Performance Today®

'Juneteenth' is the longest-running celebration of the end of slavery. For many Americans, it's a day of reflection on freedom, resilience, and strength.  Tune in today for classical music reflections on the meaning of Juneteenth.

Dalia Stasevska was born in Kyiv. Her career as a conductor is taking off, and she's also devoted to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine...even driving supply trucks into the country herself! Dalia Stasevska: her music and her story on this edition of PT.

Thomas Sondergard first conducted the Minnesota Orchestra in December 2021, immediately establishing a rapport with musicians and audiences. He was appointed as the Orchestra's 11th music director in July 2022. One of the highlights of his first season was a series of concerts featuring music by LGBTQ+ composers. Learn (and hear) more about Thomas Sondergard on this episode of Performance Today.

Indian-American composer Reena Esmail works between the worlds of Indian and Western classical music. In 2017, Esmail drew inspiration from the words of Rumi, a 13th-century Sufi poet: "Religions are many, but God is one. The lamps may be different, but the light is the same." On today's episode, we'll take you to a concert at the University of Georgia to hear the Imani Winds play Reena Esmail's 'The Light is the Same.'

In 2017, Composer Hannah Kendall wrote a piece inspired by a poem about women who worked in match factories in the 1800s. The piece, aptly titled The Spark Catchers, is full of kinetic energy and driving rhythms. On today's show, we'll hear The Spark Catchers by Hannah Kendall.

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.

Every four years, the American Pianists Association holds a competition for emerging classical pianists. Angie Zhang is one of five finalists for the 2025 awards—we'll hear her play music by Enrique Granados on today's show.

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.

When violinist Ilya Gringolts was a kid in the USSR, his first teacher told him to quit the violin because he had no talent. Fortunately, he didn't let that stop him. Now, he's THRIVING. On today's show, we'll take you to a concert in Switzerland to hear Ilya Gringolts play Pablo de Sarasate's Spanish Dances.