Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

A glimpse into the NY Phil archives

A glimpse into the NY Phil archives

Barbara Haws has been the New York Philharmonic's Archivist/Historian since 1984. On this weekend's Performance Today, Haws shares stories and memories of the great American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Images of Bernstein

Images of Bernstein

Barbara Haws has been the New York Philharmonic's Archivist/Historian since 1984. On Friday's Performance Today, Haws shares stories and memories of the great American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Music by a teenage amateur

Music by a teenage amateur

Franz Schubert composed his fourth symphony in his spare time... when he was just 19 years old. The symphony wasn't performed by an orchestra until 20 years after his death. On Thursday's Performance Today, Louis Langree conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Schubert's Symphony No. 4.

Ferde Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite

Ferde Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite

When composer Ferde Grofe was in his twenties, he went camping at the Grand Canyon, and later translated his experience into music. Experience the wonder of the Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofe, from a concert in Buffalo, on Wednesday's Performance Today.

The power and danger of art

The power and danger of art

In the 1930's, artistic expression in the Soviet Union could be a very risky proposition. On Tuesday's Performance Today, tune in for a story about the danger of art, with evocative music by composer and survivor Dmitri Shostakovich.

The Brazilian Mozart

The Brazilian Mozart

Mozart Guarnieri's father was an opera buff who named his kids after composers... his brothers were named Rossine and Verde. On Monday's Performance today, take a seat at Lincoln Center for a performance of "Three Dances for Orchestra" by Brazilian composer Mozart Camargo Guarnieri.

Malcolm Arnold

Malcolm Arnold

Scholar Paul Harris found a note about a lost wind quintet by composer Malcolm Arnold, and was saddened at the thought of not being able to hear it. But then, the lost manuscript was found! The story and the music... Malcolm Arnold's Wind Quintet on this weekend's Performance Today.

Ewazen's triple trombone concerto

Ewazen's triple trombone concerto

The trombone players in the Buffalo Philharmonic asked composer Eric Ewazen if he would write something especially for them. Ewazen loved the idea and came up with his Triple Concerto for Three Trombones and Orchestra. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll go to Buffalo to hear it in concert.

Great food, music, and a special guest

Great food, music, and a special guest

On Thursday's Performance Today, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of The Splendid Table, joins us for a musical and culinary Thanksgiving. She and Fred talk about the powerful memories that come from great food and music, and share things the things for which they feel especially grateful.