From the Top

A passionate young clarinetist performs Brahms and we meet a New England brass player with the fortitude to lug around two tubas at once.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A Georgia teen shares how the children’s cartoon “Little Einstein’s” influenced him to pick up the French Horn and speaks from the heart about the superpowers that come with playing music. A young bassoonist shows the range of her instrument, and we learn about percussion instruments from a South Carolina teen with a love for playing Bach on marimba. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

All of today’s young musicians are 12 or younger! Wipe your jaw off the floor and enjoy some truly memorable moments.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We’ve gone back in our archive to rediscover astonishing performances by some of the youngest performers (12 and under) to appear on From the Top! You’ll even hear a young violinist who now performs in the London Philharmonic.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We meet a violist with a love for Formula One racing who gives an evocative performance of Schumann. We hear a conversation between a teen clarinetist and his mentor, the principal clarinetist of the Minnesota Orchestra, who share much in common including leaving their homes in Costa Rica to study at Interlochen Arts Academy.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A talented 12-year-old cellist performs The Swan by Saint-Saëns, a flutist with a passion for marine biology plays a dreamy Fantasie by Hüe, and the winner of Interlochen Arts Academy’s Concerto Competition performs a difficult but rewarding work by Ysaÿe.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We meet a percussionist from the famous LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts who gives a tour of the marimba to Peter Dugan, a 13-year-old cellist who loves both ballet and music, and a pianist who relates with the emotions of Schubert.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A teen quartet plays Mozart, a 15-year-old flutist shares why her instrument is a dependable friend, and a violinist plays a Kreisler arrangement and draws connections between science and art.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Peter collaborates with a 16-year-old violinist on an elegant rag. We hear Poulenc's trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano and meet one of Texas’ premier high school orchestras who perform Shostakovich.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

How does ensemble size and instrumentation shape the listening experience? We hear from a 14-year-old violinist who feels passionately about music-making, meet a teen pianist who takes on Rachmaninoff, and hear Peter play Barber with a young cellist who speaks about the importance of a local music program in his life.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We hear from a teenage guitar quartet playing a lively Brazilian piece, an oboist playing a new work by composer Reena Esmail, and a violinist who imagines herself in Brahms’ world when she performs.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We meet a 14-year-old pianist playing a Chopin Scherzo, a classical cellist who also plays rock covers, and a young trumpeter who gives insight into the physicality of playing his instrument.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

An 11-year-old pianist knocks our socks off with Chopin Etudes and we hear from an all-viola quartet on a mission to spread the beauty of the viola to the world.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A teen pianist plays Scriabin, an Irish American violist explores classical and Celtic fiddling, and a countertenor sings a gorgeous lullaby.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

What happens when a young violin virtuoso feeds classical music into artificial intelligence? She uncovers some of AI's secrets and shares her scorching rendition of a Kreisler composition. Plus a 16-year-old French Hornist evokes his childhood on a farm filled with music and animals!See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A young cellist discovers a Sibelius work that was buried and unknown for over a century. We also hear from a young harpist playing Salzedo and an introverted trumpeter who lets her instrument do the talking.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We hear a variety of American music from Bernstein’s West Side Story to ragtime piano and a young composer’s jazz-inspired saxophone performance.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A trio of middle schoolers deliver impressive solo performances of Bach, Popper, and Saint-Saens with host Peter Dugan. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A teen pianist shares her passion for Beethoven, and the son of professional vocalists falls in love with making the trombone sing. Plus we’re treated to a flashback finale featuring a Brahms horn trio.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A teen violinist takes her love of film scores to new heights, a young flutist shares how he got his start watching online videos, and a passionate violist performs Brahms.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Co-hosted by violinist and disability activist Julia LaGrand and host Peter Dugan, this week’s episode spotlights the perspectives and artistry of young musicians with disabilities and is part of a broader initiative by From the Top to increase inclusivity and transparency for disabled artists.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Co-hosted by violinist and disability activist Julia LaGrand and host Peter Dugan, this week’s episode spotlights the perspectives and artistry of young musicians with disabilities and is part of a broader initiative by From the Top to increase inclusivity and transparency for disabled artists.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We’re back at the famous FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. A teenage violinist performs Kreisler and a young soprano who shares her journey from Gospel to classical voice. Plus, guest artist KJ Willis, a talented soul singer who is currently featured on NBC’s The Voice, joins with host Peter Dugan and the young performers to pay tribute to Etta James, one of the legendary musicians who recorded at FAME in the past. We close with a flashback finale, featuring an Alabama native who is now an ICU doctor chronicled by the New York Times for bringing music into her hospital.Thanks to Focusrite and ADAM Audio for making From the Top’s recording at FAME possible.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama has played a role in some of the most iconic recordings in American popular music history. Today it hosts From the Top and the next generation of classical musicians. We meet a 13-year-old bluegrass banjo player with a talent for improvisation. We hear from a 16-year-old pianist performing Amy Beach and learn about the challenges and rewards of the French Horn.Thanks to Focusrite and ADAM Audio for making From the Top’s recording at FAME possible.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A young pianist describes how she finds inspiration in nature and performs Liszt’s Transcendental Etude. A saxophone quartet from North Texas share how winning the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition has boosted their confidence. Our Flashback Finale revisits the teenage performance of Vienna Philharmonic violinist, Lucas Stratmann.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We meet an imaginative 13-year-old oboist who draws on colors, shapes, and stories in her performance of Marcello’s Oboe Concerto. An 18-year-old violist draws on his multicultural background in his performance of Bach and shares how he’s using music to help others. A 17-year-old guitarist showcases her adept technical skills and describes how volunteering with animals has impacted her musicianship. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A teenage violinist compares the power of persuasion in oral debate and musical performance and a 17-year-old flutist shares the lyrical beauty of Georges Hüe’s Fantaisie. Young musicians from the San Diego Youth Symphony and the Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana conclude the program with a powerful cross-border collaboration.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We meet a 13-year-old violinist with a passion for studying the connection between music and the brain. Next a 16-year-old clarinetist delivers an elegant Mozart Rondo and a teenage percussionist blends classical, Latin, and jazz influences.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sparks fly when 9-year-old pianist Alexander Zhou takes the keys. Orli Shaham hosts this episode where we also hear from a teenage violist performing Rebecca Clarke’s beautiful viola Sonata.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Orli Shaham collaborates with a teenage pianist on a Mozart Sonata for four-hands. We also hear from a trumpeter who plays Gershwin and a 17-year-old violinist performing Beethoven.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Grammy Award-winning bass player Victor Wooten joins us for our exciting musical journey out of Nashville. A talented teen flutist plays an elegant Bach Sonata and then improvises on that same work with Victor Wooten and Peter Dugan. We meet the drum major from Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands and hear selections from their Grammy Award-winning album. And if that’s not enough, we are treated to a special collaboration between our hosts!See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Grammy Award-winning bass player Victor Wooten joins us this week as we celebrate great music out of Nashville! We hear an electric performance on violin, imitating sounds from Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, by a teen musician who already holds a real job in an orchestra. We meet a talented pianist who performs Beethoven. And a teen bluegrass mandolin player with a career on the rise performs solo and collaborates on a toe-tapping tune with Victor Wooten and Peter Dugan.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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!See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Composer Jessie Montgomery joins us as we continue our celebration of Black From the Top alumni and their contributions to classical music. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Guest Host Alex Laing joins for a celebration of Black artists in classical music. We’re catching up with From the Top alumni who are making waves in the field.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A 15-year-old violinist introduces us to his charming coastal community of Damariscotta, Maine and a talented young banjo player brings us into her musical home in the foothills of Leicester, North Carolina. Co-host/violinist Tessa Lark draws on her own childhood in Kentucky as she reflects with Peter Dugan on the stories and performances of these talented young musicians from rural communities. Don’t miss the videos of each hometown visit at fromthetop.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We meet a teen violinist down by the bayou in Monroe, Louisiana, travel to the rolling farmland of Redlands, California to the home of a driven young guitarist, and hear from a young composer who enjoys the support of his community in Fargo, North Dakota. Co-host/violinist Tessa Lark speaks about her own upbringing in Eastern Kentucky as she reflects with Peter Dugan on the experiences of these talented young artists from small towns. Don’t miss the videos of each hometown visit at fromthetop.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Our 25th birthday celebration continues with a dazzling performance of Chopin by a gifted 16-year-old cellist. We are treated to a performance of Vivaldi by a young bassoonist and witness a life-changing surprise. Peter sends us off with a flashback performance from when the legendary Paquito D’Rivera appeared on the show.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It’s From the Top’s 25th birthday! We meet a 13-year-old violinist who is equally accomplished in classical repertoire and fiddling. A 16-year-old pianist from New York performs a brilliant Beethoven Sonata and talks about her incredible experience in publishing. Finally, we reconnect with From the Top alum Yuna Langehennig and learn about her journey to becoming an Airman First Class in the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. She brings along her ensemble Heritage Winds and they perform a rousing work by Paquito D'Rivera.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We are celebrating the 20th year of our Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and reconnecting with some musical stars who received the Award as teens. We’ll meet the executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and catch up with a world-renowned opera singer and an Avery Fisher Career Grant winning-pianist.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We're celebrating our 20-year partnership with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and hearing how the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award has empowered young musicians with financial need. We’ll meet two past recipients: a violinist/arts leader who has dedicated her career to creating opportunities for young artists of diverse backgrounds and a lauded concert flutist who is also passionate about education and access.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy