From The Top

Ravel's piano suite Le Tombeau de Couperin harkens back to old music and old friends. Pianist Christopher O'Riley renews his love for the piece, which captivated him as a young conservatory student. Watch him perform the opening "Prelude."

The radio showcase for young musicians hits its 10-year mark and celebrates by checking back with some of its most illustrious alums. They include William Harvey, who played on the pilot edition of From the Top and now heads his own organization, promoting cultural harmony through music.

This week, from San Francisco's Herbst Theatre, a 12-year-old pianist confronts a tricky Hungarian Rhapsody, a teen string quartet plays music by Ravel, and a virtuoso clarinetist from Costa Rica confesses his nostalgia for soccer and salsa dancing.

This week, gifted young musicians perform compositions by an America original — William Bolcom, who joins them in a concert of his music. A 17-year-old violinist plays the "Graceful Ghost" rag, a 14-year-old soprano enlivens a cabaret song, and a teen string quartet performs music Bolcom wrote at age 12.

From the Allen Theater at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, home grown and international kids from age nine to 17 dig into the classics, producing impressive performances of works by Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Barrios and more.

This week's From the Top comes from the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, where an 11-year-old violinist from Seattle plays introspective music by Ernest Bloch, a 17-year-old Chinese-born percussionist delivers a sparkling marimba solo, and a passionate 18-year-old pianist from Berkeley, California, plays Schumann. This program originally aired November 14, 2007.

From Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, a home-grown clarinetist plays some humorous Francaix, a trio of pre-teens plays Beethoven, and a tiny Texan with a big violin sound plays Kreisler.

This week, a look back to some excellent music-making from past shows, where a 13-year-old violinist with an affinity for engineering plays Kreisler and four top trombonists slide into an ear-catching contemporary work This show originally aired on October 17, 2007

From the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado, a gifted flutist embraces a Swiss ballade, a 16-year-old violinist tosses off a devilish sonata and a 14-year-old pianist tackles Liszt's Mephisto Waltz.

From the Virginia Arts Festival in Newport News, Virginia, a 17-year-old baritone sings Handel, a 15-year-old cellist plays Mendelssohn, and a teenage saxophone quartet from Chicago plays…with vigor. This program originally aired on June 18, 2008

From the International Institute for Young Musicians in Lawrence, Kan., it's an all piano program featuring kids from ages 12 to 16, playing Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Chopin.

From New Albany, Ohio, an 18-year-old pianist tackles Beethoven's "Waldstein" Sonata, a teenage violinist from Boston plays Wieniawski, and an 18-year-old soprano, who is brave enough to admit when her parents are right, sings a song for spring. This program originally aired on May 28, 2008

From the Top travels to the Heifetz International Music Institute, on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire, where a quartet of string players tackles a Schumann classic, and a speed reading 16-year-old violinist plays Bazzini's virtuosic Round of the Goblins.

This week From the Top highlights five remarkable young chamber music groups from past programs. In this "uncommon combos" show, six bassoons play a lively march, three percussionists share one marimba in careful choreography, and an ensemble of teenage string players performs a serenade by a gifted 18-year-old composer.

This week, seven classical teens take the stage at Reed College's Kaul Auditorium in Portland, Oregon, where a 15-year-old harpist plays Carnival of Venice variations, an athletic young violinist offers up music by Beethoven, and a self-proclaimed moody pianist pours her heart into dances by Bach.

In the Fifth Annual "Where Are They Now?" Highlights Program, From the Top catches up with a few of the brightest stars from past shows. Focusing on four young musicians who have risen to professional status, host Christopher O'Riley revisits their past radio performances and interviews them about their more recent musical adventures. This program originally aired on June 4, 2008

This week, From the Top is in Berkeley, California, where a 12-year-old pianist joyfully wraps her brain and fingers around a Bach fugue, a hockey-playing bassoonist performs Weber and a teen quartet offers up a new work by a local 17-year-old.

This week, talented teen voices ring out in the home of Houston Grand Opera. From the Wortham Theater Center, a 17-year-old soprano sings Copland, three Texan "spirits" sing a scene from Mozart's Magic Flute. And, for the grand finale, all the young musicians join to perform music from Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. This program originally aired on April 30, 2008.

From The Top Interviews Hilary Hahn

From Boston's New England Conservatory, an 18-year-old pianist plays Chopin, a teen string quartet performs Beethoven and renowned violinist Hilary Hahn collaborates with young musicians who are just about the age she was when her concert career took off.

This week's show, from New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall in Boston, includes a 16-year-old violinist playing Gershwin, a teenage bassoonist who can solve a Rubik's Cube in under two minutes, and a 13-year old cellist from Boston who plays some devilishly difficult variations on a single string. This program originally aired on April 16, 2008

From Boston's New England Conservatory, eight musicians – none older than 13 – showcase their remarkable accomplishments. A 10-year-old violinist plays Bartok, a 13-year-old pianist tackles a diabolical piece by Prokofiev and a multi-talented 11-year-old cellist performs music by Kabalevsky. Also, a 13-year-old composer debuts a new work. This program originally aired on April 2, 2008.

From the Nazareth College Arts Center in Rochester, New York From the Top's eight seriously musical teens tackle double reeds, voice, and all manner of strings – plucked, bowed, and hammered – in performances of music from the 18th to 21st century. This program originally aired on March 12, 2008

This week From the Top is in Daytona Beach, Florida, where a nimble-fingered 15-year-old violinist plays Wieniawski, a 13-year-old flutist takes inspiration from Jethro Tull, and a multi-talented teen soprano sings Donizetti. This program originally aired on February 20, 2008.