From the Top
From the Top showcases the music, stories, and unique insights of America's finest young classical musicians.
Episodes
November 24, 2025 • 31 mins
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 eac...
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 eac...
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November 17, 2025 • 45 mins
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 s...
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 s...
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November 10, 2025 • 33 mins
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.
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November 3, 2025 • 47 mins
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 Amer...
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October 27, 2025 • 40 mins
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.
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October 20, 2025 • 35 mins
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.
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October 13, 2025 • 59 mins
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.
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October 6, 2025 • 27 mins
An 18-year-old saxophonist plays a sentimental melody by Amy Beach, and we meet a passionate percussionist who has been dedicated to her craft since she was a toddler. We close the show with a flashback finale featuring an accomplished pianist back when she was 10!
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September 29, 2025 • 32 mins
A teen violist treats us to a sweeping Brahms sonata. We meet a tuba player who shares how it feels to perform on the stage at Carnegie Hall and an 18-year-old clarinetist recalls how his parents influenced his musical pursuits.
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September 22, 2025 • 33 mins
A guitarist-composer invents her own sound, a young pianist performs Liszt with power and finesse and an all-star cello quartet rocks Piazzolla.
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September 15, 2025 • 26 mins
We meet a trumpeter from a small town in Mexico with music in his blood. A tenor sings Mozart with beautiful color.
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September 8, 2025 • 28 mins
Don’t miss two award-winning performances from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, including a teen trio from the Bay Area and a sax quartet from a San Antonio High School.
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September 1, 2025 • 33 mins
A standout 16-year-old accordionist from Eugene, Oregon brings style and sensitivity. We meet a 17-year-old guitarist and math whiz. A teen cellist performs Villa-Lobos’ Song of the Black Swan.
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August 25, 2025 • 59 mins
We’re meeting some phenomenal musicians from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Mass. The school is celebrating 50 years as an arts high school and sharing its talented teens with Guest Host Orli Shaham and listeners. Enjoy performances of Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and more.
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August 18, 2025 • 59 mins
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. A flutist performs on the new instrument purchased through her Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. And a young composer presents their exciting work for an eclectic grouping of instruments!
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August 11, 2025 • 59 mins
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.
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August 4, 2025 • 59 mins
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.
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July 28, 2025 • 59 mins
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.
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July 21, 2025 • 59 mins
We meet young musicians from all over the country, from South Carolina to California. A 17-year-old cellist fulfills a childhood dream to be on From the Top and kicks off the program with a gorgeous Beethoven piece. We also hear a beautiful Chopin Nocturne, a Barber Sonata played by a teen flutist, and a young mandolin player shows off her gorgeous new instrument (funded by her Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award) with a performance...
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July 18, 2025 • 2 mins
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Mark as Played
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