Category: Radio/podcast

Reflections on this week’s podcast from Announcer Joanne Robinson: Over my nearly twenty years as From the Top’s announcer, I’ve had the good fortune to continually have the best seat in the house. From my perch onstage, just to left of the performance area next to our towering “On the Air” sign, I’ve gotten to […]

On a Wednesday afternoon, eleven From the Top young musicians gathered in Boston to begin a 4-day residency. They arrived as strangers; some having traveled across the country to be there. One goal was clear – the young musicians had to prepare for a performance and recording for NPR’s From the Top radio show. (In fact, the group […]

From the Top Announces Peter Dugan as Permanent Host of its NPR Program  Vijay Gupta, Alex Laing, Tessa Lark, Orli Shaham and Charles Yang Comprise From the Top’s Newly Formed Team of Co-hosts & Creatives Boston, Massachusetts (January 23, 2020) – From the Top, America’s largest platform celebrating the voices and talents of America’s brightest […]

On this week’s bonus podcast, we dive deeper into From the Top’s coverage of the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Competition (Show 374). Pianist Alessio Bax is interviewed by From the Top guest host, Peter Dugan about serving as the Jury Chairman and the nature of competitions. Download the podcast now.

This article was published by the Portland Press Herald on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. Young Maine musicians to perform in Portland for NPR’s ‘From the Top’ by Bob Keyes, Portland Press Herald Staff Writer Three young musicians from Maine will join seven peers from other parts of the country when the radio program “From the […]

This article originally appeared on The Harvard Crimson. On Sunday, October 6, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall was abuzz. A hustling production crew weaved through the audience as fans of all ages filed into their seats. As the house lights dimmed, the wooden paneling that soared above the stage on all sides took on a […]

Paul Katz is known to concertgoers the world over as cellist of the Cleveland Quartet, which, during an international career of 26 years, made more than 2,500 appearances on four continents. In 2011, declaring that “our art is passed from one generation to the next, not by books but by mentoring,” Katz launched CelloBello, a website […]

Renowned cellist Paul Katz guest hosts this week’s episode of From the Top (listen on your participating station and/or by podcast). Recorded on July 31 at New England Conservatory (NEC)’s Jordan Hall in Boston, this episode of From the Top features young artists from around the world who studied at the Morningside Music Bridge program in […]

This week From the Top goes behind-the-scenes at the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival (check your local listings or download our podcast here). Hosted by pianist Peter Dugan, this documentary style episode of From the Top features six of the 23 young pianists (age 13 to 17) chosen to participle in two weeks of high-level competition […]

This week’s episode of NPR’s From the Top, taped at Dartmouth College with Guest Host Jeremy Denk, features two Jack Kent Cooke Young Artists: flutist Subin Cho and cellist Nygel Witherspoon. The award helps young musicians with the high costs of studying classical music. Recipients must demonstrate exceptional musical ability, quality of character, and financial […]

One of America’s foremost pianists, Jeremy Denk, guest hosts this week’s episode of From the Top (check your local listings or download our podcast here). Winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and the Avery Fisher Prize, Denk was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. We were honored to have him join From the Top. […]

Live recording events of popular NPR classical music show will feature special lineup of hosts and co-hosts Boston, Massachusetts (July 30, 2019) – From the Top, America’s largest platform celebrating the voices and talents of America’s brightest young classical musicians, announced the 2019-2020 tour dates and hosts for its nationally-distributed NPR radio program today. From […]

This week, From the Top airs Show 367 with guest host Peter Dugan featuring the talents of 6 inspiring young musicians from across the country. Their stories are compelling, from 17-year-old Zachary Potts’ inspiring story about leaving the U.S. for the first time to see his horn teacher perform with the Berlin Philharmonic, to Los […]

My name is Benjamin Lee. I’m 16 years old and I play the erhu. People call the erhu the Chinese violin. However, it should be the other way around because the erhu is about a thousand years older than the violin. Maybe the violin should be called the Western erhu! So what is the erhu, […]

  Charles Yang, a maverick violinist whose musical taste ranges from Bach to the Beatles, first appeared on From the Top in 2002 at the age of 14, delivering a show-stopping performance of Zigeunerweisen and professing his love for the violin, “the violin is like caffeine” he said, “…you get addicted to it…if I put […]

NPR’S FROM THE TOP TO CONVENE IN LOS ANGELES FOR THREE-DAY RESIDENCY  Pianist Peter Dugan Guest Hosts Studio Recordings  Producer, Singer and DJ Alex Seaver (MAKO) leads music-making sessions  Leadership and Community Engagement workshops offer firsthand experience in creative career development FEBRUARY 23-25, 2019 From the Top (FTT), the nationwide program distributed by NPR that […]

From the Top Announces Pianist Simone Dinnerstein as additional Guest Host for 2018–2019 National Tour Boston, Massachusetts (February 7, 2019)– From the Top, the nationwide program distributed by NPR that showcases classically-trained young musicians, is very pleased to announce that American pianist Simone Dinnerstein, known for her “majestic originality of vision” (Independent), will guest …

With 2018 solidly behind us, we finally had the chance to look back, take stock, and pull out some of our favorite moments from last year. From fantastically fun videos to empowering young musicians to make an impact in their community, 2018 was a year to remember. 1: Two of our music videos were included in WQXR’s […]

Soprano Lauren Michelle, a native of Los Angeles and a 2001 Walnut Hill School for the Arts graduate, appeared on From the Top’s first ever recording at the Tanglewood Music Center in July, 1999. She will return to From the Top on February 3, 2019 in Boston, guest hosted by actor Lawrence Gilliard Jr. Tickets and […]

This excerpt was taken from Akili Farrow’s on-air segment on NPR’s From the Top Show 359 from Kennett Square, PA. Akili, the Brahms is so beautiful and such an intense and dramatic piece of music that ends in this grand manner. How do you bring it to life? How do you bring out the drama? I used to […]