Poster Sir Stephen Hough
Sir Stephen Hough
Courtesy of the artist
Performance Today®

Stephen Hough

Stephen Hough is a phenomenal pianist, but he’s also a prolific writer. He's an award-winning poet, has published a novel, and most recently, a memoir titled "Enough: Scenes from Childhood." Join us for music and conversation with Hough on today's episode of Performance Today.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Antonio Vivaldi: Recorder Concerto in G Major, Op. 10, No. 4, RV 435: I. Allegro, III. Allegro
Giovanni Antonini, recorder | Il Giardino Armonico
Album: Vivaldi: Concerti di Camera Vol. 1
Teldec 73267

Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Violin Concerto Op. 5 No. 2 in A Major
Romuald Grimbert-Barre, violin | Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi | William Garfield Walker, conductor
Colour of Music Festival, Festival Hall, Charleston, SC

Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for Four Violins in B minor, RV580, No. 10
Philip Setzer, violin | Yu-Chien Tseng, violin | Cho-Liang Lin violin | David Chan, violin | TMAF String Orchestra
Taipei Music Academy & Festival (TMAF), National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan

Brooke Joyce: He Hung His Head and Died (12 Variations for George Floyd)
The Unison Piano Duo: Xiao Hu, piano | Du Huang, piano
Iowa Public Radio, Luther College, Noble Recital Hall in the Jensen-Noble Hall of Music, Decorah, IA

Hour 2

Ludwig van Beethoven: Adagio for mandolin and harpsichord in E flat major
Avi Avital, mandolin | Anneleen Lenaerts, harp
Album: Art of the Mandolin
DG

Juan Pablo Contreras: Mariachitlan
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra | Jaime Martin, conductor
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in C minor, Op.18, No. 4
Dover Quartet
Skaneateles Festival, West End Theatre, Auburn, NY

Franz Liszt: Petrarch Sonnets 47 and 123, from Years of Pilgrimage II
Stephen Hough, piano
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Kodály: Dances of Galanta

Kodály: Dances of Galanta

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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