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Performance Today®

Reflection, grief, and simple beauty

This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Join us today for musical works of reflection, grief, and simple beauty.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Peter Maxwell Davies, arr. Scott Tennant: Farewell to Stromness
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Album: L.A.G.Q. (Los Angeles Guitar Quartet)
Sony 60274

Arvo Part: Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror)
Vladimir Spivakov, violin | Sergei Bezrodny, piano
Album: Arvo Part: Alina
ECM 1591

Henryk Gorecki: Symphony No. 3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs": Movements 2-3
Dawn Upshaw, soprano | London Sinfonietta | David Zinman, conductor
Album: Gorecki: Symphony No. 3
Nonesuch 79282

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem: Benedictus
Barbara Bonney, soprano
Anne Sofie von Otter, contralto
Hans Peter Blochwitz, tenor
Willard White, bass
Monteverdi Choir | English Baroque Soloists | John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Album: Mozart: Requiem, Kyrie K 341
Philips 420197

Hour 2

Anthony DiLorenzo: Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong
ROCO | Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
Album: ROCO: Visions Take Flight
Innova 016

Samuel Barber: Summer Music, Op. 31
Tara Helen O’Connor, flute
Stephen Taylor, oboe
Sebastian Manz, clarinet
Peter Kolkay, bassoon
Radovan Vlatkovic, horn
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center & Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

Jennifer Higdon: Dance Card 
ROCO | Mei Ann Chen, conductor
ROCO, St. John the Divine Church, Houston, TX

Frederic Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66
Pavel Kolesnikov, piano
The Frederic Chopin Society, Mairs Concert Hall, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

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1:59:00
Clarice Assad: Total Eclipse

Clarice Assad: Total Eclipse

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1:59:00
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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Malek Jandali

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The Syrian Civil War has devastated more than lives, homes, and communities. With all that has been lost, Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali feels an imperative to preserve and share traditional Syrian music. On today's show, we'll hear a piece full of traditional Syrian styles and themes: the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra by Malek Jandali.

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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.

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The intersection of classical and jazz

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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