Over the Toppers

Serious young musicians have found support at From the Top for 25 years

By David Templeton for Strings

“From the Top, as a kid, totally molded me,” acknowledges violinist Charles Yang, a busy New York musician who counts his 2002 appearance on the popular NPR radio program, when he was 13, as a truly formative experience. “From the Top shaped my ideas, and it molded my ideals,” he says. “It taught me what being a musician really means.” Now celebrating its 25th year, From the Top is more than just a radio show…..read the full article here.

“From the Top is about keeping the next generation of talented, dedicated young musicians going, to champion them and give them the support they deserve,” says Charles Yang. “Because what would the world be without that talent and creativity and invention?”

Charles Yang and Peter Dugan co-host From the Top. Photo by Barry Eckhaus

“I first found out about From the Top from friends at music school who’d been a part of the show themselves, and I immediately started listening to it a lot on the radio,” recalls violinist Gabriela Salvador Riera, currently a student at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio. She was featured on the show in March 2024. “A lot of times, when I listened to From the Top before being on it myself, I was thinking, ‘Wow! These musicians have a better hold on what their passions are and what they want to give to the world. That’s what I want to be able to contribute.’ As a young player, I just loved music, but I hadn’t thought about what I wanted to be contributing. The show got me thinking about it.”