Performance Today®

When Alexander Scriabin was 20 years old, he was working on playing an extraordinarily demanding piece by Franz Liszt. He pushed himself so hard that he permanently injured his right hand. Scriabin adapted by creating music that is technically demanding, emotional…and particularly demanding for the left hand. Join us today to hear pianist Ilya Yakushev play 'Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand Alone’ by Alexander Scriabin.

The West-Eastern Divan Ensemble includes talented young players from Israel and Arab countries. They're a musical ensemble, but they're also a project of cultural diplomacy. Divan founder Daniel Barenboim says, "[In the face of recent violence] ...our message of peace must be louder than ever." Hear their story and a highlight from their recent U.S. tour on today's show.

It seems to be human nature that when something is forbidden it becomes all the more enticing. When Jon Nakamatsu was a boy, no one in his family was allowed to touch the piano. Can see where this is going? On today's show, the story of how Jon Nakamatsu became a pianist.

When Alexander Scriabin was 20 years old, he was working on playing an extraordinarily demanding piece by Franz Liszt. He pushed himself so hard that he permanently injured his right hand. Scriabin adapted by creating music that is technically demanding, emotional…and particularly demanding for the left hand. Join us today to hear pianist Ilya Yakushev play 'Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand Alone’ by Alexander Scriabin.

Pianist Lara Downes's passion for sharing the music of Black composers goes beyond performing onstage. She's also been hard at work making this previously overlooked music accessible for other musicians to play. Downes will detail her editing and publishing efforts, plus perform a highlight from the project on today's show.

Amy Beach's Piano Quintet is a technically demanding work, but it is also deeply expressive and emotionally engaging. On today's show, we'll hear Beach’s Piano Quintet played in concert by an ad hoc, all-star quintet at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.

Marc-Andre Hamelin is one of the most celebrated and respected pianists of our time. His performances are known for their brilliance, technical mastery, and deep musicality. On today's show, we'll hear Hamelin play one of the world’s most challenging piano compositions: Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29, the Hammerklavier.

Composer David Kirkland Garner is fascinated by a wide range of American roots music, and the legacies of the people who made it happen. On today's episode, we'll hear a piece he wrote honoring the blues legend Mississippi John Hurt. It's a dance called MELT, by David Kirkland Garner, from a concert presented by the Atlanta Chamber Players.

Talin Nalbandian worked as an opera singer in New York for five years before she began her doctoral program at the University of Texas at Austin…and she is one of our 2023 PT Young Artists in Residence. She recently joined Fred Child in our St. Paul studio; tune in today to learn more about Talin Nalbandian.