Performance Today®

with host Val Kahler

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.

All Episodes

Francisco J. Nunez

Francisco J. Nunez

We're celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month! We had the honor of speaking to Francisco Nunez, a choral conductor who won a 2011 MacArthur Genius Grant, to name one accolade, but his accomplishments are vast. Listen to this excerpt of their conversation in which Mr. Nunez tells us about what got him started, his musical idols, and role models.

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Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique"

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique"

On a cold October night in 1893, Peter Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere of his sixth symphony in St. Petersburg, Russia. After the concert, Tchaikovsky gave the piece a nickname; a word that evokes pathos, deep emotional anguish. On Tuesday's Performance Today, hear the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra perform the "Pathetique" Symphony, the work that Tchaikovsky premiered just nine days before his death.

Guitarist Jason Vieaux

Guitarist Jason Vieaux

When guitarist Jason Vieaux was preparing for his debut with the Nashville Symphony, he told Nashville Public Radio "This is the most time I've ever spent on any piece of music, ever...That's how hard it is." Hear Vieaux play Leshnoff's Guitar Concerto with the Nashville Symphony on Monday's Performance Today.

Cellist Gabriel Cabezas

Cellist Gabriel Cabezas

Hispanic Heritage Month is getting underway and we're celebrating the musical side here at PT. On the weekend edition of Performance Today, cellist Gabriel Cabezas joins us to talk about visibility, music, and his musical hero.

The Inland Seas

The Inland Seas

Erie. Superior. Michigan. Huron. Ontario. Each of the Great Lakes has a distinct personality. Jeremy Turner was inspired by family vacations at the Great Lakes when he wrote a piece for mandolin and violin. On Friday's Performance Today, Chris Thile and James Ehnes play 'The Inland Seas' by Jeremy Turner.

Angelo Xiang Yu

Angelo Xiang Yu

On the day of a big audition, the young violinist Xiang Yu found that someone had taken luggage in the airplane and along with it, his dress clothes for the audition... so he wore sneakers and pajama pants. "It was an adventure," he said, "but luckily I got in." He is now on the roster of the prestigious Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's CMS Two roster. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll take you back to 2013, when Yu joined us in the studio as our PT Young Artist in Residence.

Imani Winds

Imani Winds

Imani Winds has been revolutionizing how the music world thinks about woodwind quintets. On Wednesday's Performance Today, hear them perform music by Paquito D'Rivera for an audience in Chicago.

Robert Mirabal: PT Originals

While attending the 2018 Music From Angel Fire Music Festival, Robert Mirabal welcomed PT to his hometown Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. Mirabal gave a deeply personal performance and talked about tradition, legacy and family on the sacred grounds where peyote ceremonies are held.

Robert Mirabal Sings: PT Originals

While attending the 2018 Music From Angel Fire Music Festival, the remarkable Robert Mirabal welcomed PT to his hometown Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. Here, he gives an impromptu performance and talks about the importance of language and culture.

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