From the Top

41:14

Romance & Silence

From the Top ·

2025/12/29

A dedicated teen violinist and poet performs Amy Beach’s passionate Romance. A clarinetist describes a moment discovering complete silence out in nature and how he draws on that feeling in his performance of Debussy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

24:14

Debussy and Rhapsody for Alto Sax

From the Top ·

2025/12/22

A wonderful teen violinist who has lived all over the world performs Debussy. A 17-year-old saxophone player from Texas shares how he found his first instrument in a pawn shop and hasn’t put the sax down since. He performs an exquisite Rhapsody by André Waignein.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

36:04

Band Room to Recording Studio

From the Top ·

2025/12/15

Today’s episode is dominated by instruments you’d find in a high school band room and many of our featured teen artists discovered their love for performing through school music programs. We meet a tuba player and a trombonist who followed their passion to Interlochen Arts Academy and a percussionist who is at home in front of the marimba.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

33:57

Composer Jessie Montgomery and more Black Voices in...

From the Top ·

2025/12/08

Composer Jessie Montgomery joins us as we continue our celebration of Black From the Top alumni and their contributions to classical music. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

38:58

Black Voices in Classical Music with Alex Laing

From the Top ·

2025/12/01

Guest Host Alex Laing joins for a celebration of Black artists in classical music. We’re catching up with From the Top alumni who are making waves in the field.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

31:54

Musicians from Rural America: Violin and Banjo

From the Top ·

2025/11/24

A 15-year-old violinist introduces us to his charming coastal community of Damariscotta, Maine and a talented young banjo player brings us into her musical home in the foothills of Leicester, North Carolina. Co-host/violinist Tessa Lark draws on her own childhood in Kentucky as she reflects with Peter Dugan on the stories and performances of these talented young musicians from rural communities. Don’t miss the videos of each hometown visit at fromthetop.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices:

en

45:01

Musicians from Rural America: Louisiana to California

From the Top ·

2025/11/17

We meet a teen violinist down by the bayou in Monroe, Louisiana, travel to the rolling farmland of Redlands, California to the home of a driven young guitarist, and hear from a young composer who enjoys the support of his community in Fargo, North Dakota. Co-host/violinist Tessa Lark speaks about her own upbringing in Eastern Kentucky as she reflects with Peter Dugan on the experiences of these talented young artists from small towns. Don’t miss the videos of each hometown visit at

en

33:44

Chopin Cello Sonata & Vivaldi Bassoon

From the Top ·

2025/11/10

Our 25th birthday celebration continues with a dazzling performance of Chopin by a gifted 16-year-old cellist. We are treated to a performance of Vivaldi by a young bassoonist and witness a life-changing surprise. Peter sends us off with a flashback performance from when the legendary Paquito D’Rivera appeared on the show.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

47:05

Gershwin, Fiddle, & the United States Air Force...

From the Top ·

2025/11/03

It’s From the Top’s 25th birthday! We meet a 13-year-old violinist who is equally accomplished in classical repertoire and fiddling. A 16-year-old pianist from New York performs a brilliant Beethoven Sonata and talks about her incredible experience in publishing. Finally, we reconnect with From the Top alum Yuna Langehennig and learn about her journey to becoming an Airman First Class in the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. She brings along her ensemble Heritage Winds and they

en

40:50

More Renowned Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Alumni

From the Top ·

2025/10/27

We are celebrating the 20th year of our Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and reconnecting with some musical stars who received the Award as teens. We’ll meet the executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and catch up with a world-renowned opera singer and an Avery Fisher Career Grant winning-pianist.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

35:33

20 Years of Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards and...

From the Top ·

2025/10/20

We're celebrating our 20-year partnership with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and hearing how the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award has empowered young musicians with financial need. We’ll meet two past recipients: a violinist/arts leader who has dedicated her career to creating opportunities for young artists of diverse backgrounds and a lauded concert flutist who is also passionate about education and access.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy

en

59:19

Classical Guitar, Sax Quartet, & More

From the Top ·

2025/10/13

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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

27:40

Sentimental Sax and Sparkling Marimba

From the Top ·

2025/10/06

An 18-year-old saxophonist plays a sentimental melody by Amy Beach, and we meet a passionate percussionist who has been dedicated to her craft since she was a toddler. We close the show with a flashback finale featuring an accomplished pianist back when she was 10!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

32:34

Brahms Viola to Carnegie Hall

From the Top ·

2025/09/29

A teen violist treats us to a sweeping Brahms sonata. We meet a tuba player who shares how it feels to perform on the stage at Carnegie Hall and an 18-year-old clarinetist recalls how his parents influenced his musical pursuits.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

33:18

Inventive Young Guitarist and Piazzolla for Four Cellos

From the Top ·

2025/09/22

A guitarist-composer invents her own sound, a young pianist performs Liszt with power and finesse and an all-star cello quartet rocks Piazzolla.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

26:01

Trumpeter’s Musical Legacy and a Tremendous Tenor

From the Top ·

2025/09/15

We meet a trumpeter from a small town in Mexico with music in his blood. A tenor sings Mozart with beautiful color.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

28:14

Award-Winning Trio and Sax Quartet

From the Top ·

2025/09/08

Don’t miss two award-winning performances from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, including a teen trio from the Bay Area and a sax quartet from a San Antonio High School.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

33:20

Accordion Virtuoso and More

From the Top ·

2025/09/01

A standout 16-year-old accordionist from Eugene, Oregon brings style and sensitivity. We meet a 17-year-old guitarist and math whiz. A teen cellist performs Villa-Lobos’ Song of the Black Swan.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

59:19

50 Years of Walnut Hill

From the Top ·

2025/08/25

We’re meeting some phenomenal musicians from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Mass. The school is celebrating 50 years as an arts high school and sharing its talented teens with Guest Host Orli Shaham and listeners. Enjoy performances of Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

59:18

Dvorák, Winds, & a Young Composer

From the Top ·

2025/08/18

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 work for an eclectic grouping of instruments!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast

O3L Media

Music of America Podcast

Tom Pollard

瓏賀哩共

賀瓏｜中廣流行網

Miss Indepodcast

Miss Indepodcast

YourClassical Daily Download

American Public Media