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From the Top: Classical Music Podcast NPR's From the Top showcases the music, stories, and unique humor of America's best young classical musicians.
From the Top

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From the Top

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NPR's From the Top showcases the music, stories, and unique humor of America's best young classical musicians.

Most Recent Episodes

Sensational Youth Chamber Music with Fischoff

We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Over the years, From the Top has featured the sensational winning youth ensembles of this renowned competition, and we're going to revisit some of these incredible performances. We'll also reveal the most recent grand prize winners who have yet to be featured on From the Top.

Sensational Youth Chamber Music with Fischoff

Listen · 59:19
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Dvořák, Winds, & a Young Composer

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. And a young composer presents their exciting work for an eclectic grouping of instruments!

Dvořák, Winds, & a Young Composer

Listen · 59:18
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Meet the Winners: Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part II

We're back at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. You'll hear more incredible performances, including some with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and meet semi-finalists and winners of the competition.

Meet the Winners: Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part II

Listen · 59:19
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Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part I

We're backstage at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. Hear brilliant performances from the competitors and learn more about this outstanding group of young pianists gathered from around the world.

Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part I

Listen · 59:19
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Bach, Bassoon & John Williams

A teen guitarist from Colorado plays a beautiful work by Bach, a cellist plays an emotional Elegy by John Williams, and a pianist performs a piece that draws from the worlds of classical and jazz. We'll also hear from a teenage bassoonist who shares what it's like living with neurodivergence and meet a young clarinetist who left his home in Peru to pursue music in the U.S.

Bach, Bassoon & John Williams

Listen · 59:18
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Euphonium Fanatic, Rachmaninoff, & More

We hear Clara Schumann performed on clarinet, a ferocious performance of Rachmaninoff, and a moving new cello work inspired by the pandemic. We also meet an 18-year-old who loves the euphonium so much that he's determined to make it a household name and a young woman who is making an impression on the double bass world.

Euphonium Fanatic, Rachmaninoff, & More

Listen · 59:18
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Four Hands Piano & Atlanta Music Project

Clarinetist Alex Laing joins Peter Dugan at the Atlanta Music Project for a program featuring musicians from Georgia! We hear the fantastic Atlanta Music Project Senior Youth Choir performing a Spiritual. A flutist shares her love for Eastern European Folk music, a percussionist performs Sibelius on marimba, and Peter collaborates on a gorgeous four handed Ravel with an alum.

Four Hands Piano & Atlanta Music Project

Listen · 1:03:33
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Magic of the Masters

We're treated to the magical music of Classical masters Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and Kreisler. Plus, an 18-year-old soprano finds inspiration in the history of the first African American Opera House in the United States in her hometown of Pittsburgh. And two teens tell us what it's been like to leave their home countries to study music in New York and Los Angeles.

Magic of the Masters

Listen · 59:19
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Classical Guitar, Sax Quartet, & More

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.

Classical Guitar, Sax Quartet, & More

Listen · 59:19
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Remarkable Teen Musicians & Iconic Arts Leader Deborah Borda

New York Philharmonic President and CEO Deborah Borda joins Peter Dugan as co-host and shares insights into her iconic career at the helm of the country's leading orchestras. She speaks with an inspiring 16-year-old violist who is an emerging leader in her own right. We also meet an articulate young composer who wants her music to bring people joy and healing, a teen clarinetist who has traveled the world with his musical parents, and a pianist with a passion for acting. They give incredible performances of Prokofiev, Enescu, Kovács, and more.

Remarkable Teen Musicians & Iconic Arts Leader Deborah Borda

Listen · 1:02:36
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