Poster Composer Robert Schumann has his share of critics.
Composer Robert Schumann has his share of critics. Pianist Jonathan Biss is out to prove them wrong.
Image by Michael Nicholson
Performance Today®

Part-Time Composers

The vast majority of what we hear on classical radio is music written by people who devoted their professional lives to music. The exceptions tend to be colorful characters -- people who made their living doing other things, but who love music. Amateurs in the true sense of the word. On today's show music by amateur composers. We'll hear a sweet lullaby for cello written by an expert on military fortifications, a string quartet composed by an insurance executive, exciting orchestral music by a low-level clerk in the French bureaucracy, and a symphony by a chemist.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Frederick the Great: Flute Concerto in C Major - III. Allegro assai
Manfred Friedrich, flute; CPE Bach Chamber Orchestra; Hartmut Haenchen, conductor
Capriccio 10064

Alexander Borodin: Symphony No. 2 in B minor
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; Karel Mark Chichon, conductor
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

Charles Ives: String Quartet No. 1, "From the Salvation Army" - IV. Allegro marziale
Miro Quartet
Calvary Community Church, Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Emmanuel Chabrier: Espana
U.S. Marine Band; Colonel Michael J. Colburn, conductor
Center for the Arts Concert Hall, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Cesar Cui: Berceuse
Steven Isserlis, cello; Chamber Orchestra of Europe. John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Album: Steven Isserlis, John Eliot Gardiner, Virgin: 91134

Hour 2

Jean-Baptise Lully: Chaconne in G Major
Musica Antiqua Koln; Reinhard Goebel, conductor
Album: Chaconne, Archiv 453418

George Gershwin: Cuban Overture
Berlin Philharmonic. Ingo Metzmacher, conductor
Philharmonie, Berlin

PT Young Artist-in-Residence: Xiang Yu, violin

Felix Mendelssohn: Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Op. 27, MWV P5
Berlin Philharmonic. Christian Thielemann, conductor
Philharmonie, Berlin

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras

Cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras describes J.S. Bach's solo cello suites as a "burst of life." To Queyras, these suites transcend any particular time or place; they feel like a metaphysical connection between earth and heaven. Tune in today to hear Jean-Guihen Queyras play J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 2 at a recent concert in Girona, Spain.

1:59:00
Simone Dinnerstein on committing work to memory

Simone Dinnerstein on committing work to memory

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein used to have memory slips while playing concerts. This became so upsetting that she tried something radical—she began learning music backwards, from the end to the beginning. Learn more about Simone Dinnerstein and hear her play from Robert Schumann's Kreisleriana on today's show.

1:59:00
2025 Classical Woman of the Year: Jessie Montgomery

2025 Classical Woman of the Year: Jessie Montgomery

‘Performance Today’ has selected performer and composer Jessie Montgomery as the 2025 Classical Woman of the Year. This annual award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to the classical music art form and have inspired our listeners. Find out more!

It's our honor...

It's our honor...

We are both proud and honored to announce 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
PT Weekend: Webern's recovered work

PT Weekend: Webern's recovered work

In 1945, Austrian composer Anton Webern and his family fled Vienna. Most of Webern’s valuables, mementos, and manuscripts were placed in a lock box, which they buried in the backyard. Sixteen years later, the box was recovered with the manuscripts inside. On today's show, we'll hear one of those 'found' pieces: Im Sommerwind (In the Summer Breeze) by Anton Webern.

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
Festival Mozaic

Festival Mozaic

The Serra Chapel in Shandon, California, is one of the venues for the annual Festival Mozaic, based in nearby San Luis Obispo. On summer evenings, concerts take place at the chapel, which offers seating inside and out—it's just one of the idyllic settings that make up Festival Mozaic. On today's show, we'll take you to Serra Chapel to hear a flute concerto by Vivaldi, with Alice K. Dade playing the flute alongside the Festival Mozaic Baroque Ensemble.

1:59:00
Anton Webern's recovered work

Anton Webern's recovered work

In 1945, Austrian composer Anton Webern and his family fled Vienna. Most of Webern’s valuables, mementos, and manuscripts were placed in a lock box, which they buried in the backyard. Sixteen years later, the box was recovered with the manuscripts inside. On today's show, we'll hear one of those 'found' pieces: Im Sommerwind (In the Summer Breeze) by Anton Webern.

1:59:00
Blindfold Music

Blindfold Music

Composer Miguel del Aguila imagined a meeting between two characters: one is Justice, the blindfolded woman holding scales and a sword, and the other is Law, the man holding a book and gavel. We'll hear Imani Winds play the world premiere of Miguel del Aguila's 'Blindfold Music' on today's show.

1:59:00
Malek Jandali on preserving Syria's traditional music

Malek Jandali on preserving Syria's traditional music

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
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About Performance Today®

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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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