Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

Pierre Jalbert: Passage

Pierre Jalbert: Passage

Composer Pierre Jalbert recently wrote a piece as a response to Beethoven's Symphony No. 4. But if listeners don't pick up on that connection, that's alright by Jalbert. He's more focused on other goals. On today's show, hear the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's world premiere performance of the Passage, by Pierre Jalbert.

A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon

Grab your dancing shoes and dust off your spacesuit. On today's show, we're going on a musical "Trip to the Moon" with composer Jacques Offenbach and the group WindSync.

Behzad Ranjbaran: Viola Concerto

Behzad Ranjbaran: Viola Concerto

Composer Behzad Ranjbaran says of all the instruments in the orchestra, the viola is the voice of wisdom, moderation, and prudence. And it has flair and brilliance as well. On today's show, we'll hear a concerto Ranjbaran wrote for the musical voice of wisdom, from a concert with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.

A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon

Grab your dancing shoes and dust off your spacesuit. On today's show, we're going on a musical "Trip to the Moon" with composer Jacques Offenbach and the group WindSync.

Dances in the Canebrakes

Dances in the Canebrakes

In 1953, Florence Price wrote some dances for piano. She died unexpectedly shortly after that. One of her old friends turned her piano dances into a set of works for orchestra. On today's show, hear the world premiere of Dances in the Canebrakes, by Florence Price, orchestrated by William Grant Still.

Belinda Reynolds: Play

Belinda Reynolds: Play

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: hear "Play," by Belinda Reynolds.

Music for a dear friend

Music for a dear friend

Composer Gillian Whitehead was beginning to write a new piece when she got heartbreaking news: a dear friend of hers had cancer...and it quickly took her friend's life. On today's show, music dedicated to a dear friend: "No Stars, Not Even Clouds" by Gillian Whitehead.

Tessa Lark

Tessa Lark

Tessa Lark is an acclaimed classical violinist, but she's also highly adept at other musical traditions. On this episode of Performance Today, hear Tessa Lark perform her "Appalachian Fantasy," new music with classical and folk roots. Guest-hosted by Nick Canellakis.

Holy smokes

Holy smokes

Charlie Albright was a Young Artist in Residence here on Performance Today back in 2011. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Rockport, Massachusetts, to hear Charlie Albright give a jaw-dropping performance of "Variations" by Nikolai Kapustin.