We hear the From the Top premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Fantasy for Solo Violin, who is the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in music. It’s performed by a teen violinist passionate about championing classical music. We meet a flutist determined to make a difference in the world. And our flashback finale features the 2016 performance by Claire Wells, who just recently was named a Young Concert Artist Jacobs Fellows.

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We’re speaking with young musicians about vulnerability and risk-taking, overcoming nerves, and how they draw inspiration from other passions like ballroom dancing. Plus, we are treated to incredible performances of a Turina piano trio, a Barber cello sonata, and a Chopin nocturne.

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We’re coming from Minnesota Public Radio in the Twin Cities with guest host Orli Shaham. We hear from a pianist/composer who performs a musical letter to his younger self, and an autodidactic teen violinist wows us with his journey.

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Orli Shaham joins us from Minnesota Public Radio in the Twin Cities, a place bursting with talented young artists, including a teen from a long line of Florentine musicians performing Ravel, a quartet who bonded in a forest, and a multifaceted cellist whose interests range from tennis to quantum computing.

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We’re celebrating the release of our brand-new album From the Top 25. You’ll hear performances from young artists on the album and learn interesting facts and trivia about the repertoire they perform!

From the Top 25 is available on most major streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify!

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We meet a teen cellist from a large musical family who performs a theatrical piece by Cassadó. An 18-year-old saxophone player with a commitment to community engagement delivers a moving Elegy by Fauré.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Composer Jessie Montgomery joins us as we continue our celebration of Black From the Top alumni and their contributions to classical music. 

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