Performance Today®

French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie joins host Fred Child to talk about coaxing nuance out of a percussive instrument, and to perform music by Wagner.

American mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall is a big fan of both bluegrass and Bach. So when the New Century Chamber Orchestra asked him to write a new piece, he drew on these two musical styles for inspiration. On Wednesday's Performance Today we'll hear the resulting piece, Marshall's Mandolin Concerto No. 1.

It's been a busy spring for 20-year-old American pianist Conrad Tao; he's given concerts in China, all around the US, and in Europe. On Tuesday's Performance Today we'll catch up with Tao in concert in Stockholm, Sweden, where we'll hear him play George Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F.

The Cleveland Orchestra was set to play at Carnegie Hall in New York. The day before the concert, their big-name soloist got sick and had to cancel his appearance. With 24 hours notice, Gil Shaham stepped in to play the Brahms Violin Concerto. We'll hear him play highlights from that concert on Monday's Performance Today.

Our newest Young Artist in Residence has been going to rehearsals since before she was born. On this weekend's Performance Today violinist Robyn Bollinger joins Fred in the studio to talk about her musical history, and to perform Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 22.

Johann Sebastian Bach's Violin Partita No. 2 has special meaning for violinist Robyn Bollinger. On Friday's Performance Today she'll perform it live in our studio, plus she'll speak with Fred about her connection to this particular partita.

On Thursday's Performance Today, we have part two of our chat with our Young Artist in Residence, violinist Robyn Bollinger. Bollinger will play Tchaikovsky's Melodie for Violin and Piano, a piece that she calls a "heartbreaker."

Our newest Young Artist in Residence has been going to rehearsals since before she was born. On Wednesday's Performance Today, violinist Robyn Bollinger joins Fred in the studio to talk about her musical history and to perform Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 22.

On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll celebrate great American composer Duke Ellington's birthday with a concert performance of his Suite from "The River."