From The Top

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.

On this edition of NPR's "From the Top," a teen guitarist from Colorado plays a beautiful work by Bach, a cellist plays an emotional Elegy by John Williams, and a teenage bassoonist shares what it's like living with neurodivergence. We also meet a young clarinetist who left his home in Peru to pursue music in the U.S.

A teenage oboist honors a loved one's memory through performance and a 17-year-old harpist shares her musical journey.

It's a family affair on this week's episode. Orli Shaham guest hosts with her brother violinist Gil Shaham. We meet a handful of siblings who share the joy of making musical memories together and hear performances of Tchaikovsky and Jessie Montgomery.⁠

On this episode of NPR's From the Top, we're celebrating Ravel's 150th birthday with a septet of teens performing 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.

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. 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, 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.

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.

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.

Something kind of miraculous takes place when teenagers take over the Tiny Desk. Their astounding performances confirm a bright forecast for the future of music.

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.