Performance Today®

Composer Jimmy López Bellido was working on a piece when his father unexpectedly died. Suddenly, the music had deeper meaning for Lopez; he said it came to represent his father's transcendental journey. On today's show, hear Guardian of the Horizon by Jimmy López Bellido, from a concert presented by the St Paul Chamber Orchestra.

In 1936, Carlos Chavez wrote a symphony based on the melodies and percussive sounds of Mexican indigenous music, and now his piece is played around the world. On today's show, hear the Polish Radio Orchestra play Chavez's Symphony No. 2 (the Sinfonia India), from a concert in Warsaw, Poland.

He's an avid surfer and violinist. He's led the Australian Chamber Orchestra for 32 years. And in Australia, he's been officially named a National Living Treasure. On today's episode, violinist Richard Tognetti leads a gorgeous performance of The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

On this edition of Performance today, hear The Italian Saxophone Quartet play their arrangement of Bohemian Rhapsody, the epic song by Freddie Mercury and Queen.

We're proud to introduce you to a 2021 PT Young Artist in Residence: violinist Randall Goosby. Randall recently joined us from New York City for conversation and music. Check it out here!

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'll continue this year's series with violinist Randall Goosby.

In 1948, American composer William Grant Still was inspired by some poems about the natural beauty of the American South. On this episode of Performance Today, take a break with us and hear Wood Notes, William Grant Still's work of quiet musical contemplation.

At some point, many music students procrastinate when it comes to practicing. When Jennifer Higdon was in graduate school, she "forgot" to practice her flute so often, she stopped playing altogether. On today's show, find out what made Higdon forget the flute altogether...and become a Pulitzer Prize winning composer.

Composer Margi Griebling-Haigh is part of a musical family in Cleveland, with quite a few professional composers and musicians, so it's no surprise that family celebrations are bursting with music. We'll hear a rhapsody she wrote for her daughter's wedding on this episode of Performance Today.