From the Top
NPR's From the Top showcases the music, stories, and unique humor of America's best young classical musicians.
Episodes
Czardas for Cello and Teen Piano Trio
A teen cellist plays an electrifying arrangement of Monti's Czardas and speaks about organizing his own concert series to benefit a special Boston-area music program. We also meet a trio of close friends who met at summer camp and perform Clara Schumann.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
16/06/25•27m 26s
Ravel's Birthday and Ellington
We're celebrating Ravel's 150th birthday with outstanding young musicians from the Boston area. We hear a septet of teens perform Ravel's Introduction and Allegro and a teen pianist treats us to one of Ravel's most iconic piano works. We also meet a talented young saxophonist who finds inspiration in Duke Ellington.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
09/06/25•45m 8s
Music and Wellness
Do you turn to music to feel better? This week we wrap up our programming on the fascinating connections between the brain, wellness, and music. A teen trombonist reflects on the ways in which music helps his mental health. A young violinist performs Schoenfield and talks about how she's trying to reframe the way auditions and competitions can make her feel. This podcast was recorded at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
02/06/25•29m 3s
Music and Memory
What piece of music sparks a memory for you? This week's podcast continues our journey into the fascinating world of music and the brain. A teen flute duo speaks about how they connect music with memories. A pianist returns to the show to perform Barber and chat about her research on dementia as a neuroscience student at USC. And finally, we hear from a talented 19-year-old baritone who sings Schubert. This podcast was recorded at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
26/05/25•41m 9s
Teen Musician-Scientists
We continue our journey into the fascinating world of music and the brain. We meet a gifted young pianist who is also an extraordinary scientist doing meaningful research on a rare neurological disorder. We also hear from a teen saxophonist who is exploring how micro-tonal music might impact people with depression. And we enjoy performances of Beethoven and Bozza.This podcast was recorded at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
19/05/25•26m 47s
Music and the Brain
We're exploring the intersection of music and neuroscience with young musicians who are gifted in both fields! We'll speak with musician-scientists like Zoie, a 15-year-old euphonium player who is researching how music can reduce stress and Jascha, a 17-year-old pianist who says he'd love to peek inside Bach's brain. And of course, we'll hear some thought-provoking and awe-inspiring performances along the way. This podcast was recorded at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
12/05/25•40m 18s
Terrific Trumpeter, Award-Winning Trio, & More
This week features young musicians studying at the Colburn School in LA. They range from a 14-year-old cellist who shares a mature performance of Beethoven to the winners of a major chamber music competition whose secret to success just might be their musical handshake. We also hear from an incredible trumpeter, a globe-trotting teen violinist, and a 15-year-old pianist performing Mendelssohn.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
05/05/25•59m 0s
Eco-Artists
We're hearing great performances from young musicians who are inspired to connect their artistry with nature and their communities. A teen composer describes working with elementary school kids to create instruments out of trash and we hear from an 18-year-old violinist who reflects on the recent fires in her hometown of Altadena, California. Musicians, educators, eco-artists and sisters Josie and Sophie Davis join as co-hosts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
28/04/25•30m 10s
Music and Nature
Today's program offers incredible performances and a window into the lives of young musicians who are intertwining their artistry with their passion for nature, science, and the environment. We meet a teen who has turned scientific data and graphs into music, a composer who is inspired by conservation land in his home state of Maine, and a violinist who worked with elementary school children to turn ideas and artwork into a real garden. Musicians, educators, eco-artists and sisters Josie and Sophie Davis join as co-hosts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
21/04/25•48m 5s
Earth Day Special: Trees and Swans
We're paying homage to our beautiful planet and the works of art it inspires! A teen harpist from rural California performs Gary Schocker's Memory of Trees, a contemplation on the effects of climate change. Finally, a 17-year-old cellist plays The Swan and speaks of her work in environmental advocacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
14/04/25•22m 15s
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
07/04/25•38m 17s
Young Composer's Journey
A 17-year-old double-bassist plays an excerpt from a lyrical sonata. We meet a teen composer who writes music based on her life experiences, including her journey with cancer. We hear her work performed by the Seattle Symphony that was inspired by a backpacking trip.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
31/03/25•26m 52s
Pacific Northwest Talent with Guest Artist Nathan Chan
We reconnect with Seattle Symphony's Assistant Principal Cellist and From the Top alum Nathan Chan who joins Peter and our teen cellist for a Shostakovich polka. We also meet an accomplished young violinist who demonstrates some difficult bowing and a teen guitarist from Portland plays a rare duo with Peter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
24/03/25•49m 44s
Dvořák, Sax, and Cooking
A 10-year-old cellist who has only been studying cello for three years performs Dvořák and a 15-year-old saxophonist performs the work of composer Steven Banks, who was also on From the Top as a teen. Finally, a foodie and pianist reflects on the similarities between cooking and music.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
17/03/25•32m 5s
Chopin, Piano Duo, and Greg Anderson
A teen pianist performs a beautiful Chopin Scherzo and then improvs in his other love, jazz, with Peter. A 17-year-old composer shares his violin fantasy. Finally, we meet a piano duo from Oregon who are surprised by a major influence in their musical lives, From the Top alum Greg Anderson, who is one half of the lauded Anderson and Roe duo.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
10/03/25•38m 2s
Celebrating Musicians with Disabilities
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
03/03/25•1h 1m
Magnitude, French Love Song, & Shostakovich
We meet a 16-year-old composer from Chicago who is mentored by composer Jessie Montgomery and is also passionate about architecture. We hear a soprano perform a love song by Debussy. Finally, we meet a teen cellist who performs Shostakovich's dynamic Cello Sonata in D Minor.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
24/02/25•35m 10s
Major and Minor
We explore repertoire from major and minor keys, highlighting how young artists express the character and nuance that each represent. We hear a teen cellist perform a bright and sunny work with ties to both the Baroque and Romantic eras, a young violinist brings a dark and stormy Beethoven Sonata, and a 17-year-old pianist performs a major fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
17/02/25•37m 44s
Joy, Classical Guitar, and Beethoven Cello Sonata
A teen guitarist brings a percussive work by Roland Dyens, an 18-year-old cellist performs a Beethoven Cello Sonata, and a teen soprano sings a work entitled "Joy". We also hear a flashback performance from a French Horn player who was featured on the show back in 2012.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
10/02/25•45m 45s
Joyful Island
Today's show is particularly joyful! A teen pianist plays Debussy's L'isle Joyeuse (Joyful Island) and a violinist performs Suk's Song of Love and speaks to the importance of connecting emotionally with the music.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
03/02/25•25m 53s
Romantic Double Bass and Ocean Adventure
We're back in Kansas City with a 17-year-old double bassist who gives a heartfelt performance of Bottesini's Elegy No. 1. We meet a teen composer and learn about her journey in writing music, including creating an imaginative ocean adventure for the famous Kronos Quartet which you'll hear! Finally, we enjoy a flashback performance by prize-winning violinist Maria Ioudenitch from when she was a teen living in Kansas City.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
27/01/25•32m 53s
Rachmaninoff, French Horn, and The Great Train Race
From Kansas City, we explore the connection between music and math with a 16-year-old pianist who also happens to be a champion swimmer. We hear a majestic performance of Dukas by a teen French horn player. A young flutist performs Ian Clarke's The Great Train Race and describes the technical and artistic challenges of emulating the sounds of a train in this exhilarating work.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
20/01/25•43m 42s
Chopin Cello Sonata & Vivaldi Bassoon
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
13/01/25•33m 44s
Gershwin, Fiddle, & the United States Air Force Band's Heritage Winds
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
06/01/25•47m 5s
Brahms, Wieniawski, and a Young Pianist
We hear the first work Brahms wrote for a solo instrument and a stunning Wieniawski Polonaise played by a 13-year-old violinist. We also meet a teenage baritone who has been drawn to community activism since childhood, a guitarist who plays an arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie's Night in Tunisia, and a young pianist who shares a special tip she got from piano superstar Lang Lang...play like a grandma!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
30/12/24•59m 18s
Beethoven, Rocket Science, & Coltrane
A pianist speaks of his passion for rocket science and his work with NASA, a talented teen violinist plays Beethoven and shares how an accident transformed his musicianship, a young composer shares a piece inspired by the loss of a loved one, and a versatile saxophonist plays Coltrane.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
23/12/24•1h
More Staff Favorites
Meet members of our team and hear some fantastic performances that they have hand selected for you, including a flashback to someone special in host Peter Dugan's life!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
16/12/24•33m 5s
Staff Picks Highlight Show
This week we hear some of our team's favorite moments from the program!! You'll hear a thrilling teenage trio perform Beethoven, meet a young cellist with a moving story about the power of music, and enjoy a gorgeous performance of Bach by a social media-savvy teen oboist and violinist Tessa Lark and Peter Dugan.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
09/12/24•26m 13s
Schumann, Haydn, and a Joyful Gospel Choir
Violinist Charles Yang returns as co-host. We meet a bubbly teen violinist, a pianist with a mission to connect with audiences, and a cellist who opens up about mental health. The Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir sing us out with a performance that will have you on your feet and smiling!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
02/12/24•1h 9m
Thanksgiving Feast with Orli Shaham
We're celebrating a musical Thanksgiving with guest host Orli Shaham. Get ready to gobble up some wonderful performances of Tchaikovsky and Chopin by some remarkable teens.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
25/11/24•35m 40s
Giving Thanks with Orli Shaham
Today, we're recognizing the gift of music to inspire and bring people together with guest host Orli Shaham. Settle in for some fantastic performances of Beethoven, Debussy, and more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
18/11/24•24m 58s
Ravel Quartet & Sibling Dynamics
Guest Host Orli Shaham finds common ground with a pair of siblings who remind her of growing up with her brother Gil. A lively quartet from Chicago play Ravel. A teen soprano speaks about representation in classical music and connecting with a composer who shares her heritage. A talented young pianist talks about having pianist parents.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
11/11/24•59m 16s
Wieniawski, Stage Fright, and Schumann
A teen clarinetist who found a home-away-from-home surrounded by music and art at the Interlochen Arts Academy performs Schumann's Three Romances. We also meet a 15-year-old violinist who found a way to transform her performance anxiety into an act of generosity.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
04/11/24•26m 32s
Figaro, Spanish Lullaby, and Self-Taught Trumpeter
A teen violinist performs the memorable Figaro from The Barber of Seville and a mezzo soprano sings a gorgeous lullaby from a Venezuelan composer and shares her passion for singing works in Spanish. We also hear from a teen trumpeter and decorated Eagle Scout who turned to YouTube and the world's best trumpeters to help get his start on his instrument.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
28/10/24•33m 7s
All About that Bass
A teen cellist performs Beethoven with Peter Dugan and speaks about training for pole vaulting. We meet a double bassist from North Carolina who in addition to being an incredible musician has a nose for cologne scents!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
21/10/24•29m 10s
Lush Rachmaninoff and Sprightly Harp
A fantastic young pianist from the oldest town in Texas performs Rachmaninoff, an 18-year-old bassoonist reflects on how summer music programs changed him as a musician, and a talented teen from Indiana shows off the range of the harp.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
14/10/24•44m 8s
11-Year-Old Pianist & More
We meet a sensational 11-year-old pianist and a self-directed flutist who describes the mouthwatering food he finds in his hometown. A teen violinist shares a moving piece inspired by the Holocaust and a young harpist speaks about how exploring her creativity on her Youtube Channel.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
07/10/24•59m 18s
Dramatic Cello & Saxophone Elegy
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
30/09/24•27m 7s
Romance & Silence
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
23/09/24•41m 14s
Musicians and Leadership
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
16/09/24•1h 2m
Vibrant Young Guitarist & Heavenly Harp
Philadelphia Orchestra's Principal Bassist Joseph Conyers is back as co-host as we meet a bright teen harpist whose commitment to her instrument is so strong she commutes weekly from Virginia to New York for lessons and a vibrant 12-year-old guitarist plays a fiery work by Roland Dyens and talks about his love for fishing, movies, and performing with his sisters. Peter Dugan and Joseph Conyers open the program with a moving interpretation of Florence Price's Adoration.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
09/09/24•34m 37s
Rhapsody in Philadelphia
We're in Philadelphia where we meet a local teen composer who aspires to create more opportunities for fellow Black composers and learn how co-host Joseph Conyers, Philadelphia Orchestra's principal bassist, is making an impact through his service to the community. We also hear a young violinist perform a phenomenal work by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
02/09/24•50m 42s
50 Years of Walnut Hill
We're meeting some phenomenal musicians from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. The school is celebrating 50 years as an arts high school and sharing their talented teens with Guest Host Orli Shaham. Enjoy performances of Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
26/08/24•59m 19s
Victor Wooten, Bach, & Gospel Marching Band
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!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
19/08/24•42m 51s
Beethoven to Bluegrass and Special Guest Victor Wooten
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
12/08/24•47m 25s
Where Music Lives Reprise: Violin and Banjo
A 15-year-old violinist introduces us to his charming coastal community of Damariscotta, Maine and a talented young banjo player ensconced in the blue grass music scene 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
05/08/24•31m 54s
Where Music Lives Reprise
We're on a musical journey in small town and rural America. 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
29/07/24•45m 1s
Earth Day Special: Trees and Swans
We're paying homage to our beautiful planet and the works of art it inspires! A teen harpist from rural California performs Gary Schocker's Memory of Trees, a contemplation of the effects of climate change. Finally, a 17-year-old cellist will play The Swan and speak of her work in environmental advocacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
22/07/24•22m 15s
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
15/07/24•38m 17s
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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
08/07/24•33m 0s