Poster Mary Lou Williams, pianist and composer
Mary Lou Williams, pianist and composer
Photo by William P. Gottlieb
Performance Today®

Mary Lou Williams

Pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams got her start in the jazz world in 1917, at the age of 7, playing at parties around her neighborhood in Pittsburgh. In a field dominated by men, she quickly became a star. At age 13, she played with Duke Ellington, and later was the first woman hired by Benny Goodman. On Tuesday's Performance Today, the Ancia Saxophone Quartet plays selections from Zodiac Suite, by Mary Lou Williams.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Robert Schumann (trans. Eric Ruske): Fantasiestucke, Op. 73
Eric Ruske, horn; Pedja Muzijevic, piano
The Classic Horn: World Premiere Transcriptions
Albany 615

Gabriel Pierne: Introduction and Variations on a Popular Rondo
Sinta Saxophone Quartet
Corpus Christi Chamber Music Society, Wolfe Recital Hall - Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX

Robert Schumann: Piano Quartet in E flat, Op. 47
Wu Han, piano; Daniel Hope, violin; Paul Neubauer, viola; David Finckel, cello
Mozart@Augsburg Festival, Small Golden Hall, Town Hall, Augsburg, Germany

Aaron Jay Kernis: For the Love of the Mountains
Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra; Donald Runnicles, conductor
Grand Teton Music Festival, Walk Festival Hall, Jackson Hole, WY

Hour 2

Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita No. 6 in E Minor, BWV 830: Movement 3
Jeremy Denk, piano
Jeremy Denk J.S. Bach
Azica 71262

Wilhelm Stenhammar: Mellanspel ur Sangen, Op. 44
Baltic Sea Youth Orchestra; Kristjan Jarvi, conductor
Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Philharmonic Concert Hall, Warsaw, Poland

Mary Lou Williams (arr. David Milne): Zodiac Suite: Movements 1-3
The Ancia Saxophone Quartet
Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Jeremy Denk, piano; Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Ordway Center for Performing Arts, Saint Paul, MN

Love the music?

Donate by phone
1-800-562-8440

Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.

Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.

YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.

More Ways to Give

Your Donation

$5/month
$10/month
$15/month
$20/month
$

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Clarice Assad: Total Eclipse

Clarice Assad: Total Eclipse

Last year, a total solar eclipse was visible in parts of our country. The shared experience of an eclipse—an extraordinary moment of wonder and awe—inspired composer and pianist Clarice Assad to create a new piece for piano and orchestra. Join us today for a musical exploration of light and darkness: "Total Eclipse" by Clarice Assad.

1:59:00
Considering Matthew Shepard

Considering Matthew Shepard

In 2016, Craig Hella Johnson wrote an oratorio about Matthew Shepard, a young gay man from Wyoming who was murdered in a hate crime in 1998. The oratorio urges all of us to find our shared humanity—the threads that connect us—to see if love can be found even in the darkest moments. Tune in today for "Considering Matthew Shepard" by Craig Hella Johnson.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Optimism in dark times

PT Weekend: Optimism in dark times

In 1944, during the height of World War II, Sergei Prokofiev composed a piece intended “…to sing the praises of the free and happy man.” It’s an optimistic work created during a time of darkness. On today's show, we'll hear the opening movement of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 performed by the National Orchestral Institute (NOI) Philharmonic and conductor Joseph Young at a concert in College Park, Maryland.

1:59:00
Yuja Wang and the Vienna Philharmonic in Paris

Yuja Wang and the Vienna Philharmonic in Paris

It was arguably the biggest classical music event of 2025: a gala concert in Paris celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Opera Garnier venue. We'll take you there to hear the Vienna Philharmonic and pianist Yuja Wang perform the opening movement of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1.

1:59:00
Malek Jandali

Malek Jandali

The Syrian Civil War has devastated more than lives, homes, and communities. With all that has been lost, Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali feels an imperative to preserve and share traditional Syrian music. On today's show, we'll hear a piece full of traditional Syrian styles and themes: the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra by Malek Jandali.

1:59:00
Prokofiev's optimism in a dark time

Prokofiev's optimism in a dark time

In 1944, during the height of World War II, Sergei Prokofiev composed a piece intended “…to sing the praises of the free and happy man.” It’s an optimistic work created during a time of darkness. On today's show, we'll hear the opening movement of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 performed by the National Orchestral Institute (NOI) Philharmonic and conductor Joseph Young at a concert in College Park, Maryland.

1:59:00
The intersection of classical and jazz

The intersection of classical and jazz

Nikolai Kapustin’s compositions are filled with joyful syncopations. Some listeners have referred to him as a jazz pianist; however, Kapustin stressed that he was a classically trained composer who simply loved jazz. Today’s show will feature Kapustin’s music at the intersection of classical and jazz.

1:59:00
Sibelius

Sibelius

Everyone responds differently to a particular musical work. A close friend of Jean Sibelius described his Symphony No. 2 as "the most broken-hearted protest against all the injustice that now threatens to deprive the sun of its light and our flowers of their scent." That was one person's interpretation. What's yours? On today's show, join us at a concert in Taipei to hear Sibelius's Symphony No. 2.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Vienna's Golden Hall

PT Weekend: Vienna's Golden Hall

How does a renowned concert hall influence the sound of an orchestra? Listen and discover as the Vienna Philharmonic performs Brahms' magnificent Double Concerto live from Vienna's Musikverein, a venue that highlights the interaction between soloists and the orchestra. Join us today to experience the sound of the Vienna Philharmonic performing at their iconic home venue, the Musikverein.

1:59:00
Tchaikovsky at the Elbphilharmonie

Tchaikovsky at the Elbphilharmonie

The acoustics of a concert hall can profoundly shape the sound of an orchestra, for better or for worse. On today's program, we’ll take you to the stunning Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg to hear Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, performed by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under the direction of conductor Alan Gilbert.

1:59:00
VIEW ALL EPISODES

About Performance Today®

To find a station near you on our Stations Listings page, click here.

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.

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.

How do I leave a comment?

Send us a comment here.

About Performance Today®
YourClassical Radio
0:00
0:00