Performance Today®

On today's show, pianist Jon Kimura Parker and the Minnesota Orchestra tackle what Parker calls a "brilliant" piece of music: the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich.

It’s been a breakthrough year for 23-year-old Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko. This year, he's won five gold medals at five international piano competitions. We'll hear his gold-medal performance at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition on today’s show.

Mexican composer Juan Pablo Contreras wrote a piece inspired by the musical culture of his home state of Jalisco. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert presented by ROCO in Houston to hear Mariachitlán (Mariachi-land) by Juan Pablo Contreras.

Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York, is a magical place for composer Wang Jie. She says she feels transported by the warm orange glow of the hall, and she wrote a piece for the Buffalo Philharmonic to play in that space. Join us today to hear the world premiere of The Winter that United Us by Wang Jie.

Italian pianist Beatrice Rana says, "(A concert) happens only once, and it either goes well or doesn't." She doesn't get caught up in reviews; she simply wants to connect with listeners. On today's show, we'll hear Beatrice Rana play three etudes by Frederic Chopin at a concert at Spivey Hall in Morrow, Georgia.

Composer Jonathan Peters has a new piece inspired by balletic butterflies, circumambulating centipedes, and bellicose beetles. Today we'll hear the Arthropod Suite by Jonathan Peters from a concert presented by ROCO in Houston, TX.

November 11th is Veterans Day, and we’re honoring those who've served our country in uniform. We’ll hear music by composers who were in the armed forces—William Grant Still, Samuel Barber, and more. Join us for this special edition of Performance Today.

Mason Bates is a classical composer and an electronic music DJ…and he wrote a fanfare that combines BOTH styles of music. On today's episode, we’ll hear Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release by Mason Bates.

Composer Jonathan Peters has a new piece inspired by balletic butterflies, circumambulating centipedes, and bellicose beetles. Today we'll hear the Arthropod Suite by Jonathan Peters from a concert presented by ROCO in Houston, TX.