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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.
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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

Earth Day Special: Clouds and Beetles

We're celebrating Earth Day with performances that celebrate our natural world. Up first, a young oboist performs a piece inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of jimson weed and speaks about volunteering in a community garden. We also meet a teen pianist who performs Tan Dun's colorful homage to the Chinese countryside and a composer who connects with nature through the study of insects and shares a work inspired by the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle.

Earth Day Special: Clouds and Beetles

Listen · 38:17
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Let's Get Together: Texas Youth Orchestra & More

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.

Let's Get Together: Texas Youth Orchestra & More

Listen · 30:02
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Let's Get Together: Rachmaninoff to Barber

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.

Let's Get Together: Rachmaninoff to Barber

Listen · 29:16
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Sonatas! Saint Saëns and Frank

We continue our exploration of the sonata with two teens from Southern California. We hear a bassoonist performing Saint Saëns and a pianist performing an exciting work by American composer Gabriela Lena Frank. Finally, we are treated to a flashback finale of an outstanding flutist playing Dorff's Salmon Lake.

Sonatas! Saint Saëns and Frank

Listen · 33:00
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Sonatas! Bach, Beethoven, Brahms

We hear a range of sonatas including Bach performed on marimba, a late Beethoven work for cello and piano, and a Brahms viola sonata. Performed by teens from Arizona and Texas!

Sonatas! Bach, Beethoven, Brahms

Listen · 42:44
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The Swan & More from Michigan: Part II

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.

The Swan & More from Michigan: Part II

Listen · 31:30
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The Swan & More from Michigan: Part I

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.

The Swan & More from Michigan: Part I

Listen · 36:12
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Celebrating Musicians with Disabilities: Encore

18-year-old violinist and From the Top alum Julia LaGrand co-hosts this special episode dedicated to celebrating the stories and performances of disabled and neurodivergent musicians. Julia, who is blind, also interviews special guest Itzhak Perlman. We meet a 16-year-old double bassist who began studying music when spina bifida made it difficult to keep up with youth sports leagues, a 14-year-old pianist who uses Braille scores to learn his repertoire, a 26-year-old cellist who believes his musical skills are sharpened by his autism, and a 16-year-old pianist with Escobar Syndrome who shares her journey to millions on social media. They perform works by Grieg, Liszt, and more.

Celebrating Musicians with Disabilities: Encore

Listen · 1:01:37
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Chopin, Guitar Quartet & More from Minnesota: Part II

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.

Chopin, Guitar Quartet & More from Minnesota: Part II

Listen · 48:20
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Chopin, Guitar Quartet & More from Minnesota: Part I

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.

Chopin, Guitar Quartet & More from Minnesota: Part I

Listen · 38:43
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