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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 

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.

Shows

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.


Host

Fred Child

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.


Senior Producer

Kathryn Slusher

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.


Producer

Meghann Oglesby

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.


Kathleen Bradbury

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.


Associate Producer

Jon Gohman

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.


Technical Director

Craig Thorson

Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.


Technical Producer

YourClassical MPR

Jeanne Barron

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Performance Today

50 years ago this week, humans achieved something that we'd been dreaming about for millennia. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll share memories, dreams, and music in celebration of Apollo 11's successful mission to the moon and back.


The Apollo 11 lunar lander viewed from the command service module

Performance Today®

NASA archives

Feeling Gravity's Pull

It's one page of music shared among musicians, but Terry Riley's work "In C" contains infinite possibilities... including the ensembles that can play it. On today's show, hear Riley's work performed by the Apollo Chamber Players, along with the gorgeous sound of an instrument called the chitravina. Jade Simmons guest-hosts.


Apollo Chamber Players with Chitravina Ravikiran & Erode Nagaraj

Ben Doyle, Runaway Productions

Infinite possibilities

Gravity and strings

Trolls, goblins, and gnomes. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll join them all in the Hall of the Mountain King, when we hear Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite performed at the Artosphere Festival. Then, we'll head to New York to hear two special pieces: one old, one new...but both blue.


Wikimedia Commons

In the Hall of the Mountain King

Scathing reviews are just part of life for musicians, but what about the reviews that go from musical...to personal? On today's show, hear how violinist Jennifer Koh gets beyond a nasty review and focuses on the music.


Jurgen Frank

Keeping the music in focus

The mission of The Anderson and Roe Piano Duo is to make classical music a relevant and powerful force in society On today's episode of Performance Today, hear Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe's fiery take on a tango by Astor Piazzolla.


Brent Cline

Anderson & Roe take on Piazzolla

Composer Alexander Borodin toiled away on an opera for 18 years, but he never finished it. Get the story, then hear the overture to Borodin's unfinished opera, on this edition of Performance Today.


Portrait of composer and chemist Alexander Borodin

Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain

Borodin's dilemma

A few years ago, American composer Daniel Temkin found an old memory box from his childhood that held a picture of him with his two younger siblings in his lap. On this episode of Performance Today, hear music inspired by that photo performed by siblings Ani and Ida Kavafian.


Courtesy of the artist

Scenes from childhood

Composer Clarice Assad was born and raised in Brazil, but has spent the last few decades in the United States. When she's asked where home is, she says "The Americas." On this episode of Performance Today, hear Assad's "Without Borders," performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta.
