The Recording Academy honored a distinguished group of musicians with its Lifetime Achievement Award in January, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a black queer woman widely considered to be the “godmother” of rock ‘n’ roll. Tharpe was an influence on countless musicians, including Elvis Presley, who was inspired by her early in his career. “It’s not an image I think we’re […]

Enjoy our fall programming as we continue to practice social distancing with every episode of Now Hear This, Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles, Macbeth and more. In these unprecedented times, we hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. All of us at Great Performances are dedicated to carrying on our legacy of bringing the […]

Produced and directed by the BalletBoyz—the award-winning team of Michael Nunn and William Trevitt—this new film of Kenneth MacMillan’s 1965 ballet adaptation of the romantic classic takes the choreography out of the theater and into the streets of a cinematic Verona, offering viewers an atmospheric reimagining of Shakespeare’s seminal love story. Having worked with MacMillan […]

By Scott Yoo Host of Now Hear This and Mexico City Philharmonic music director Scott Yoo shares some of his favorite compositions by Mozart and points out the duality in some of his works. Listen along to all of these at on our playlist here. What is your favorite piece by Mozart? Let us know, and don’t […]

By Scott Yoo The host of Now Hear This and Mexico City Philharmonic music director shares noteworthy selection by revered composer Franz Schubert. Listen along to all of these at on our playlist here. What is your favorite Schubert composition? Let us know, and don’t miss Now Hear This streaming on pbs.org/gperf, and the PBS […]

By Scott Yoo The host of Now Hear This and Mexico City Philharmonic music director shares the pieces by Joseph Haydn, also known as “the king of strings,” that mean the most to him. A playlist is available where you can listen to all of these special selections. What is your favorite selection by Haydn? […]

By Scott Yoo With the world coming to a standstill due to the pandemic, how does has the musical routine of Mexico City Philharmonic Chief Conductor, Music Conductor of Festival Mosaic and Now Hear This host Scott Yoo changed? Read on and learn more about Now Hear This here. Question: How often do you practice? Scott […]

Enjoy our fall programming as we continue to practice social distancing with a binge of Now Hear This, Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles, Macbeth and more. In these unprecedented times, we hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. All of us at Great Performances are dedicated to carrying on our legacy of bringing the best […]

By Michael Nunn and William Trevitt Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet was one of the first ballets that we performed in as young dancers with The Royal Ballet. We had always shared interest in photography, an interest which evolved into filmmaking and which has been a defining feature of all the work that we’ve created […]

Even though the Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2020 has been postponed, Vienna Philharmonic and Great Performances present four of our favorite programs from years past with a special greeting filmed this year. As we continue to practice social distancing, we hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. All of us at Great […]