Performance Today®

It's one page of music shared among musicians, but Terry Riley's work "In C" contains infinite possibilities... including the ensembles that can play it. On today's show, hear Riley's work performed by the Apollo Chamber Players, along with the gorgeous sound of an instrument called the chitravina.

The Aspen Music Festival and School welcomes hundreds of the most talented young musicians from around the world. Half a dozen of them are chosen as winners of the Aspen Concerto Competitions. The young Samuel Glicklich won the piano concerto competition in 2019. On today's show, we'll hear his prize: Samuel Glicklich plays Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 on the Aspen mainstage with the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra.

The William Tell overture is iconic, but there are many more great musical moments from Rossini's opera. On today's show, hear a medley of some of those William Tell B-sides, from a concert in Colorado Springs. Plus, Bruce Adolphe with this weeks Piano Puzzler.

In 1916, critics complained that 26-year-old Sergei Prokofiev's music was too modern, too hard on the ears, and lacking a sense of history. So that summer Prokofiev left for vacation with a plan. On today's show, we'll hear Prokofiev's classically-inspired rebuttal, his Symphony No. 1, from a concert performance by the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, with Markand Thakar conducting.

During the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, a third of the world's population was infected and tens of millions of people died. On today's show, we'll explore music connected to that 1918 pandemic, including works by composers who survived, and others who did not. Plus a fascinating 2019 work by David Lang that we can all relate to today.

In 1932, George Gershwin enjoyed a vacation in Havana, Cuba. He came home with a set of bongos, a set of maracas, and inspiration for a new composition. On this episode of Performance Today we'll hear Gershwin's Cuban Overture, his souvenir from two weeks in Cuba.

Sisters Katia and Marielle Labeque have been playing as a piano duo for more than 50 years, and their playing and approach is as fresh as ever. On today's show, hear the Labeque sisters perform a new concerto for two pianos by Bryce Dessner.

In 1932, George Gershwin enjoyed a vacation in Havana, Cuba. He came home with a set of bongos, a set of maracas, and inspiration for a new composition. On this episode of Performance Today we'll hear Gershwin's Cuban Overture, his souvenir from two weeks in Cuba.

Austrian composer Anton Webern was 22 years old when he and his beloved went on a hike in the mountains outside Vienna. That hike inspired him to write a piece for string quartet, his Langsamer Satz. On today's show, we'll hear the Calidore String Quartet perform Webern's Langsamer Satz, from a concert at the Music@Menlo Festival.