Performance Today®

June 19th, or Juneteenth, is the longest running celebration of the end of slavery. For many Americans, it's a day of reflection on freedom, resilience and strength. Join us for music to celebrate Juneteenth on this episode of Performance Today.

In 1867, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote a play about a young man who spends his life seeking adventure and avoiding responsibility. The drama never became one of Ibsen's biggest hits, but the music that Edvard Grieg wrote for it did. On today's show, hear Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, performed by the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra.

La Folia is a melody that originated in the 15th century. Mexican composer Manuel Ponce elaborated on that simple tune and turned it into a 20+ minute tour de force for solo guitar. On today's show hear Polish guitarist Marcin Dylla perform Ponce's variations on La Folia, from a concert in Interlochen, Michigan.

Solo violin, cello, piano, backed by full orchestra. You could trace the multi-leveled musical conversations, or just be swept away in Beethoven's creativity and beauty. On this episode of Performance Today, hear Beethoven's Triple Concerto played by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Gustavo Dudamel.

Pianist Beatrice Rana finds both precision and ambiguity in the works of Maurice Ravel. She says "It's like a Swiss clock, with every detail in the music... but at the same time it's like water: there's so much depth." On today's show, Beatrice Rana gives an intimate performance of music from Miroirs by Maurice Ravel.

The string quartets by Caroline Shaw are ethereal, deeply personal, and utterly captivating. On today's show, Attacca Quartet cellist Andrew Yee and composer Caroline Shaw join us to talk about their unique collaboration, and we'll hear music from their organic, open, and reflective album "Orange." Plus, Bruce Adolphe has this week's Piano Puzzler.

Composer Sean Salamon was in New York City in 2011 when the state of New York recognized same-sex marriage. He turned his reflections and experiences into music. On today's show, we take you to a concert in Round Top, Texas, to hear music inspired by a celebration of equality: June Dances by Sean Salamon.

What happens in the practice room, stays in the practice room, right? Well, not in the digital age, and even less so during a pandemic. Pianist Charlie Albright has been offering a peek into his practice sessions. On today's show, hear more about Albright's method; then hear the results of his hard work as he plays Chopin's variations on a theme by Mozart.

Danny Elfman may be most famous for writing the theme for The Simpsons. So how did he go from there to writing music for a symphony orchestra? Hear the story, as well as Elfman's concerto Eleven Eleven, on this episode of Performance Today.