Performance Today®

With the right kind of radio you can sometimes hear the sound of nearby lightning. Some of those sounds are called whistler waves. On this episode of Performance Today, hear a new concerto by Caroline Mallonee, inspired by lightning...and whistler waves.

Composer Arnold Schoenberg liked the Piano Quartet No. 1 by Johannes Brahms, but he decided that it needed a few changes. Schoenberg arranged the quartet for orchestra and threw out the piano part entirely. On this episode Performance Today, hear Schoenberg's orchestral makeover of the Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1, from a concert at the Aspen Music Festival.

In pop music, it's Beyonce and Jay-Z. Here in the classical world, our big power couple is Wu Han and David Finckel. They work together and play together. On this episode of Performance Today, hear some of the musical magic they created at the Minnesota Beethoven Festival.

Sol Gabetta plays cello with intelligence, emotion, and a lively wit. She lives in Switzerland, and her career is mainly in Europe. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll hear from a concert Sol Gabetta gave here in the states with the Houston Symphony.

An important discipline in the classical tradition is to be TRUE to the notes written by the composer. That said, it's simply stunning when classical musicians can improvise. On this episode of Performance Today, pianist Gabriela Montero improvises an encore, from a concert in Houston.

Getting cozy. Appreciating the simple pleasures of life and the people around you. That's all part of the Danish concept called hygge. On this episode of Performance Today, the Danish Quartet shares some musical hygge and tells you how to hygge in your own home.

When composer Joan Tower was a young girl, her father was a mining engineer. The family moved from New York to Bolivia for his work. On this episode of Performance Today, find out how young Joan spent her time while her father was in the mines, then we'll hear her piece called Copperwave.

Francisco Nunez is the artistic director and founder of the Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC), an ensemble with a mission to provide children of all cultural and economic backgrounds with music education. Learn more about Francisco Nunez and the YPC on today's episode of Performance Today.

Getting cozy. Appreciating the simple pleasures of life and the people around you. That's all part of the Danish concept called hygge. On this episode of Performance Today, the Danish Quartet shares some musical hygge and tells you how to hygge in your own home.