From the Top

NPR's From the Top showcases the music, stories, and unique humor of America's best young classical musicians.

Episodes

20 Years of Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards and Accomplished Alums

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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Classical Guitar, Sax Quartet, & More

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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Sentimental Sax and Sparkling Marimba

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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Brahms Viola to Carnegie Hall

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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Inventive Young Guitarist and Piazzolla for Four Cellos

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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Trumpeter’s Musical Legacy and a Tremendous Tenor

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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Award-Winning Trio and Sax Quartet

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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Accordion Virtuoso and More

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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50 Years of Walnut Hill

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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Dvorák, Winds, & a Young Composer

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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Meet the Winners: Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part II

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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Amazing Pianists: Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part I

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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Bach, Bassoon & John Williams

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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Chopin, Barber & Bach on Mandolin

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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Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media

July 18, 2025 • 2 mins

Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit donate.npr.org now.

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Saint-Saëns and Harp

July 14, 2025 • 39 mins

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

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Horn and Herbert

July 7, 2025 • 28 mins

We learn about the challenges and rewards of playing French Horn from a talented 17-year-old who loves to make people laugh. We hear a Victor Herbert love song played by an outstanding 14-year-old cellist and a 13-year-old violinist tells us all about her amazing experiences in the Chicago Youth Symphony program.

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Family Fun

June 30, 2025 • 42 mins

Orli Shaham guest hosts with her brother violinist Gil Shaham on this episode dedicated to musical families. We'll meet a bunch of siblings, including Orli's own sons. We'll enjoy performances of Dvořák, Schumann, and a new work by a young composer.

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Musical Siblings

June 23, 2025 • 24 mins

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.⁠

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Czardas for Cello and Teen Piano Trio

June 16, 2025 • 27 mins

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.

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From the Top

Episodes

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.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Classical Guitar, Sax Quartet, & More

Sentimental Sax and Sparkling Marimba

Brahms Viola to Carnegie Hall

Inventive Young Guitarist and Piazzolla for Four Cellos

Trumpeter’s Musical Legacy and a Tremendous Tenor

Award-Winning Trio and Sax Quartet

Accordion Virtuoso and More

50 Years of Walnut Hill

Dvorák, Winds, & a Young Composer

Meet the Winners: Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part II

Amazing Pianists: Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part I

Bach, Bassoon & John Williams

Chopin, Barber & Bach on Mandolin

Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media

Saint-Saëns and Harp

Horn and Herbert

Family Fun

Musical Siblings

Czardas for Cello and Teen Piano Trio

Popular Podcasts

20 Years of Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards and Accomplished Alums

Classical Guitar, Sax Quartet, & More