Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

Brahms' sunny Symphony No. 2

Brahms' sunny Symphony No. 2

When Johannes Brahms sent the manuscript of his Symphony No. 2 to his publisher, he included a note that said: "I have never written anything so sad." As it turned out, Brahms was joking. On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear selections of his upbeat second symphony from a concert in Los Angeles.

Lemony Snicket's favorite music

Lemony Snicket's favorite music

His fans call him Lemony Snicket. His parents call him Daniel, and they raised him on a diet of classical music. On this weekend's Performance Today, Lemony Snicket joins Fred in the studio with some of his favorite pieces of music.

Daniel Handler

Daniel Handler

Daniel Handler can choose the perfect music for ANY situation... just ask.

Friend of Fred: Lemony Snicket

Friend of Fred: Lemony Snicket

His fans call him Lemony Snicket. His parents call him Daniel, and they raised him on a diet of classical music. On this Friday's Performance Today, Lemony Snicket joins Fred in the studio with some of his favorite pieces of music.

The 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition

The 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition

This spring, the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels featured a dozen pianists in the final round; Lukas Vondracek was the winner. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll hear his dazzling final round performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 begins with the most famous four notes in music, and then continues on an epic thirty minute journey from darkness to light. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll hear Andres Orozco-Estrada lead the Houston Symphony in concert in Beethoven's Fifth.

Saint-Saens' Egyptian Concerto

Saint-Saens' Egyptian Concerto

During a trip down the Nile, French composer Camille Saint-Saens was captivated by an old Nubian song. In fact, he was so inspired by the tune that he transformed it into a piano concerto. On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear pianist Stephen Hough and the Nashville Symphony play that very piece; Saint-Saens' Egyptian Concerto.

Nielsen's dangerously fun symphony

Nielsen's dangerously fun symphony

When Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 1 premiered in 1894, one critic said it was "ruthless but innocent - like a child playing with dynamite." On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear Nielsen's dangerously fun symphony from a concert at the Aspen Music Festival.

Trolls, goblins, and gnomes

Trolls, goblins, and gnomes

Trolls, goblins, and gnomes. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll join them all in the Hall of the Mountain King, when we hear Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite performed at the Artosphere Festival. Then, we'll head to New York to hear two special pieces: one old, one new...but both blue.

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