Performance Today®

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.

Horn player Sarah Willis says she has always loved playing Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3, but it’s challenging to play well. So, Willis took a decidedly lyrical approach to practicing the concerto. Hear Sarah Willis and the Lyceum Orchestra of Havana perform it at a concert in Germany on today's show.

In the year 2000, Composer Gabriela Lena Frank wrote one of the first of her pieces that were inspired by her multi-ethnic background. Her father is Lithuanian Jewish, and her mother is Chinese-Peruvian-Spanish. On today's episode, we'll hear that piece - with sounds reminiscent of the Andes: Elegia Andina (Andean Elegy), by Gabriela Lena Frank.

What do we mean when we say "American classical music"? Composer Derrick Skye sought to answer that question in the form of a string quartet. On today's show, hear music that draws on the musical traditions that reflect our multicultural American society: American Mirror by Derrick Skye.

We're proud to introduce you to our next 2022 PT Young Artist in Residence: Flutist Tyler Martin. Tyler recently joined us via Zoom from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, TX. Hear the conversation and music right here!

For more than 20 years now, students from top music schools have joined us as PT Young Artists in Residence, and today we'll introduce you to the next Young Artist in this year's series. Join us for music and conversation with a truly inspiring artist and music advocate, flutist Tyler Martin.

Listeners from across the country shared their nominations for the PT Classical Woman of the Year award. We've chosen pianist Lara Downes for her artistry, determination, and leadership. Join us today for a full hour of music and conversation with Lara Downes.

Eleanor Alberga decided she wanted to be a concert pianist when she was five years old. By age ten, she was composing works for the piano. Alberga is now a highly-regarded composer of music for much more than just piano. On today's show, hear members of the Minnesota Orchestra play "Shining Gate of Morpheus" by Eleanor Alberga.

In 1874, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov traveled to the northern coast of the Black Sea. The trip left a lasting impression on the composer; he was intoxicated by the Arabic and Turkish music he heard on the streets and in coffee houses. On this episode of Performance Today, we hear these exotic impressions in a concert performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.