Poster Richard White
Richard White, tubist
Courtesy of Richard White
Performance Today®

Dr. Richard White

When Richard White was a young boy, he was homeless, living on the streets of Baltimore. At the age of four, he was adopted and discovered the joy of making music in middle school. He became the first African-American to earn a Doctorate of Music in tuba performance and is Principal Tuba in two American orchestras. Hear the inspiring story and music of Dr. Richard White on today’s show.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

John Cheetham: Gaelic Variations: Variations 4-7
Dr. Richard White, tuba | The Enchantment Brass
Album: A Brass Menagerie: The Music of John Cheetham
The Enchantment Brass

Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, Op. 163: Movement 1
Yehuda Hanani, cello | The Escher String Quartet
Close Encounters With Music, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA

Jennifer Higdon: Piano Trio: Movement 1
Lincoln Trio
Album: Notable Women
Cedille 126

Dana Wilson: Concerto for Tuba
Richard White, tuba | University of New Mexico Wind Symphony | Eric Rombach-Kendall, conductor
Popejoy Hall, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

Hour 2

Robert Schumann: Scenes from Childhood (Kinderszenen) Movements 1 & 12
Lise de la Salle, piano
Album: Lise de la Salle plays Schumann
Naive 5364

Ethel Smyth: On The Cliffs of Cornwall, from The Wreckers
Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra | Dirk Meyer, conductor
DSSO Concert Hall, Duluth, MN

Bohuslav Martinu: Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano
Lysander Trio
Cooperstown Summer Music Festival, Otesaga Resort Hotel Ballroom, Cooperstown, NY

Camille Saint-Saens: Etude en forme de valse, Op. 52/6
Lise de la Salle, piano
Frederiksvaerk Music Festival, Gjethuset, Frederiksværk, Gjethuset, Capital Region, Denmark

Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Op. 8, L'inverno "Winter"
Frank Huang, violin | New York Philharmonic | Frank Huang, conductor
David Geffen Hall, New York City, NY

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

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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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