Performance Today Features

The cellist and pianist tell host Fred Child that the music we need in difficult times isn't just pretty. It also must spark curiosity and new connections.

Classical pianist Mahani Teave saw a need and found a way. She grew up on Rapa Nui (sometimes called Easter Island) in the Pacific Ocean with plenty of music, but little of it classical. She talks with Performance Today host Fred Child about her recent solo album to help support the school she co-founded.

Guitarist An Tran has a treasured photograph. In it, he is a young child and his parents are lifting him high overhead at their home in Vietnam. He remembers that at that moment his parents were singing what he describes as "the most beautiful melody ever:" a Vietnamese folk song translated as "Stay, My Beloved." It was a grounding moment in Tran's childhood and the song is the backbone of his new album, "Stay, My Beloved."

Louise Farrenc was not only a remarkable pianist and imaginative composer. She also bulldozed through the limited ideas of women's artistic value and professional potential in the 19th Century. Pianist Joanne Polk brings light to Farrenc's legacy.

Violinist Geneva Lewis is Performance Today's current Young Artist in Residence. Geneva recently joined Fred Child for conversation and music at our studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota. You can hear it all here!

Performance Today celebrates Women's History Month by honoring the women who have made a lasting impact on classical music and those who love music. The 2020 Classical Woman of the Year is composer and performer Valerie Coleman.

Performance Today's Classical Critters is a 60-minute classical music romp about and inspired by animals. Host Fred Child and kids tell stories, spark creativity, share ideas and listen to music together. You'll want to have some paper and crayons or markers on hand and a little bit of space to move!

Clarinetist Max Opferkuch is Performance Today's current Young Artist in Residence. Max recently joined Fred Child for conversation and music at our studio in Saint Paul. You can hear it all here!

Pianist Aleksandra Kasman is Performance Today's current Young Artist in Residence. Kasman recently joined Fred Child for conversation and music at our studio in Saint Paul. You can hear it all here!

Violist Jordan Bak is Performance Today's current Young Artist in Residence. Jordan recently joined Fred Child for conversation and music at our studio in Saint Paul. You can hear it all here!