The Puna de Atacama (Atacama Plateau) region of Argentina and Chile is a dry landscape with tumbleweeds and animals like alpacas, llamas, and vicuñas. It's both rugged and beautiful. Painters often capture the Puna de Atacama in soft pastels or watercolors. In 1934, Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera expressed this place in music. We'll take you to hear 'Impressions of the Puna' by Alberto Ginastera at this year's Festival Mozaic in San Luis Obispo, California.
English composer Ruth Gipps was born in 1921. Gipps founded two orchestras focusing on music by living composers, and she fought for the place of women among contemporary composers, conductors, and performers until her death in 1999.
Forty years ago, conductor Giovanni Antonini helped launch a musical movement by playing works from 300 years ago as we think they might have been originally played. Antonini and his group, Il Giardino Armonico, are on the way in concert on today's episode of PT.
The Puna de Atacama (Atacama Plateau) region of Argentina and Chile is a dry landscape with tumbleweeds and animals like alpacas, llamas, and vicuñas. It's both rugged and beautiful. Painters often capture the Puna de Atacama in soft pastels or watercolors. In 1934, Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera expressed this place in music. We'll take you to hear 'Impressions of the Puna' by Alberto Ginastera at this year's Festival Mozaic in San Luis Obispo, California.
It's not from England, and it's not a horn, but we call it the English horn. It was invented in Germany and is a close cousin of the oboe. We've got a gorgeous solo for the deceptively named English horn on this episode of Performance Today.
Spanish composer (and virtuoso pianist) Joaquin Rodrigo was blind from age three. He wrote his music in Braille, and his wife Victoria helped translate it to traditional notation. Remarkably, Rodrigo did not play the guitar…yet he wrote one of the world’s most iconic guitar concertos. On today's show, guitarist Jason Vieaux plays Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, backed by the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra and conductor Michael Butterman.
The world of ballet 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 by French composer Andre Messager in 1886. PLUS, Bruce Adolphe has this week's Piano Puzzler!
In 1933, German composer Paul Frankenburger left Germany and moved to Palestine. He changed his name from Frankenburger to Ben-Haim and later wanted to be remembered not as a German composer but as a Jewish composer of Jewish music. Hear works by Paul Ben-Haim on this episode of Performance Today.
Germaine Tailleferre was determined to be a musician, and her father tried to stop her. She rebelled so completely that she even changed her name and went on to a 70-year career as a composer. We'll hear the String Quartet by French composer Germaine Tailleferre on today's show.
Two decades after he wrote his Negro Folk Symphony, composer William Dawson traveled to West Africa. Based on what he heard there, he revised his music to convey “...the missing elements that were lost when Africans came into bondage outside their homeland." On today's show, hear Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony played by The Orchestra Now with conductor Leon Botstein.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.
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