In 1994, violinist Leonidas Kavakos played an exceptional violin in New York. He says, "It felt like the earth moved beneath me." Sadly, the instrument wasn't for sale. Twenty years later, he found that same violin in London; this time, he wouldn't let it get away. Kavakos plays his 1734 Willemotte Strad on today’s show.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Daniil Trifonov, piano
Album: The Art of Life
DG
Traditional Faroe Island, arr. Danish String Quartet: Regin Smidur
Danish String Quartet
String Theory at the Hunter, The Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN
Mason Bates: Piano Concerto
Daniil Trifonov, piano | Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia | Jakub Hrusa, conductor
EBU, Auditorium, Parco della Musica, Rome, Italy
Sergei Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34
The Knights
Skaneateles Festival, First Presbyterian Church, Skaneateles, NY
Hour 2
Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV1006 Movement 2: Loure
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Album: Bach: Sei Solo
Sony 19439903132
William Grant Still: Danzas de Panama
Grace Park, violin | Geoffrey Herd, violin | Ettore Causa, viola | Hannah Collins, cello
Geneva Music Festival, Smith Opera House, Geneva, NY
Frederic Chopin: Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 47
Juho Pohjonen, piano
The Frederic Chopin Society, Mairs Concert Hall, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Macalester College, St Paul, MN
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216
Leonidas Kavakos, violin | NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra | Alan Gilbert, conductor
EBU, Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany
Love the music?
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.
Your Donation
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.
