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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 

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

Shows

Since 2000, Fred Child has been the host of Performance Today, the most-listened-to classical music radio show in America. He also is the commentator and announcer for Live From Lincoln Center, the only live performing arts series on television. He also hosts musical events on stages around the country, working with major orchestras and festivals, and connecting with audiences coast to coast.


Host

Fred Child

Kathryn Slusher is the senior producer of Performance Today, where she leads programming and production for the show. In her spare time, she enjoys the vibrant Twin Cities music and theater scene, and loves to read, hike and spend time with her family.


Senior Producer

Kathryn Slusher

As a Producer for Performance Today, Meghann chooses music to broadcast on the show, writes web articles and scripts, facilitates, conducts and edits interviews, creates video content and manages PT’s social media pages. She created Performance Today’s Black History Spotlight Series and the My Name is Series to highlight Black classical musicians. Meghann is also the producer for the PT Young Artist in Residence Series. In her free time, she is a mom, a part-time actress and fashion lover.

Meghann also created and hosted “Wondrous Strange”, a national radio program about uncommon musical instruments, she is the official underwriting voice for ‘The New York Times’ The Daily, and she can occasionally be heard guest-hosting Performance Today.


Producer

Meghann Oglesby

As an Associate Producer for Performance Today, Kathleen Bradbury writes scripts and assists with external communications. In her spare time, she likes to read fiction, lift heavy weights at the gym, and frolic about in nature. But above all else, Kathleen loves to sing Broadway showtunes--much to the delight of her wife, her infant son, and her rescue dog.


Kathleen Bradbury

Jon Gohman is an associate producer for Performance Today. He is responsible for various behind-the-scenes functions, including liaising with artists and creating materials for national distribution. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing the guitar, and thinking about Langrange points.


Associate Producer

Jon Gohman

Craig Thorson is the Technical Director for Performance Today. In addition to mastering the live music recordings that are programmed for each daily program, he records guest performances and interviews. Craig enjoys skiing, tennis, and bicycling, and boating.


Technical Director

Craig Thorson

Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.


Technical Producer

YourClassical MPR

Jeanne Barron

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Performance Today

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


Performance Today®

Nintendo of America

Video game music

Radio host Emily Reese combines her enthusiasm for playing video games and passion for classical music as the host of Top Score, a weekly podcast highlighting video game music and the people who create it.


Freds Favorites

Nate Ryan

Friend of Fred: Emily Reese

Depending on your point of view, Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben is either pompous, self-congratulatory excess or brilliant Romantic satire. On Wednesday's Performance Today we'll hear a performance of this piece from Helsinki, Finland. Plus, Bruce Adolphe has this week's Piano Puzzler.


Richard-strauss-society.co.uk

Megalomania or mockery?

On Tuesday's Performance Today, we'll hear Danish folk tunes arranged and performed by members of the Danish String Quartet.


APM photo/Nate Ryan

Danish folk music

In studio with the Danish String Quartet

Full interview, photos and video of the Danish String Quartet.


Caroline Bittencourt

Aisslinn Nosky is a Canadian violinist who loves music from the 1700s. Despite her passion for traditional music, her signature look is anything but traditional. Nosky's trademark is her is hair, which is bright maraschino red and often kept short and spiky. It's a bold look that goes back to when she had to dye her hair for a role as a punk violinist in a TV commercial. On Monday's Performance Today we'll hear Nosky in her PT solo debut, playing Haydn's Violin Concerto in G Major.


Courtesy of the artist

Violinist Aisslinn Nosky

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Berlin

Florentine Tapestry

Watch the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, with maestro Manfred Honeck and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter open the August 2013 Musikfest Berlin festival.


Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra live from Berlin, Opening concert of Musikfest Berlin 2013

Performance Today Features

Courtesy the orchestra

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra live from Berlin

There are a few graceful, bursting sunrises in music. One by Richard Strauss, which became the iconic soundtrack for the film "2001: A Space Odyssey." And there's one in the ballet "Daphnis and Chloe" by Maurice Ravel. On this weekend's Performance Today, we'll hear a new musical sunrise by American composer John Mackey: "Aurora Awakes."


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A new musical sunrise

Every week on Performance Today we feature music written in the 21st century. On Friday's show we'll highlight a performance from the Ecstatic Music Festival in New York, which brings together musicians from diverse musical genres.
