Poster Fred Child and Joshua Bell
Fred Child and Joshua Bell
APM
Performance Today®

In celebration of Father's Day

Joshua Bell is a world-class violinist, and he's also a father. On Saturday's Performance Today, Joshua and his 10-year-old son Josef join us to celebrate Father's Day. We'll read together from a new children's book inspired by a key moment in the life of Joshua Bell.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Franz Schubert: Marche Militaire in D major Op.51, No.1, D733, No. 1
Philharmonia Orchestra; Sir Charles Groves, conductor
Sir Charles's Precious Music Box
Denon 73674

Franco Milliacci & Domenico Mudugno (arr. Robert Rice): Nel Blu dipinto di blu (Volare)
The King's Singers
University of Georgia, Hodgson Concert Hall, Athens, GA

Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is William White from Portland, Oregon

Igor Stravinsky: Suite from 'A Soldier's Tale'
Anthony McGill, clarinet; Jorja Fleezanis, violin; Gilbert Kalish, piano
Music@Menlo: New Dimensions
Music@Menlo 20034

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 6, D. 589 (excerpts)
Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA

Hour 2

Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Edgar Meyer & Bela Fleck): Three-Part Invention & Two-Part Invention
Bela Fleck, banjo; Joshua Bell, violin; Edgar Meyer, bass
Perpetual Motion
Sony 89610

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 5 In G Major, K. 283
Micah McLaurin, piano
The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival 2016, Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI

Katie Barrick: Caffeine Smile
Spokane String Quartet
Spokane Chamber Music Association, Bing Crosby Theater, Spokane, WA

PT Feature: The Dance of the Violin
Read by Josef Bell, Joshua Bell, Shirley Bell, Fred Child

Edouard Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole
Joshua Bell, violin; Orchestre symphonique de Montreal; Charles Dutoit, conductor
Lalo: Symphonie espagnole
London Decca 425501

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

PT Weekend: Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

PT Weekend: Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

Jazz guitarist Charlie Christian was at his peak in the late 1930s and early 40s. To this day, guitarists are inspired by his recordings, and composer Igor Stravinsky said Charlie Christian helped inspire one of his pieces. We'll hear that piece, Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto, on today's show.

1:59:00
Marin Alsop on an American icon

Marin Alsop on an American icon

When conductor Marin Alsop was a kid, she begged her parents to decorate her bedroom. She says, "I talked them into buying me two posters: one of the Beatles and one of Leonard Bernstein." Join us today to hear some of Marin Alsop's memories of Bernstein and more as we celebrate Independence Day with all-American music.

1:59:00
Jessie Montgomery

Jessie Montgomery

Earlier this year, we announced that Jessie Montgomery is our 2025 PT Classical Woman of the Year. Montgomery is a celebrated composer, violinist, and educator known for compositions that blend classical, folk, jazz, and contemporary influences. Among her numerous accomplishments, she founded the Young Composers Initiative, where she mentors high school composers, assisting them in preparing their music for performance by members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Tune in today to learn more about Jessie Montgomery and why her work is so influential.

1:59:00
Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto

Jazz guitarist Charlie Christian was at his peak in the late 1930s and early 40s. To this day, guitarists are inspired by his recordings, and composer Igor Stravinsky said Charlie Christian helped inspire one of his pieces. We'll hear that piece, Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto, on today's show.

1:59:00
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
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.

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