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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 

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

Shows

Since 2000, Fred Child has been the host of Performance Today, the most-listened-to classical music radio show in America. He also is the commentator and announcer for Live From Lincoln Center, the only live performing arts series on television. He also hosts musical events on stages around the country, working with major orchestras and festivals, and connecting with audiences coast to coast.


Host

Fred Child

Kathryn Slusher is the senior producer of Performance Today, where she leads programming and production for the show. In her spare time, she enjoys the vibrant Twin Cities music and theater scene, and loves to read, hike and spend time with her family.


Senior Producer

Kathryn Slusher

As a Producer for Performance Today, Meghann chooses music to broadcast on the show, writes web articles and scripts, facilitates, conducts and edits interviews, creates video content and manages PT’s social media pages. She created Performance Today’s Black History Spotlight Series and the My Name is Series to highlight Black classical musicians. Meghann is also the producer for the PT Young Artist in Residence Series. In her free time, she is a mom, a part-time actress and fashion lover.

Meghann also created and hosted “Wondrous Strange”, a national radio program about uncommon musical instruments, she is the official underwriting voice for ‘The New York Times’ The Daily, and she can occasionally be heard guest-hosting Performance Today.


Producer

Meghann Oglesby

As an Associate Producer for Performance Today, Kathleen Bradbury writes scripts and assists with external communications. In her spare time, she likes to read fiction, lift heavy weights at the gym, and frolic about in nature. But above all else, Kathleen loves to sing Broadway showtunes--much to the delight of her wife, her infant son, and her rescue dog.


Kathleen Bradbury

Jon Gohman is an associate producer for Performance Today. He is responsible for various behind-the-scenes functions, including liaising with artists and creating materials for national distribution. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing the guitar, and thinking about Langrange points.


Associate Producer

Jon Gohman

Craig Thorson is the Technical Director for Performance Today. In addition to mastering the live music recordings that are programmed for each daily program, he records guest performances and interviews. Craig enjoys skiing, tennis, and bicycling, and boating.


Technical Director

Craig Thorson

Jeanne Barron is the technical producer of Performance Today.


Technical Producer

YourClassical MPR

Jeanne Barron

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Performance Today

All of us at PT are proud because two of our former PT Young Artists are part of a new powerhouse trio. On today's show, we'll hear a concert from Chicago with the new Trio Ad Libitum: Tim Petrin, Jordan Bak, and the equally talented Elizabeth Fayette.



Performance Today®

Photo credits (left to right): Margeaux Maloney, Dario Acosta, Ryan Brandenberg

Trio Ad Libitum

Pianist Sara Davis Buechner says that music takes her to a place where she feels completely herself. Join us today to learn more about Sara Davis Buechner and hear her play music by Joaquin Turina.


Courtesy of artist

Sara Davis Buechner

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.



Matthew Murphy

PT Weekend: Valerie Coleman

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. 


Studio Harcourt

Germaine Tailleferre

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. 


Photo: Carl Van Vechten (Library of Congress)

Musical poetry

Valerie Coleman: Requiem Milonga

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.



Courtesy of the artist

Gabriela Montero at Prager

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.



Wikimedia

Memorial Day

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!

