Poster JoAnn Falletta
JoAnn Falletta
Courtesy of the artist
Performance Today®

JoAnn Falletta

When JoAnn Falleta began her career in the 1970s, there were no women conducting major American orchestras on a regular basis. Falletta says she never set out to be a pioneer; she just feels lucky to be able to do what she loves. Join us for music and conversation with JoAnn Falletta on Tuesday's Performance Today.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Vincenzo Bellini: Chi veggio La regina: Act II Finale From La Straniera
Pretty Yende, soprano; Piero Pretti, tenor; Mattia Olivieri, baritone; Carlo Lepore, bass; Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi; Giacom Sagripanti, conductor
Dreams
Sony Music Entertainment 617

Charles Gounod: Ah! Je veux vivre, from 'Romeo et Juliette'
Pretty Yende, soprano; Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Guiseppe Verdi; Giacomo Sagripanti, conductor
Dreams
Sony Music Entertainment 617

Aldo Lopez-Gavilan: Emporium for Solo Piano and Orchestra
Aldo Lopez-Gavilan, piano; The Classical Tahoe Orchestra; Joel Revzen, conductor
Classical Tahoe, The Pavilion, Incline Village, NV

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Sinfonia in C Major for Strings, W. 182, No. 3
Danbi Um, violin; Daniel Phillips, violin; Yura Lee, viola; Daniel McDonough, cello; David Grossman, double bass; Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord
University of Georgia, Performing Arts Center, Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, GA

Hour 2

Camilla de Rossi: Sinfonia, from Il Sacrifizio di Abramo: Movements 1 & 4
JoAnn Falletta, lute; Bay Area Women's Philharmonic; Jo Ann Falletta, conductor
Baroquen Treasures
Newport 60102

Peter Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 3
Fabio Bidini, piano; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

Peter Tchaikovsky: Polonaise, from Eugene Onegin
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

Johann Strauss Jr.: Rosen aus dem Suden Waltz, Op. 388
Geoff Nuttall, violin; Livia Sohn, violin; Daniel Phillips, viola; Anthony Manzo, double bass; Geoff Nuttall, conductor
Spoleto Festival USA 2015, Dock Street Theater, Charleston, SC

Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No.1
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

Franz Schmidt: Intermezzo from Notre Dame
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Considering Matthew Shepard

Considering Matthew Shepard

In 2016, Craig Hella Johnson wrote an oratorio about Matthew Shepard, a young gay man from Wyoming who was murdered in a hate crime in 1998. The oratorio urges all of us to find our shared humanity—the threads that connect us—to see if love can be found even in the darkest moments. Tune in today for "Considering Matthew Shepard" by Craig Hella Johnson.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Optimism in dark times

PT Weekend: Optimism in dark times

In 1944, during the height of World War II, Sergei Prokofiev composed a piece intended “…to sing the praises of the free and happy man.” It’s an optimistic work created during a time of darkness. On today's show, we'll hear the opening movement of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 performed by the National Orchestral Institute (NOI) Philharmonic and conductor Joseph Young at a concert in College Park, Maryland.

1:59:00
Yuja Wang and the Vienna Philharmonic in Paris

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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.

1:59:00
Malek Jandali

Malek Jandali

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1:59:00
Prokofiev's optimism in a dark time

Prokofiev's optimism in a dark time

In 1944, during the height of World War II, Sergei Prokofiev composed a piece intended “…to sing the praises of the free and happy man.” It’s an optimistic work created during a time of darkness. On today's show, we'll hear the opening movement of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 performed by the National Orchestral Institute (NOI) Philharmonic and conductor Joseph Young at a concert in College Park, Maryland.

1:59:00
The intersection of classical and jazz

The intersection of classical and jazz

Nikolai Kapustin’s compositions are filled with joyful syncopations. Some listeners have referred to him as a jazz pianist; however, Kapustin stressed that he was a classically trained composer who simply loved jazz. Today’s show will feature Kapustin’s music at the intersection of classical and jazz.

1:59:00
Sibelius

Sibelius

Everyone responds differently to a particular musical work. A close friend of Jean Sibelius described his Symphony No. 2 as "the most broken-hearted protest against all the injustice that now threatens to deprive the sun of its light and our flowers of their scent." That was one person's interpretation. What's yours? On today's show, join us at a concert in Taipei to hear Sibelius's Symphony No. 2.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Vienna's Golden Hall

PT Weekend: Vienna's Golden Hall

How does a renowned concert hall influence the sound of an orchestra? Listen and discover as the Vienna Philharmonic performs Brahms' magnificent Double Concerto live from Vienna's Musikverein, a venue that highlights the interaction between soloists and the orchestra. Join us today to experience the sound of the Vienna Philharmonic performing at their iconic home venue, the Musikverein.

1:59:00
Tchaikovsky at the Elbphilharmonie

Tchaikovsky at the Elbphilharmonie

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.

1:59:00
Music for Juneteenth

Music for Juneteenth

This Juneteenth, we feature music by Black composers that reflects the spirit of freedom and resilience. Today's program includes Carlos Simon’s Warmth from Other Suns, inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns, alongside works by Florence Price, Adrian Dunn, and others. Join Fred Child for a celebration of music honoring this historic day.

1:59:00
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About Performance Today®

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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.

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