Performance Today®

Musician/composer Simon Shaheen grew up in Israel, became a master of Arabic music, and moved to New York in 1980 where he was immersed in a kaleidoscope of vibrant cultures and sounds. On Tuesday's Performance Today, Imani Winds play Dance Mediterranea by Simon Shaheen, in a concert from the Beaches Fine Arts series in Jacksonville, Florida.

Gabriela Montero has been playing the Piano Concerto by Edvard Grieg since she was 11 (c. 1981). Her original copy of the music, the one she has used for over 30 years, is decorated with the Hello Kitty stickers of an 11 year-old girl. The Venezuelan pianist is now 46, and she just recently bought a new copy of the music. On Monday's Performance Today, the ever-youthful Gabriela Montero performs Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Houston Symphony, Andres Orozco-Estrada conducting.

Percussionist and food writer Molly Yeh co-hosts a special episode of Performance Today.

Fifteen-year-old Ray Ushikubo has been playing both the piano and violin for nearly 10 years. Since his first solo orchestral debut at the age of 10, he has performed with world-renowned artists and orchestras, including pianist Lang Lang, and the Los Angeleles Chamber Orchestra. Music and conversation with Ray Ushikubo, our PT Young Artist in Residence, on this weekend's Performance Today.

"Tales of Hemingway" by Michael Daugherty won THREE Grammys this year. It's a dramatic musical tour through the life and literature of Ernest Hemingway, ending with a bullfight scene from "The Sun Also Rises." On Friday's Performance Today, travel back into Hemingway's Lost Generation as the Nashville Symphony plays "Tales of Hemingway" by Michael Daugherty.

Mexican quintet Tembembe Ensamble Continuo thrives in the territory where classical and folk overlap. Their music is a rich blend of Spanish classical and Mexican folk. On Thursday's Performance Today, join us for music and conversation with Tembembe Ensamble Continuo.

Fifteen-year-old Ray Ushikubo has been playing both the piano and violin for nearly 10 years. Since his first solo orchestral debut at the age of 10, he has performed with world-renowned artists and orchestras, including pianist Lang Lang, and the Los Angeleles Chamber Orchestra. We'll introduce Ray Ushikubo, our PT Young Artist in Residence, on Wednesday's Performance Today.

Listen to in-studio interviews with pianist and violinist Ray Ushikubo and host Fred Child as well as exclusive musical performances.

According to conductor JoAnn Falletta, many orchestras only explore the tip of the musical iceberg, leaving a vast amount of repertoire quietly boxed away. On Tuesday's Performance Today, Falletta joins Fred in the studio to co-host a special hour of PT, and to discuss her thoughts on musical repertoire, conducting, and more.