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This week, Producer Tom Voegeli, Radio Producer Tim Banker, and Music Producer Tom Vignieri come together for a very dynamic look at 13 year-old composer Matthew Woodard.

In this week's "Behind the Curtain" podcast, Producer Tom Voegeli, Music Producer Tom Vignieri, and Radio Producer Tim Banker talk about 13-year-old composer Matthew Woodard's appearance on the radio show.

Introducing a new series in From the Top's audio podcast: "Behind the Curtain" - an inside look at what it takes to deliver the inspirational performances and the personal stories of America's best young classical musicians. This week, Scholarship Program Manager Lisa Utzinger talks about a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist.

Music is at the heart of soprano Andrea Carroll's life. "It has always been my outlet," she explains. "When I'm singing there's nothing else." In addition to singing solo works, Andrea sings in three choirs, a beauty-shop quartet, and a co-ed acapella group. Last summer, she attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, which was one of the best musical experiences of her life. "I learned so much," she says. "I didn't want to leave!" A dancer as well, Andrea has taken lessons in tap, jazz and hip-hop since she was little, and she was also a member of her school's dance team. She especia

Introducing a new series in From the Top's audio podcast: "Behind the Curtain" - an inside look at what it takes to deliver the inspirational performances and the personal stories of America's best young classical musicians. This week, Radio Co-Producer Tim Banker shares a part of this week's show that did not make it into the radio broadcast because of time reasons. Listen and discover another way that 15-year-old violinist Alena Merimee shares her music.

Introducing a new series in From the Top's audio podcast: "Behind the Curtain" - an inside look at what it takes to deliver the inspirational performances and the personal stories of America's best young classical musicians. This week, Music Producer Tom Vignieri recalls violinist Kaori Matsui's audition at the Interlochen Summer Music Camp, and reveals why sometimes the second time is a charm.

Tuba players have to wait so long for the parts sometimes, that it's no wonder Ibanda Ruhumbika goofs off during band rehearsal. "I'll realize I don't have to play something for 100 measures, and it's kind of hard just waiting around doing nothing," he says. Ibanda has spent the lag time reading, listening to music, playing pranks his fellow tubists, or just falling asleep. Once, during rehearsal, when Ibanda realized he had about seven minutes before his part came in, he ran out and bought cinnamon rolls for entire the low brass section. "We ate them and still made it in time for our entrance!

Introducing a new series in From the Top's audio podcast: "Behind the Curtain" - an inside look at what it takes to deliver the inspirational performances and the personal stories of America's best young classical musicians. This week, Radio Co-Producer Tim Banker talks about 17-year-old cellist Patrick McGuire, and a part of his story that didn't make the 59-minute radio cut.

Introducing a new series in From the Top's audio podcast: "Behind the Curtain" - an inside look at what it takes to deliver the inspirational performances and the personal stories of America's best young classical musicians. This week, Music Producer Tom Vignieri talks about finding talent in Montana, and the musical collaboration between four local sibling cellists.

Introducing a new series in From the Top's audio podcast: "Behind the Curtain" - an inside look at what it takes to deliver the inspirational performances and the personal stories of America's best young classical musicians. This week, Radio Co-Producer Tim Banker talks about capturing the warmth between two siblings in a piano trio, and what it took to bring you a skit that levitated a cow on stage and on air.

Introducing a new series in From the Top's audio podcast: "Behind the Curtain" - an inside look at what it takes to deliver the inspirational performances and the personal stories of America's best young classical musicians. This week, Music Producer Tom Vignieri recalls his first meeting with Berkeley pianist Danny Walden at an Aspen audition and reveals how a last minute illness brought Danny to the Ravinia Festival to perform Schumann.

Congratulations to Elliott Hines, recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Elliott will receive an award of $10,000 to help him continue his music studies and assist him with music-related needs. Baritone Elliott Hines recalls one of the most upsetting days of his life. "I was in the seventh grade, and I had just learned that I didn't get any of my top elective choices and would be stuck taking choir," he recalls. "I was devastated." To cheer up her son, Elliott's mom took him out to Red Lobster, but he just started sobbing at the table. "She tried to tell me everything happens

Jennie Brent may look exceptionally graceful playing cello, but once she exits the stage, watch out! "I fall down the stairs at least two or three times a week," she admits. "I'm one of the clumsiest people you'll ever meet." Lest you think she is completely uncoordinated, Jennie happens to be an excellent dancer, having studied ballet for eleven years. "Still," she says, "I'd always exit the stage after dancing and fall right down the stairs." One of the hardest decisions Jennie has ever had to make was the decision to quit studying ballet in order to spend more time practicing cello. "I lov

It's amazing that 13-year-old violinist Brendon Elliott looks so strong and healthy as he eats no fruits or vegetables whatsoever. "I refuse to eat them," he states. "I find fruits and vegetables absolutely disgusting. I will eat corn on occasion — but technically that's more of a starch." Brendon's mom started teaching him how to play violin when he was three years old. "She wanted all of her children to develop the same love and passion for music that she herself has enjoyed since she was a child," he says. These days, Brendon and his family play together in a chamber music quartet. "B

At the age of 21, Matthew Muckey became Associate Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic. The following profile was written five years ago at the time of his appearance on From the Top's radio show: Not many musicians get to play The Carnival of Venice in the actual city of Venice, but trumpet player Matthew Muckey did just that — aboard a gondola, while crowds of people gathered along the waterway to watch and listen. "I performed with two other trumpet players as a trio," says Matthew. "It was so cool. The bridges were packed when we went under them. People really appreciate th

Violinist Elena Urioste is a rising concert star who plays concertos with major American orchestras. Now 22-years-old, she is a graduate of Curtis Institute of Music. The following profile was written at the time of her appearance on From the Top's radio show: If you've ever been among a group of young musicians and happened to notice a female violinist quietly muttering to a banana, you may have met Elena Urioste. She's quick to say she doesn't do so anymore, but when she was younger, Elena would carry a banana with her whenever she performed. It was all part of a good luck ritual invented by

Congratulations to Nicholas King, recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Nicholas will receive an award of $10,000 to help him continue his music studies and assist him with music-related needs. If it weren't for a random turn of events, Nicholas King may have turned out to be a video game champ rather than an accomplished young pianist. Back when he was three, Nick's dad was on his way to buy him a Nintendo set when he somehow got lost. "As he was driving around searching for the place that sold Nintendo sets, he passed a store that was selling pianos," says Nick. In a burst of

The members of Trio Vita — violinist Ryan Murphy, cellist Stanley Moore, and pianist Brian Chang — all study at Midwest Young Artists in Chicago. The three make no bones about their pet peeves with the each other. "Stanley is very vocal, which is fine," says Ryan of the group's cellist, "but he describes his ideas through impossible to understand metaphors!" According to Stanley, Ryan is the annoying one. "I'll be in the middle of a very interesting metaphor, and Ryan will interrupt me to correct my grammar!" he explains. As for Brian, both Stanley and Ryan have a pet peeve with him

The grand finale of From the Top's radio show #176 featured an amazing array of talent. All of the musicians who performed on the program returned to the stage to perform the final two scenes of Engelbert Humperdinck's H?nsel and Gretel. Young singers from the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio and Children's Chorus joined 17-year-old clarinetist Qiudi Zhang, 17-year-old violinist Autumn Chadonowski, 18-year-old violist Rebekah Rudy, 15-year-old violinist Ryan Murphy, 16-year-old cellist Stanley Moore, and 17-year-old pianist Brian Chang, with Christopher O'Riley conducting.

Performed by: Pamina: Rebekah Camm, soprano (third-year artist with the Houston Grand Opera Studio) 1st spirit: Elizabeth Kaufman, soprano, age 18 from Houston, TX (member of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio) 2nd spirit: Joan Scheirman, soprano, age 15 from Houston, TX (member of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio) 3rd spirit: Emily Townsend, soprano, age 17 from Friendswood, TX (member of the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio) — Guest Artist Rebekah Camm Soprano Rebekah Camm is in her final year of residency as a young professional with the H

Congratulations to Qiudi Zhang, recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Qiudi will receive an award of $10,000 to help her continue her music studies and assist her with music-related needs.= When Qiudi Zhang first moved to the U.S. from China, she noticed that many of the kids in her elementary school played instruments so she wanted to play one too. Qiudi asked her grandma, who used to work at an instrument shop, to suggest an instrument for her, and her grandma suggested clarinet. "She told me the clarinet looked easy," says Qiudi. "She was a big liar!" When Qiudi first moved

13-year-old Jonah Ellsworth says he has two personalities. "I have one personality with my friends at school, and another with the people I play with at New England Conservatory on the weekends," he says. "I guess you could say I'm more humble and controlled with my musician friends." As for his friends at school, they know Jonah plays music, but they have never heard him play. His life at school mostly centers around athletics. "I love volleyball and am the captain of the volleyball team," he says. "We recently won the championship in Cambridge and I got voted to the All Star game." Another o

The Maggiore Trio -- 12-year-old violinist JiEun "Anna" Lee, 13-year-old cellist Taeguk Mun, and 11-year-old pianist Alice Burla -- are all students at the Juilliard School's Prep Division. Taeguk is brand new to the U.S. having moved from Korea just five months ago to study music here. Playing chamber music is fairly new to all three of them. "It can be harder than playing solo," says Anna, "because when you're a soloist everyone has to follow you. When you play chamber music you need to really see what the other people want and listen to each other." On From the Top's radio show, the trio pl

Featuring his compositions I. Le Printemps (3:00) and II. Le Vent et Les Vagues (2:20) from "Five Vignettes for Piano Trio", performed by The Maggiore Trio (see below) Matthew Woodward loves the process of composing music. "When I compose, I sit down at the piano and write everything out by hand," he says. "It's not the most economical process, but I feel a connection to my music. I enjoy thinking up the music and getting it all together in my head before setting it on paper." Only after he has worked it all out by hand, does he use a computer program. Listening to his piece being played on