Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

Test your musical wits

Test your musical wits

Every week on our Piano Puzzler, composer Bruce Adolphe re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a classical composer. Play along on Wednesday's Performance Today to see if you can guess the tune and the composer whose style Bruce is mimicking.

Concierto de Aranjuez

Concierto de Aranjuez

Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez is one of the great concertos of the 20th century, and one of the most beloved pieces in all of classical music. On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear Pepe Romero and the Los Angeles Philharmonic play it in concert in Los Angeles.

Legendary swan songs

Legendary swan songs

On Monday's Performance Today, we're featuring final concert performances by three 20th century legends: violinist Nathan Milstein, conductor Leonard Bernstein, and pianist Vladimir Horowitz.

The Butterfly Lovers

The Butterfly Lovers

The Butterfly Lovers is often considered the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. It's the story of two star-crossed lovers who, after their tragic deaths, are reincarnated and reunited as butterflies. On this weekend's Performance Today we'll hear a musical interpretation of this tale performed by Gil Shaham and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

The Butterfly Lovers

The Butterfly Lovers

The Butterfly Lovers is often considered the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. It's the story of two star-crossed lovers who, after their tragic deaths, are reincarnated and reunited as butterflies. On Friday's Performance Today we'll hear a musical interpretation of this tale performed by Gil Shaham and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

New Year's Day

New Year's Day

It wouldn't be New Year's Day without highlights from the annual New Year's concert in Vienna. On Thursday's Performance Today, we'll go to the Musikverein to hear a sparkling Strauss waltz for the New Year.

Top musical moments of 2014

Top musical moments of 2014

2014 has been a great year for classical music. To celebrate the last day of the year, we'll hear your picks for the top musical moments of 2014, including a Piano Puzzler; the Pulitzer Prize-winning piece, Become Ocean; a knockout performance of Rhapsody in Blue; and an onstage marriage proposal.

Classical music and video games

Classical music and video games

On Tuesday's Performance Today, Emily Reese of Top Score Podcast joins Fred in the studio to discuss the classical roots of modern video game music.

Taneyev's Symphony No. 4

Taneyev's Symphony No. 4

Sergei Taneyev's Symphony No. 4 is a great piece of Romantic Russian music, and it's not played nearly often enough. On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra play it in concert in Rotterdam.

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