Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

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Germaine Tailleferre

Germaine Tailleferre

Germaine Tailleferre was determined to be a musician, and her father tried to stop her. She rebelled so completely that she even changed her name and went on to a 70-year career as a composer. We'll hear the String Quartet by French composer Germaine Tailleferre on today's show.

Musical poetry

Musical poetry

American writer and poet Langston Hughes had a musical way with words. Music inspired his poetry...and his poetry has now inspired music. Join us today to hear a piece inspired by the words of Langston Hughes: A Thousand Whirling Dreams by composer, jazz pianist, and teacher Dana Wilson.

Valerie Coleman: Requiem Milonga

Valerie Coleman: Requiem Milonga

Valerie Coleman wrote a piece for flute and piano just a few years ago, and flutists around the world are already playing it. Hear the Requiem Milonga by Valerie Coleman on this episode of Performance Today.

Gabriela Montero at Prager

Gabriela Montero at Prager

In the fall of 2022, pianist Gabriela Montero opened the first season of what's called Gabriela Montero at Prager, a long-term artist residency hosted by the Prager Family Center for the Arts in Easton, Maryland. Montero curates and hosts a concert series with A-list artists from around the world in an intimate concert space at Prager. We'll take you there to hear Gabriela Montero perform Sergei Prokofiev's ‘Sarcasms’ on today's show.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Memorial Day. It's the unofficial beginning of summer, but that's not what this holiday is about. On today's show, we mark the day with music by American composers and recognize the people who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

PT Weekend: Anthony McGill

PT Weekend: Anthony McGill

Clarinetist Anthony McGill joins Fred Child as co-host for a special hour of PT. Plus, Bruce Adolphe joins us with this week’s Piano Puzzler!

Strings for Peace

Strings for Peace

Sharon Isbin is a master of Western classical music. Amjad Ali Khan is a master of Indian classical music. Together, they're building Musical and cultural bridges. Join us at a concert in Aspen for a highlight from Sharon Isbin's and Amjad Ali Khan's Strings for Peace project.

Shawn E. Okpebholo: Two Black Churches

Shawn E. Okpebholo: Two Black Churches

In 2020, composer Shawn E. Okpebholo published a piece that reflects on two acts of racial violence, events separated by more than fifty years. The music serves as a tribute to the resilience and perseverance of the African American community in the face of adversity. On today's show, we'll hear "Two Black Churches" by Shawn E. Okpebholo.

Join us for a special hour with Anthony McGill