Performance Today®

with host Valerie Kahler

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.

All Episodes

Clarice Assad

Clarice Assad

In 2011, composer Clarice Assad wove together a dozen tunes by Bach. The violas and cellos play the melodies, so it's called the "Suite for Lower Strings, based on themes of Bach." On Monday's Performance Today, we'll hear this 18th century-inspired modern music from a concert in San Francisco.

Who?

Who?

On this weekend's Performance Today, Camerata Pacifica plays a witty trio by 20th century English composer Madeleine Dring. Never heard of her? Join us to explore great music by composers whose work deserves to be heard more often.

Highlights from around the world

Highlights from around the world

On Friday's Performance Today, we'll hear highlights from around the world. Pianist Stephen Hough plays a soulful Chopin waltz in concert in London; the Vienna Philharmonic plays a lively Strauss polka in concert in their hometown; and Michael Tilson Thomas conducts a cast of 500 in a symphony by Mahler in San Francisco.

Lydia Artymiw

Lydia Artymiw

Pianist Lydia Artymiw says that playing well with other musicians takes more than practice. On Thursday's Performance Today, Artymiw and the Miami String Quartet join us in the studio for a more in depth conversation, plus a performance of music by Ernst von Dohnanyi.

In studio with Lydia Artymiw and the Miami String Quartet
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Schumann's horn-heavy concertstuck

Schumann's horn-heavy concertstuck

Robert Schumann wrote a piece that features four horns playing flat out over an orchestra. It's not played very often, because you need four super-talented horn players to pull it off. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll hear a performance of Schumann's horn-heavy concertstuck from an all-star concert in Aspen, Colorado.

Lang Lang and the piece of the century

Lang Lang and the piece of the century

Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 might be the most popular piece of classical music from the last century and a half. And on Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear it played by a gentleman who might be today's most popular classical pianist - Lang Lang.

Who?

Who?

On Monday's Performance Today, Camerata Pacifica plays a witty trio by 20th century English composer Madeleine Dring. Never heard of her? Join us to explore great music by composers whose work deserves to be heard more often.

YourClassical

Music for improvisation

Matthias Maute loves music from the early 1700s - partly because composers generally didn't write everything out. As he puts it, "you get only the melodies, and everything else must be invented." On this weekend's Performance Today, Maute and the rest of the ensemble REBEL join Fred in the studio for baroque music with a certain amount of improvisation.

YourClassical Radio
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