From the Top

From the Top

NPR's From the Top showcases the music, stories, and unique humor of America's best young classical musicians.

  • 25 minutes 53 seconds
    Joyful Island
    Today's show is particularly joyful! A teen pianist plays Debussy's L'isle Joyeuse (Joyful Island) and a violinist performs Suk's Song of Love and speaks to the importance of connecting emotionally with the music.

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    3 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 32 minutes 53 seconds
    Romantic Double Bass and Ocean Adventure
    We're back in Kansas City with a 17-year-old double bassist who gives a heartfelt performance of Bottesini's Elegy No. 1. We meet a teen composer and learn about her journey in writing music, including creating an imaginative ocean adventure for the famous Kronos Quartet which you'll hear! Finally, we enjoy a flashback performance by prize-winning violinist Maria Ioudenitch from when she was a teen living in Kansas City.

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    27 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 43 minutes 42 seconds
    Rachmaninoff, French Horn, and The Great Train Race
    From Kansas City, we explore the connection between music and math with a 16-year-old pianist who also happens to be a champion swimmer. We hear a majestic performance of Dukas by a teen French horn player. A young flutist performs Ian Clarke's The Great Train Race and describes the technical and artistic challenges of emulating the sounds of a train in this exhilarating work.

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    20 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 33 minutes 44 seconds
    Chopin Cello Sonata & Vivaldi Bassoon
    Our 25th birthday celebration continues with a dazzling performance of Chopin by a gifted 16-year-old cellist. We are treated to a performance of Vivaldi by a young bassoonist and witness a life-changing surprise. Peter sends us off with a flashback performance from when the legendary Paquito D'Rivera appeared on the show.

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    13 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 47 minutes 5 seconds
    Gershwin, Fiddle, & the United States Air Force Band's Heritage Winds
    It's From the Top's 25th birthday! We meet a 13-year-old violinist who is equally accomplished in classical repertoire and fiddling. A 16-year-old pianist from New York performs a brilliant Beethoven Sonata and talks about her incredible experience in publishing. Finally, we reconnect with From the Top alum Yuna Langehennig and learn about her journey to becoming an Airman First Class in the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. She brings along her ensemble Heritage Winds and they perform a rousing work by Paquito D'Rivera.

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    6 January 2025, 11:29 am
  • 59 minutes 18 seconds
    Brahms, Wieniawski, and a Young Pianist
    We hear the first work Brahms wrote for a solo instrument and a stunning Wieniawski Polonaise played by a 13-year-old violinist. We also meet a teenage baritone who has been drawn to community activism since childhood, a guitarist who plays an arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie's Night in Tunisia, and a young pianist who shares a special tip she got from piano superstar Lang Lang...play like a grandma!

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    30 December 2024, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 57 seconds
    Beethoven, Rocket Science, & Coltrane
    A pianist speaks of his passion for rocket science and his work with NASA, a talented teen violinist plays Beethoven and shares how an accident transformed his musicianship, a young composer shares a piece inspired by the loss of a loved one, and a versatile saxophonist plays Coltrane.

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    23 December 2024, 8:00 am
  • 33 minutes 5 seconds
    More Staff Favorites
    Meet members of our team and hear some fantastic performances that they have hand selected for you, including a flashback to someone special in host Peter Dugan's life!

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    16 December 2024, 8:00 am
  • 26 minutes 13 seconds
    Staff Picks Highlight Show
    This week we hear some of our team's favorite moments from the program!! You'll hear a thrilling teenage trio perform Beethoven, meet a young cellist with a moving story about the power of music, and enjoy a gorgeous performance of Bach by a social media-savvy teen oboist and violinist Tessa Lark and Peter Dugan.

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    9 December 2024, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 9 minutes
    Schumann, Haydn, and a Joyful Gospel Choir
    Violinist Charles Yang returns as co-host. We meet a bubbly teen violinist, a pianist with a mission to connect with audiences, and a cellist who opens up about mental health. The Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir sing us out with a performance that will have you on your feet and smiling!

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    2 December 2024, 8:00 am
  • 35 minutes 40 seconds
    Thanksgiving Feast with Orli Shaham
    We're celebrating a musical Thanksgiving with guest host Orli Shaham. Get ready to gobble up some wonderful performances of Tchaikovsky and Chopin by some remarkable teens.

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    25 November 2024, 8:00 am
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