Performance Today®

Composer Edvard Grieg found tremendous inspiration in Norwegian history and folklore. His Lyric Pieces for piano are expressions of his country's places, stories, and people. On this episode of Performance Today, Joyce Yang brings those colorful works to life, from a concert in Seattle.

In New York City, a short walk to the shop down the street is often a journey through sounds from many different cultures. New York native Jessie Montgomery captures that soundscape in a piece called Coincident Dances. We'll hear it performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta, on this episode of Performance Today.

When Edgar Meyer was growing up, there was sort of a family tradition... his father and two uncles played the double bass. Now, Edgar Meyer is THE great double bass virtuoso of our time. On this episode of Performance Today, hear him play a Bottesini double bass concerto with the Nashville Symphony.

When Addison Maye-Saxon was in the 7th grade and choosing what to play, he didn't like cello or trumpet, so his teacher picked his instrument (and his future) for him. On this episode of Performance Today, hear music and conversation with trombonist Addison Maye-Saxon.

Right before the rains in the Sonoran Desert, trees turn their branches upward. Cacti reach for the heavens. Lightning and thunder are a prelude to the deluge. When the clouds release their rain, the desert sighs in relief. On this episode of Performance Today, joyful music called Sonoran Storm brings all of those images and sounds to life

When Edgar Meyer was growing up, there was sort of a family tradition... his father and two uncles played the double bass. Now, Edgar Meyer is THE great double bass virtuoso of our time. On this episode of Performance Today, hear him play a Bottesini double bass concerto with the Nashville Symphony.

The accordion can do a lot more than polka. It can croon a sweet serenade, add a bit of whimsy. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll hear accordionist Julien Labro express the more personal side of the accordion in a performance with guitarist Jason Vieaux in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Composer Clarice Assad was born and raised in Brazil, but has spent the last few decades in the United States. When she's asked where home is, she says "The Americas." On this episode of Performance Today, hear Assad's "Without Borders," performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta.

Hannah Lash knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a composer, but she hadn't yet learned how to read or write music. So, Hannah developed her own system for writing music using triangles, squiggles, and X's; a mishmash of symbols that only meant music to her. On this episode of Performance Today, hear pianist Jeremy Denk and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra premiere "In Pursuit of Flying," by American composer Hannah Lash.