Poster Fred Child
Fred Child
MPR

Performance Today®

with host Fred Child

All Episodes

Cellist Andrew Joyce

Cellist Andrew Joyce

When an international cello soloist couldn't travel halfway around the world due to Covid travel restrictions, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra turned to one of their own. Join us today to hear the NZSO's Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce do more than "fill in" at an NZSO performance in Wellington, New Zealand.

Our weekly musical game

Our weekly musical game

Composer Bruce Adolphe joins us weekly for a musical game, our Piano Puzzler. Bruce re-writes a familiar tune in the style of a great composer. We get one of our listeners on the phone who tries to guess the hidden tune and the composer whose style Bruce is imitating. Play along with the PT Piano Puzzler on this episode of Performance Today.

Façades

Façades

In the Roaring 20s, composer William Walton and poet Edith Sitwell created a playful work called 'Façade: An Entertainment.' And according to conductor JoAnn Falletta, the title says it all. She says, "It's not something to worry about. It's something to just be charmed by." Hear highlights from Façade on today's episode of Performance Today.

A musical migrant

A musical migrant

Conductor Delyana Lazarova calls herself a "musical migrant." She was born in Bulgaria, lives in England, and conducts orchestras all around the world. On today's show, Lazarova conducts the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra in a performance of "Night," a symphonic poem by Bulgarian composer Marin Goleminov.

PT Weekend: 20 years of the Piano Puzzler!

PT Weekend: 20 years of the Piano Puzzler!

We're celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Piano Puzzler! Bruce Adolphe joins Fred Child in the studio to discuss the evolution of our weekly musical game over the past two decades, AND Bruce also has some special "treats" to share with us.

Music to lift our spirits

Music to lift our spirits

It's fair to say that Robert Schumann was impressed when he heard Schubert's first piano trio. Schumann wrote: "..the troubles of our human existence disappear...and the whole world is fresh and bright again." Can there be a better review than that? On today's show, join us for uplifting music by Franz Schubert, his Piano Trio No. 1.

Gao Hong: Nostalgia

Gao Hong: Nostalgia

Gao Hong grew up in China but has lived in Minnesota for about 30 years. Recently, she's been writing music combining her pipa (Chinese lute) with Western ensembles. We’ll hear a great example on today’s show: Nostalgia, by Gao Hong, for pipa, clarinet, cello, and piano.

Celebrating 20 years of Bruce Adolphe's Piano Puzzler!

Celebrating 20 years of Bruce Adolphe's Piano Puzzler!

Tune in today for a special occasion: we're celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Piano Puzzler! Bruce Adolphe joins Fred Child in the studio to discuss the evolution of our weekly musical game over the past two decades, AND Bruce also has some special "treats" to share with us.

The Swiss Orchestra

The Swiss Orchestra

They're called the Swiss Orchestra. They've been around since 2018, and they aim to bring back forgotten Swiss music. Join us for highlights from a concert they gave in the heart of the Swiss Alps on this edition of Performance Today.