Category: Behind the Scenes

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Hi everyone! We’re back from Carmel, Indiana, where we taped a show with a very special guest – singer and interpreter of the Great American Songbook Michael Feinstein. He was warm and wonderful with our young performers, and they were all excited to work with him. The show opened with 16-year-old cellist Matthew Liversedge who […]

We had a wonderful taping this past weekend in College Park, Maryland with a talented and diverse group of teenage musicians. First up was 16-year-old pianist Kimberly Hou, who did something never before accomplished during a From the Top rehearsal – she played so passionately she broke a piano string! We were very lucky because […]

Hi everyone! We just got back into Boston after a whirlwind couple of days that found us taping radio shows in Monterey, California and New York City as well as performing a family concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. The California taping took place at the EG Conference, an amazing meeting of innovators in media, […]

Our whirlwind tour of tapings (five this month!) kicked off this week in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where we recorded a great episode with five outstanding teenage performers: 17-year-old cellist Andrew Altmaier, 17-year-old saxophonist Elizabeth Lin, 18-year-old pianist Yifan Wu, 14-year-old violinist Jennifer Cha, and 17-year-old accordionist Danielle Renzi. The night before the show, our producers …

We had an amazing taping this past weekend in Athens, Georgia featuring a very special guest – Sir James Galway, the man with the golden flute! He was fantastic to be with, mentoring our young performers, joking with them, and putting everyone at their ease. Sometimes before a taping, we need to make last minute […]

Sometimes when we’re taping a show, the totally unexpected happens, and it was one of those times this past Tuesday when we taped a show in Opelika, Alabama. We were at the midpoint of our taping when 14-year-old pianist Evan Ritter took to the stage to play the Prokofiev’s fiery Suggestion Diabolique. He was about […]

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 week’s From the Top broadcast (Show 222) was taped at LSU in Baton Rouge, LA on Tuesday November 02, 2010. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Jean Kim, 15, cello Capriccio By Lukas Foss The Capriccio, for me, is like the background music of a […]

Hi everyone! We just got back from taping a show in Abilene, Texas, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the place we stayed to the venue we played, to the terrific kids and unexpected music, it was definitely one-of-a-kind! Special thanks to the folks at KACU Abilene Public Radio for their warm welcome and […]

For our fourth blog of The Parents’ Perspective we asked for both parent and reader feedback on which topic to discuss – skipping school for the sake of music, or dealing with stage fright and nerves. Both are great (and important) topics, but we had overwhelming interest in discussing the matter of skipping school for […]

This week’s From the Top broadcast (Show 221) was taped in Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts on Sunday, October 24, 2010. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Francesca Bass, 15, violin Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20, No. 1 (Gypsy Airs) By: Pablo de Sarasate This is a really […]

We just got home from taping a show in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the Shaver Theatre at LSU. It was our first time in Louisiana and it was a fantastic experience! The show was full of standout moments. It opened with a dazzling performance by 15-year-old cellist Jean Kim, a wonderfully expressive musician, who played […]

On this week’s show, 17-year-old saxophone player Justin Moser relived his experience auditioning for American Idol with our host Christopher O’Riley. Nerves may have gotten the best of him at his audition, but he certainly nailed his From the Top performance and this singing demo! Check it out.

This week’s show (Show 220) was taped at the Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa on Tuesday October 12, 2010. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Justin Moser, 17, alto saxophone Rondo  from Lamento et Rondo By: Pierre Sancan My favorite part of this piece is the […]

Hi everyone. Sunday we taped a wonderful show at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston. Let me dive right in and tell you all about it! The show opened with teenage violinist Francesca Bass, playing one of my all-time favorite pieces, Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen. After that exciting start, trumpeter Baldvin Oddsson took the […]

As you can see from Joanne’s On the Road blog, we had a great time in Davenport and Parkersburg, Iowa! It turns out that one of our performers, alto saxophone player Justin Moser, has a father who loves do to video as a hobby. Mark Moser was kind enough to tape the performances from the […]