Performance Today®

After 60 years of great performances, legendary pianist Alfred Brendel will retire next week. Today we'll hear him in concert with the Cleveland Orchestra, playing Beethoven's third piano concerto in Cleveland. Franz Welser-Most conducts. We'll also air some listener comments and memories, wrapping up our week-long celebration of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Today we'll take you to the Festival del Sole in California's Napa Valley. Violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet team up for a sonata by Edvard Grieg. Plus, we'll continue our week-long celebration of the Cleveland Orchestra with their performance of Aaron Copland's suite from the ballet, "Appalachian Spring," in Cleveland.

Today we continue our week-long look at the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the world's finest. They've had lots of colorful characters at the podium, including one who always conducted with a pistol in his back pocket. Today, we'll hear guest conductor Robert Spano lead the orchestra in music by Wagner and Ravel, from a concert in Cleveland.

Violinist Hilary Hahn was just nominated for two Grammy Awards for her 2008 recording of the Schoenberg and Sibelius violin concertos. Today we'll hear her in a performance of the Dvorak violin concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra, part of our week-long celebration of the Cleveland Orchestra's 90th anniversary season.

The Cleveland Orchestra is 90 years old this year, but they're sounding as fresh and exciting as ever. We'll help celebrate the anniversary by featuring performances by this great American orchestra every day this week. Today, the Cleveland Orchestra plays Brahms' fourth symphony at home in Severance Hall. Music director Franz Welser-Most conducts.

...composers and performers from the global community offer up exotic musical gifts for this season of the Nativity.

Nearly twenty years ago, violinist Gil Shaham got a call from philanthropist Avery Fisher, telling Shaham he had won a career grant. Two weeks ago, Shaham won the coveted Avery Fisher Prize, the highest honor given to an American classical instrumentalist. Today we'll feature a performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Gil Shaham and the Aspen Chamber Symphony, from the Aspen Festival.

We'll feature the acclaimed Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra twice today. First we'll hear them at home in St. Paul, Minnesota, with pianist Christian Zacharias playing a Chopin concerto. Then we'll follow them on their Scandinavian tour, and hear a recent concert in Copenhagen. Violinist Nikolaj Znaider joins them for a Mozart concerto. Tune in for one of the country's finest chamber orchestras, both at home and on the road.

The Emerson String Quartet has spent nearly thirty years making great chamber music together. They don't have any problems keeping up with the demanding repertoire or concert schedule. But one of their big concerns is keeping the music fresh, whether it's the first performance of a piece or the 101st. Tune in today to hear them perform a Haydn string quartet.