Performance Today®

In the 1980s and 90s, Michael Hedges developed stunning new ways of playing guitar. He often had both hands on the neck of the guitar and used his fingers to hammer and pull the strings. We'll hear the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet pay homage to Michael Hedges on today's episode of PT.

Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe begins in the morning dark with the sound of dew trickling off the rocks. Then, with a hint of dawn on the horizon, the birds wake up, trilling and chirping. Before long, the unmistakable sound of the bright sun rises in the east. On today's show, we'll hear Ravel’s musical sunrise at a concert presented by the Grand Teton Music Festival.

At the age of ten, American violinist Rachel Barton Pine debuted with the Chicago Symphony. She was also the first and youngest American to win the gold medal at the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition. We'll hear from one of Rachel Barton Pine's most recent projects on today's show.

Check out this new album by Rachel Barton Pine!

On this Thanksgiving holiday, we're thankful for being able to share music with you. Whether you're gathering with a few loved ones or settling in for a quiet weekend, we have a cozy Thanksgiving soundtrack to share with you. Join us for nourishing music and reflections on gratitude.

Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe begins in the morning dark with the sound of dew trickling off the rocks. Then, with a hint of dawn on the horizon, the birds wake up, trilling and chirping. Before long, the unmistakable sound of the bright sun rises in the east. On today's show, we'll hear Ravel’s musical sunrise at a concert presented by the Grand Teton Music Festival.

Joshua Bell says playing the Chaconne from J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 2 is a journey through tragedy, loss, redemption, and spirituality. It’s one of the most iconic works for solo violin played in concert by one of the great violinists of our time: Joshua Bell plays the Bach Chaconne on Today’s show.

For composer Michael Abels, the early 90s felt like a time of warming international relations. With the Cold War ending, he wrote a piece highlighting the connections among traditions worldwide. We'll hear 'Global Warming' by Michael Abels on this episode of Performance Today.

Every week, composer Bruce Adolphe joins us for a musical game: the Piano Puzzler. Bruce re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a great composer, and we get one of our listeners on the phone who tries to guess the hidden tune and the composer whose style Bruce is imitating. Play along with the PT Piano Puzzler!