Performance Today®

Last year, the legendary film composer John Williams hinted that he might retire. Reasonable thought, given that he's now 92 years old, but now he's walking that back, and says he's very much still in business. On today's show, we'll hear a Trumpet Concerto by John Williams, from a concert at the Grand Teton Music Festival.

Pianist Inon Barnatan keeps busy as a musician, playing on the most prestigious stages around the world. He's also the Music Director of Summerfest La Jolla in California. On today's show, we'll hear a stunning performance at a stunning location—Inon Barnatan, violinist Augustin Hadelich, and cellist Efe Baltacigil play the Piano Trio by Maurice Ravel at Summerfest La Jolla.

Beethoven loved going for long walks in the countryside around Vienna. He once told a friend that the birds they saw on their hikes helped him write his Symphony No. 6. Tune in today—we'll get the story and hear Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony No. 6 from a concert performance featuring conductor Marin Alsop and the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic.

Christian Zacharias began his stellar career as a solo pianist. He then became a conductor, leading orchestras around the world. But Zacharias also wants to do the occasional tour as a solo pianist again. On today's show, we'll hear how Christian Zacharias balances his life as a conductor and soloist, and we'll hear him play Haydn's Piano Sonata No. 62 at a concert at Spivey Hall in Morrow, Georgia.

‘Performance Today’ host Fred Child reflects on his time at the 2023 summer season at Tippet Rise Art Center in beautiful Fishtail, Montana.

Pianist Inon Barnatan keeps busy as a musician, playing on the most prestigious stages around the world. He's also the Music Director of Summerfest La Jolla in California. On today's show, we'll hear a stunning performance at a stunning location—Inon Barnatan, violinist Augustin Hadelich, and cellist Efe Baltacigil play the Piano Trio by Maurice Ravel at Summerfest La Jolla.

Discover the poignant journey of Johann Friedrich Fasch's music, from the ashes of Dresden's firebombing to a modern-day revival by Tempesta di Mare – the Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra. Tune in today for an inspiring tale of reconstruction and the enduring power of music.

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1984. He studied at Stanford University, and over the last dozen years or so, he has been a leading scholar and performer of harpsichord music. If you're someone who finds harpsichord music harsh or brittle, we have a performance that might help change your mind. Hear Mahan Esfahani play music by C.P.E. Bach on today's show.

Brandon Patrick George is a renowned American flutist and a member of Imani Winds, celebrated for his elegant and virtuosic performances. On today's show, we'll hear him perform two solo pieces for flute, one by Shawn Okpebholo and the other by Ruth Crawford Seeger. Plus, Bruce Adolphe has this week’s Piano Puzzler!