Poster Susan Graham
Susan Graham
Dario Acosta
Performance Today®

Music from the Heart

American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham sang at the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy this past weekend. She joins Fred to talk about the experience. And we'll hear Graham at the 2009 BBC Proms, the summer music festival in London, sing a heart-breakingingly beautiful love song by Reynaldo Hahn, "A Chloris."

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Maurice Ravel: Entre cloches from Sites auriculaires; Rapsodie Espagnole--II. Malaguena
Vladimir and Vovak Ashkenazy, piano

Nicolas Gombert: Lugebat David Absalon
Hilliard Ensemble
Schwetzingen Festival; Speyer Cathedral, Speyer, Germany

Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

Hour 2

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra in B flat, K 191--III. Rondo. Tempo di Menuetto
Houston Symphony; Christoph Eschenbach, conductor; Benjamin Kamins, Bassoon

Reynaldo Hahn: A Chloris
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano; Malcolm Martineau, piano. Susan Graham talks with Fred Child about singing Schubert's "Ave Maria" at Senator Ted Kennedy's funeral this past Saturday.
BBC Proms 2009; Cadogan Hall, London, England

Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D, D. 200
German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra; Shizuo Kuwahara, conductor
Weilburg Castle Concerts, Castle Court, Weilburg, Germany

Bohuslav Martinu: Nonet for Wind Quintet, String Trio, and Double Bass
Faculty Artists from the Institute at Round Top
Festival Concert Hall, Round Top, Texas

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

Music from a summer home

Music from a summer home

We'll hear the Philadelphia Orchestra in concert at their summer home in Saratoga Springs, New York, on today's show. Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin leads a performance of the Prelude to Act One of Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin.

1:59:00
Elsa Barraine

Elsa Barraine

French composer Elsa Barraine lived through the Nazi occupation of Paris, where she organized concerts to support morale and promote resistance. She also supported Jewish musicians whose very lives were in danger. Barraine believed in music as a force for good in this world. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Paris to hear Elsa Barraine's Symphony No. 2.

1:59:00
MLK

MLK

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s impact is more important than ever. Join us for a special edition of ‘Performance Today’ honoring King through music. We'll celebrate his legacy with a piece dedicated to Dr. King in 1963: Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds. Join us for music honoring Dr. Martin Luther King on today’s show.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: The Piano Puzzler

PT Weekend: The Piano Puzzler

Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a great composer. One of our listeners calls in and tries to guess the tune and the composer whose style Bruce is mimicking. Tune in and play along with our weekly musical game: the Piano Puzzler.

1:59:00
Bringing fractals to live

Bringing fractals to live

Composer Jessie Montgomery found inspiration in nature's infinitely repeating patterns: fractals. Her fascination with these natural wonders led her to write a captivating new piece that brings fractals to life through sound. On today's show, we'll hear "Rounds" by Jessie Montgomery, a musical exploration of nature's boundless beauty.

1:59:00
Juantio Becenti: The Glittering World

Juantio Becenti: The Glittering World

We'll hear fascinating new music from Navajo composer Juantio Becenti on today's show. Becenti found a unique parallel between the Navajo creation story and his own musical journey. Join us to hear the ensemble A Far Cry perform Juantio Becenti's The Glittering World at a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.

1:59:00
The Piano Puzzler

The Piano Puzzler

Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a great composer. One of our listeners calls in and tries to guess the tune and the composer whose style Bruce is mimicking. Tune in and play along with our weekly musical game: the Piano Puzzler.

1:59:00
Irish composer Howard Ferguson

Irish composer Howard Ferguson

Irish composer Howard Ferguson only published twenty pieces before retiring from composition to take up cooking. Later in life, he even wrote a popular cookbook. We have music by Howard Ferguson on this edition of Performance Today.

1:59:00
Missy Mazzoli's Sinfonia for Orbiting Spheres

Missy Mazzoli's Sinfonia for Orbiting Spheres

The hurdy-gurdy has strings like a violin, a keyboard, and a hand crank that produces a wheezing drone. Composer Missy Mazzoli was fascinated by this sound and wanted to make a whole orchestra sound like a big hurdy-gurdy.  Tune in for the Sinfonia for Orbiting Spheres by Missy Mazzoli on today’s episode.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Leila Josefowicz

PT Weekend: Leila Josefowicz

Violinist Leila Josefowicz has forged a tremendous career specializing in 20th and 21st-century music. At times, Josefowicz has faced reluctance or resistance from what she sees as the somewhat stodgy traditions in some parts of the classical music world. Still, she believes that the greatest music happens when one overcomes fear and pushes the traditional boundaries.  On today's show, Leila Josefowicz plays Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, backed by conductor Donald Runnicles and the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra.

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®

We can help you find classical music you'll love

  • Take a 2 minute quiz to share your taste
  • We'll recommend YourClassical programming just for you
  • Discover the power and joy of classical music
YourClassical Radio
0:00
0:00