Blog/News

Even if you’ve been following From the Top for a short time, you probably can tell how proud we are of our alumni. It’s always fun to hear from one of our young-performers-turned-professional, so we were excited to receive an update from clarinetist Samantha Angelo last week. Samantha appeared on Show 022 in Lake Buena […]

Earlier this year, we were deeply moved by a young man who submitted his music outreach project to our Arts Leadership Map. At thirteen years old, guitarist Ben Werdergar has already made a difference in the world through his music. After hearing a story about Iraqi children needing wheelchairs, Ben wanted to use his music […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 233 was taped in The Palladium at The Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Matthew Liversedge, 16, cello II. Am Springbrunnen (At the Fountain) from 4 Pieces for Cello and […]

This past weekend, From the Top taped a radio show at the beautiful Shalin Liu Performance Center of Rockport Music. We had four amazing young soloists from all across the country, as well as a fabulous string quartet from our hometown of Boston. The day of the show, our performers gathered on the Shalin Liu […]

We are gearing up for the final show of our 2010-11 season – a sure-to-be exciting taping in Katonah, New York on June 26 at 4:30pm! About an hour north of New York City, Katonah is a beautiful, village-like community. We’ll be taping at the Venetian Theater at the Caramoor Center for Music and the […]

For the past three years From the Top has partnered with Orchestra Iowa (formerly Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra) to celebrate the excitement and joy of kids making classical music through Iowa Makes Music, a multi-faceted residency funded by the United States Department of Education. Since the fall of 2008, the Iowa Makes Music (IMM) project […]

We just taped a show in Rockport at what may have been the most beautiful concert hall I’ve ever performed in – the Shalin Liu Performance Center. The back of the stage featured a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking a sparking blue bay – a stunning backdrop for the show’s talented performers! Opening the show […]

16-year-old pianist and composer Conrad Tao (From the Top Shows 107 and 232 and From the Top at Carnegie Hall Season 1) performed with the Pacific Symphony and Carl St.Clair on Thursday, June 3, 2011. The concert was originally supposed to feature Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, but she had to cancel due to illness. Rick Schultz […]

Starting June 4, 2011, From the Top will air on 99.5 All Classical in Massachusetts on Saturdays at 5pm. This is part of a WGBH initiative called “Classical Kids,” providing education, entertainment, games, videos and resources designed to bring kids closer to classical music. You can still listen to From the Top on-demand on our […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 232 was taped in the Dekelboum Concert Hall (within the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center) at the University of Maryland College Park, MD on Saturday, April 16, 2011. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Kimberly Hou, 16, piano IV. Fuga: […]

On May 21st cellist and From the Top alum Oliver Aldort (Show 126 in Boston) gave a recital in Miami Beach, Florida as part of the Miami International Piano Festival. Below is a video excerpt from Oliver’s performance, featuring the Chopin Sonata. This summer Oliver will attend the Tanglewood Summer Festival Program, and in the […]

Hi everyone! Last week we were in Oklahoma City, where we taped an episode of the radio show at Kirkpatrick Auditorium on the beautiful campus of Oklahoma City University. We stayed at a gorgeous hotel, which happened to have a bright red grand piano in the lobby, right outside of a sports bar, and it […]

This past weekend, From the Top taped a radio show at Oklahoma City University’s Kirkpatrick Auditorium. This show featured four stellar soloists, as well as a 50-person youth chorale! Our four instrumentalists and two of the choir members joined us the next morning for the Arts Leadership Orientation, where we explored the ways that music […]

Beginning this summer, The Boston Conservatory introduces a new two-week High School Composition Intensive for students ages 15-18 who are serious about music composition. Program Director Andy Vores has teamed up with the QX String Quartet to give young composers the opportunity to work with professional musicians and have their pieces played by a professional […]

This just in from double bassist Emily Brown (Show 230 in Monterey, California): She snagged second prize in the Robert Avalon International Competition for Composers! Aside from being a superb double bass player, it seems like Emily also has a talent for composition. She entered the contest with her first composition ever, a piece for […]

Pianist Thomas Steigerwald, who performed on Show 185 in San Antonio, Texas, will be attending Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York this fall. Thomas will be studying with Douglas Humpherys and has received the highest level of scholarship that Eastman offers! As the winner of the 2011 Future Stars Competition, Thomas will be […]

We’re back in Boston for a short stretch following our taping last week at the beautiful Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, where we met six terrific teenage performers. Kicking off the show was a cello duo comprised of 17-year-old Naomi Benecasa and 18-year-old Richard Mazuski. They performed from Menotti’s Suite for […]

For the past few months, From the Top has been hard at work launching our Center for the Development of Arts Leaders (CDAL)! This blog is the fourth in a series written by Linda Gerstle, Director of Education and Community Partnerships, chronicling the pilot year of this program. You can read the first post here,  […]

Last week, From the Top taped a radio show at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in sunny Virginia Beach. We were joined by six young artists from across the country for a phenomenal performance! The next day, all of our performers took part in the Arts Leadership Orientation, where they explored the power […]

We’ve got a treat for you! Last week’s Show 230, which was taped April 7 in Monterey, California as part of the e.g. Conference, was captured on video in its entirety.  This means each performance is on YouTube for you to watch! If you’re pressed for time, at least check out this clip of Jake […]