Performance Today®

Renaissance music is lacking music written specifically for string quartet. String quartets didn't become a "thing" until over a hundred and fifty years after the Renaissance period. So, violinist Maureen Nelson got creative and arranged music from that era for string quartet. On today's show, hear Maureen Nelson and fellow members of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra play that arrangement, the Renaissance Suite.

When composer Victoria Kelly was a kid in New Zealand, she watched an animated show featuring an adorable kiwi bird. At the end of each episode, the kiwi ended the show by turning out the lights. Kelly used this memory to compose a piece of music that ultimately helped her to say "goodnight" to her ailing mother. On today's show, hear pianist Juho Pohjonen perform Goodnight Kiwi, by Victoria Kelly.

This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Join us today for musical works of reflection, grief, and simple beauty.

Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia had a tyrannical father who punished her for playing music. Her life didn't get any easier when her father died, but music remained her secret source of comfort. On today's show, hear the Flute Sonata in F Major by Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia.

When composer Victoria Kelly was a kid in New Zealand, she watched an animated show featuring an adorable kiwi bird. At the end of each episode, the kiwi ended the show by turning out the lights. Kelly used this memory to compose a piece of music that ultimately helped her to say "goodnight" to her ailing mother. On today's show, hear pianist Juho Pohjonen perform Goodnight Kiwi, by Victoria Kelly.

American composer John Adams wrote a piece for clarinetist Michael Collins: "Gnarly Buttons." That unusual title is a half joking reference to how difficult it is to play the clarinet, which has all those difficult keys on it, those... gnarly buttons. On today's show, hear Michael Collins and members of the Minnesota Orchestra play this fun, yet emotional piece of music.

Duke Ellington was already a jazz legend when he introduced a new symphonic suite at Carnegie Hall in 1943. On today's episode, hear the Black, Brown, and Beige Suite, by Duke Ellington, from a recent concert in Turin, Italy.

Composer Louise Farrenc grew up in Paris in the early 1800s. She had a great career as a pianist and composer, and she was hired as a professor...but at half the pay as men doing the same work. Louise Farrenc fought for and GOT equal pay. We'll hear chamber music by Louise Farrenc, on this edition of Performance Today, from APM.

Conductor Michael Morgan died two weeks ago, at the age of 63. He spoke with us last year, and said: "I think the best thing that one can do...is to be remembered for passing it forward...and that's really what I want to be known for in the end." And he passed SO much forward. Remembering conductor Michael Morgan, on this episode of Performance Today, from APM.