Performance Today®

Nahre Sol is a classically-trained pianist, teacher, and composer. Her videos on music theory and composition have gone viral recently. On this episode of Performance Today, join us as Nahre Sol guest-hosts the show, sharing her own music and music that inspires her.

Composer Matthew Jackfert spent six months in the seaside city of Qingdao, China. Memories of the waves and wind and local culture stuck with him. On this episode of Performance Today, hear "On the Shores of Qingdao," by Matthew Jackfert, from a concert by the West Virginia University Symphony Orchestra.

Composer Lalo Schifrin is 87 years old and going strong. You might not immediately recognize his name, but you probably know his music. He's had a wide ranging career, from composing film scores to playing classical piano, and even a stint playing tango with fellow Argentinian Astor Piazzolla. On today's show, hear the Imani Winds play "La Nouvelle New Orleans," by Lalo Schifrin.

In the Celtic Tradition, the Holy Spirit is represented as a bird. Not an elegant and refined bird, but a wild goose... an untamed creature that is difficult to catch and completely unpredictable. On today's show, hear the United States Marine Band play An Ge Fhiain (The Wild Goose), by Ryan George.

In the classical music of North India, there are moments when singers really cut loose and show their vocal virtuosity. It's called a "tarana." Composer Reena Esmail has brought that idea and sound into a Western ensemble. Hear Tuttarana, by Reena Esmail, on this episode of Performance Today.

On September 12, 1962, President John F Kennedy gave a speech encouraging the nation to pursue projects and dreams "not because they are easy, but because they are hard." Composer Michael Gandolfi wrote a new work with that idea in mind. Join us for music that celebrates the courage to fight for change, on this episode of Performance Today.

In 2017, as debates about immigration escalated, composer Valerie Coleman added her voice by writing a piece for wind quartet. She wrote an anthem of support, declaring a person's right live the American Dream. On today's episode, we'll hear "A Right to Be" by Valerie Coleman.

Composer Maurice Greene and George Frederic Handel had a relatively pleasant relationship... until Greene got a job that Handel had wanted. Music by Maurice Greene, frenemy of George Frederic Handel, on this episode of Performance Today.

On September 12, 1962, President John F Kennedy gave a speech encouraging the nation to pursue projects and dreams "not because they are easy, but because they are hard." Composer Michael Gandolfi wrote a new work with that idea in mind. Join us for music that celebrates the courage to fight for change, on this episode of Performance Today.