Performance Today®

Her name was Dulcinea, and she is the inspiration in one of the great stories of all time: Don Quixote by Cervantes. Dulcinea doesn't even appear in the novel, but just the idea of her fuels everything that Don Quixote does. On this episode of Performance Today, tune in for "Don Quixote y Dulcinea" by Hungarian composer Gyorgy Ranki.

The young Beethoven borrowed a song that everybody was singing in Vienna, a tune from a popular opera. Beethoven made it very much his own by writing nine playful variations. On today's show, hear an all-star performance of Beethoven's Gassenhauer Trio, from a concert in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Composer Sheridan Seyfried wrote a double concerto for two violin-playing brothers, Timothy and Nikki Chooi. Seyfried wanted to express their special bond AND their individual personalities. On today's episode, hear an expression of what it means to be family: Sheridan Seyfried's Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra.

On this episode of Performance Today, hear a composition by Valerie Coleman named "Portraits of Josephine"... inspired by the life and times of one of the most famous entertainers of the 20th Century: Josephine Baker.

Get your daily dose of musical refreshment with a stunning performance by flutist Mimi Stillman and the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. On today's show, hear them play Cecile Chaminade's Concertino for Flute and Orchestra, from a concert in Durham, North Carolina.

Composer Sheridan Seyfried wrote a double concerto for two violin-playing brothers, Timothy and Nikki Chooi. Seyfried wanted to express their special bond AND their individual personalities. On today's episode, hear an expression of what it means to be family: Sheridan Seyfried's Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra.

Late in his life, Gustav Mahler was Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. That special relationship between Mahler and New York resonates to our time. On today's show, hear the New York Philharmonic, in concert, with an intimate and epic performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 7.

Florence Price's Piano Concerto has only been performed a handful of times. Pianist Michelle Cann wants to change that, and she commissioned a new version for piano quintet. It's intimate and powerful, and we can't wait to share it with you. On today's show, hear this new arrangement of the Piano Concerto by Florence Price.

French composer Louise Farrenc had a formidable career in Paris in the 1800s, as a pianist, composer, and teacher. On today's show, we'll explore the life and work of Louise Farrenc. Fred Child speaks with pianist Joanne Polk about her love for Farrenc's music. Also, Bruce Adolphe has this week's piano puzzler.