Poster Dame Mitsuko Uchida, pianist and conductor
Dame Mitsuko Uchida, pianist and conductor
Justin Pumfrey/Decca
Performance Today®

Mitsuko Uchida

On Friday's Performance Today, pianist Mitsuko Uchida plays a quietly dramatic piano concerto by Mozart in concert with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Claude Debussy: Etude No. 5 "Pour les Octaves" & Etude No. 6 "Pour huit doigts"
Mitsuko Uchida, piano
Debussy 12 Etudes
Philips 422412

Frederic Chopin: Etude No. 13 in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1, "Harp Study"
Lang Lang, piano
Musikverein, Vienna, Austria
Live In Vienna
Sony 771901

Franz Liszt: Etude No. 2 in E Major, from Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S. 141
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria
Summer Night Concert Schonbrunn 2010
Deutsche Grammophon 4763793

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491
Mitsuko Uchida, piano and conductor; Cleveland Orchestra
Severance Hall, Cleveland, OH
Mozart Piano Concertos 23, K488 & 24, K491
Decca 001327602

Salamone Rossi: Sonata No. 4 sopra l'aria dei Ruggiero
Arnaud Sussmann, violin; Erin Keefe, violin; Laurence Lesser, cello; Kenneth Cooper, harpsichord
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, CA
Music@Menlo Live 5. Unfolding of Music II
Music@Menlo 20085

Hour 2

Gustav Holst: Mercury, the Winged Messenger from The Planets
CSR Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava); Adrian Leaper, conductor
Holst: The Planets / Suite de Ballet, Op. 10
Naxos 8550193

Josef Strauss: Music of the Spheres
Vienna Philharmonic; Daniel Barenboim, conductor
Musikverein, Vienna, Austria
New Year's Concert 2009
London/Decca 1256902

Franz Liszt: Transcendental Etude No. 11, S. 139, "Harmonies du soir"
Roberto Plano, piano
The Frederic Chopin Society, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN

Karim Al-Zand: Visions from Another World
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, TX

Traditional Norwegian (Linn Andrea Fuglseth): Eg veit i himmerik ei borg
Trio Mediaeval
Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul, MN

Ludwig van Beethoven: Cavatina from String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130
Pacifica Quartet
Music@Menlo, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, 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

Lucas and Arthur Jussen

Lucas and Arthur Jussen

On today's show, Lucas and Arthur Jussen team up for a performance of Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos. Tune in for a performance that showcases the unique language the Dutch brothers have developed over a lifetime of collaboration.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: George Walker

PT Weekend: George Walker

At 26, American composer George Walker wrote a piece in memory of his beloved grandmother. Walker had a long, successful career as a composer, but that piece remains his most performed work. On today’s show, we’ll hear ‘Lyric for Strings’ by George Walker, performed by the Ivalas Quartet at the Skaneateles Festival in upstate New York.

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
Emad Zolfaghari

Emad Zolfaghari

For Emad Zolfaghari, a viola bow is more than just a tool. He says, "You have to play by feel... so I think bows are much more personal than instruments." On today's program, PT Young Artist in Residence violist Emad Zolfaghari shares his thoughts on bows, music, and life.

1:59:00
Dima Slobodeniouk

Dima Slobodeniouk

Finnish conductor Dima Slobodeniouk took a flight class on a whim when he got a coupon for a cheap lesson. He loved it. He is now a licensed pilot. Slobodeniouk sees a connection between his sky-high hobby and his career on the podium. He says, "It’s essential to control your instruments and your nerves, but you cannot control nature. Neither can, nor should, a conductor control everything.  You can only have control over your own knowledge and feelings." On today's show, Slobodeniouk and the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra perform music by Rachmaninoff at a concert in Colorado.

1:59:00
Bomsori Kim

Bomsori Kim

Bomsori Kim began taking piano lessons when she was five years old, but after seeing a violin concert, little Bomsori demanded an end to her piano lessons and a start on the violin. Thirty years later, she's a star. On today's show, we'll hear violinist Bomsori Kim play at a concert in Germany.

1:59:00
George Walker: Lyric for Strings

George Walker: Lyric for Strings

At 26, American composer George Walker wrote a piece in memory of his beloved grandmother. Walker had a long, successful career as a composer, but that piece remains his most performed work. On today’s show, we’ll hear ‘Lyric for Strings’ by George Walker, performed by the Ivalas Quartet at the Skaneateles Festival in upstate New York.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Samuel Frois

PT Weekend: Samuel Frois

It's time for our next 2025 Young Artist in Residence: violinist Samuel Frois. On today's show, Samuel joins Fred Child at our studio in Saint Paul to perform works by Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos and Andre Mehmari.

1:59:00
Jessie Montgomery hosts PT with Fred Child

Jessie Montgomery hosts PT with Fred Child

Grammy-winning composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery is PT’s 2025 Classical Woman of the Year, and today she joins Fred Child as a special guest co-host. Tune in today to hear Montgomery share the music that has shaped her unique artistic voice. It's a special hour of music you won't want to miss.

1:59:00
James Lee III

James Lee III

James Lee III is the composer of over 80 works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, piano, vocals, choral ensemble, and more. Lee is currently composer-in-residence with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In today's program, we'll take you to a concert in South Carolina* to hear Anthony McGill and the Pacifica Quartet play the Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet by James Lee III.

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