Poster Dvorak's Piano
Composer Antonin Dvorak's piano in his house in Prague.
Amy Hyatt/APM
Performance Today®

Dvorak's inspiration

In 1892, when Czech composer Antonin Dvorak was in New York, he heard 25 year-old Harry Thacker Burleigh sing African-American spirituals. Those songs were part of Dvorak's inspiration for his most famous piece, his Symphony No. 9. On Thursday's Performance Today, join the audience for Dvorak's ninth, then hear a new piece inspired by Dvorak AND Burleigh, 'Sorrow Song and Jubilee' by Libby Larsen.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Nino Rota: The Godfather: Suite
James Galway, flute; Galway Pops Orchestra; Vincent Fanuele, conductor
Galway At The Movies
RCA 61326

Modest Mussorgsky (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov): Night on Bald Mountain
Los Angeles Philharmonic; Lionel Bringuier, conductor
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA

Jozef Krogulski: Piano Octet in D minor, Op.6: Movement 4A "la Bohemienne - Finale"
Nelson Goerner, piano; Lena Neudauer, violin; Erzhan Kulibaev, violin; Katarzyna Budnik-Galazka, viola; Marcin Zdunik, cello; Slawomir Rozloch, double bass
10th Chopin and his Europe International Music Festival, Witold Lugoslawki Polish Radio Concert Studio, Warsaw, Poland

Nino Rota: Divertimento concertante
Edicson Ruiz, double bass; Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra; Gustavo Gimeno, conductor
Philharmonie, Luxembourg

Hour 2

Antonin Dvorak: Polonaise from Rusalka
Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, conductor
Exotic Dances from the OPERA
Reference Recordings RR-71CD

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in C major, Op. 33, No. 3, Hob. III:39, "The Bird"
Amphion String Quartet
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY

Antonin Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, from the 'New World': Movements 3 & 4
Minnesota Orchestra; Osmo Vanska, conductor
Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN

Libby Larsen: Sorrow Song and Jubilee (World Premiere)
Apollo Chamber Players: Matthew Detrick, violin; Anabel Ramirez, violin; Whitney Bulllock, viola; Matt Dudzik, cello
Duncan Recital Hall, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston, TX

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

PT Weekend: David Lai

PT Weekend: David Lai

We're pleased to introduce the first of our 2025 PT Young Artists in Residence: pianist David Lai. David joins Fred Child for music and conversation at our Saint Paul studio on today's show.

1:59:00
Where true joy is serious business

Where true joy is serious business

The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra has an official motto. It's carved in stone on the side of their concert hall, a Latin phrase that translates: "True joy is serious business." We'll hear some of that joy from a concert in Leipzig, Germany, on today’s episode of Performance Today.

1:59:00
Rossini's worst critic: Rossini

Rossini's worst critic: Rossini

When composer Gioachino Rossini was 12, he wrote six "terrible" sonatas. WE don't think they're terrible—Rossini is the one that used that word. So, see what you think... join us today to hear Rossini's not-so-terrible String Sonata No. 3 from a concert in Portland, Oregon.

1:59:00
The Year of the Snake

The Year of the Snake

It’s the Year of the Snake! For more than two billion people across many Asian cultures and the Asian diaspora, it's the beginning of a new year, the Lunar New Year. Join us today for celebratory music from Sichuan province, with a violinist born in the Year of the Snake.

1:59:00
Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier'

Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier'

Marc-Andre Hamelin is one of the most celebrated and respected pianists of our time. His performances are known for their brilliance, technical mastery, and deep musicality. On today's show, we'll hear Hamelin play one of the world’s most challenging piano compositions: Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29, the Hammerklavier.

1:59:00
Young Artist in Residence: David Lai

Young Artist in Residence: David Lai

We’re proud to introduce you to pianist David Lai, our newest PT Young Artist in Residence. He joined Fred Child in our St. Paul studio — hear his music and the entire interview here!

44:27
Meet David Lai

Meet David Lai

We're pleased to introduce the first of our 2025 PT Young Artists in Residence: pianist David Lai. David joins Fred Child for music and conversation at our Saint Paul studio on today's show.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Music from a summer home

PT Weekend: 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
Inon Barnatan and Summerfest La Jolla

Inon Barnatan and Summerfest La Jolla

Pianist Inon Barnatan keeps busy as a musician, playing on the most prestigious stages around the world. He's also the Music Director of Summerfest La Jolla in California. On today's show, we'll hear a stunning performance at a stunning location—Inon Barnatan and violinist Augustin Hadelich play a piece by Camille Saint-Saens at Summerfest La Jolla.

1:59:00
Bruckner the late bloomer

Bruckner the late bloomer

Anton Bruckner was a late bloomer. He wrote his first major piece at age 40. He built some momentum in his 50s, but musicians, critics, and most audiences at the time didn't fully appreciate his work. Bruckner got his first authentic taste of success with a piece he premiered in 1884 at the age of 60. We'll hear from that work on today's show: Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.

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®