Category: Behind the Scenes

Because these presentations took place…right after the holidays, I wanted to bring some happiness to these kids who have been through so much hardship. Furthermore, I wanted to introduce them to music that they normally would not be so exposed to.” Percussionist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Eric Segerstrom (Show 237) wanted to connect with children […]

Alex Zhou, 11, violin Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 By: Pablo de Sarasate My favorite part of the Zigeunerweisen is the fast, dancing section. I don’t really have a least favorite part of the piece. When I play the first half/slow part of the piece, I try to think of homeless people dressed in bright red dresses […]

The day after From the Top’s taping at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis, CA, we traveled to Davis High School to meet with students involved in the school’s orchestra program. Performers Annie Wu (flute), Kristina Zlatareva (violin), JiSun Jung (cello), and JiaYing Dong (piano) joined us for the event. In addition […]

Late October found us in Davis, California where we taped an episode of the radio show at the Mondavi Center, a stunning concert hall on the campus of UC Davis. This show was full of interesting and talented kids, including three who’ve won major competitions. Kicking things off was a very young violinist –12-year-old Alex […]

Towards the end of October we were in Greensburg, Pennsylvania for a taping at the Palace Theatre. It was a great show and the young musicians really bonded and had fun together– as evidenced by what happened during curtain call! In what has to be one of the most unexpected moments in From the Top […]

October was a busy, but wonderfully energizing, month. The weekend after our Troy, New York, show, we were back at our home base, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston for a taping that featured a diversity of kids who expressed all sorts of new ways of looking at things. For instance, 18-year-old recorder aficionado […]

October is a busy month here in From the Top land. Last week we taped a show in Troy, New York; this past weekend we taped one in Boston; we’re off to Greensburg, Pennsylvania in a few days, and then we round out the month in Davis, California! But will I manage to post my […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 256 was taped at the Palace Arts Center in Grapevine, Texas on Wednesday June 27, 2012 as part of the Military Child Education Coalition Conference. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: William Hume, 16, piano Rhapsody in B minor, Op.79, […]

In this week’s episode of From the Top, we teamed up with the Military Child Education Coalition to celebrate the talented and hardworking children of America’s service men and women. These fantastic performers shared the ups and downs of military life, from living on US bases in Germany and Belgium to dealing with a parent […]

Never would I have imagined when I joined From the Top over a decade ago, that there would come a day when our crew would travel all the way to China to tape our radio show, but earlier this summer, we had the amazing opportunity to tape not one, but two episodes of our radio […]

We have had an unusually busy summer here at From the Top. We were in China very recently (look out for a blog about that adventure next week!), but right before leaving the country we taped a show at the famous Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. What a gorgeous place to spend the summer! […]

Being an arts leader to me means inspiring that “spark” in others so they can realize what they are capable of. It’s about empowering people to go after something they normally wouldn’t, or showing them a piece of their full potential and how easy it is to accomplish their goals. – Carson Marshall When 17 […]

A few weeks ago we were in Grapevine, Texas, where we taped an especially unique episode of the radio show featuring young musicians who’ve grown up in military families. Our show was part of the Military Child Education Coalition’s annual seminar, and our audience was full of the people who teach and support military kids. […]

A few weeks ago we had the incredible experience of traveling to Colombia to make our international debut in Bogota. Our trip was profound in ways we could have never anticipated. Rather than giving you my usual play by play, I’m going to ask you to click here for a blog that tells the story […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 253 was taped at the Newmark Theatre in Portland, OR on Sunday May 6, 2012. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Simone Porter, violin, 15 III. Allegro Animato from Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op.45 By: Edvard Grieg […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 252 was taped at the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, TN on Thursday, April 26, 2012. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Jerry Feng, piano, 17 Etude Op.10, No.12 in C minor, “Revolutionary” By: Frederic Chopin I just really think this […]

We love having the chance to meet with other young musicians whenever we’re on tour for a show. This past April brought us to Potsdam, NY, where we were able to meet with two groups of high school music students. Performers John Lee (cello) and Margaux Filet (flute) joined us for these events. We first […]

Greetings everyone! The whirlwind spring tour of 2012 continues with our most recent taping in Houston, Texas. We taped at the Wortham Center, the gigantic home of the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera, and our show included plenty of outstanding Houston talent. The audience was packed, and, as a result of the Houston Public […]

Spring is a notoriously busy time here in From the Top land, but this spring has been, without a doubt, the extra-crazy-busiest! In the last few weeks we’ve crisscrossed the country from northern New York to sunny Tennessee to way out west in Oregon, all the while as we prepared for our annual gala which […]

  Towards the end of March, we taped a show at The Palladium – a beautiful, acoustically-ideal concert hall that’s part of the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. We had taped a show at the Palladium just last year and the excitement behind our return allowed us to make a number of […]