Blog/News

This week in Links we Like, we take a glimpse at the abundance of summer’s classical music events occurring across the globe. From a listing of North American summer music festival concerts, to the establishment of a society for music education in Nepal, to a group of nuns from Avignon signing a record deal with […]

Great news from Roberto Granados, a From the Top alum from our Lubbock, Texas show.  He was recently contacted by the California Symphony, who requested he join them on May 1, 2011 to perform three movements from Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.”  He has commissioned a local luthier to have a special classical guitar made for […]

Violinist Stephen Waarts, who appeared on our 2009 show in Stanford, California, has been busy this summer! After winning second place in the Menuhin Competition earlier this year, Stephen performed with two symphonies in California – on May 23rd he played Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 with the Prometheus Symphony and on June 6 he performed Brahms Violin Concerto […]

We just got word that 14-year-old violinist Stephen Kim, who appeared on our radio show in Mobile, Alabama in January 2009, recently won two musical awards. He received the Gold Medal in the 11th California International Young Artists Violin Competition in San Diego on June 13, which he shared with a 24 year old violinist. […]

We love when From the Top performers take Arts Leadership to the next level – 14 year-old violist Isabella Markham, a Jack Kent Cook Young Artist, has done just that by organizing a small concert series for a retirement center with the help of her brother and seven friends.  She titled the performance “Bella Palooza” […]

This week in Links we Like, we view the financial influences of the arts. Business transactions are a vital part of the music industry: raising funds for arts organizations, purchasing instruments/music materials, buying tickets and recordings, etc. Such an observation is a striking one in a time when our economy is placing more and more […]

Earlier this year, 16-year-old John Ringor (Show #202 and #206 ) and 17-year-old Joshua Jones (TV Episode 201, Show #171 and  #206), both Chicago percussionists and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipients, gave a performance and demonstration for children and their families at the Chicago Symphony Center. They were joined by eight of their colleagues […]

After every radio taping, the performers come together for the Arts Leadership Orientation to explore how they can use their talent and passion to make a difference in their communities and the world. The performers on the St. Paul show named themselves the “Louisasota Zirths” – a play on the two states represented (10 performers […]

I can’t believe we’re already kicking off our 11th season of radio shows, and what better way than a fantabulous piano extravaganza! We taped the first show of the season earlier this week at the Young Artist World Piano Festival on the beautiful campus of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was an exciting […]

This week in Links we Like, we encounter a diverse group of events in music. From “the good” found in promoting music education, “the bad” in cheating the music industry, to “the funny” in charades, we see how music is a constant influence in our daily lives. El Sistema Goes Global: El Sistema is truly […]

From the Top alum William Harvey‘s musical organization, Cultures in Harmony, is hosting a student music group from Zimbabwe August 4-25, 2010 in New York City and Washington D.C. Onias Horiwa and William Harvey, July 2006. Photo courtesy of Cultures in Harmony Cultures in Harmony has worked with this group, comprised of leader Onias Horiwa, […]

We have been avidly following the progress of Musical Diplomacy, the brainchild of From the Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Grant recipients Brian Kaufman and Michael Reichman. After an entire year of planning and organizing, their dream of using music to bring together leading policymakers, teachers, musicians, and concerned citizens was finally realized at the […]

In the beginning of June we updated you on From the Top alum Nicholas King.  This week we received more information about his summer plans to share with you. You may remember that Nicholas mentioned throwing a private concert in July to fundraise so he can continue his studies at the world-renowned Royal Conservatory of […]

We are pleased to announce our 2010-2011 national tour dates for taping our popular NPR radio program hosted by acclaimed concert pianist Christopher O’Riley. The tour will include concert events at From the Top’s home base at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and cities from Athens, GA to Yountville, CA and will mark From the […]

This week in Links we Like, we observe the role that classical music can play in diplomacy and making a difference. Whether it be defending the importance of music education or supporting a political movement, music serves as a powerful catalyst for uniting people and ideas behind a cause. Also, as a little side note, […]

Sharing the music, passion and experiences of our performers with other young people is a vital part of From the Top’s Arts Leadership Program and we’re always excited to have new opportunities in each city we visit. Two weeks ago, From the Top had a great opportunity to meet and play for kids at the […]

Way back in 1998 before we hit the airwaves, From the Top taped their pilot episode at Jordan Hall. One of the featured performers was violinist William Harvey, then 15 years old, from Indiana. We’ve blogged about his accomplishments since then, and today we have another exciting opportunity of his to share with you. This […]

Hi everyone! Here is another installment of the Links We Like series. This week’s stories all deal with the breaking of conventions and the exploration of alternate concepts in the classical music world. We hope you enjoy them, and happy early Fourth of July! Composer or Imposter – Is Creativity Solely a Human Trait? When […]

Arts Leadership is an important part of From the Top’s experience for young musicians. We encourage all our performers to give back to their communities through their music. Sahun “Sam” Hong who performed on Show #206 in Dallas, Texas, has been doing Arts Leadership outreach continually since his show taped in November, 2009.  He’s setting a […]

Mozart, the “quicker-bio-degrader”? The concept of bacteria serving as decontaminating devices is a bizarre one, yet even more bizarre is the move by a German waste treatment plant to improve the speed and efficacy of these tiny microbes: playing Mozart. The harmonies allegedly produce greater efficiency in the breaking down of sewage and waste; all […]