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.
In 1994, John Adams composed a series of what he calls "alleged" dances. Why alleged? As Adams puts it, "the steps for them have yet to be invented. They cuss, chaw, hock hooeys, scratch, and talk too loud." On today's program, we'll take you to a concert in Cleveland to hear Adams’ quirky set for string quartet and prepared piano loops: John’s Book of Alleged Dances.
On today's show, we explore music by Dutch composer Henriëtte Bosmans. Join us at a concert in Wismar, Germany, to hear a performance of Bosmans's String Quartet, a piece from a time when in-home concerts were a matter of necessity for artists whose work had to be kept undercover.
Today, we explore the spiritual and creative ideas behind the music of Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. We'll hear from Ortiz's "Altar de Cuerda”, music she envisions as an altar—a space to elevate music—where the solo violin floats above the orchestra and the ethereal sound of tuned crystal glasses. Today’s performance features violinist Susie Park and the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Paolo Bortolameolli.
Florence Price used the scaffolding of European classical forms to build music that reflected African-American traditions. One of her favorite expressions of that tradition is the juba dance—a lively, percussive good time. We’ll hear the juba dance and the rest of the Symphony No. 3 by Florence Price on today’s episode.
YourClassical’s Performance Today, America’s most popular classical music radio show, announces the four distinguished young musicians who have been selected as part of the 2026 Performance Today Young Artists in Residence program.
In 2007, Composer Errollyn Wallen wrote a piece to mark the anniversary of the Abolition of the British Slave Trade. She says, ‘It is human instinct to be free, just as it is for the river to rush headlong to the sea.’ We'll dive into Errollyn Wallen’s Mighty River on today's show.
Today, we'll explore the journey of pianist Aristo Sham, the 2025 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist. As a child, Sham was extremely talented, but he reached a point where he had to make a deliberate decision to shift from being a childhood prodigy "swept along by the current" to a dedicated, mature artist. We'll hear Aristo Sham's competition-opening performance of Ferruccio Busoni's arrangement of J.S. Bach's Chaconne in D minor.
Florence Price used the scaffolding of European classical forms to build music that reflected African-American traditions. One of her favorite expressions of that tradition is the juba dance—a lively, percussive good time. We’ll hear the juba dance and the rest of the Symphony No. 3 by Florence Price on today’s episode.
In 2020, American composer Judd Greenstein wrote a piece inspired by his daughter, Zohara, whose name means brightness. The music evokes the sensation of rays of bright light bouncing between cello and viola. On this edition of PT, we'll hear Greenstein's 'K'zohar Harakia,' performed by Zohara's aunt and uncle, violist Ayane Kozasa and cellist Paul Wiancko.
