Poster Portrait of composer William Grant Still, 1936
Studio portrait of composer and conductor William Grant Still (1895 - 1978), the first African-American conductor of a major orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, 1936.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Performance Today®

William Grant Still: American Scene

The Manhattan skyline, the majesty of the Teton Mountains, and indigenous communities living in the American West. Those are some of the elements that inspired a musical reflection on our nation: American Scene by William Grant Still.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

William Grant Still: Wood Notes: Moon Dusk
Fort Smith Symphony | John Jeter, conductor
Album: Still: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 | Wood Notes
Naxos 559676

William Grant Still: American Scene: A Mountain, a Memorial, and a Song
Manhattan Chamber Orchestra | Richard Auldon Clark, conductor
Album: William Grant Still: The American Scene
Newport 85596

Thomas Whitman: Soekia's Dance
Mimi Stillman, flute | Kerri Ryan, viola | Bridget Kibbey, harp
Dolce Suono Ensemble, Trinity Center for Urban Life, Philadelphia, PA

Aaron Copland: Four Dance Episodes, from Rodeo
Aspen Festival Orchestra | Cristian Macelaru, conductor
Aspen Music Festival and School, Benedict Music Tent, Aspen, CO

Hour 2

Henri Dutilleux: Au gre des ondes: Prelude en Berceuse; Claquettes
Robert Levin, piano
Album: Henri Dutilleux: D'ombre et de silence
ECM 2105

Maurice Ravel: Alborada del Gracioso (From Miroirs)
Texas Festival Orchestra | Ransom Wilson, conductor
Round Top Festival Institute, Festival Concert Hall, Round Top, TX

Joseph Haydn: Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2 "Die Quinten"
New York Philharmonic String Quartet
University of Georgia Performing Arts Center, Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, UGA Performing Arts Center, Athens, GA

Franz Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D.898: Mvt. 1
Robert Levin, piano | Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin | Peter Wiley, cello
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

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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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