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.

On today's show, hear a piece by the great 20th century master of Argentine tango, Astor Piazzolla. The Anderson and Roe Piano Duo play a slow burn of a tango, Piazzolla's Oblivion, from a concert in Winona, Minnesota.

That first four notes of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 are so famous, the music becomes easy to ignore. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll pay attention to the rest of this symphony in its struggle, beauty and ultimately triumphant, golden sunshine moment of an ending.

Gil Shaham first played Prokofiev's second violin concerto when he was thirteen. 35 years later, he's still playing it. He says "it's a miracle of a piece." On this episode of Performance Today, we take you to a concert in Houston to hear Gil Shaham and the Houston Symphony play Prokofiev's "miracle." Elena See guest-hosts.

Of all the 21st century compositions we've played on PT, one piece has gotten the most rapturous response. It's music inspired by the beauty of the night sky... but also by the pain and violence of war. "Azul" by Osvaldo Golijov, featuring Yo-Yo Ma, on this episode of Performance Today.

In 2011, Philip Glass composed a seven movement piece specifically for violinist Tim Fain. Fain stopped by the PT studios and played some of it just for us. On this episode of Performance Today, hear Tim Fain perform the opening movement of Partita for Solo Violin by Philip Glass.

Gil Shaham first played Prokofiev's second violin concerto when he was thirteen. 35 years later, he's still playing it. He says "it's a miracle of a piece." On this episode of Performance Today, we take you to a concert in Houston to hear Gil Shaham and the Houston Symphony play Prokofiev's "miracle." Elena See guest-hosts.

In 1932, Aaron Copland went to an all-night dance hall in Mexico City. He saw a sign that read: "Please don't throw lighted cigarette butts on the floor so the ladies don't burn their feet." On today's show, hear music inspired by that stimulating dance-club from a concert at the Aspen Music Festival and School.