Over the river...
The bells are jangling in rhythm with the trotting horses, the air is crisp and frosty, but we're warm and toasty in our winter gear. We have music for the season on today's show. Plus, Bruce Adolphe has this week's Piano Puzzler!
Fred Child
Performance Today
Performance Today®
Let's get crackin'!
One measure of the lasting influence of a piece of music is how many other musicians have given it their own twist. Join us for a full hour of some of the fun, creative music that The Nutcracker, by Peter Tchaikovsky, has inspired in other composers, arrangers, and musicians.
Voces8
Voces8 is a vocal octet, founded in London in 2003. They sing a wide range of music, from medieval and Renaissance choral works to jazz and 21st-century pieces. They also love to teach the art of choral singing, mentoring the next generation of singers in a group called the Voces8 Scholars. We'll hear holiday music from Voces8 and the Voces8 Scholars on today's show.
PT Weekend: 'Tis the season
'Tis the season for winter holiday music. Join us today to hear a wide range of music for Hannukah and Christmas. And Bruce Adolphe has a special Piano Puzzler for us as well!
Carlos Chavez
In 1936, Carlos Chavez wrote a symphony based on the melodies and percussive sounds of Mexican indigenous music, and now his piece is played around the world. On today's show, hear the Polish Radio Orchestra play Chavez's Symphony No. 2 (the Sinfonia India), from a concert in Warsaw, Poland.
A musical coo
The ballet world is filled with images of graceful, colorful birds: Swan Lake. The Firebird. A famous bluebird in Sleeping Beauty. And a ballet about pigeons? On today's show, we'll hear music from The Two Pigeons, a ballet written in 1886 by French composer Andre Messager.
'Tis the season
'Tis the season for winter holiday music. Join us today to hear a wide range of music for Hannukah and Christmas. And Bruce Adolphe has a special Piano Puzzler for us as well!
Wang Jie: The Night When You See Again
In 2022, the Apollo Chamber Players commissioned a work by composer Wang Jie. Wang Jie, also trained as an organist, wrote the piece for the unusual combination of pipe organ and string quartet. On today's show, we'll hear the Apollo Chamber Players and organist Daryl Robinson play the world premiere of The Night When You See Again by Wang Jie.
Haneros Haluli (These Lights)
A few years ago, violinist and arranger Colin Jacobsen stumbled across a scratchy old recording of a traditional klezmer tune called Haneros Haluli ('These Lights'). Jacobsen says that the music went straight to his heart. We'll hear Colin Jacobsen and The Knights play Jacobsen's own arrangement of Haneros Haluli on today's show.
PT Weekend: Gabriela Montero
Join us for a special hour co-hosted by Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, our 2023 PT Classical Woman of the Year. Plus, Bruce Adolphe joins us for this week's Piano Puzzler!
About Performance Today®
To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.
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.
How do I leave a comment?
Send us a comment here.
Your Host
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.
Your Host
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.
Your Host
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.
Your Host
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.
Your Host
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.
Your Host
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.
Your Host
Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.
