Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Memorial Day. It's the unofficial beginning of summer, but that's not what this holiday is about. On today's show, we mark the day with music by American composers and recognize the people who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

PT Weekend: Eleanor Alberga

PT Weekend: Eleanor Alberga

The Jamaican folk song 'Come Back, Liza' is full of longing. Composer Eleanor Alberga used that song as the basis for a new piece dedicated to the memory of her mother. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Charleston, South Carolina, to hear 'Remember' by Eleanor Alberga.

The patterns of life

The patterns of life

Composer Jessie Montgomery found inspiration in nature's infinitely repeating patterns: fractals. Her fascination with these natural wonders led her to write a captivating new piece that brings fractals to life through sound. On today's show, we'll hear "Rounds" by Jessie Montgomery, a musical exploration of nature's boundless beauty.

The young Beethoven

The young Beethoven

After Beethoven played some concerts in his 20s, reviews wondered who this unknown pianist and composer might be ...and they even misspelled his name as "Beethover." Yeah, even Beethoven had to climb the career ladder. We'll hear music by the up-and-coming Beethoven on today's show.

Eleanor Alberga: Remember

Eleanor Alberga: Remember

The Jamaican folk song 'Come Back, Liza' is full of longing. Composer Eleanor Alberga used that song as the basis for a new piece dedicated to the memory of her mother. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Charleston, South Carolina, to hear 'Remember' by Eleanor Alberga.

Yunchan Lim

Yunchan Lim

In the 1820s, 17-year-old Frederic Chopin wrote a set of variations that helped launch his career. A century later, an unknown 18-year-old played that piece at the 2022 Cliburn International Piano Competition and took the classical world by storm. On today's show, we'll hear pianist Yunchan Lim's Cliburn performance of Chopin's Variations on ‘Là ci darem la mano.’

Dvorak's Poetic Tone Pictures

Dvorak's Poetic Tone Pictures

In 1880, Antonín Dvořák composed a series of short piano pieces that aren’t performed as frequently as many of his other works. Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes admires the beauty of the music; he’s surprised by its infrequent performance. We’ll hear Leif Ove Andsnes play several highlights from Antonín Dvořák's Poetic Tone Pictures on today's show.

PT Weekend: Puzzling!

PT Weekend: Puzzling!

Bruce Adolphe joins us every week with his Piano Puzzlers. This week, an entire class of music students is calling in to play with Bruce on the air. Scott Leaman and his AP Music Theory Class join us on the phone from Tallahassee, Florida, on this edition of Performance Today.

Missy Mazzoli: Dark with Excessive Bright

Missy Mazzoli: Dark with Excessive Bright

Composer Missy Mazzoli often makes multiple versions of her works. In 2018, Mazzoli wrote a piece for solo bass and string orchestra that she recently rearranged for violin and orchestra, and she says she loves how the solo violin soars over the orchestra in this newer version. Join us today to hear violinist Peter Herresthal and the Bergen Philharmonic play 'Dark with Excessive Bright' by Missy Mazzoli.