Category: Alumni

Soprano Lauren Michelle, a native of Los Angeles and a 2001 Walnut Hill School for the Arts graduate, appeared on From the Top’s first ever recording at the Tanglewood Music Center in July, 1999. She will return to From the Top on February 3, 2019 in Boston, guest hosted by actor Lawrence Gilliard Jr. Tickets and […]

We’re thrilled to have commissioned a new work from alum composer Karalyn Schubring in celebration of our 2018 #Note4Note Campaign! Learn more about the campaign (and see why this commission is extra special) by clicking here. You were featured on From the Top as a composer and pianist when you were 17, at what age […]

This excerpt was taken from Akili Farrow’s on-air segment on NPR’s From the Top Show 359 from Kennett Square, PA. Akili, the Brahms is so beautiful and such an intense and dramatic piece of music that ends in this grand manner. How do you bring it to life? How do you bring out the drama? I used to […]

Live recordings of popular NPR classical music show will feature a variety of hosts, co-hosts, and guest artists Boston, Massachusetts (October 30, 2018)– From the Top, the nationwide program distributed by NPR that showcases young classical musicians, is very pleased to announce that actor Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (The Wire, The Walking Dead, The Deuce) and […]

From the Top returns to our home concert hall, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston, on Sunday, October 14 at 2PM. The show brings back alum Yuga Cohler as Guest Host. Yuga is a respected conductor, recently receiving critical acclaim for “Yeethoven” at Lincoln Center – a concert comparing the works of Kanye West and Beethoven.  At […]

On Show 338 in New York City back in 2017, From the Top pianist Coco Ma shared her passion for writing with our listeners and described the young adult fantasy novel she was working on at the time. Her novel, SHADOW FROST, was still in manuscript form at the time, but Coco allowed us to publish […]

This article is part of our ongoing series exploring the projects launched by the recipients of our Alumni Leadership Grant. 2017 was the pilot year for From the Top’s Alumni Leadership Grant, which funds leadership initiatives launched by our alumni all across the country. One of those grants supported FTT alum Avik Sarkar as he spearheaded a benefit concert […]

This article is part of our ongoing series exploring the projects launched by the recipients of our Alumni Leadership Grant. We’re in the second year of offering our Alumni Leadership Grant, a program that funds arts leadership initiatives pursued by our alumni. Angelica Hairston received the grant in its pilot year, and we caught up with her about […]

We are pleased to announce the selection of three outstanding From the Top alumni as recipients of the 2018 Alumni Leadership Grant: 19-year-old violinist Corinne Auger 21-year-old violinist Ariel Horowitz 21-year-old baritone Thomas West The Alumni Leadership Grant, which began in 2017, seeks to support alumni of From the Top’s media and arts leadership programs who […]

“I have watched our society become more and more divided each day. I have listened to people talk about feeling voiceless. I have seen stereotyping become popular and bitterness override common sense. And in the midst of it all, I have wondered if there was anything that I could do to encourage people to put […]

We seek to positively impact Diné society through empowering youth. Today’s political climate is filled with negative rhetoric and actions towards indigenous people. Our cultural exchange works against this climate through music – a shared language that can foster peace and justice. Ariel Horowitz, 2018 From the Top Alumni Leadership Grant recipient 21-year-old violinist Ariel […]

“I strive to be an artist who serves everyone, not only those who are already familiar with classical music and those who can afford expensive concert tickets.” Corinne Auger, 2018 From the Top Alumni Leadership Grant recipient 19-year-old Corinne Auger is the co-founder and Executive Director of Music Lens, a free, summer music program for elementary […]

My name is Noah Lee, and I am a high school senior from Oakland, New Jersey, getting ready to start college in Boston in the fall. I was fortunate enough to have been born into a musical family. My mother and sister are both musicians. In fact, my mother was my first teacher. So it […]

December 12, 2017, Janet Fagan “Marcelina attitude” is what this From the Top alum had from at an early age. Her full name is Marcelina Suchocka and she was born in Bialystok, Poland. “My mom was a pianist. She played with the philharmonic of Bialystok and taught piano in their school. After I was born, […]

Meet Jessica Shand Jessica first appeared on our show just this past summer, as a soloist and as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States. She, along with alum Theo Luu, will be premiering J.P. Redmond’s new #Note4Note composition, Shifting. Read more about her and the campaign below. Our #Note4Note Campaign […]

Meet Tom Vignieri Tom was From the Top’s Music Director for 12 years, and was our 2016 #Note4Note Campaign composer whose piece was premiered by pianist Theo Luu and violinist Chad Hoopes. You can watch the world-premiere here. Now living in the beautiful countryside in the UK, we had the opportunity to speak with Tom […]

Meet J.P. Redmond J.P. appeared on our show back in 2013 at the age of 13 where he received a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award in conjunction with his performance. Since being on From the Top, he’s been recognized with three ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, a 2017 Davidson Fellowship, and was a […]

From the Top alumni are no strangers to celebrating big-time success, and Emi Ferguson has a lot to celebrate right now. Emi first appeared on From the Top with Host Christopher O’Riley  on Show 121 playing one of J.S. Bach’s famous flute sonatas, and has since gone on to attend Juilliard with a prestigious grant, perform […]

Pianist and alum Victoria Francis Young (Show 235) was born and raised in Las Vegas. She wrote a piece in memory of the victims of the recent mass shooting, and as a message of sympathy to their families. My heart was shattered to pieces by the October 1, 2017 massacre that took place in the […]

Alum Joseph Conyers, age 36, grew up in the small southern city of Savannah, Georgia. He performed on From the Top in 1999 as part of our second pilot program. We reached out to him recently to see what he’s up to in 2017. 18 years after performing on From the Top, he now serves […]