Poetry and music for the season

In December 1884, Edvard Grieg premiered a suite of five short celebratory pieces written for his hometown of Bergen, Norway. That suite has become one of his best-known and best-loved works. On today's show, we'll hear Grieg's Holberg Suite from a concert in Skaneateles, New York. 

Philip Glass's "Mad Rush" often divides listeners—is it meditative or merely repetitive? Pianist Simone Dinnerstein finds it an amazing piece that keeps her grounded in the present moment. Today’s show features her compelling performance from a recent concert at Spivey Hall, located just outside Atlanta in Morrow, Georgia.

We are 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 and assists 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.

In 1939, four women climbers reached the summit of Wyoming’s Grand Teton at dawn, racing to be the first and to counter skepticism about their unassisted ascent. Newspapers at the time called it the first "manless" ascent of the mountain. In response, one of the women said, “To us it was just another climb.” Today's show will feature both the story and the music: "Just Another Climb" by Kimberly Osberg.

Composer Zoltan Kodály grew up listening to Roma bands in Hungary and later incorporated some of their melodies into his music. On today's show, we’ll take you to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for a performance of Kodály's Dances of Galánta.

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.

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.

‘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!

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.

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.