Tag: radio

From the Top host Christopher O’Riley has released a new recording, O’Riley’s Liszt which delves into the transcriptions of the master interpreter. The  2-CD set and HD audio/video Blu-ray features Christopher’s own touches on the works of Mozart, Wagner, Berlioz, Schubert, and Schumann. Christopher is also making live appearances in conjunction with the May 7 release, …

It is with excitement that we report that six From the Top alumni have been named among  30 competitors in the Van Cliburn Competition, May 24 – June 9 in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions. The Van Cliburn Competition was founded in 1962 to recognize the great pianist Van Cliburn, […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 270 was taped at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music in Athens, GA on Sunday March 3, 2013. We asked our performers to tell us more about their experience on the show… Maria Ioudenitch, 17, violin Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op.16 By: Henryk Wieniawski The Scherzo-Tarantella merges precision, tenderness, and passio […]

From the Top loves reaching out to the communities we visit on our tour! While we were in Dallas in January, we brought three young musicians to visit a group of teens at the Pleasant Grove Branch Library. Our soloists were Russell Houston (age 18, cello), Aakash Patel (age 19, violin), and Chase Dobson (age […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 265 featuring the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) was taped at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX on Friday January 4, 2013. We asked our performers to tell us more about their experience on the show… Aakash Patel, 19, violin I. Allegro non troppo from Violin Concerto No. 3 […]

UPDATE AS OF 2.9.13 at 7:20 PM: As you know winter storm Nemo has caused us to cancel From the Top’s Saturday, February 9 live taping event at NEC’s Jordan Hall. Unfortunately, we are unable to reschedule. We are pleased to offer ticket buyers several options for purchased tickets: Exchange. We would be happy to […]

From the Top has inspired the writers on America’s Favorite Quiz Show®, JEOPARDY! On Monday, February 4, JEOPARDY! contestants in the teen tournament were put to the test on their knowledge of all things classical music, under the category entitled “From the Top.”  Our logo was even on the game board!

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 […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 262 was taped at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg, PA on Sunday October 21, 2012. We asked our performers to tell us more about their experience on the show… Quartet Stracciatella IV. Allegro from String Quartet No.2 “Intimate Letters,” By: Leoš Janáček Erika Gray, 16, violin As a group, we have […]

From the Top’s Show 261 was taped at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts on Sunday, October 14, 2012. We asked our performers to share their thoughts on the music they performed for the show: Sebastian Stoger, 13, cello “Pezzo Capriccioso” By: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky When I play this piece of music, I […]

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 […]

On this week’s episode of From the Top, host Christopher O’Riley interviews Broadway and television star Audra McDonald, touching on her musical beginnings, training at Juilliard, and learning to follow her instincts into a career path she loved. McDonald is currently starring in Broadway’s The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Listen to the interview.

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! […]