Poster Composer Wang Jie and JoAnn Falletta
Composer Wang Jie and JoAnn Falletta
Fred Child
Performance Today®

Wang Jie: Symphony No. 1

"If you find yourself elated by my music," composer Wang Jie says, "the credit goes to the muses. If you hate it," she continues, "well, it's only 15 minutes long." On the next Performance Today, a composer who calls herself "part cartoon character, part virtuoso." We'll hear her Symphony No. 1.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto For Two Violins In D Minor, BWV 1043: Movement 3 Allegro
Pekka Kuusisto, Jaakko Kuusisto, violins; Tapiola Sinfonietta; Tero Latvala, concertmaster
J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos
Ondine 980

Rebecca Clarke: Prelude, Allegro, Pastorale
Bil Jackson, clarinet; Toby Appel, viola
Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Packard Hall, Colorado Springs, CO

Wang Jie: Symphony No. 1 "Spring Awakening"
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Ordway Concert Hall, Saint Paul, MN

Hour 2

Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 5 in C minor: Movement 3 Finale Prestissimo
Paul Lewis, piano
Beethoven #4 - Paul Lewis
Harmoni Mundi 901909

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in G major, Op. 18 No. 2
Tesla Quartet
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum Music Series, Palm Beach, FL

Olivier Messiaen: Les offrandes oubliees (The Forgotten Offerings)
Jonathan Biss, piano; Houston Symphony; Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Jones Hall, Houston, TX

Natalie Dietterich: Chainlink Fences
Addy Sterrett, soprano; 2017 Norfolk Festival Chorus and Orchestra; Simon Carrington, conductor
Yale Institute of Sacred Music, The Barn, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Norfolk, CT

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

Joshua Roman: Immunity

Joshua Roman: Immunity

Cellist Joshua Roman almost quit music altogether after developing Long Covid in 2021, but an encounter with Bach reminded him that the cello has been his lifelong friend. He's now shifted his mindset to center human connection over perfection in music and life. On today's show, he'll join Fred Child to discuss his journey with Long Covid and his new project, Immunity.

1:59:00
Joshua Roman: Extended interview

Joshua Roman: Extended interview

When cellist Joshua Roman got COVID-19 in January 2021, he was sure he'd recover quickly. Instead, he's still living with what's now known as Long COVID — physical and cognitive symptoms that affect his daily life. Roman recently joined Fred Child in the studio to tell his story and discuss his new album, ‘Immunity.’

33:31
Music from Colorado MahlerFest

Music from Colorado MahlerFest

A few years ago, composer George Morton noticed a striking similarity between Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and the iconic Star Trek theme. Inspired by this connection, he created Mahler – A Final Frontier. On today’s show, we’ll hear it performed by the Colorado MahlerFest Chamber Orchestra led by conductor Kenneth Woods.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Richard Danielpour

PT Weekend: Richard Danielpour

Composer Richard Danielpour found musical inspiration in a sculpture made by his mother—an image of an Iranian woman breaking away from her veil. He contemplated recent protests in Iran, led by young women who want to choose whether to wear a headscarf. On today's show, we'll hear music inspired by the brave women of Iran: Breaking the Veil by Richard Danielpour.

1:59:00
Damien Geter's "Neo-Soul" quartet

Damien Geter's "Neo-Soul" quartet

Composer Damien Geter spent much of the pandemic reliving his love of 90s neo-soul. He says the music of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill helped him get through. As a classical composer, he wanted to write his own music in homage to neo-soul. On today's show, we'll hear what he came up with: "Neo-Soul," the String Quartet No. 1 by Damien Geter.

1:59:00
Valerie Coleman: Tzigane

Valerie Coleman: Tzigane

Valerie Coleman's "Tzigane" is a fiery response to a classic. Inspired by Ravel's iconic piece of the same name, Coleman channeled the energy and spirit of Roma music into a composition for wind quintet. On today's show, we'll hear the Imani Winds play Coleman's Tzigane at a performance presented by the Colorado College Summer Music Festival.

1:59:00
Danielpour: Breaking the Veil

Danielpour: Breaking the Veil

Composer Richard Danielpour found musical inspiration in a sculpture made by his mother—an image of an Iranian woman breaking away from her veil. He contemplated recent protests in Iran, led by young women who want to choose whether to wear a headscarf. On today's show, we'll hear music inspired by the brave women of Iran: Breaking the Veil by Richard Danielpour.

1:59:00
Leif Ove Andsnes plays Grieg's Piano Concerto

Leif Ove Andsnes plays Grieg's Piano Concerto

Publishing houses in Germany initially rejected Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto. When pianist Franz Liszt played through the piece with Grieg, Liszt warmly shook his hand and said, "You have the gift. Keep on composing. Don't let them intimidate you." Liszt’s advice changed Grieg's life; that piece has become one of the most famous pieces in classical music. On today's show, pianist Leif Ove Andsnes plays Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Switzerland.

1:59:00
Kirill Gerstein plays Rachmaninoff

Kirill Gerstein plays Rachmaninoff

Sure, it's a flashy showpiece for piano, but Kirill Gerstein says, "If you dig deeper, it's also a sincere expression straight from the heart." On today's show, hear Kirill Gerstein play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with conductor Hannu Lintu leading the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: Martinu's room with a view

PT Weekend: Martinu's room with a view

Composer Bohuslav Martinu spent his childhood in a bell tower, where his father was the keeper. Looking back, he said he saw "everything in miniature, and above it all a great, boundless space... it is this space that I am forever seeking in my music." On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Switzerland to hear Marinu's Cello Concerto No. 1.

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