Blog/News

15-year-old organist Karen Christianson has been busy since appearing on Show 223 in Abilene, Texas! This Saturday, February 5, Karen is featured on WWFM’s “Cadenza” with David Osenberg at 3pm. Karen’s From the Top show will also be rebroadcast on Saturday at 12pm, so if you’re in Eastern Pennsylvania or New Jersey, definitely tune in! […]

This past weekend, we taped a great show at our home base, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston. Directly before the taping started, the audience got to meet the inaugural class of From the Top’s new Center for Arts Leadership – twenty young musicians and four mentors who are about to embark on a […]

Last Sunday we taped a show in one of the most beautiful areas of the country – Yountville, California in the heart of the Napa Valley. We took in the gorgeous vineyards, sampled the delicious food, and, of course, experienced amazing music-making! First up on our program, the very young Mondo Trio from San Francisco […]

This past weekend From the Top visited sunny Napa to tape a radio show at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville, CA! Our performers joined us the morning after the show for the Arts Leadership Orientation to explore how music can make a difference beyond the concert hall. All seven from the West Coast, the group […]

NPR’s classical music blog “Deceptive Cadence” recently published an interesting article by From the Top host Christopher O’Riley about the changing landscape of classical music. Here’s a quick excerpt: In its present state, classical music in the American cultural landscape seems to be ever more marginalized. I propose that getting more people to listen is […]

This just in – From the Top alum and soprano Megan Bell (Show 62, January 2002) recently sang with the touring educational outreach company “Opera for the Young.” Below she shares her arts leadership experience: Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Opera for the Young (OFY) is dedicated solely to performance outreach, which is part of what […]

This new addition to our Arts Leadership map gives musicians of all levels a place to practice and share their music! When violinist and conductor Eli Spindel moved to New York in 2006, he didn’t feel like he was a part of a musical community – so he decided to create his own! In the […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 224 was taped in Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA on Friday December 03, 2010. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Rachel Rodgers, 15, flute Carnival of Venice By Giulio Briccialdi First of all, this piece is […]

This new addition to our Arts Leadership map focuses on creative arts advocacy through music history. While teaching a course in American Popular Music, Concordia University professor and classical guitarist Kim Perlak was moved by how inspired her students were by those who made a positive impact in society through music, history, and service. She […]

We are pleased to announce the full release of From the Top’s new mobile app! Powered by Instant Encore, the mobile tool gives fans up-to-the minute access to From the Top’s podcasts, videos, radio show clips, news updates, concert listings and more. The application is available through the iTunes store and Android Market. It requires […]

Last week we shared a fantastic article on preparing for college auditions, written by From the Top alum Ren Martin-Doike. In the article, Ren mentioned a technique from violinist William Harvey, From the Top alum and founder of Cultures in Harmony. When William reappeared on From the Top in 2009 as part of our 10th […]

This recent addition to our Arts Leadership map is inspirational! When Gregg Breinberg  started working at P.S. 22 in 1999, the lack of a music program meant teaching second grade. The next year, Gregg asked the administration to let him start a chorus and become a full-time music teacher. Despite arts budget cuts, the school […]

January means college auditions, so this post features a great article written by From the Top alum and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Ren Martin-Doike. Ren shares tips and hints for preparing for those college auditions, as well as interesting links and ideas for practicing. We hope you enjoy, and good luck if you’re auditioning […]

This is a recently addition to our Arts Leadership map that you don’t want to miss! In early 2008 Ben Werdegar saw a story about Iraqi children needing wheelchairs and knew he had to find a way to help. Two years and $18,500 later, 13-year-old Ben is truly making a difference through his music. “I’m […]

The semi-finalists for the 14th annual Sphinx Competition have been announced, and among them are several From the Top alums! The Sphinx Organization is a non profit that works to “overcome the cultural stereotype of classical music, and to encourage the participation of Blacks and Latinos in the field.” Each year their competition gives diverse […]

This week’s From the Top broadcast (Show 223) was taped at the First Baptist Church in Abilene, TX on Tuesday November 16, 2010. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Karen Christianson, 15, organ Everyone Dance By: Calvin Hampton “Everyone Dance” by the American composer Calvin Hampton is […]

Symphony in C, a New Jersey symphony training orchestra, just announced its appointment of From the Top alum Megan Emigh as Principal Flautist beginning this season! Megan has appeared twice on From the Top, first on Show 070 in New York, New York and again on Show 085 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Megan recently graduated […]

A little variety is always nice, so today we are posting an article by guest blogger Joy Paley, who writes for My Dog Ate My Blog. While education is a large part of From the Top’s core values, this post touches on a subject that we don’t often talk about – music as it relates to […]

We just received some updates from pianist/composer Neara Russell, who appeared on Show 132 in Boston, Massachusetts. Neara graduated from Berklee College of Music this year with a dual degree in Composition & Piano/Voice Performance. She has been a featured soloist in the Berklee Performance Center, Steinert Hall, Institute of Contemporary Art, Agganis Arena, and […]

From the Top and Carnegie Hall are pleased to announce the results of the Big Break – our first online competition for America’s young classical musicians! Selected by popular vote, our Grand Prize Winner is 17-year-old percussionist Marcelina Suchocka from Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Suchocka is a student at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School […]