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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at 

Hosted by Valerie Kahler, Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country.

Shows

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Valerie Kahler

Kathryn Slusher is the senior producer of Performance Today, where she leads programming and production for the show. In her spare time, she enjoys the vibrant Twin Cities music and theater scene, and loves to read, hike and spend time with her family.


Senior Producer

Kathryn Slusher

As a Producer for Performance Today, Meghann chooses music to broadcast on the show, writes web articles and scripts, facilitates, conducts and edits interviews, creates video content and manages PT’s social media pages. She created Performance Today’s Black History Spotlight Series and the My Name is Series to highlight Black classical musicians. Meghann is also the producer for the PT Young Artist in Residence Series. In her free time, she is a mom, a part-time actress and fashion lover.

Meghann also created and hosted “Wondrous Strange”, a national radio program about uncommon musical instruments, she is the official underwriting voice for ‘The New York Times’ The Daily, and she can occasionally be heard guest-hosting Performance Today.


Producer

Meghann Oglesby

As an Associate Producer for Performance Today, Kathleen Bradbury writes scripts and assists with external communications. In her spare time, she likes to read fiction, lift heavy weights at the gym, and frolic about in nature. But above all else, Kathleen loves to sing Broadway showtunes--much to the delight of her wife, her infant son, and her rescue dog.


Kathleen Bradbury

Jon Gohman is an associate producer for Performance Today. He is responsible for various behind-the-scenes functions, including liaising with artists and creating materials for national distribution. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing the guitar, and thinking about Langrange points.


Associate Producer

Jon Gohman

Craig Thorson is the Technical Director for Performance Today. In addition to mastering the live music recordings that are programmed for each daily program, he records guest performances and interviews. Craig enjoys skiing, tennis, and bicycling, and boating.


Technical Director

Craig Thorson

Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.


Technical Producer

YourClassical MPR

Jeanne Barron

American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution. 


Dani Werner

In studio with The Westerlies

Listen to the brass quartet The Westerlies perform original compositions from their album live in our studio.


Performance Today Features

c Michael George Photography 20

21 year-old American pianist George Li is already a regular at the prestigious Verbier Festival in Switzerland.  In a highlight from the 2016 festival, he gives a thrilling performance of the Piano Concerto No. 2, by Camille Saint-Saens, on Monday's Performance Today.


Performance Today®

Christian Steiner

George Li at the Verbier Festival

On Saturday's Performance Today, we'll hear from two inspiring young artists, 24 year-old guitarist Chaconne Klaverenga and, our PT Young Artist in Residence, 16 year-old violinist Phoenix Avalon.  Also featured, this week's Piano Puzzler with Bruce Adolphe.


MPR/Courtney Perry

Artistry is ageless

Franz Liszt wrote a piano sonata in a fit of artistic rapture after reading Dante's "Divine Comedy," the epic 14th century poem about heaven and hell.  Join the audience as pianist Paul Lewis gives a virtuosic performance of Liszt's Dante Sonata on Friday's Performance Today.


Public Domain / CC

Liszt's 'Dante Sonata'

It's a snapshot of today's classical music scene - we'll have highlights from recent concerts in Paris, Brussels, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, as well as from concert halls across the United States.  And, it's day-two with our Young Artist in Residence, 16 year-old violinist Phoenix Avalon, on Thursday's Performance Today.


Luis Guilherme Fernandes Pereira / Wikimedia Creative Commons

Musical snapshots

Phoenix Avalon knew he wanted to play the violin before he even really knew how to say it.  Meet 16-year-old Phoenix Avalon, PT's Young Artist in Residence, on Wednesday's Performance Today.


Will Keeler

Phoenix Avalon

Phoenix Avalon Interview Part 1

Phoenix Avalon Interview Part 2

Phoenix Avalon Interview Part 3

Listen to in-studio interviews with host Fred Child and exclusive musical performances by violinist Phoenix Avalon and pianist Hsin-I Huang.


Freds Favorites

Young Artist in Residence: Phoenix Avalon

The final movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 is epic.  30 minutes of emotional energy that bursts with dramatic tension, culminating in three powerful hammer blows.  We'll hear the Boston Symphony perform it in concert, with conductor Andris Nelsons, on Tuesday's Performance Today.


Andris Nelsons leads Boston Symphony Orchestra

Marco Borggreve

Mahler's Symphony No. 6

With some reluctance, Frederic Chopin left Poland for Vienna at the age of 20, carrying an urn filled with soil from his beloved home country.  He never returned to Poland, but the composer, literally and musically, was never far from his homeland.  In 1849, Chopin was laid to rest at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, and the urn from Poland is still at his side.  On Monday's Performance Today, hear Wu Han in concert, playing Frederic Chopin's Polonaise in B-flat Major.
