This week’s program was recorded with our friends at Classical King in Seattle and showcases talented musicians from the great Pacific Northwest! We reconnect with Seattle Symphony’s Assistant Principal Cellist and From the Top alum Nathan Chan who joins Peter and our teen cellist for a Shostakovich polka! We also meet an accomplished young violinist…

A teen pianist performs a beautiful Chopin Scherzo and then improvs in his other love, jazz, with Peter. A 17-year-old composer shares his violin fantasy. We meet a piano duo from Oregon who are surprised by a major influence in their musical lives, From the Top alum Greg Anderson, who is one half of the…

This week we meet a blind tenor from coastal Maine who lobsters with his dad, a talented teenage violinist who got his start following YouTube tutorials, an award-winning teenage sax quartet, a pianist who is passionate about music history, and a violinist who performs a beautiful work by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery.

We explore repertoire from major and minor keys, highlighting how young artists express the character and nuance that each represent. We hear a teen cellist perform a bright and sunny work with ties to both the Baroque and Romantic eras, a young violinist brings a dark and stormy Beethoven Sonata, and a 17-year-old pianist performs…

Clarinetist Alex Laing joins Peter Dugan at the Atlanta Music Project for a program featuring musicians from Georgia! We hear the fantastic Atlanta Music Project Senior Youth Choir performing a Spiritual. A flutist shares her love for Eastern European Folk music, a percussionist performs Sibelius on marimba, and Peter collaborates on a gorgeous four handed…

This week we celebrate the joy of music with lively, exuberant, and sometimes fiery selections from our talented teens. We are treated to performances of Debussy, Beethoven, Strauss, and more. We talk about the importance of connecting emotionally with the repertoire. We also hear a flashback performance from a French Horn player who was featured…

We are in Kansas City! We explore the connection between music and math with a 16-year-old pianist who also happens to be a champion swimmer. We hear a majestic performance of Dukas by a teen French horn player. A teen flutist performs Ian Clarke’s The Great Train Race and describes the technical and artistic challenges…

We are celebrating From the Top’s 25th birthday! You’ll hear festive performances of Gershwin, Beethoven, Chopin, and more. We’ll get to know a 13-year-old violinist who is equally accomplished in classical repertoire and fiddling, meet a 16-year-old pianist who has already contributed to writing a published book, and witness a life-changing surprise. We also reconnect…

This week we hear some of our team’s favorite moments from the program in recent years. Get cozy for a fun hour!

This week, we’re giving thanks for the power of music. Guest Host Orli Shaham joins our young musicians for a feast of beautiful performances and meaningful conversations about gratitude and the importance of music in our lives. You’ll hear performances of Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, and more! Be sure to check out pianist Orli Shaham’s…

This week, we celebrate five musicians and their unique journeys. From a decorated Eagle Scout who turned to YouTube to get his start on trumpet to a mezzo soprano who is passionate about representing Hispanic culture in the works she sings and a clarinetist who found a home-away-from-home surrounded by music and art at the…

This week, we explore the rich depths of the bass register with incredible performances on double bass, cello, bassoon, piano, and even harp! We also learn about pole vaulting, choosing cologne, the oldest town in Texas, and the life-changing experiences of summer music camp.

This week we meet a blind tenor from coastal Maine who lobsters with his dad, a talented teenage violinist who got his start following YouTube tutorials, an award-winning teenage sax quartet, a pianist who is passionate about music history, and a violinist who performs a beautiful work by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery.

This week, we are treated to iconic performances from the late Romantic period including Amy Beach’s swoon-worthy Romance, Cassado’s dance suite for solo cello, and Fauré’s devastatingly beautiful Élégie on alto saxophone. We also meet a clarinetist who speaks about spending time out in nature in his home state of Washington and a 15-year-old double…

We’re in Philadelphia celebrating the city’s vibrant classical music scene with co-host Joseph Conyers, Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal bassist and Founder of Project 440, a music and leadership program for teens. We meet a local teen composer who aspires to create more opportunities for fellow Black composers. We also hear a young violinist perform a phenomenal…

We hear Clara Schumann performed on clarinet, a ferocious performance of Rachmaninoff, and a moving new cello work inspired by the pandemic. We also meet an 18-year-old who loves the euphonium so much that he’s determined to make it a household name and a young woman who is making an impression on the double bass…

We’re treated to the magical music of Classical masters Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and Kreisler. Plus, a 17-year-old soprano finds inspiration in the history of the first African American Opera House in the United States in her hometown of Pittsburgh. And two teens tell us what it’s been like to leave their home countries to study…

We meet an award-winning saxophone quartet from Texas. A teen flutist who is also a talented figure skater performs Faure. An impressive 16-year-old performs a piece by a guitarist/composer who inspires him, and a violinist from Hong Kong studying in Los Angeles tells us about how a letter from a stranger impacted his life.

Pianist Orli Shaham guest hosts as we meet five talented young musicians and hear their remarkable performances from the classical canon. Pianist Orli Shaham’s new recording of all of Mozart’s sonatas came out to rave reviews from around the world: “Highly expressive,” “engrossing,” “Altogether exceptional,” and “An absolute must for any of Mozart’s fans.” Purchase…

We’re sharing an array of music of varying flavors ranging from a playful performance of Cassadó to a modern piano work inspired by the city of Las Vegas and a fiery piece performed on erhu. We also meet a teen composer and reflect on the healing power of music.

Grammy Award-winning bass player Victor Wooten joins us this week as we celebrate great music out of Nashville, Tennessee! A teen violinist performs a marvelous work by contemporary composer Daniel Bernard Roumain. We hear a joyful Beethoven Piano Sonata performed by a 16-year-old pianist and a talented teen flutist plays a Bach Sonata. Victor Wooten…

Rolling farmland, local butcher shops, woodlands, bayous, and red brick general stores provide the backdrops for this week’s bucolic episode. We meet five musicians from rural areas around the nation to learn about their lives and musical studies. Violinist and bluegrass fiddler Tessa Lark co-hosts this episode with Peter Dugan, drawing on the musical traditions…

From the Top celebrates Earth Day by exploring the intersection of music and nature with young musicians who hold both deeply in their hearts. We’ll pay homage to our beautiful planet and the works of art it inspires. We’ll meet a composer whose passion for insects is reflected in his work and we’ll hear pieces…

How does ensemble size and instrumentation shape the listening experience? There’s something for everyone this week as we explore performances from soloists to ensembles, large and small. We’ll hear a solo pianist play Rachmaninoff, a bassoon, oboe, and piano trio performing Poulenc, an award-winning high school orchestra play a Shostakovich Symphony, and much more! This…

This week we focus on sonatas, a term that comes from the Italian word for sound and references a piece of music that is played instead of sung. We witness the artistic collaboration that happens between host Peter Dugan and our young musicians as they take on Beethoven, Brahms, and Saint Saëns. We also hear…

This week we meet a blind tenor from coastal Maine who lobsters with his dad, a talented teenage violinist who got his start following YouTube tutorials, an award-winning teenage sax quartet, a pianist who is passionate about music history, and a violinist who performs a beautiful work by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery.

A talented 12-year-old cellist performs The Swan by Saint-Saëns, a flutist with a passion for marine biology plays a dreamy Fantasie by Hüe, and the winner of Interlochen Arts Academy’s Concerto Competition performs a difficult but rewarding work by Ysaÿe. We also meet a violist with a love for Formula One racing who gives an…

We meet young musicians from Minnesota, including a 14-year-old pianist playing a Chopin Scherzo, a classical cellist who also plays rock covers, and a trumpeter who gives insight into the physicality of playing his instrument. We also hear from a guitar quartet playing a lively Brazilian piece, a teen oboist playing a new work by…

A teen quartet plays Mozart, a 15-year-old flutist shares why her instrument is a dependable friend, and a violinist plays Kreisler and draws connections between science and art. We also meet a percussionist from the famous LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts who gives a tour of the marimba to Peter Dugan, a 13-year-old…

This week host Peter Dugan meets wonderful musicians from Ohio. We get to know a teen violinist who shares how he deals with performance anxiety, a guitarist inspired by his Colombian heritage, a 12-year-old cellist who incorporates bluegrass into her classical studies, a pianist with an interest in robotics, the concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony…

We’re meeting some phenomenal musicians from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. The school is celebrating 50 years as an arts high school and sharing their talented teens with Guest Host Orli Shaham and listeners. Enjoy performances of Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and more.

We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the world’s largest chamber music competition. Over the years, From the Top has featured the sensational winning ensembles of the Fishchoff’s Junior Division and we’re going to revisit some of these incredible performances. We’ll also reveal the most recent grand prize winners who…

A young violinist explores the connection between powerlifting and music. A teen bassoonist plays a stirring piece, a trombonist shows off the range of his instrument and shares his passion for nutrition. A flutist performs on the new instrument purchased through her Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. And a young composer presents their exciting…

We’re back at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. You’ll hear more incredible performances, including some with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and meet semi-finalists and winners of the competition.

We’re backstage at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. Hear brilliant performances from the competitors and learn more about this outstanding group of young pianists gathered from around the world.

A teen guitarist from Colorado plays a beautiful work by Bach, a cellist plays an emotional Elegy by John Williams, and a pianist performs a piece that draws from the worlds of classical and jazz. We’ll also hear from a teenage bassoonist who shares what it’s like living with neurodivergence and meet a young clarinetist…

We hear Clara Schumann performed on clarinet, a ferocious performance of Rachmaninoff, and a moving new cello work inspired by the pandemic. We also meet an 18-year-old who loves the euphonium so much that he’s determined to make it a household name and a young woman who is making an impression on the double bass…

Clarinetist Alex Laing joins Peter Dugan at the Atlanta Music Project for a program featuring musicians from Georgia! We hear the fantastic Atlanta Music Project Senior Youth Choir performing a Spiritual. A flutist shares her love for Eastern European Folk music, a percussionist performs Sibelius on marimba, and Peter collaborates on a gorgeous four handed…

We’re treated to the magical music of Classical masters Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and Kreisler. Plus, a 17-year-old soprano finds inspiration in the history of the first African American Opera House in the United States in her hometown of Pittsburgh. And two teens tell us what it’s been like to leave their home countries to study…

We meet an award-winning saxophone quartet from Texas. A teen flutist who is also a talented figure skater performs Faure. An impressive 16-year-old performs a piece by a guitarist/composer who inspires him, and a violinist from Hong Kong studying in Los Angeles tells us about how a letter from a stranger impacted his life.

This week we meet a blind tenor from coastal Maine who lobsters with his dad, a talented teenage violinist who got his start following YouTube tutorials, an award-winning teenage sax quartet, a pianist who is passionate about music history, and a violinist who performs a beautiful work by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery.