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Popular NPR show 'From the Top' tapes broadcast on campus

by Tonya Durlach

Dec. 21, 2011 | WMU News

Photo of musician Roberto Granados.
"From the Top" musician Roberto Granados
KALAMAZOO--"From the Top," the hit NPR radio program showcasing America's best young classical musicians, will tape a radio broadcast at Western Michigan University Sunday, Jan. 15.

The show begins at 3 p.m. in the University's Dalton Center Recital Hall, and is open to the public. It will feature host Christopher O'Riley and young classical musicians, including one from Kalamazoo. The episode will air nationally the week of Feb. 6, 2012, and on WMUK 102.1 FM at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012.

The broadcast taping will feature:

Tickets

General admission tickets are $25. Discounted tickets are available for $20 to senior citizens and WMU students with a valid Bronco Card. They are available at the door and through the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office at millerauditorium.com/som, (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858.

About 'From the Top'

Photo of Christopher O'Riley.
"From the Top" host Christopher O'Riley
"From the Top" is the preeminent showcase for young musicians, featuring musical performances, interviews and parodies with some of the country's best pre-collegiate performers. The hour-long radio program is broadcast on nearly 250 stations nationwide to an audience of more than 700,000 listeners each week. The Boston Globe says of the show: "An entertaining, accessible and inspirational mix of outstanding musical performances, informal interviews, skits and games, the show is a celebration of extraordinary musicians who happen to be teenagers leading fairly normal lives." "From the Top" launched its Emmy Award-winning PBS television series "From the Top at Carnegie Hall" in 2007.

Of the more than 100 musicians chosen to appear on the radio program every year, approximately 20 will receive Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards in support of furthering their musical education. These scholarships of up to $10,000 are given to deserving young classical musicians who have high levels of artistic achievement, demonstrated financial need, and a solid academic record. The program has invested more than $1.4 million in support for pre-college students since 2005.

The "From the Top" radio program is made possible through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and support from U.S. Trust. It is also supported through the generous contributions of individuals and institutions as well as public radio stations. The 2011-12 national tour is sponsored by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Learn more at fromthetop.org.

"From the Top" can be heard on WMUK 102.1 FM Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at noon. The broadcast taping at WMU is sponsored by the University's School of Music. For more information about the taping at WMU, contact Meredith Bradford, concerts assistant, at meredith.bradford@wmich.edu or (269) 387-4678.