Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

The Goldberg Variations experiment

The Goldberg Variations experiment

Pianist Andras Schiff recently said that Bach's Goldberg Variations sound best when played on harpsichord for an audience of one. But just two weeks after those comments, he was scheduled to play the Goldberg Variations on a modern piano for an audience of 5,000 in London. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll go to this year's BBC Proms in London to hear how it went.

Youlan Ji

Youlan Ji

Sixteen-year-old Youlan Ji was one of three finalists at this summer's Van Cliburn Junior Piano Competition. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll hear her give a stunning performance of a piano sonata by Beethoven. Plus, more highlights from the 2015 BBC Proms in London.

Haydn's misplaced music

Haydn's misplaced music

You know how you sometimes put something down and then can't remember where you left it? It happens to us all -- even composers. In the 1760s, Joseph Haydn lost a cello concerto. And that concerto was missing until the 1960s, a two full centuries later! On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear a performance of Haydn's long-lost Cello Concerto from a concert in Los Angeles.

Juicy violin stuff

Juicy violin stuff

American violinist Joshua Bell recently called Alexander Glazunov's Violin Concerto "real juicy violin stuff." On Monday's Performance Today, we'll take a musical trip to Cincinnati to hear Bell play that concerto in concert with the Cincinnati Symphony.

Irrepressible choral energy

Irrepressible choral energy

On this weekend's Performance Today, we'll hear recent concert highlights from Copenhagen, Texas, and Los Angeles. Plus, the irrepressible energy of the Young Peoples' Chorus of New York City as they join Fred in the PT studios.

The Young Peoples' Chorus of New York City

The Young Peoples' Chorus of New York City

On Friday's Performance Today, we'll hear recent concert highlights from Warsaw, Seattle, Virginia, and Los Angeles. Plus, the irrepressible energy of the Young Peoples' Chorus of New York City as they join Fred in the PT studios.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 1

Beethoven's Symphony No. 1

This year marks the 215th anniversary of the premiere Beethoven's Symphony No. 1. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll hear it from a concert in Houston. Plus, the Vienna Philharmonic plays waltz by Josef Strauss -- his Music of the Spheres.

Visions from Another World

Visions from Another World

Inspired by a set of drawings by 19th century French caricaturist and cartoonist J.J. Grandville, Canadian-American composer Karim Al-Zand wrote a fantastical piece called "Visions from Another World."

Steven Osborne

Steven Osborne

Pianist Steven Osborne practices, of course. But he also believes in sometimes getting away from music, in order to broaden his life and avoid impoverishing his musical voice. On Wednesday's Performance today, we'll hear Osborne give a live performance of several etudes by Rachmaninoff.

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