From the Top

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Band Room to Recording Studio Dec 15, 2025

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Today’s episode is dominated by instruments you’d find in a high school band room and many of our featured teen artists discovered their love for performing through school music programs. We meet a tuba player and a trombonist who followed their passion to Interlochen Arts Academy and a percussionist who is at home in front of the marimba.
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Composer Jessie Montgomery and more Black Voices in Classical Music Dec 08, 2025

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Composer Jessie Montgomery joins us as we continue our celebration of Black From the Top alumni and their contributions to classical music.
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Black Voices in Classical Music with Alex Laing Dec 01, 2025

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Guest Host Alex Laing joins for a celebration of Black artists in classical music. We’re catching up with From the Top alumni who are making waves in the field.
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Musicians from Rural America: Violin and Banjo Nov 24, 2025

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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 each hometown visit at fromthetop.org.
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Musicians from Rural America: Louisiana to California Nov 17, 2025

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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.
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Chopin Cello Sonata & Vivaldi Bassoon Nov 10, 2025

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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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Gershwin, Fiddle, & the United States Air Force Band’s Heritage Winds Nov 03, 2025

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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.
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More Renowned Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Alumni Oct 27, 2025

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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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20 Years of Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards and Accomplished Alums Oct 20, 2025

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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 Oct 13, 2025

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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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