American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.
YourClassical’s Performance Today, America’s most popular classical music radio show, announces the four distinguished young musicians who have been selected as part of the 2026 Performance Today Young Artists in Residence program.
In 2007, Composer Errollyn Wallen wrote a piece to mark the anniversary of the Abolition of the British Slave Trade. She says, ‘It is human instinct to be free, just as it is for the river to rush headlong to the sea.’ We'll dive into Errollyn Wallen’s Mighty River on today's show.
Today, we'll explore the journey of pianist Aristo Sham, the 2025 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist. As a child, Sham was extremely talented, but he reached a point where he had to make a deliberate decision to shift from being a childhood prodigy "swept along by the current" to a dedicated, mature artist. We'll hear Aristo Sham's competition-opening performance of Ferruccio Busoni's arrangement of J.S. Bach's Chaconne in D minor.
Florence Price used the scaffolding of European classical forms to build music that reflected African-American traditions. One of her favorite expressions of that tradition is the juba dance—a lively, percussive good time. We’ll hear the juba dance and the rest of the Symphony No. 3 by Florence Price on today’s episode.
In 2020, American composer Judd Greenstein wrote a piece inspired by his daughter, Zohara, whose name means brightness. The music evokes the sensation of rays of bright light bouncing between cello and viola. On this edition of PT, we'll hear Greenstein's 'K'zohar Harakia,' performed by Zohara's aunt and uncle, violist Ayane Kozasa and cellist Paul Wiancko.
Composer Damien Geter spent much of the pandemic reliving his love of 90s neo-soul. He says the music of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill helped him get through. As a classical composer, he wanted to write his own music in homage to neo-soul. On today's show, we'll hear what he came up with: "Neo-Soul," the String Quartet No. 1 by Damien Geter.
In Slavic folklore, the "witching hour" doesn't wait for darkness. Antonín Dvořák’s symphonic poem, The Noon Witch, brings the terrifying myth of Lady Midday to life. The story follows a mother who jokingly threatens her misbehaving child with a forest witch, only for the creature to appear in broad daylight and claim them both. Tune in today to hear Dvořák’s The Noon Witch. Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in a performance from Switzerland.
Composer Jessie Montgomery says she has tried to answer the question: "What does an anthem for the 21st century sound like in today's multicultural environment?" On today's show, hear Montgomery's answer, a rhapsody on the Star-Spangled Banner.
The Viano Quartet began as a randomly assigned group project at Indiana University's Colburn School of Music. They meshed so well that now, ten years later, they’re still going strong. On today's show, we'll take you to a recent concert at the Music@Menlo festival to hear the Viano Quartet play Anton Webern's Langsamer Satz.
