Poster Conrad Tao
Conrad Tao
Courtesy of the artist
Performance Today®

Conrad Tao plays Gershwin

Pianist Conrad Tao believes that George Gershwin was trying to prove himself when he wrote his Piano Concerto. Gershwin wanted to show that his signature sound, infused with jazz, could fit the world of classical music. On this episode of Performance Today, hear Conrad Tao play Gershwin's Piano Concerto, from a concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition Movement 2 The Old Castle
Conrad Tao, piano
Pictures
Warner Classics 08256464056941

Giovanni Battista Viotti: Duetto for Solo Violin
Adam Barnett-Hart, violin
Music@Menlo, The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton, Atherton, CA

Michel-Richard Delalande: Chaconne Les Fontained de Versailles
Sonnambula; Elizabeth Weinfield, Artistic Director
Baruch Performing Arts Center - Engelman Recital Hall, New York, NY

George Gershwin: Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra
Conrad Tao, piano; The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

Hour 2

Clara Schumann: Two Lieder from "Liebesfruhling
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo
Reflection
DG 690402

Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Nurit Bar-Josef, violin; GTMF Festival Orchestra; Donald Runnicles, conductor
Grand Teton Music Festival, Walk Festival Hall, Jackson Hole, WY

Clara Schumann: Three Romances, Op. 22
Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Max Levinson, piano
Seattle Chamber Music Society, Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA

Samuel Barber: Summer Music for Woodwind Quintet, Op.31
Lorna McGhee, flute; Chengwen Lai, oboe; Anthony McGill, clarinet; Seth Krimsky, bassoon; Jeffrey Fair, horn

Edvard Grieg: Anitra's Dance
Donald Lambert, piano
Recorded 1951-61
Storyville NA

Donald Lambert: Pilgrim's Chorus (after Wagner's opera 'Tannhauser')
Jeremy Denk, piano
Ted Mann Concert Hall, Minneapolis, MN

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

PT Weekend: Lost and found Webern

PT Weekend: Lost and found Webern

In 1945, Austrian composer Anton Webern and his family fled Vienna. Most of Webern’s valuables, mementos, and manuscripts were placed in a lock box, which they buried in the backyard. Sixteen years later, the box was recovered with the manuscripts inside. On today's show, we'll hear one of those 'found' pieces: Im Sommerwind (In the Summer Breeze) by Anton Webern. Plus, Bruce Adolphe has this week’s Piano Puzzler!

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
Simone Dinnerstein

Simone Dinnerstein

Philip Glass's "Mad Rush" often divides listeners—is it meditative or merely repetitive? Pianist Simone Dinnerstein finds it an amazing piece that keeps her grounded in the present moment. Today’s show features her compelling performance from a recent concert at Spivey Hall, located just outside Atlanta in Morrow, Georgia.

1:59:00
A notable recovery

A notable recovery

In 1945, Austrian composer Anton Webern and his family fled Vienna. Most of Webern’s valuables, mementos, and manuscripts were placed in a lock box, which they buried in the backyard. Sixteen years later, the box was recovered with the manuscripts inside. On today's show, we'll hear one of those 'found' pieces: Im Sommerwind (In the Summer Breeze) by Anton Webern.

1:59:00
Just Another Climb

Just Another Climb

In 1939, four women climbers reached the summit of Wyoming’s Grand Teton at dawn, racing to be the first and to counter skepticism about their unassisted ascent. Newspapers at the time called it the first "manless" ascent of the mountain. In response, one of the women said, “To us it was just another climb.” Today's show will feature both the story and the music: "Just Another Climb" by Kimberly Osberg.

1:59:00
Nathalie Stutzmann and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Nathalie Stutzmann and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Three hundred years ago, Johann Sebastian Bach began his role as the music director at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, a position for which he was only the third choice. To impress his uncertain employers, Bach composed ambitious new cantatas every week during his first few years, including the one we will hear today: the Sinfonia from J.S. Bach's Cantata No. 42, from a concert featuring conductor Nathalie Stutzmann and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

PT Weekend: Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

Jazz guitarist Charlie Christian was at his peak in the late 1930s and early 40s. To this day, guitarists are inspired by his recordings, and composer Igor Stravinsky said Charlie Christian helped inspire one of his pieces. We'll hear that piece, Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto, on today's show.

1:59:00
Marin Alsop on an American icon

Marin Alsop on an American icon

When conductor Marin Alsop was a kid, she begged her parents to decorate her bedroom. She says, "I talked them into buying me two posters: one of the Beatles and one of Leonard Bernstein." Join us today to hear some of Marin Alsop's memories of Bernstein and more as we celebrate Independence Day with all-American music.

1:59:00
Jessie Montgomery

Jessie Montgomery

Earlier this year, we announced that Jessie Montgomery is our 2025 PT Classical Woman of the Year. Montgomery is a celebrated composer, violinist, and educator known for compositions that blend classical, folk, jazz, and contemporary influences. Among her numerous accomplishments, she founded the Young Composers Initiative, where she mentors high school composers, assisting them in preparing their music for performance by members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Tune in today to learn more about Jessie Montgomery and why her work is so influential.

1:59:00
Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

Jazz guitarist Charlie Christian was at his peak in the late 1930s and early 40s. To this day, guitarists are inspired by his recordings, and composer Igor Stravinsky said Charlie Christian helped inspire one of his pieces. We'll hear that piece, Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto, on today's show.

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