Performance Today®

Producer Meghann Oglesby caught up with one-half of the Grammy award-winning Catalyst Quartet at the 2023 Grand Canyon Music Festival. Cellist Karlos Rodriguez and violist Paul Laraia share their thoughts on what's special about GCMF.

Tessa Lark is a uniquely American violinist. She has classical conservatory training and grew up playing the fiddle in her family bluegrass band in Kentucky. On today’s show, Tessa Lark shares two sides of herself with a sonata by Eugene Ysaye and a new piece named “The Ysaye Shuffle” by none other than Tessa Lark!

Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 is a massive piece—more than 80 minutes from beginning to end. Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin says the symphony is akin to entering a vast canyon. As you listen to Bruckner, he says, "Accept that space and time are different. It is not about the micro event but the grand line. Just breathe in, breathe out, and feel the connection of that music to the harmony of the universe." Join us to hear conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin lead the finale to Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland.

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.