Blog/News

What could be one of the world’s first musical instruments was discovered in Germany recently, according to the Boston Globe. A flute, carved from bone and ivory, is estimated at approximately 35,000 years old. The Globe reports: “The find suggests just how integral artistic expression may be to human existence: Music apparently flourished even in […]

When you’re a student, it’s hard to see classical music. You have to find a concert that fits your schedule, sometimes on short notice, persuade someone to come with you, (if you don’t have a lot of friends who love classical music), and, hardest of all, keep the whole night inside your budget. Good news: […]

On Monday, From the Top co-founder and co-CEO Gerald Slavet addressed music teachers from across the country who had all convened in Washington for MENC’s Music Education Week. Jerry spoke about the importance of music education and thanked the educators for their role in the artistic and creative development of our nation’s children.  “Without invested […]

Ann Gregg, from Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (and From the Top’s former education director!) brings us news of a great opportunity for musicians in the New York area who are college-aged and older, and want to give back to their communities. According to Carnegie Hall, the new community program, called “Musical Connections,” will  work […]

Great five-minute procrastination break: Steve Hicken’s “twitterpieces,” musical compositions so short Hicken can “tweet” them, complete with all performance instructions. The inspiration for “twitterpieces” came from a fellow blogger. And good news – Hicken takes commissions! Here are a few of my favorites: No word yet on whether any of Hicken’s “twitterpieces” have been performed. …

If you’ll be in New York any time from now until June 24, check out the Institute and Festival For Contemporary Performance’s sixth annual June Concert Series at Mannes College: The New  School for Music. Through the weeklong smorgasbord of concerts, workshops, master classes lectures, and symposiums, IFCP participants will push the boundaries of contemporary […]

Good and Good for You: It’s Beethoven’s 5th Symphony – in Japanese?! Watch the English-subtitled version above, or the one with slightly better video quality (and no subtitles) here. From The Collaborative Piano Blog. Keep reading for more excerpts we like this week.

Greetings from El Paso, Texas! I can see why El Paso is nicknamed the Sun City – it was 92 degrees today. Quite a treat after the unseasonably cold weather in Boston. It’s beautiful here. Picture a southwestern city with open vistas, big skies, and mountains in the distance. The Plaza Theatre, where we taped […]

-Lily Kaiser Below is the first edition of a new series of “Audition Stories”, a fistful of firsthand reports on what it takes to get on From the Top. We’ll cover details from the toughest application question to the fateful phone call and everything in between. Of course, the best way to find out what […]

Last June, From the Top Tour Producer David Balsom was preparing to visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa to plan out a yearlong residency program with Orchestra Iowa when he received a frantic email from the symphony’s executive director. “The email said flood waters are coming, we’re evacuating, don’t come.” “I thought it was most likely the […]

Announcer Joanne Robinson and Producers Tom Voegeli and Tim Banker take a road trip from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska, while taping From the Top broadcasts this past May. Check it out.

This Saturday, From the Top’s taping at the El Paso Summer Music Festival will celebrate our partnership with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which has supported $1 million in scholarships to young musicians with financial need. The broadcast taping will feature five new Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipients, and will include updates from […]

Last week our TV production partner Don Mischer produced an event for the Democratic National Committee in Los Angeles and invited From the Top to recommend a performer. 10-year-old guitarist Roberto Granados, a LA native, who was featured on our broadcast in Lubbock, TX earlier this year, was available to perform and by all accounts […]

If you enjoy singing with your neighbors, congregation, or classmates, you’re taking an increasingly popular path to a successful life. According to a new study by Chorus America, an estimated 42.6 million adults and children regularly sing in choruses today, and 32.5 million of those are adults! More than 1 in 5 US households have […]

From the Top performers share why playing music is meaningful to them – even though it takes a lot of hard work! Tell us your story, by leaving a comment below.

From the Top encouraged 17-year-old composer and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient Michael Taylor to plan an arts outreach program after his December appearance on the radio program in Indianapolis, IN. He recently sent us this update following his visit to his local elementary school in Arlington, TX: Today I went over to […]

From the Top Alum and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, Ren Martin-Doike along with friends Sangwoo Kim, Alex Ayers, and Jake Woollen performed as a string quartet for the entire first grade class at the Fairview Elementary school on May 14 in her hometown of Bloomington, IN.  This year Ren was a part of a […]

From the Top was honored today by the National Arts Learning Collaborative (NALC)  and the Massachusetts Arts Education Collaborative (MAEC) with the “Media Support for Arts Education Award,” presented at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. We are proud to be among the many wonderful advocates for arts education to be honored during this event. […]

Our host Christopher O’Riley has recently offered a series of recitals with longtime collaborator New York Philharmonic cellist Carter Brey. After taping From the Top shows in Cedar Rapids, IA and Omaha, NE last week, Chris flew to New Lebanon, New York to open the Tannery Pond concert season on Sunday afternoon. Vivien Schweitzer reviewed […]

By Joanne Robinson Greetings from Omaha, two days following our taping in Cedar Rapids, Iowa! The taping was great, and the drive to Omaha wasn’t half bad either (except for the hour-long detour to try to find a Starbucks in the most rural part of Iowa). There were definitely some memorable moments from our Cedar […]