Performance Today®

The young Jean Sibelius had one dream in life: to be a professional violinist. After he auditioned and failed to win a place in the Vienna Philharmonic, he was heartbroken. But he turned his love for the violin into creative energy. On today's show, hear Finnish violinist Elina Vahala and the Buffalo Philharmonic in a stunning performance of the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius.

When Gustavo Dudamel conducts, it's like his body is inhabited by the music; his physical expression of the music often has a energizing effect on the orchestra and the audience. On today's show, feel the energy as Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic play Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

There used to be a bustling entertainment neighborhood in Detroit called Paradise Valley, with a lively music scene. It was plowed under, and lost to new construction. An today's show, hear the Akropolis Reed Quintet play a musical homage to Paradise Valley, and we reflect on the nature of change.

Here on PT we love great performances of the classics AND innovative new sounds from today's composers. On today's show, we invite you to discover new music by Paul Dooley. "Northern Nights" is a piece for orchestra and percussion, plus the sounds of birds and rainstorms and more.

In 1933, Florence Price became the first female African American composer to have her work performed by a major symphony orchestra. When she died, boxes of music remained in her house, which was then abandoned for almost 50 years. Recently, a trove of works by Price has been rediscovered. On today's show, hear about the remarkable discovery and revival of Florence Price's music.

When Claude Debussy wrote music for the ballet "Jeux," he was picturing a game of tennis between two women and one young man. In tennis, "love" means nothing; in Debussy's music, love is everything. On today's episode, we'll hear romance and seduction on the courts, from a concert by the New York Philharmonic.

Beethoven did his groundbreaking work two centuries ago, and to this day, musicians are finding new interpretations and new inspiration in his music. On Today's show, join us for two new takes on Beethoven. One reverential, and one that's pure whimsy.

The members of an ensemble called A Far Cry are strong believers in musical democracy. They rotate leadership roles among all of the players; those personalities make their concerts refreshing and unexpected and vibrant. On today's show, hear A Far Cry play music by Philip Glass, from a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts.

When Claude Debussy wrote music for the ballet "Jeux," he was picturing a game of tennis between two women and one young man. In tennis, "love" means nothing; in Debussy's music, love is everything. On today's episode, we'll hear romance and seduction on the courts, from a concert by the New York Philharmonic.