From the Top

Host Christopher O'Riley speaks with a teen saxophone quartet and their coach about the growing popularity of saxophone quartet music and why sax quartets are so versatile.

From the Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, this week's inspiring recording of From the Top features a fantastic line-up of all-Texas performers alongside special guests Black Violin! We'll meet a young bassoonist who's willing and able to play any instrument his band director needs covered, an award-winning saxophone quartet performs an exquisite piece by Guillermo Lago, and all the young performers join guests Black Violin on stage for their fun reimagining of "Simple Gifts" by Joseph Brackett.

Peter Dugan and Kara Dugan sing Gershwin's "Embraceable You."

Featuring music and interviews with From the Top alumni who are now professional musicians, this Where are They Now episode brings a delightful mix of performances of Ravel, Gershwin, Schumann, and an original work from one of From the Top's up-and-coming composer alumni.

O'Riley gets a few tips about Armenian music from Armenian-American teen violinist, Haig Hovsepian

This week From the Top comes from the Bremen Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. In honor of that setting, the young performers celebrate Jewish themed music and the music of Jewish composers. We'll hear a teenage violinist perform Ravel's gorgeous Kaddish, a wonderful Atlanta-based youth choir sings a piece by a contemporary Jewish composer, and we'll meet a young guitar player who is one part Texan and one part Israeli.

Host Christopher O'Riley interviews emeritus host of NPR's All Things Considered, Robert Siegel

Recorded live on stage during From the Top's Annual Gala in Boston, this episode features incredible young musicians and a special appearance by NPR's All Things Considered Emeritus Host Robert Siegel. We hear a soprano sing a beautifully ethereal piece by Debussy, a teenage violinist shares how his love of hip-hop inspires him to communicate the power of music to his audiences, and a 10-year-old pianist from Missouri performs an exquisite piece by Chopin.

The Passion of Schumann according to Goldberg

This week's show comes from our hometown of Boston, Massachusetts where we meet an accomplished local pianist who made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 7, a young musician who's the second ever double bassist to win the prestigious Stulberg International Strings Competition performs Bottesini, and we get to know a teenage violinist who is also a whiz at New York Times crossword puzzles.