Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

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Lauren Anker

Lauren Anker

For more than 20 consecutive years now, students from top schools of music around the country have joined us as PT Young Artists in Residence...and not even a pandemic will keep us from doing it again this year! We're thrilled to kick off this year's series with French horn player Lauren Anker.

Beethoven's 'Emperor' Concerto

Beethoven's 'Emperor' Concerto

When Napoleon's army attacked Vienna in 1809, Beethoven took cover in a basement. When he emerged, he found that his piano and the music he'd been working on were still intact. He got right back to it and finished the piece. On today's show, hear a composition that survived Napoleon troops: the Piano Concerto No. 5, widely known as the Emperor Concerto, by Ludwig van Beethoven..

Performance Today in the Classroom: Lauren Anker

Performance Today in the Classroom: Lauren Anker

Due to current circumstances, Performance Today has adapted the concert content from its Young Artist in Residence Program to provide virtual learning experiences in their new series "Performance Today in the Classroom." Today's PT in the Classroom Music Lesson features PT Young Artist in Residence Lauren Anker.

Meet Lauren Anker

Meet Lauren Anker

For more than 20 consecutive years now, students from top schools of music around the country have joined us as PT Young Artists in Residence...and not even a pandemic will keep us from doing it again this year! Today, we're thrilled to kick off this year's series with French horn player Lauren Anker.

Young Artist in Residence: Lauren Anker

Young Artist in Residence: Lauren Anker

We're proud to introduce you to horn player Lauren Anker, the first of our 2021 Young Artists in Residence. Lauren recently joined us from Houston for conversation and music. You can hear it all here!

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Some of a Sudden

Some of a Sudden

We've all heard the phrase "all of a sudden." Composer Michael Kurth wonders if we could add some more gradations and subtlety to that. On this episode of Performance Today, hear Kurth's string quartet titled "Some of a Sudden."

Han Wenhe: Concerto for Chinese flute

Han Wenhe: Concerto for Chinese flute

The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra is an orchestra that combines Western cellos and basses with traditional Chinese instruments. On today's show, hear the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra perform a beautiful concerto by Chinese composer Han Wenhe, from a recent concert in Shanghai.

James Austin Smith

James Austin Smith

One dreary day when he was studying abroad, oboist James Austin Smith received a gift, a ray of sunshine. James's father had written a special piece as a gift for his son. On today's show, James Austin Smith plays "Three Angularities" by his father, composer Larry Alan Smith.

The Calidore String Quartet

The Calidore String Quartet

The Calidore String Quartet recently marked 10 years of playing music together. On today's show, hear how they're pushing forward and staying positive during the pandemic, then hear their gorgeous performance of Beethoven's String Quartet No. 4.