For Emad Zolfaghari, a viola bow is more than just a tool. He says, "You have to play by feel... so I think bows are much more personal than instruments." On today's program, PT Young Artist in Residence violist Emad Zolfaghari shares his thoughts on bows, music, and life.
Composer Gabriella Smith grew up hiking and backpacking. She finds joy and inspiration in climate action and nature, and her music reflects the perpetual groove of the world around us. Tune in today to hear Gabriella Smith's 'Children of the Fire,' from a concert in Charleston, South Carolina.
Sure, it's a flashy showpiece for piano, but Kirill Gerstein says, "If you dig deeper, it's also a sincere expression straight from the heart." On today's show, hear Kirill Gerstein play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with conductor Hannu Lintu leading the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Conductor Elim Chan works with orchestras worldwide. She stays fit by boxing; she appreciates situations where she might get a black eye if she loses concentration. On today’s show, conductor and boxer Elim Chan leads the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra at a concert in Berlin.
French composer Maurice Ravel wrote so much wonderful music, but only once did he write a piece for two violins, viola, and cello. We don’t need to call it Quartet No. 1 by Ravel... It's the ONLY String Quartet by Ravel. Join us today—we'll take you to a concert in Portland, Oregon, to hear the Catalyst Quartet play the String Quartet by Maurice Ravel.
Emad Zolfaghari is the next of our 2025 cohort of PT Young Artists in Residence. He recently joined Fred Child in our St. Paul studio. You can hear Emad’s music and the entire interview here.
For Emad Zolfaghari, a viola bow is more than just a tool. He says, "You have to play by feel... so I think bows are much more personal than instruments." On today's program, PT Young Artist in Residence violist Emad Zolfaghari shares his thoughts on bows, music, and life.
Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe rewrites a familiar tune in the style of a great composer. One of our listeners calls in, tries to guess the tune and the composer whose style Bruce is mimicking. Tune in and play along with our weekly musical game: the Piano Puzzler.
Bomsori Kim began taking piano lessons when she was five years old, but after seeing a violin concert, little Bomsori demanded an end to her piano lessons and a start on the violin. Thirty years later, she's a star. On today's show, we'll hear violinist Bomsori Kim play at a concert in Germany.
Pianist Lara Downes's passion for sharing the music of underrepresented composers goes beyond performing onstage. She's also been hard at work making this previously overlooked music accessible for other musicians to play. On today's show, Lara Downes plays Harry T. Burleigh's "From the Southland" at a concert in Brevard, North Carolina.
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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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Since 2000, Fred Child has been the host of Performance Today, the most-listened-to classical music radio show in America. He also is the commentator and announcer for Live From Lincoln Center, the only live performing arts series on television. He also hosts musical events on stages around the country, working with major orchestras and festivals, and connecting with audiences coast to coast.
Kathryn Slusher is the senior producer of Performance Today, where she leads programming and production for the show. In her spare time, she enjoys the vibrant Twin Cities music and theater scene, and loves to read, hike and spend time with her family.
As a Producer for Performance Today, Meghann chooses music to broadcast on the show, writes web articles and scripts, facilitates, conducts and edits interviews, creates video content and manages PT’s social media pages. She created Performance Today’s Black History Spotlight Series and the My Name is Series to highlight Black classical musicians. Meghann is also the producer for the PT Young Artist in Residence Series. In her free time, she is a mom, a part-time actress and fashion lover. Meghann also created and hosted “Wondrous Strange”, a national radio program about uncommon musical instruments, she is the official underwriting voice for ‘The New York Times’ The Daily, and she can occasionally be heard guest-hosting Performance Today.
As an Associate Producer for Performance Today, Kathleen Bradbury writes scripts and assists with external communications. In her spare time, she likes to read fiction, lift heavy weights at the gym, and frolic about in nature. But above all else, Kathleen loves to sing Broadway showtunes--much to the delight of her wife, her infant son, and her rescue dog.
Jon Gohman is an associate producer for Performance Today. He is responsible for various behind-the-scenes functions, including liaising with artists and creating materials for national distribution. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing the guitar, and thinking about Langrange points.
Craig Thorson is the Technical Director for Performance Today. In addition to mastering the live music recordings that are programmed for each daily program, he records guest performances and interviews. Craig enjoys skiing, tennis, and bicycling, and boating.
Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.
