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.
The group Tembembe Ensamble Continuo thrives in the territory where classical and folk overlap; their music is a rich blend of Spanish classical and Mexican folk music. On this weekend's Performance Today, we'll have music and conversation with these genre-defying musicians.
The Inland Seas is brand new music by composer Jeremy Turner. It's inspired by the Great Lakes, and is written for violin and mandolin. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll hear Chris Thile and James Ehnes give the world premiere of The Inland Seas in concert in Seattle.
Benjamin Grosvenor just turned 24, but he's already a veteran of concert halls around the world and is among the most insightful pianists of his generation. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll take you to hear Grosvenor give a majestic performance of music by Bach in concert at Spivey Hall.
In a recent concert in Vienna, pianist Yefim Bronfman was set to perform Bartok's Piano Concert No. 3. There was only one problem; he'd just gotten a bad cut on his finger. A consummate professional, he insisted on going through with the performance, despite the pain and inevitable bloodshed. On Wednesday's PT, we'll hear Bronfman give a much less bloody performance of that same piece.
He is thoughtful and precise, with a smart sense of humor, which makes him perfect for music by Mozart. Pianist Richard Goode teams up with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a concert performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27, on Tuesday's Performance Today.
Picture Death playing his malevolent fiddle in the graveyard on Halloween night. The skeletons rise and do their annual clattering dance until the sun comes up next morning. Get into the spirit with Danse Macabre, by Camille Saint-Saens on Monday's Performance Today.
With two trumpets and two trombones, The Westerlies defy musical typecasting. A little bit classical, a little bit jazz, and little bit folk music...and a lot of talent. Join us in the studio for music and conversation with The Westerlies on Saturday's Performance Today.
The trombone players in the Buffalo Philharmonic asked composer Eric Ewazen if he would write something especially for them. Ewazen loved the idea and came up with his Triple Concerto for Three Trombones and Orchestra. On Friday's Performance Today, we'll go to Buffalo to hear it in concert.
From a young age, Sam Shepherd has rejected the idea of neat, tidy musical categories. He studied classical piano growing up, but felt confined by what he calls the "dots on a page." It wasn't until he heard a performer really making a classical piece his own, breaking out of strictly classical feel, that he was hooked. Now, Shepherd writes music under the alias "Floating Points."
