Fred Child : NPR

Fred Child Fred Child is the host of America's most-listened-to classical music radio program, NPR's Performance Today. The program reaches 1.5 million listeners on 250 stations around the country. The program features classical music in concert around the nation and the world, in concert from the NPR studios, and classical music news, interviews, and issues.

Stories By

Fred Child

Friday January 30, 2004

The Weilerstein Trio Live at NPR

January 30, 2004 • While musical dynasties can stretch for generations -- even centuries, as the Bachs of Germany did -- it's rare when an immediate family of musicians can perform together and find success. The Weilerstein Trio is such a group and NPR's Fred Child recently invited them to Studio 4A to perform and discuss life as a professional classical music family.

The Weilerstein Trio Live at NPR

Audio for this story is unavailable.

Performance Today

The Weilerstein Trio in 4A

January 30, 2004 • Violinist Donald Weilerstein, pianist Vivian Hornik Weilerstein and cellist Alissa Weilerstein join Fred Child in NPR's Studio 4A. They talk about what it's like to be a professional trio as well as a family. We also hear them play music by Dvorak, the Largo movement from the Piano Trio in G-minor, and a movement from Olivier Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time" called "Praise to the Eternity of Jesus."

The Weilerstein Trio in 4A

Audio will be available later today.

Thursday January 29, 2004

Performance Today

The Fortepiano Letters

January 29, 2004 • Last week 'Performance Today' featured a South African keyboardist named Kristian Bezuidenhout (biz-AY-den-hoat), who specializes in playing the fortepiano. We received many e-mails regarding the sound of the fortepiano, predecessor to the modern piano. Fred Child reads from some of those listener responses.

The Fortepiano Letters

Audio will be available later today.

Thursday January 22, 2004

Performance Today

CPE Bach and Beethoven in 4A

January 22, 2004 • Fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout (bih-ZAY-den-hoat) joins Fred Child in NPR's Studio 4A. Bezuidenhout is a 24-year-old pianist from South Africa who plays both fortepiano and modern piano. When he's playing music from the period in which composers were writing for the fortepiano, he prefers to play it on that instrument. Bezuidenhout plays a sonata in E-minor by CPE Bach, and then the "Piano Sonata Op. 10, No. 3" by Beethoven. He performs on a fortepiano made by Thomas and Barbara Wolf in 1992.

CPE Bach and Beethoven in 4A

Audio will be available later today.

Wednesday January 21, 2004

Performance Today

Piano Puzzler

January 21, 2004 • Pianist and composer Bruce Adolphe is back in the studio with Fred Child for another puzzler.

Piano Puzzler

Audio will be available later today.

Wednesday January 14, 2004

Performance Today

A Talk With Violinist Joshua Bell

January 14, 2004 • Fred Child talks with Joshua Bell about his new recording, "Romance for the Violin." Michael Stern and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields join Bell in "O Mio Babbino Caro," from Puccini's "La Rondine" (RAWN-dee-nay), followed by a transcription of an aria called "I Gaze at You," from Monteverdi's opera, "The Coronation of Poppea."

A Talk With Violinist Joshua Bell

Audio will be available later today.

Wednesday January 7, 2004

Performance Today

Music for Russian Orthodox Christmas

January 7, 2004 • We note the occasion of Russian Orthodox Christmas Day with a Russian vocal ensemble called Svetilin (svet-EE-lin). The ensemble came by the Performance Today studio to sing a handful of ancient Russian songs for the holiday and talk with Fred Child about the music's origins.

Music for Russian Orthodox Christmas

Audio will be available later today.

Thursday January 1, 2004

Performance Today

A Chat With John Williams

January 1, 2004 • Today's Rose Parade in Pasadena is the 115th version of this annual event. It's happened every single year since 1890. This year, for the first time, a composer will be Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade. Fred Child speaks with the conductor.

A Chat With John Williams

Audio will be available later today.

Performance Today

The Eroica Trio

January 1, 2004 • The Trio performs music by Beethoven, Piazzola, and Brahms live in NPR's Studio 4A and talks with Fred Child.

The Eroica Trio

Audio will be available later today.

The Eroica Trio, Live at NPR

January 1, 2004 • NPR's Fred Child welcomes the Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio to Studio 4A. One of the world's top all-female chamber music trios, Eroica has been together since 1997.

The Eroica Trio, Live at NPR

Audio for this story is unavailable.

Thursday December 25, 2003

Holiday Music

Live at NPR: Anonymous 4

December 25, 2003 • The women of Anonymous 4 — Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, Jaqueline Horner and Johanna Maria Rose — join NPR's Fred Child in Studio 4A to perform a selection of holiday music. The ensemble, together for 17 years, is accompanied on several tracks by harpist Andrew Lawrence King.

Hear Anonymous 4 in Studio 4A

Audio for this story is unavailable.

Thursday December 18, 2003

Studio Sessions

Holidays with the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass

December 18, 2003 • The six members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass perform live in NPR's Studio 4A and talk with Performance Today host Fred Child about their music.

The Pittsburgh Brass, Live in NPR's Studio 4A

Audio for this story is unavailable.

Performance Today

Holiday Brass

December 18, 2003 • The Pittsburgh Symphony Brass join Fred Child in NPR's Studio 4A this hour to perform holiday selections. The brass is trumpeters George Vosburgh and Neal Berntsen, horn player William Caballero, trombonists Peter Sullivan and Murray Crewe, and tuba player Eric Bubacz (BOO-bahch). They play including a dance from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker," "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" and "What Child is This" -- both arrangements by George Vosburgh -- followed by "Nativity Carol" and "Infant Holy," arrangements by Neal Berntsen.

Holiday Brass

Audio will be available later today.

Wednesday December 17, 2003

Noah Adams on the Centennial of Flight

December 17, 2003 • NPR's Noah Adams talks to Performance Today host Fred Child about the centennial of flight and reads from his book The Flyers: In Search of Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Adams reads from 'The Flyers'

Audio for this story is unavailable.

Thursday December 4, 2003

Review

Music Reviews

Violinist Mixes Improv Into Baroque Sonata

December 4, 2003 • Violinist Andrew Manze and harpsichordist Richard Egarr take a sonata by Arcangelo Corelli into new territory — at least for modern audiences. Manze improvises within Corelli's score, as he believes was common practice when it was performed in 1700. Manze and Eggar's new CD is called Corelli Violin Sonatas, Op. 5. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and NPR's Fred Child.

Violinist Mixes Improv Into Baroque Sonata

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