Performance Today®

Ever played that game using the letters of musical notes to spell words? Composer Belinda Reynolds used that idea when she wrote a piece for piano and two marimbas. On today's show, it's a musical spelling game: "Play" by Belinda Reynolds.

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.

The movie "The Red Violin" follows one particular violin for centuries. It passes from one owner to another, leaving a rather bloody trail behind. John Corigliano wrote the lush and haunting music for the film. On today's show, hear violinist Bella Hristova play highlights from the Corigliano's score at the Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival.

Composer Louis Spohr came up with the idea of a double quartet; not really an octet, but two string quartets, side by side, having a musical conversation. On today's episode, hear Louis Spohr's Double String Quartet No. 1, from a concert at the Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival.

In the spring of 1968, conductor Paul Freeman ran into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Atlanta airport. Their brief conversation was one he never forgot. On this episode of Performance Today, hear about that life-changing encounter in our musical celebration of Dr. King's life and legacy.

David Baker was a legendary trombonist until his jaw was injured in a car accident. After that, he learned to play the cello and immersed himself in composing and teaching. David Baker's story, plus we'll hear from his piano trio Roots II, on this episode of Performance Today.

Imagine standing at the edge of a frozen lake in Alaska. The air is so cold it's painful to breathe, but at the same time, you see vast forests and a majestic mountain glowing in the sunrise. Music inspired by the the awesome landscape of Denali, on this episode of Performance Today.

Petrushka is a character who goes back hundreds of years... an aggressive court jester who is most happy when he's hurting someone. On today's show, Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Philharmonic in a performance of Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka... a fun and scary puppet show where we don't really know who's pulling the strings.

David Baker was a legendary trombonist until his jaw was injured in a car accident. After that, he learned to play the cello and immersed himself in composing and teaching. David Baker's story, plus we'll hear from his piano trio Roots II, on this episode of Performance Today.