Poster Globe
A globe
Mark Doliner/Flickr
Performance Today®

Highlights from around the world

Every week, composer Bruce Adolphe joins us for a musical game. Play along; see if you can name the tune, and the composer whose style Bruce is mimicking. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll play the Piano Puzzler, plus we'll hear highlights from concert halls around the world.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Richard Wagner: Romanza (Albumblatt)
Elissa Lee Koljonen, violin; Robert Koenig, piano
Heartbreak, Romantic Encores for Violin
Dorian 90268

Michael Engelhardt: Gaudete!
Utah State University Chamber Singers; Cory Evans, conductor
Kent Concert Hall, Chase Fine Arts Center, Logan, UT

Benjamin Britten: The Spirit of the Lord (World of the Spirit)
St. Olaf Choir Massed Choirs; St. Olaf Orchestra; Anton Armstrong, conductor
St. Olaf Christmas Festival, Skoglund Center Auditorium, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

Walter "Jack" Rollins & Steve Nelson (arr. Dallas Brass): Frosty the Tuba
Dallas Brass; Mike Levine, conductor
Beaches Fine Arts Series, St. Paul's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL

The Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Cynthia Schwab from Joplin, MO

Richard Wagner: Prelude to Act 1 of Lohengrin
National Festival Orchestra; Asher Fisch, conductor
The University of Maryland, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, College Park, MD

Abbie Betinis: In the Bleak Midwinter
Evan Mitchell, piano; Luther College Nordic Choir; Dr. Allen Hightower, conductor
Center for Faith and Life, Decorah, IA

William James Kirkpatrick (arr. Patrick Kerber and David Bryan): Away In A Manger
Pepe, Celin, Lito, Celino and Angel Romero
Christmas with Los Romeros
DG 17474

Alex Bigney: New Snow/Mittens for Christmas
Kirkmount: Alex Bigney, harp and bones; Samuel Bigney, fiddle; Simeon Bigney, cello and bodhran
Mittens for Christmas
Dorian 93236

Hour 2

Antonin Dvorak (arr. Fritz Kreisler): Sonatina for violin and piano, Op.100, "Indian Lament"
Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Patricia Zander, piano
Kreisler, Paganini: Works
Sony 37280

Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Excerpts from Noels pour les instruments
Masques; Olivier Fortin, conductor
Noel baroque
Analekta 9908

Gustaf Nordqvist: Jul, jul, stralande jul
Chanticleer; Ragnar Bohlin, conductor
Sacred Music in a Sacred Space, Church of St Ignatius Loyola, New York, NY

Pietro Yon: Gesu Bambino
Adagio Trio
Winter Gift
Adagio Trio 2

Antonin Dvorak: Songs My Mother Taught Me
Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Kathryn Stott, piano
The Arc of Life
Sony 10316

Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air on the G String
Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Bobby McFerrin, vocals
Hush
Sony 48177

Traditional: Dona Nobis Pacem/Auld Lang Syne
Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Chris Botti, trumpet
Yo Yo Ma & Friends - Songs of Joy and Peace
Sony 24414

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Overture to The Wasps
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra; Andrew Litton, conductor
Grieg Concert Hall, Bergen, Norway

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Antiphon (Five Mystical Songs)
Massed Choirs of St. Olaf College and the St. Olaf Orchestra; Christopher Aspaas, conductor
St. Olaf Christmas Festival, Skoglund Center Auditorium, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Wassail Song from "Two Songs of Winter"
Judy Mason, piano; Spivey Hall Children's Choir; Martha Shaw, conductor
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

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

2025 Classical Woman of the Year: Jessie Montgomery

2025 Classical Woman of the Year: Jessie Montgomery

‘Performance Today’ has selected performer and composer Jessie Montgomery as the 2025 Classical Woman of the Year. This annual award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to the classical music art form and have inspired our listeners. Find out more!

Osvaldo Golijov: Arum Dem Fayer

Osvaldo Golijov: Arum Dem Fayer

There's an old Yiddish song called 'Arum Dem Fayer.' It's about the joy of gathering around a fire to sing and dance, and, even if the fire goes out, the stars will be there for light. Composer Osvaldo Golijov used that tune in a new piece he wrote in memory of a friend who loved to sing.  We'll hear the ensemble A Far Cry play Golijov's 'Arum Dem Fayer' on today's show.

1:59:00
Ana María Patiño-Osorio

Ana María Patiño-Osorio

Ana María Patiño-Osorio grew up on a small farm in Colombia. As a kid, she took her grandma's knitting needles, turned up Brahms, and dreamed of a future with herself on the podium. Now, Patiño-Osorio has a real baton in hand. On today’s show, Patiño-Osorio leads the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of José Moncayo’s “Huapango.”

1:59:00
Geneva and Nathan Lewis

Geneva and Nathan Lewis

As talented young kids, siblings Geneva Lewis and Nathan Lewis were part of a successful family trio. They’re all grown up now, each at the top of their careers, and they still find time to make music together. In today’s episode, Geneva and Nathan Lewis perform a duet by Edward Elgar at a concert in Athens, Georgia.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Umoja

PT Weekend: Umoja

'Umoja' is a Swahili word meaning unity and maintaining connection to family and community. And Umoja takes on special meaning this time of year, as one of the seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa. On today's show, we'll hear Valerie Coleman's "Umoja, Anthem of Unity."

1:59:00
Happy Kwanzaa!

Happy Kwanzaa!

'Umoja' is a Swahili word meaning unity and maintaining connection to family and community. And Umoja takes on special meaning this time of year, as one of the seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa. On today's show, we'll hear Valerie Coleman's "Umoja, Anthem of Unity."

1:59:00
Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

For Christmas Day, we're playing some of the best holiday music...you might even find yourself joining the chorus. Tune in for Christmas and holiday music from concerts around the world. Happy Holidays from all of us at Performance Today!

1:59:00
A cozy Christmas Eve

A cozy Christmas Eve

Take a moment to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the year, and celebrate the joys and blessings of the holiday season. Join us for peaceful and cozy music on Christmas Eve.

1:59:00
Three Generations of Burt Family Carols

Three Generations of Burt Family Carols

In the 1920s, Bates Burt started composing an annual Christmas carol for the family Christmas card. The tradition continued down the family line. 50-plus carols later, his great-granddaughter Abbie Burt Betinis created a medley out of some of the best. Tune in to hear ‘Three Generations of Burt Family Carols’ on today’s episode.

1:59:00
Yevgeny and Bella Sudbin

Yevgeny and Bella Sudbin

On today's show, we're featuring a special family collaboration. Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin and his daughter, Bella, perform together, playing Sudbin's arrangement of a popular holiday favorite for piano four hands.

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.

Hosted by Valerie Kahler, 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.

How do I leave a comment?

Send us a comment here.

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