Poster Leif Ove Andsnes
Leif Ove Andsnes
Ozgur Albayrak
Performance Today®

Leif Ove Andsnes plays Grieg's Piano Concerto

Publishing houses in Germany initially rejected Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto. When pianist Franz Liszt played through the piece with Grieg, Liszt warmly shook his hand and said, "You have the gift. Keep on composing. Don't let them intimidate you." Liszt’s advice changed Grieg's life; that piece has become one of the most famous pieces of its kind in classical music. On today's show, pianist Leif Ove Andsnes plays Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in Switzerland.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Dmitri Shostakovich: The Golden Age Op. 22a: Movement 1 Introduction
Singapore Symphony Orchestra | Andrew Litton, conductor
Album: Shostakovich: Jazz & Variety Suites
BIS 2472

Dmitri Shostakovich: Suite for Variety Orchestra: Movement 6 Waltz II
NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra | Stanislav Kochanovsky, conductor
EBU, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Holstenhall, Neumunster, Germany

Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, "American"
Pacifica Quartet
Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Syracuse, NY

Brian Nabors: Pulse
Lexington Symphony | Jonathan McPhee, conductor
Lexington Symphony, Cary Memorial Hall, Lexington, MA

Hour 2

Frederic Chopin: Sonata for cello and piano Op. 65 Movement 3: Largo
Truls Mork, cello | Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
Album: Frederic Chopin - Robert Schumann - Truls Mork - Leif Ove Andsnes
Simax 1063

Florence Price: Piano Quintet in E minor
Grace Park, violin | Geoffrey Herd, violin | Ettore Causa, viola | Clive Greensmith, cello | Jon Kimura Parker, piano
Geneva Music Festival, Smith Opera House, Geneva, NY

Georg Philipp Telemann: Concerto in D major for Four Violins, TWV 40:202
Ani Kavafian, violin | Arnaud Sussmann, violin | Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, violin | Kristin Lee, violin
Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival and Institute, Spieker Center for the Arts, Menlo Park, CA

Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano | Lucerne Festival Orchestra | Klaus Makela, conductor
Lucerne Festival, Concert Hall KKL, Lucerne, Switzerland

Love the music?

Donate by phone
1-800-562-8440

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.

More Ways to Give

Your Donation

$5/month
$10/month
$15/month
$20/month
$

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Performance Today® Episodes

PT Weekend: Music from a summer home

PT Weekend: Music from a summer home

We'll hear the Philadelphia Orchestra in concert at their summer home in Saratoga Springs, New York, on today's show. Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin leads a performance of the Prelude to Act One of Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin.

1:59:00
Inon Barnatan and Summerfest La Jolla

Inon Barnatan and Summerfest La Jolla

Pianist Inon Barnatan keeps busy as a musician, playing on the most prestigious stages around the world. He's also the Music Director of Summerfest La Jolla in California. On today's show, we'll hear a stunning performance at a stunning location—Inon Barnatan and violinist Augustin Hadelich play a piece by Camille Saint-Saens at Summerfest La Jolla.

1:59:00
Bruckner the late bloomer

Bruckner the late bloomer

Anton Bruckner was a late bloomer. He wrote his first major piece at age 40. He built some momentum in his 50s, but musicians, critics, and most audiences at the time didn't fully appreciate his work. Bruckner got his first authentic taste of success with a piece he premiered in 1884 at the age of 60. We'll hear from that work on today's show: Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.

1:59:00
Music from a summer home

Music from a summer home

We'll hear the Philadelphia Orchestra in concert at their summer home in Saratoga Springs, New York, on today's show. Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin leads a performance of the Prelude to Act One of Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin.

1:59:00
Elsa Barraine

Elsa Barraine

French composer Elsa Barraine lived through the Nazi occupation of Paris, where she organized concerts to support morale and promote resistance. She also supported Jewish musicians whose very lives were in danger. Barraine believed in music as a force for good in this world. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Paris to hear Elsa Barraine's Symphony No. 2.

1:59:00
MLK

MLK

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s impact is more important than ever. Join us for a special edition of ‘Performance Today’ honoring King through music. We'll celebrate his legacy with a piece dedicated to Dr. King in 1963: Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds. Join us for music honoring Dr. Martin Luther King on today’s show.

1:59:00
PT Weekend: The Piano Puzzler

PT Weekend: The Piano Puzzler

Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a great composer. One of our listeners calls in and tries to guess the tune and the composer whose style Bruce is mimicking. Tune in and play along with our weekly musical game: the Piano Puzzler.

1:59:00
Bringing fractals to live

Bringing fractals to live

Composer Jessie Montgomery found inspiration in nature's infinitely repeating patterns: fractals. Her fascination with these natural wonders led her to write a captivating new piece that brings fractals to life through sound. On today's show, we'll hear "Rounds" by Jessie Montgomery, a musical exploration of nature's boundless beauty.

1:59:00
Juantio Becenti: The Glittering World

Juantio Becenti: The Glittering World

We'll hear fascinating new music from Navajo composer Juantio Becenti on today's show. Becenti found a unique parallel between the Navajo creation story and his own musical journey. Join us to hear the ensemble A Far Cry perform Juantio Becenti's The Glittering World at a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.

1:59:00
The Piano Puzzler

The Piano Puzzler

Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a great composer. One of our listeners calls in and tries to guess the tune and the composer whose style Bruce is mimicking. Tune in and play along with our weekly musical game: the Piano Puzzler.

1:59:00
VIEW ALL EPISODES

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.

About Performance Today®