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Special Features Archive
Past special features from Performance Today
Crossing borders
Gao Hong has been a working professional musician since she was 12 years old, playing the Chinese pipa, a traditional instrument similar to a lute. She joined Fred in the studio with Shubhendra Rao on sitar and Biplab Bhattacharya on tabla just days before her Carnegie debut where she played traditional Chinese pipa songs alongside some cross-cultural musical collaborations.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
(April 28, 2008)
The Rest Is Noise
Named by the New York Times as one of the ten best books of 2007, Alex Ross's The Rest Is Noise shows us the cultural context and backstory of some of the most important pieces of music written in the 20th Century and the composers who wrote them. Listen to Ross read excerpts from the most talked about musical book of the year.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
(April 28, 2008)
Ronn MacFarlane
Lutenist and composer Ronn MacFarlane talks to Fred Child about MacFarlane's new CD and his transition from playing old music to writing new music.
Listen
(April 18, 2008)
Paul Galbraith
Paul Galbraith plays his classical guitar in an unusual manner - more in the position of a cello than a guitar - and what he creates is some marvelous music. He drops by our Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio in St. Paul for a two-part conversation that features music by Mozart, Lennox Berkeley and Bach.
Part 1
Part 2
(April 11, 2008)
Our April 1st special feature
An innovative concert hall in Copenhagen has a colorful kid-friendly environment. Fred Child has an audio tour of the new "Koncerthalle I Lego," with 80% of its construction from oversize Lego blocks. Violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Lang Lang talk about their experience at Lego Hall.
Listen
(April 1, 2008)
In studio with Lang Lang
Listen to Fred Child's conversation with Lang Lang as the pianist recalls his recent performance at the Grammy awards with Herbie Hancock and talks about some of the other artists with whom he will be collaborating. Some of their names may surprise you.
Listen
(March 25, 2008)
John Schaefer in Pyongyang
The New York Philharmonic made a historic trip to North Korea this week for the first ever performance by an American orchestra in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The orchestra was accompanied by a large number of international journalists, including John Schaefer from station WNYC in New York City. Fred Child spoke with John in his room at the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang right after the concert about his impressions of the music and of this landmark event.
Listen
(February 26, 2008)
Turtle Island String Quartet
The Turtle Island String Quartet is never one to play it safe. On their newest and Grammy nominated CD, A Love Supreme, the group tackles jazz saxophonist John Coltrane's landmark composition, A Love Supreme. Hear them transform the jazz combo into a string quartet in our studios.
Listen
(February 7, 2008)
Christopher Theofanidis
Christopher Theofanidis's composition Muse was recently premiered by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He talks about the music, it's connection to Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and a new concerto project with violinist Sarah Chang.
Listen
(January 29, 2008)
Peter Lieberson
The Grawemeyer Award is among the most lucrative honors in music composition. And the 2008 award has been presented to Peter Lieberson for his "Neruda Songs." He wrote them for his late wife, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, who premiered and recorded them. Fred Child talked to Peter Lieberson about the piece and the award.
Listen
(December 3, 2007)
This Business of Composing
Daniel Bradshaw talks about his participation in the Composer Institute, having one of his works premiered by the Minnesota Orchestra, and trying to make a career out of creating music.
Listen
(November 29, 2007)
Jay Greenberg
15 year-old composer Jay Greenberg had a Carnegie Hall premiere this week. When his Symphony No. 5 (yes, his FIFTH symphony) was recorded last year by the London Symphony, he spoke with Fred Child.
Listen
(November 1, 2007)
Busking with Bach
British violinist David Juritz played Bach on the street corners of several continents in order to raise money for music education. We talked to him about his international odyssey.
Listen
(October 31, 2007)
Gil Shaham
Violinist Gil Shaham's new CD is a recording of the Butterfly Lovers Concerto. Fred Child and Shaham talked about the music, its cultural history and the legend behind it. Visit Canary Classics for more info.
Listen
(October 29, 2007)
Stephen Hough
Stephen Hough was flabbergasted when music schools told him he had to choose between playing piano and composing. When and why did those become separate professions? Hough reflects on the history, and on bringing them back together.
Listen
(October 18, 2007)
Dawn Upshaw, genius
On Sept. 25, soprano Dawn Upshaw received a 2007 MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," a $500,000 award to help her further her work with no strings attached. We talked with her about the honor, an eventful year that has included a breast cancer diagnosis, and her passion for new music. Then we'll listen to her sing music of John Harbison and Igor Stravinsky.
Listen to Dawn Upshaw
(September 26, 2007)
PT Goes to the Met
As the Metropolitan Opera prepared to open its season with Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Fred Child had backstage conversations with Music Director James Levine, star soprano Natalie Dessay and Cecilia Brauer, the woman who plays the glass harmonica in the opera's climactic scene.
Cecilia Brauer
Natalie Dessay & James Levine
Natalie Dessay
James Levine
(September 21, 2007)
Luciano Pavarotti
A collection of music, interviews, video and writings on the legendary tenor.
Visit the feature page
(September 2007)
Mark Applebaum
Mark Applebaum is a composer, professor, and musical inventor. Hear the musical sculpture he calls the "Mousetrap," and hear Applebaum talking about his creations, which are both ambitious and whimsical.
Listen to the audio
(September 10, 2007)
Eugene Drucker
Eugene Drucker is a fine violinist, and is now also a novelist. His new book, "The Savior," is about a German violinist who finds himself caught in a terrible conundrum near the end of World War II. The novel is based in part of stories from the life of Drucker's father. Hear Fred Child talk with Drucker about the novel, his father, and the limits of the power of music.
Listen to the audio
(August 31, 2007)
Beverly Sills
American soprano Beverly Sills died Monday, July 2, aged 78. Here is our tribute to this icon of the American arts scene.
Part 1
Part 2
Beverly Sills in video:
With Danny Kaye
On Sesame Street
Mad Scene in Lucia Di Lammermoor
As Cleopatra
A seven year old Beverly
(July 2, 2007)
Paul Potts won the "Britain's Got Talent" contest.
Listen to a response from one of the judges and from your emails too.
(June 17, 2007)
Golfing with Joshua Bell
Joshua Bell has a passion for sports, competition and music. Here he is with Fred out on the links talking about life, golf and music.
(June 15, 2007)
Past special features from Performance Today
Gao Hong has been a working professional musician since she was 12 years old, playing the Chinese pipa, a traditional instrument similar to a lute. She joined Fred in the studio with Shubhendra Rao on sitar and Biplab Bhattacharya on tabla just days before her Carnegie debut where she played traditional Chinese pipa songs alongside some cross-cultural musical collaborations.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
(April 28, 2008)
Named by the New York Times as one of the ten best books of 2007, Alex Ross's The Rest Is Noise shows us the cultural context and backstory of some of the most important pieces of music written in the 20th Century and the composers who wrote them. Listen to Ross read excerpts from the most talked about musical book of the year.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
(April 28, 2008)
Lutenist and composer Ronn MacFarlane talks to Fred Child about MacFarlane's new CD and his transition from playing old music to writing new music.
Listen
(April 18, 2008)
Paul Galbraith plays his classical guitar in an unusual manner - more in the position of a cello than a guitar - and what he creates is some marvelous music. He drops by our Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio in St. Paul for a two-part conversation that features music by Mozart, Lennox Berkeley and Bach.
Part 1
Part 2
(April 11, 2008)
An innovative concert hall in Copenhagen has a colorful kid-friendly environment. Fred Child has an audio tour of the new "Koncerthalle I Lego," with 80% of its construction from oversize Lego blocks. Violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Lang Lang talk about their experience at Lego Hall.
Listen
(April 1, 2008)
Listen to Fred Child's conversation with Lang Lang as the pianist recalls his recent performance at the Grammy awards with Herbie Hancock and talks about some of the other artists with whom he will be collaborating. Some of their names may surprise you.
Listen
(March 25, 2008)
The New York Philharmonic made a historic trip to North Korea this week for the first ever performance by an American orchestra in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The orchestra was accompanied by a large number of international journalists, including John Schaefer from station WNYC in New York City. Fred Child spoke with John in his room at the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang right after the concert about his impressions of the music and of this landmark event.
Listen
(February 26, 2008)
Grammy Awards
Hear these Grammy Award winners react to the news:
James Ehnes, violinist
David Balakrishnan, violinist with Turtle Island String Quartet
Joan Tower, composer
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor
Lisa Kaplan, pianist with eighth blackbird
Jennifer Larmore, mezzo-soprano
Garrick Ohlsson, pianist
(February 11, 2008)
Hear these Grammy Award winners react to the news:
James Ehnes, violinist
David Balakrishnan, violinist with Turtle Island String Quartet
Joan Tower, composer
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor
Lisa Kaplan, pianist with eighth blackbird
Jennifer Larmore, mezzo-soprano
Garrick Ohlsson, pianist
(February 11, 2008)
The Turtle Island String Quartet is never one to play it safe. On their newest and Grammy nominated CD, A Love Supreme, the group tackles jazz saxophonist John Coltrane's landmark composition, A Love Supreme. Hear them transform the jazz combo into a string quartet in our studios.
Listen
(February 7, 2008)
Christopher Theofanidis's composition Muse was recently premiered by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He talks about the music, it's connection to Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and a new concerto project with violinist Sarah Chang.
Listen
(January 29, 2008)
The Grawemeyer Award is among the most lucrative honors in music composition. And the 2008 award has been presented to Peter Lieberson for his "Neruda Songs." He wrote them for his late wife, mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, who premiered and recorded them. Fred Child talked to Peter Lieberson about the piece and the award.
Listen
(December 3, 2007)
Daniel Bradshaw talks about his participation in the Composer Institute, having one of his works premiered by the Minnesota Orchestra, and trying to make a career out of creating music.
Listen
(November 29, 2007)
15 year-old composer Jay Greenberg had a Carnegie Hall premiere this week. When his Symphony No. 5 (yes, his FIFTH symphony) was recorded last year by the London Symphony, he spoke with Fred Child.
Listen
(November 1, 2007)
British violinist David Juritz played Bach on the street corners of several continents in order to raise money for music education. We talked to him about his international odyssey.
Listen
(October 31, 2007)
Violinist Gil Shaham's new CD is a recording of the Butterfly Lovers Concerto. Fred Child and Shaham talked about the music, its cultural history and the legend behind it. Visit Canary Classics for more info.
Listen
(October 29, 2007)
Stephen Hough was flabbergasted when music schools told him he had to choose between playing piano and composing. When and why did those become separate professions? Hough reflects on the history, and on bringing them back together.
Listen
(October 18, 2007)
On Sept. 25, soprano Dawn Upshaw received a 2007 MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," a $500,000 award to help her further her work with no strings attached. We talked with her about the honor, an eventful year that has included a breast cancer diagnosis, and her passion for new music. Then we'll listen to her sing music of John Harbison and Igor Stravinsky.
Listen to Dawn Upshaw
(September 26, 2007)
As the Metropolitan Opera prepared to open its season with Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Fred Child had backstage conversations with Music Director James Levine, star soprano Natalie Dessay and Cecilia Brauer, the woman who plays the glass harmonica in the opera's climactic scene.
Cecilia Brauer
Natalie Dessay & James Levine
Natalie Dessay
James Levine
(September 21, 2007)
A collection of music, interviews, video and writings on the legendary tenor.
Visit the feature page
(September 2007)
Mark Applebaum is a composer, professor, and musical inventor. Hear the musical sculpture he calls the "Mousetrap," and hear Applebaum talking about his creations, which are both ambitious and whimsical.
Listen to the audio
(September 10, 2007)
Eugene Drucker is a fine violinist, and is now also a novelist. His new book, "The Savior," is about a German violinist who finds himself caught in a terrible conundrum near the end of World War II. The novel is based in part of stories from the life of Drucker's father. Hear Fred Child talk with Drucker about the novel, his father, and the limits of the power of music.
Listen to the audio
(August 31, 2007)
Visual Distractions?
Can something eye-catching distract from musical enjoyment at a concert? Conductor William Eddins has been accused by an audience member of "wiggling his bum." Pianist Lang Lang was chastised for "attention grabbing tricks" like throwing his head back and gazing at the heavens. Cellist Sara Sant'Ambrigio has been denounced for dressing "too alluringly." Hear what they have to say.
William Eddins
Lang Lang
Sara Sant'Ambrosio
(July 27, 2007)
Can something eye-catching distract from musical enjoyment at a concert? Conductor William Eddins has been accused by an audience member of "wiggling his bum." Pianist Lang Lang was chastised for "attention grabbing tricks" like throwing his head back and gazing at the heavens. Cellist Sara Sant'Ambrigio has been denounced for dressing "too alluringly." Hear what they have to say.
William Eddins
Lang Lang
Sara Sant'Ambrosio
(July 27, 2007)
American soprano Beverly Sills died Monday, July 2, aged 78. Here is our tribute to this icon of the American arts scene.
Part 1
Part 2
Beverly Sills in video:
With Danny Kaye On Sesame Street Mad Scene in Lucia Di Lammermoor As Cleopatra A seven year old Beverly(July 2, 2007)
Leif Ove Andsnes
Leif Ove Andsnes commemorates the 100th anniversary of Grieg's death.
(July 7, 2007)
Leif Ove Andsnes commemorates the 100th anniversary of Grieg's death.
(July 7, 2007)
Conversation with Christopher O'Riley
Christopher O'Riley has been interested in how pop music and classical music intersect for a long time now. Hear his conversation with Fred and his performances of Beethoven and Nick Drake.
(June 22, 2007)
Christopher O'Riley has been interested in how pop music and classical music intersect for a long time now. Hear his conversation with Fred and his performances of Beethoven and Nick Drake.
(June 22, 2007)
Listen to a response from one of the judges and from your emails too.
(June 17, 2007)
Joshua Bell has a passion for sports, competition and music. Here he is with Fred out on the links talking about life, golf and music.
(June 15, 2007)
La Folia on the web
An effort to list all derivations and interpretations of the famous theme La Folia (June 4, 2007)
An effort to list all derivations and interpretations of the famous theme La Folia (June 4, 2007)
Cliburn's Amateur's 2007
Find out more about the fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™.
(June 6, 2007)
Find out more about the fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™.
(June 6, 2007)
Jennifer Larmore
Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore, one of the best in the world today, admits in this commentary that there's always something new for her to learn.
(May 19, 2007)
Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore, one of the best in the world today, admits in this commentary that there's always something new for her to learn.
(May 19, 2007)
Remembering Rostropovich: A PT special
Mstislav Rostropovich died Friday morning April 27th, after a long bout with intestinal cancer. We remember him as a great humanitarian, teacher and musician, in the words of his colleagues and students, and with his performances.
(April 27, 2007)
Part 1
Part 2
Mstislav Rostropovich died Friday morning April 27th, after a long bout with intestinal cancer. We remember him as a great humanitarian, teacher and musician, in the words of his colleagues and students, and with his performances.
(April 27, 2007)
Part 1
Part 2
Mstislav Rostropovich
March 27th, 2007 marked the 80th birthday of one of the world’s great musicians and humanitarians, Mstislav Rostropovich. Rostropovich is among the great cellists of all time, and also a passionate spokesman for political and artistic freedom. This week, we are honoring him all week with performances, stories and remembrances. (photo: www.cmu.edu)
Listen to these brief anecdotes from some of his students, colleagues, and friends.
(March 27, 2007)
Mstislav Rostropovich
How he plays
Soviet troubles
Shared suffering
Political music
Life is complete
David Finckel
Learning Slava’s name
First Slava recordings
Impact of the recordings
First time seeing Slava
Meeting Slava backstage
Hugh Wolff
SPCO and Rostropovich
First time seeing him
Rostropovich on Prokofiev
Rostropovich on Shostakovich
Mailing a letter
Ted Libbey
First time meeting
Why’s he so great?
Machine gun cello
Soviet loss of privileges
Soviet system
Return to USSR 1990
Rostropovich & the 20th c. cello
Tanya Remenikova
Spontaneous teacher
Very influential man
Class trip
Lesson days
Rostropovich and Britten
March 27th, 2007 marked the 80th birthday of one of the world’s great musicians and humanitarians, Mstislav Rostropovich. Rostropovich is among the great cellists of all time, and also a passionate spokesman for political and artistic freedom. This week, we are honoring him all week with performances, stories and remembrances. (photo: www.cmu.edu)
Listen to these brief anecdotes from some of his students, colleagues, and friends.
(March 27, 2007)
Mstislav Rostropovich
How he plays
Soviet troubles
Shared suffering
Political music
Life is complete
David Finckel
Learning Slava’s name
First Slava recordings
Impact of the recordings
First time seeing Slava
Meeting Slava backstage
Hugh Wolff
SPCO and Rostropovich
First time seeing him
Rostropovich on Prokofiev
Rostropovich on Shostakovich
Mailing a letter
Ted Libbey
First time meeting
Why’s he so great?
Machine gun cello
Soviet loss of privileges
Soviet system
Return to USSR 1990
Rostropovich & the 20th c. cello
Tanya Remenikova
Spontaneous teacher
Very influential man
Class trip
Lesson days
Rostropovich and Britten
"The Grapes of Wrath"
Listen to music from this world-premiere opera -- sung by the cast from the Minnesota Opera production -- as well as a conversation with composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Michael Korie.
(February 9, 2007)
Listen to music from this world-premiere opera -- sung by the cast from the Minnesota Opera production -- as well as a conversation with composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Michael Korie.
(February 9, 2007)
Matt Haimovitz plays Ligeti
Hear more of Fred Child's interview with cellist Matt Haimovitz, who also performs a piece by contemporary composer Gyorgy Ligeti that was inspired by unrequited love.
(February 1, 2007)
Hear more of Fred Child's interview with cellist Matt Haimovitz, who also performs a piece by contemporary composer Gyorgy Ligeti that was inspired by unrequited love.
(February 1, 2007)