Performance Today®

They are a truly global all-star orchestra. On Tuesday's Performance Today we'll hear a performance by the World Orchestra for Peace with players from the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic. In fact, musicians from more than 70 orchestras, from more than 40 countries, join together a few times a year to reaffirm "the unique strength of music as an ambassador for peace." Tune in to hear Valery Gergiev conduct the World Orchestra for Peace in concert in Chicago.

What if Joseph Haydn had written the Happy Birthday song? Or Ludwig van Beethoven? On Monday's Performance Today we'll hear composer Peter Heidrich's Variations on the Happy Birthday song which he has written in the style of a dozen different composers. Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg leads the New Century Chamber Orchestra in that performance. Also, tune in to find out what makes Happy Birthday one of the most expensive songs to perform.

For ten years, Pablo Ziegler played piano with the legendary tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Today, Ziegler is a tango composer well-respected in his own right, often combining classical, jazz and tango traditions. On Friday's Performance Today, our featured 21st century piece is a new tango suite by Pablo Ziegler called Suite Canyengue.

For ten years, Pablo Ziegler played piano with the legendary tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Today, Ziegler is a tango composer well-respected in his own right, often combining classical, jazz and tango traditions. On Friday's Performance Today, our featured 21st century piece is a new tango suite by Pablo Ziegler called Suite Canyengue.

Ray Chen is a violinist. He's only 24 years old, but already he has played some big big concerts. Nothing, though, compared to the concert he played this past winter in Stockholm. It was the annual Nobel Prize concert. "For me, this has been the most special concert in my life yet, " Chen said. "To play for these Nobel Prize Laureates, that is truly inspiring." We'll hear Chen's inspired performance of Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic on Thursday's Performance Today.

They seemed to be complete opposites: Mstislav Rostropovich was the fiery Soviet cellist. Benjamin Britten was the cool-tempered English composer. What they shared were uncompromising convictions about social issues and musical genius. On Wednesday's Performance Today Coleman Itzkoff, our Young Artist in Residence, brings to life music that Britten wrote for Rostropovich. It's music of fire and ice.

In 1942, choreographer Agnes de Mille came to composer Aaron Copland with an idea: a ballet about cowboys. Copland responded by saying..."A cowboy ballet? I've already composed one of those," he said. That was called Billy the Kid. "Can't you do a ballet about Ellis Island?" Agnes de Mille said no, Aaron Copland shrugged, composition on the ballet Rodeo began and some of the most memorable music of the 20th century was written. We'll hear dances from the ballet Rodeo on Tuesday's Performance Today.

On Monday's Performance Today we'll feature another member of the young classical vanguard: 20 year-old cellist Coleman Itzkoff. He was with PT this past year as a Young Artist in Residence and we're glad to bring him back this summer. Itzkoff plays music by Beethoven or, as he puts it, he acts music by Beethoven. There are so many different characters, coming and going from the stage, Coleman Itzkoff says he feels like an actor in a one-man play, performing Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 4, Op. 102.

It's hard to imagine the pressure that was on pianists at the Van Cliburn Piano Competition last week. "It's pretty difficult to deal with the pressure," competitor Beatrice Rana said. "Thirteen people —they decide your fate as a pianist." Luckily for Rana, the jury sided in her favor. She took home the silver medal on Sunday and won the audience award. We'll hear that winning performance of the Schumann Piano Quintet with Beatrice Rana and the Brentano String Quartet on Thursday's Performance Today.