When deadlines are tight and work is stressful, the baby also starts crying. But for composer Valerie Coleman, her newborn's need for comfort created "unexpected serenity." On this episode of PT, we'll hear a trio written with a baby in one hand and a pen in the other: Rubispheres by Valerie Coleman. Plus, Brude Adolphe has this week’s piano puzzler!
In 1890, French composer Ernest Chausson wrote a wild piece that's difficult to put in one tidy box. It's part violin concerto, part piano concerto, and part sextet. It’s a great piece that isn’t played often enough. Tune in today to listen to a live performance of the Chamber Concerto by Ernest Chausson from the annual Verbier Festival in Verbier, Switzerland.
Sharon Isbin is a master of Western classical music. Amjad Ali Khan is a master of Indian classical music. Together, they're building musical and cultural bridges. Join us at a concert in Aspen for a highlight from Sharon Isbin's and Amjad Ali Khan's Strings for Peace project.
When deadlines are tight and work is stressful, the baby also starts crying. But for composer Valerie Coleman, her newborn's need for comfort created "unexpected serenity." On this episode of PT, we'll hear a trio written with a baby in one hand and a pen in the other: Rubispheres by Valerie Coleman.
You can write about history with words, of course, but if you're writing about music history, why not compose a piece of music? Composer Astor Piazzolla told a story about the history of tango without a word. We'll hear a chapter from his 'History of Tango' on today's show.
For many, seeing an extraordinary celestial event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On this episode of Performance Today, we'll celebrate today's total eclipse with celestial music, including a musical reference to a total eclipse from eight centuries ago. We'll hear the overture to Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor.
Franz Schreker was an innovative Austrian composer in the early 1900s, but the Third Reich banned Schreker's music along with that of many other composers of Jewish origin. Now, some orchestras are reviving his music. We'll hear Franz Schreker's distinctive 'Kammersymphonie' ('Chamber Symphony') on today's show, with Alan Gilbert conducting the SummerFest Chamber Orchestra in La Jolla, California. Plus, Bruce Adolphe has this week’s Piano Puzzler!
Pianists and violinists can make a living as professional classical music freelancers, but an oboist? That's a real rarity. James Austin Smith is a pioneering oboist in so many ways. On today's show, we'll hear James Austin Smith in concert at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.
Marc-Andre Hamelin is one of the most celebrated and respected pianists of our time. His performances are known for their brilliance, technical mastery, and deep musicality. On today's show, we'll hear Hamelin play one of the world’s most challenging piano compositions: Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29, the Hammerklavier.
Share your question or comment about Performance Today. Individual questions and themes may be answered or incorporated into future episodes or digital updates.
