Performance Today®

The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King has rattled through current events this past year. His impact is more important than ever. Join us for this special edition of Performance Today honoring Dr. King through music. We'll hear music he loved and the pieces composed by musicians who loved him.

Composer Arvo Part is famous for the beautifully stark simplicity of his music...and he is a hero in his native country of Estonia. Every year, the city of Tallinn throws a big birthday bash for him called Arvo Part Days. On today's show, hear a performance of L'abbe Agathon by Arvo Part, from a concert celebrating his 85th birthday. Plus, the Italian Saxophone Quartet plays a rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody!

At some point, many music students "forget" to practice. 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.

When Marie Therese Coin Coin was granted her freedom in 1778, she used her business skills to become a landowner, with the goal of purchasing her children's freedom. Composer Jason Moran is Coin Coin's great-great-grand-nephew. On today's show, hear the Imani Winds play "Cane" by Jason Moran - music inspired by Maran's family history.

Composer Arvo Part is famous for the beautifully stark simplicity of his music...and he is a hero in his native country of Estonia. Every year, the city of Tallinn throws a big birthday bash for him called Arvo Part Days. On today's show, hear a performance of L'abbe Agathon by Arvo Part, from a concert celebrating his 85th birthday.

Erwin Schulhoff was a talented composer and pianist whose career and life were derailed by two world wars. In response to his experiences with war, his music turned strikingly, sometimes wildly, inventive. On today's show, learn about the life and music of Erwin Schulhoff.

Tippet Rise is an art center located on a working ranch near Fishtail, Montana. The center incorporates musical performance venues along with large-scale art installations. It's a peaceful and inspiring destination. On today's show, we'll hear violinist Caroline Goulding and pianist David Fung play music by Robert Schumann at the Olivier Music Barn at Tippet Rise.

Join us for a concert highlight from from the base of the Teton Range in Wyoming. On today's show, conductor Donald Runnicles leads the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

Composer Richard Scofano wrote a 15 minute piece of music inspired by a hopeful vision of the future. On Today's show, hear La Tierra sin Mal (The Land Without Evil) by Richard Scofano; a musical journey through struggle, determination, and finally, the discovery of peace and serenity.