer Jean Cras was from Brittany, that large, rocky peninsula directly west of Normandy. Brittany's history is deeply connected to the Celtic world, and Cras’s music often reflects a Celtic sensibility, the sounds of the sea, and the rhythms of the old world. Today, we'll hear the Black Oak Ensemble perform Jean Cras’s playful and inventive String Trio at a concert hosted by the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida.

Pianist and composer Stephen Hough took a twenty-year break from composing until a nudge from John Corigliano brought him back to the page. Now, Hough says he’s abandoned the pressure to be perfect, writing "nonstop" for the pure joy of creating. We’ll hear him perform his 2019 Partita on today’s show, recorded live at Spivey Hall in Morrow, Georgia.

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.

Violinist Bella Hristova and composer David Ludwig were married in 2015. In the months leading up to the wedding, Ludwig wrote a piece for Hristova—not a 2-minute bonbon for the reception, but a full concerto for solo violin and orchestra. On today's episode, we'll hear Bella Hristova play Ludwig's concerto with JoAnn Falletta conducting the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Ukrainian, the word "dumka" means "thought" or “notion." In music, a dumka is a somewhat dreamlike dance that often revisits a bittersweet reflection on life's sadness. Today, we’ll hear English composer Rebecca Clarke’s ‘Dumka’ from a concert presented by the Fabian Concert Series in Macon, Georgia.

In 1994, John Adams composed a series of what he calls "alleged" dances. Why alleged? As Adams puts it, "the steps for them have yet to be invented. They cuss, chaw, hock hooeys, scratch, and talk too loud." On today's program, we'll take you to a concert in Cleveland to hear Adams’ quirky set for string quartet and prepared piano loops: John’s Book of Alleged Dances.