Performance Today®

Luigi Boccherini was Italian, but he loved Spanish music. On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear full-on flamenco from a performance of Boccherini's Fandango Quintet.

One night, composer Eric Whitacre called his friend, poet Tony Silvestri. That very night, Silvestri stayed up with his three year old son; that experience inspired him to write a poem - a lullaby. On this weekend's Performance Today, we'll hear the musical result of Silvestri's sleepless night: Whitacre's modern classic, "Sleep."

Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 means different things to different people. Some hear a tender expression of love; others hear a lamentation after a terrible loss. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll talk about music and meaning, and we'll hear part of Mahler's evocative symphony from a concert in Basel, Switzerland.

Hector Del Curto's great-grandfather and grandfather both played tango in Buenos Aires. Now, he carries on that tradition, as one of today's great masters of tango. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll hear Del Curto play the bandoneon in concert at the Aspen Music Festival.

One night, composer Eric Whitacre called his friend, poet Tony Silvestri. That very night, Silvestri stayed up with his three year old son; that experience inspired him to write a poem - a lullaby. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll hear the musical result of Silvestri's sleepless night: Whitacre's modern classic, "Sleep."

Gustav Mahler got over a bad breakup, in part, by writing his Symphony No. 1. He confided to a friend: "The music begins where the love affair ends." On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear Mahler's First from a concert by the Cincinnati Symphony.

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro started playing ukulele when he was four years old. Over the past 20 or so years, he has redefined the limits of ukulele technique, style, and sound. On Monday, Shimabukuro joins us in the studio to talk about all things ukulele, and to play two of his solo pieces.

One hundred years ago, President Woodrow Wilson created a new bureau within the Department of the Interior: The National Park Service. On this weekend's PT, we'll celebrate this centennial with a special show, recorded live in Grand Teton National Park.

Every Friday, we feature new music composed in the 21st century. You've told us that's one of your favorite parts of the show - so we've added a PT podcast called "Music is Music." On today's PT, we'll hear new music from American composer Kenji Bunch, plus a sneak preview of our upcoming podcast episode.