Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
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Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

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Thomas Sondergard

Thomas Sondergard

Thomas Sondergard first conducted the Minnesota Orchestra in December 2021, immediately establishing a rapport with musicians and audiences. He was appointed as the Orchestra's 11th music director in July 2022. One of the highlights of his first season was a series of concerts featuring music by LGBTQ+ composers. Learn more about Thomas Sondergard on this episode of Performance Today.

Paul Wiancko: Cities of Air

Paul Wiancko: Cities of Air

During the pandemic, when concert halls were closed, cellist and composer Paul Wiancko was overflowing with ideas. Wiancko says he filled a new piece he was working on with feelings of love, fantasy, and the joy of being together. Join us today to hear ‘Cities of Air’ by Paul Wiancko at a concert in Charleston, South Carolina.

Hannah Kendall: The Spark Catchers

Hannah Kendall: The Spark Catchers

In 2017, Composer Hannah Kendall wrote a piece inspired by a poem about women who worked in match factories in the 1800s. The piece, aptly titled The Spark Catchers, is full of kinetic energy and driving rhythms. On today's show, we'll hear The Spark Catchers by Hannah Kendall.

The Art of Fugue

The Art of Fugue

In the last decade of his life, Johann Sebastian Bach worked on a vast exploration of the fugue, but he never finished the final section of the piece. Tune in today to hear the Danish String Quartet play J.S. Bach's extraordinary and unfinished “The Art of Fugue.”

PT Weekend: Petrushka, for solo piano

PT Weekend: Petrushka, for solo piano

When a piece is well-written for orchestra, sometimes a piano version can feel slightly empty. Today, we’ll hear pianist Ilya Shmukler play one of those piano versions, but this one has a percussive pianistic quality that makes it lovable: Stravinsky's Petrushka for solo piano.

Tan Dun

Tan Dun

Composer Tan Dun grew up in the province of Hunan, China. His community practiced a ritual called “ghost opera,” a way of communicating with spirits of the past, future, and nature. On today’s show, we’ll hear a concerto by Tan Dun, inspired by the Chinese ‘ghost opera’ ritual.

Ilya Gringolts

Ilya Gringolts

When violinist Ilya Gringolts was a kid in the USSR, his first teacher told him to quit the violin because he had no talent. Fortunately, he didn't let that stop him. Now, he's THRIVING. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Switzerland to hear Ilya Gringolts play Pablo de Sarasate's Spanish Dances.

Stravinsky's Petrushka - for solo piano

Stravinsky's Petrushka - for solo piano

When a piece is well-written for orchestra, sometimes a piano version can feel slightly empty. Today, we’ll hear pianist Ilya Shmukler play one of those piano versions, but this one has a percussive pianistic quality that makes it lovable: Stravinsky's Petrushka for solo piano.

Wood Notes

Wood Notes

In 1948, American composer William Grant Still was inspired by some poems about the natural beauty of the American South. On this episode of Performance Today, take a break with us and hear Wood Notes, William Grant Still's work of quiet musical contemplation.

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