Poster Still-life painting by Pieter Claesz (1627)
Still-life painting by Pieter Claesz (1627)
via Wikimedia Commons, Rijksmuseum
Performance Today®

Thankful

On this Thanksgiving holiday, we're thankful for being able to share music with you. Whether you're gathering with a few loved ones or settling in for a quiet weekend, we have a cozy Thanksgiving soundtrack to share with you. Join us for nourishing music and reflections on gratitude.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite in E minor, BWV 996: Movements 2-3
Jason Vieaux, guitar
Album: Bach: Works for Lute Vol 1
Azica 71250

Jason Vieaux: Home
Jason Vieaux, guitar
Chamber Music Northwest, Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA

Duke Ellington: In a Sentimental Mood
Jason Vieaux, guitar
Chamber Music Northwest, Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA

Luigi Boccherini: Quintet No. 4 for Guitar and Strings in D Major, "Fandango": Movement 3
Jason Vieaux, guitar | Francisco Fullana, Daria Tedeschi Adams, violins | Masumi Per Rostad, viola | Brook Speltz, cello and castanets
Music in the Vineyards festival, Inglenook. Rutherford, CA

Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Piano Sonata in F minor: Movement 2 Adagio maestoso
Anton Nel, piano
Seattle Chamber Music Society, The Center for Chamber Music, Seattle, WA

Antonio Vivaldi: Four Seasons: Movements 3-4
Nikki Chooi, violin | The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra | JoAnn Falletta, conductor
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY

Hour 2

Johannes Brahms: Two Intermezzos, Op. 118, Nos. 1 & 4
Lang Lang, piano
Album: Haydn, Rachmaninov, Brahms, Tchaikovsky
Telarc 80524

Charles Villiers Stanford: The Blue Bird
Chicago a cappella
Chicago a cappella, Nichols Concert Hall, Evanston, IL

Johannes Brahms: String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36: Movement 1 Allegro no troppo
Grace Park, Scott Yoo, violins | Jessica Chang, Ben Ullery, violas | Robert deMaine, Jonah Kim, cellos
Festival Mozaic, Oyster Ridge Ancient Peaks Winery, Santa Margarita, CA

Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring
Tara Helen O'Connor, flute | Spoleto Festival USA ensemble
Bank of America Chamber Music Series, Spoleto Festival USA, Dock Street Theater, Charleston, SC

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

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Latest Performance Today® Episodes

Kodály: Dances of Galanta

Kodály: Dances of Galanta

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.

1:59:00
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.

1:59:00
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.

1:59:00
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.

1:59:00
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.

1:59:00
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.

1:59:00
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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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