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Performance Today®

The patterns of life

Composer Jessie Montgomery found inspiration in nature's infinitely repeating patterns: fractals. Her fascination with these natural wonders led her to write a captivating new piece that brings fractals to life through sound. On today's show, we'll hear "Rounds" by Jessie Montgomery, a musical exploration of nature's boundless beauty.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Robert Paterson: String Quartet No. 3 movement 2: Poet Voice
Indianapolis Quartet
Album: Robert Paterson: String Quartets 1-3
American Modern Recordings 1054

Sergei Rachmaninoff, arr. Dmitri Atapine: Vespers, Op. 37: Movement 5 Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart in Peace
Dmitri Atapine, Nicholas Canellakis, Joshua Halpern, Jasper Lee, Estelle Choi, Katina Pantazopoulos, Rachel Siu, Katherine Lee, Inbal Segev, Sara Flexer, Brian Gadbow, Lucas Chen, Joel Kim, David Finckel, cellos
Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival and Institute, Spieker Center for the Arts, Menlo Park, CA

Antonio Vivaldi: Flute Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 10 RV439 "La Notte"
Elizabeth Mann, flute | Michael Kroth, bassoon | Steven Copes, violin | Stefan Hersh, violin | David Ying, cello | Susan Cahill, bass | Susan Grace, harpsichord
Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Packard Hall, Colorado Springs, CO

Robert Paterson: Triple Concerto
Neave Trio | Mostly Modern Orchestra | JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Mostly Modern Festival, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, Saratoga Springs, NY

Hour 2

Johannes Brahms: Ballade No. 1
Awadagin Pratt, piano
Album: Awadagin Pratt: A Long Way from Normal
EMI

Max Bruch: Selections from 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano
Todd Palmer, clarinet | Masumi Per Rostad, viola | Inon Barnatan, piano
Spoleto Festival USA Chamber Music Series, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC

Jessie Montgomery: Rounds for Piano and Strings
Awadagin Pratt, piano | Minnesota Orchestra | Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN

Gustav Holst: St. Paul's Suite
The Scottish Ensemble | Jonathan Morton, conductor
University of Georgia Performing Arts Center, Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, GA

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras

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1:59:00
Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae

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1:59:00
Gabriella Smith: Children of the Fire

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Lucas and Arthur Jussen

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PT Weekend: George Walker

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Dvorak's "New World" Symphony

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Emad Zolfaghari

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Dima Slobodeniouk

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Bomsori Kim

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1:59:00
George Walker: Lyric for Strings

George Walker: Lyric for Strings

At 26, American composer George Walker wrote a piece in memory of his beloved grandmother. Walker had a long, successful career as a composer, but that piece remains his most performed work. On today’s show, we’ll hear ‘Lyric for Strings’ by George Walker, performed by the Ivalas Quartet at the Skaneateles Festival in upstate New York.

1:59:00
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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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