Performance Today®

Trinidad is the home of the steel drum—or the steel pan as it's called locally. Every year at Carnival, Trinidad hosts Panorama, a showcase for the best steel pan ensembles. Composer and pianist Stewart Goodyear plays his take on Panorama on this episode of Performance Today.

For composer Jennifer Higdon, a commission isn't just about who pays for the piece; she views commissioning music as a way to empower people to share their voices and celebrate their communities. We'll learn more and hear the Merian Ensemble play Higdon's "The Sound of Light" on today's show.

Swedish composer and organist Elfrida Andrée was determined to do it all. She advocated for legal changes so women could work as organists and telegraph operators, and she wanted people to know that women could compose significant works. We'll hear Elfrida Andrée's Symphony No. 2 on this episode of Performance Today.

We're pleased to introduce one of our 2024 PT Young Artists in Residence: pianist Avery Gagliano. On today's show, Avery joins Fred Child for music and conversation at our Saint Paul studio. 

For composer Jennifer Higdon, a commission isn't just about who pays for the piece; she views commissioning music as a way to empower people to share their voices and celebrate their communities. We'll learn more and hear the Merian Ensemble play Higdon's "The Sound of Light" on today's show.

Violinist James Ehnes absolutely loves playing at the Grand Teton Music Festival. He says, "The physical beauty is beyond description, and the quality of music-making defies rational explanation." On today's show, we'll take you to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to hear Ehnes play Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1. 

The Aznavoorian sisters gave their first concert at a local church when cellist Ani was four and pianist Marta was eight. Ani and Marta have each grown up to have successful careers, and now, they're sharing a stage again. Join us to hear sisters Ani and Marta Aznavoorian play at a concert presented by the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida.

In 2022, the Apollo Chamber Players commissioned a work by composer Wang Jie. Wang Jie, also trained as an organist, wrote the piece for the unusual combination of pipe organ and string quartet. On today's show, we'll hear the Apollo Chamber Players and organist Daryl Robinson play the world premiere of The Night When You See Again by Wang Jie.

The great American writer James Baldwin was born 100 years ago. Baldwin's writing, and even much of his life, was connected to music. He once wrote, "Life comes out of music, and music comes out of life: without trusting the first, it is impossible to create the second." Join us today for a tribute to James Baldwin and what it means to be an artist and human being.