NPR’s hit show From the Top, the preeminent showcase for young musicians heard weekly on WRTI 90.1 FM  on Sundays at 3 p.m., will come to the Open Air Theatre at Longwood Gardens to record a radio broadcast on Sunday, September 9 at 7:30 p.m. Special guest host pianist Peter Dugan will accompany and interview extraordinary young classical musicians from across the country in this 90-minute concert recording. Presented by Longwood Gardens, tickets are available at LongwoodGardens.org.

18-year-old violinist Akili Farrow from Philadelphia, 15-year-old pianist Angeline Ma from Berwyn, Pennsylvania, and 17-year-old violinist Faustina Housner from Cherry Hill, New Jersey are among the musicians to be showcased on this episode of From the Top. Angeline Ma and Faustina Housner auditioned for the program at WRTI’s studios in May.

• Akili Farrow is an alum of ‘Play On Philly’ (an urban music education program founded by From the Top alum Stanford Thompson) and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and will begin studies at the Royal College of Music in the Fall.
• Angeline Ma is entering the eleventh grade at Conestoga High School and studies piano with Susan Starr and has won prizes in many competitions including the International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington, D.C. and the Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, CT, among others.
• Faustina Housner studies violin at Temple Music Prep with Ellen dePasquale and J Freivogel and will tour Asia with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States this summer. She will perform as part of a violin-guitar duo.

18-year-old guitarist Ria Modak from New York, New York, 17-year-old cellist Jack Boettcher from Naperville, Illinois, and 17-year-old clarinetist Andrew Chang from Rowland Heights, California will also perform.

Guest host Juilliard-trained pianist Peter Dugan is equally at home in classical, jazz, and pop idioms.  His debut last year with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony was described by the Los Angeles Times as “stunning.” As a founding creator and the pianist for OPERAtion Superpower, a superhero opera for children, he has traveled to dozens of schools in the greater New York area, performing for students and encouraging them to use their talents – their superpowers – for good. Originally from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Dugan first appeared on From the Top at age 18 at a taping at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

Broadcast on more than 220 stations nationwide to an audience of nearly half a million listeners, From the Top is the most popular weekly one-hour music program on public radio. Young performers share their passion for classical music, and speak about their non-musical lives, from career goals and family traditions to hidden talents, school, and community life. From the Top appeals to diverse audiences, but is especially suited for ages 7 and up.

The Boston Globe calls From the Top, “entertaining, accessible, and inspirational.” Support for this recording of From the Top is made possible by Patti and Chip Wilson.

About From the Top
From the Top is America’s largest national platform celebrating the stories, talents, and character of classically-trained young musicians. Through live events, NPR and YouTube broadcasts, scholarships, and leadership programs, From the Top empowers these extraordinary young people to engage and inspire music lovers of all ages.

Founded in Boston in 1995 by Gerald Slavet and Jennifer Hurley-Wales, From the Top originated as a variety-style radio show. More than 20 years later, From the Top has grown into a multi-media and arts education powerhouse, transforming the lives of hundreds of young musicians each year, inspiring millions of fans, and pioneering new ways to unite communities around the promise of great young talent.

From the Top musicians can also be seen in From the Top’s See the Music video series, that brings together young classically-trained musicians with collaborators from multiple artistic genres and disciplines. Distributed on YouTube and social media, See the Music reaches millions of additional fans who do not listen to From the Top’s radio program or attend its live events.

From the Top prepares young musicians to be instruments of positive social change in their communities through intensive leadership training offered by From the Top’s Center for the Development of Arts Leaders (CDAL).  Both in Boston and on FTT’s national tour, CDAL empowers young musicians to explore their individual leadership pathways while planning and delivering programs to diverse audiences in schools, senior centers, hospitals, and museums.

Each year, From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation award $200,000 in scholarships to approximately 20 exceptional young musicians with financial need.

From the Top's radio program is made possible through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. It is also supported through the generous contributions of individuals and institutions as well as public radio stations. From the Top is a independent non-profit organization proudly based in Boston’s vibrant cultural district.