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Performance Today®

Celebrate. Remember.

Memorial Day. Lots of folks firing up the grill, or traveling for the unofficial beginning of summer. But, it's more than that—there's an important reason for this holiday. On today's show, we celebrate and remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the American Armed Forces.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Mikis Theodorakis: One day in May
Sharon Isbin, guitar
Album: Dreams of a World
Teldec 25736

John Williams: Hymn To The Fallen
Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra at Temple Square | Craig Jessop, conductor
Album: Showtime! Music of Broadway and Hollywood
Mormon Tabernacle Choir 4973811

John Philip Sousa, arr. Keith Brion: The Honored Dead Funeral March
Royal Swedish Navy Band | Keith Brion, conductor
Album: John Philip Sousa: Music for Wind Band
Naxos 8559691

Johannes Brahms: German Requiem: Movement 7 Blessed are the Dead
Monteverdi Choir
Revolutionary & Romantic Orchestra | John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Album: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem
Philips 432140

Ruth Crawford Seeger: Selections from Nineteen American Folk Songs for Piano
Virginia Eskin, piano
Album: Music of Marion Bauer and Ruth Crawford Seeger
Albany 297

John Duarte: Joan Baez Suite, Op. 144: Movements 2 & 6
Sharon Isbin, guitar
Album: Journey To The New World
Sony 45456

Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
London Symphony Orchestra | Aaron Copland, conductor
Album: He Got Game: The Music of Aaron Copland
Sony 60593

Adolphus Hailstork: Fanfare on Amazing Grace (2003)
Virginia Symphony Orchestra | JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Album: Adolphus Hailstork: An American Port of Call
Naxos 8559722

Hour 2

Jean Francaix: Quintette; II. Presto-Trio
Imani Winds
Album: Umoja
Imani 6227

Henri Dutilleux: Sonatine for Flute and Piano
Ransom Wilson, flute | Juho Pohjonen, piano
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY

Lalo Schifrin: La Nouvelle New Orleans
Imani Winds
Chamber Music Northwest, Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland, OR

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 97 in C
Tanglewood Music Center (TMC) Orchestra | Andris Nelsons, conductor
Tanglewood, Ozawa Hall, Lenox, MA

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Music for a 'dearly beloved brother'

Music for a 'dearly beloved brother'

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote only one piece of keyboard music that was programmatic, meaning it tells a story. The 19-year-old Bach composed this piece for his older brother Johann Jakob when he left home to join the Swedish Army band as an oboist. On today's show, we'll hear Bach's musical description of the occasion: the Capriccio on the Departure of his most Dearly Beloved Brother.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: A special Piano Puzzler

PT Weekend: A special Piano Puzzler

PT Young Artist David Lai is a devoted fan of our weekly game, the Piano Puzzler. He submits his guesses every week and has even written Piano Puzzler-style pieces of his own. On today’s program, pianist David Lai joins Bruce Adolphe (in person!) at our St. Paul studio to see if he can guess this week's Piano Puzzler.

1:59:00
The GLISS Composition Residency

The GLISS Composition Residency

The GLISS Composition Residency offers trans-feminine composers a unique summer opportunity for mentorship and community building. Tune in today to learn more about the program and its founders on today’s show.

1:59:00
David Lai

David Lai

We're pleased to present pianist David Lai, one of our 2025 PT Young Artists in Residence. On today's show, David joins Fred Child for music and conversation at our Saint Paul studio.

1:59:00
PT Young Artist David Lai plays the Piano Puzzler

PT Young Artist David Lai plays the Piano Puzzler

PT Young Artist David Lai is a devoted fan of our weekly game, the Piano Puzzler. He submits his guesses every week and has even written Piano Puzzler-style pieces of his own. On today’s program, pianist David Lai joins Bruce Adolphe (in person!) at our St. Paul studio to see if he can guess this week's Piano Puzzler.

1:59:00
Inon Barnatan and Summerfest La Jolla

Inon Barnatan and Summerfest La Jolla

Pianist Inon Barnatan keeps busy as a musician, playing on the most prestigious stages around the world. He's also the Music Director of Summerfest La Jolla in California. On today's show, we'll hear a stunning performance at a stunning location—Inon Barnatan and violinist Augustin Hadelich play a piece by Camille Saint-Saens at Summerfest La Jolla.

1:59:00
Composer Viet Cuong

Composer Viet Cuong

In 2022, composer Viet Cuong found himself at his father's bedside in the ICU. He played some of his compositions—music he knew his father loved—and hoped that the sound, or "sine waves," would reach his father's consciousness. Cuong realized that his love for his father and his passion for music were inseparable. Join us for a concert at the University of Georgia to hear “Vital Sines” by Viet Cuong.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Meet Victor Ni

PT Weekend: Meet Victor Ni

We're pleased to introduce you to clarinetist Victor Ni, our next 2025 PT Young Artists in Residence. On today's program, Victor joins Fred Child for music and conversation in our Saint Paul studio. Plus, Bruce Adolphe joins us for this week’s Piano Puzzler.

1:59:00
Augustin Hadelich and the St Louis Symphony

Augustin Hadelich and the St Louis Symphony

Once troubled by pre-concert jitters so intense that he needed a push to get on stage, violinist Augustin Hadelich has discovered a new sense of calm. Breathing exercises have transformed his performance experience, making the stage feel like home. On today's program, Agustin Hadelich and the St. Louis Symphony play music by Samuel Barber.

1:59:00
Julio Medaglia

Julio Medaglia

Composer Julio Medaglia was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1938. He studied conducting in Germany for ten years before returning to Brazil to conduct and compose. For 30 years, he hosted a daily radio show in São Paulo that sounded similar to PT, combining concert highlights and contemporary music. On today's show, we'll hear the Imani Winds play Julio Medaglia's 'Belle Epoque en Sud-America,’ including a really fun movement named "Crazy Baby Clarinette!"

1:59:00
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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.

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