PT Weekend: The Sound of Light

Lost for 182 years and wrongly attributed to her brother Felix, Fanny Mendelssohn’s Easter Sonata was finally recognized as her own in 2010. Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason highlights the work’s hymn-like textures as signatures of Fanny’s distinctive musical voice. On today’s show, Kanneh-Mason performs this long-hidden masterpiece at a concert at the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center in Athens.

As talented young kids, siblings Geneva Lewis and Nathan Lewis were part of a successful family trio. They’re all grown up now, each at the top of their careers, and they still find time to make music together. In today’s episode, Geneva and Nathan Lewis perform a duet by Edward Elgar at a concert in Athens, Georgia.

American composer Derrick Skye considers his music 'transcultural,' where different cultural traditions blend into entirely new artistic forms. Drawing from his West African, Native American, and European roots, Skye believes that if he can harmonize disparate cultures within a score, maybe society can do the same. Join us for a Basel Sinfonietta performance of Derrick Skye's 'Prisms, Cycles, Leaps.'

Today, we'll hear two Chopin Competition Gold Medalists… at the same time. Yulianna Avdeeva and Garrick Ohlsson shared the stage at the 2025 International Chopin Competition to perform Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos, a musical pastiche of Mozart, French songs, and jazz.

She creates vibrant soundscapes that address important contemporary issues. On a visceral level, her music excites and captivates listeners. As an educator, she's committed to giving back by sharing her passion with the next generation of composers. On today's show, Valerie Kahler speaks with Gabriela Ortiz—our 2026 PT Classical Woman of the Year!

‘Performance Today’ has selected performer and composer Gabriela Ortiz as the 2026 Classical Woman of the Year. This annual award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to the classical music art form and have inspired our listeners. Find out more!

"Of a Spring Morning" is one of the last pieces Lili Boulanger composed before her death at age 24. Though she was essentially on her deathbed, the music doesn’t even hint at mortality. It’s all dewy grass, tender buds, and blossoms, all visible through a light mist. We'll hear this gem by Boulanger on today's show.

To celebrate a hundred years of broadcasting, Polish Radio commissioned ten new works from the country's top composers. Join us today to hear Hanna Kulenty’s Violin Concerto No. 3. By manipulating the tempo of nature through looping, flowing melodies, Kulenty aims for a metaphysical "purification of the soul." Michał Klauza conducts the Polish Radio Orchestra with violinist Marcin Markowicz at a concert in Warsaw.

Composer Viet Cuong recently took an inventive approach to a piece commissioned by Houston-based ROCO. He mapped his family members' astrological signs—Virgo, Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo—onto ROCO’s seating chart; the star placements determined a small ensemble that interacts with the rest of the chamber orchestra, essentially creating a concerto grosso. In today’s episode of PT, we’ll hear the result of this creative process: Constellations by Viet Cuong.

Inspired by the play of light and shadow in Renaissance art, Giya Kancheli’s 'Chiaroscuro' translates the visual techniques of masters like Caravaggio into music. Kancheli uses high-contrast dynamics to craft a musical scene of depth and emotion, bringing the "light" and "dark" of the orchestra to life. On today's show, Andrey Boreyko conducts the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra with violinist Veriko Tchumburidze in a performance of 'Chiaroscuro' from Katowice, Poland.