NPR's FROM THE TOP to Kick Off 2013-14 National Radio Taping Tour, 8/4

From the Top with host Christopher O'Riley, the preeminent showcase for young musicians, announces its 2013-2014 National Radio Taping Tour for recording its popular NPR radio program. The tour includes live taping events at From the Top's home at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall in Boston, as well as the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, the new Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University, and the historic Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga, Tennessee. From the Top will also tape at Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado and at the Virginia Arts Festival in Norfolk, Virginia.

Broadcast on nearly 250 stations nationwide to an audience of more than 700,000 listeners, From the Top celebrates the amazing performances and captivating stories of America's best pre-college classical musicians. Considered the most popular weekly classical music programs on public radio, the show has been described by the Boston Globe as, "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."

This season, From the Top will also award more than $200,000 in scholarships to select performers on the radio show through its Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Since 2005, this program has awarded more than $1.8 million to pre-collegiate musicians with financial need to support their musical development.

Beyond the radio show, From the Top helps young musicians take their music beyond the concert hall to diverse audiences in school and community settings across the country in conjunction with the National Tour. From the Top will do special increased community outreach in select markets on the tour this year.

From the Top is now accepting applications from eligible young musicians at fromthetop.org/casting.

2013-2014 From the Top National Radio Taping Tour*

Sunday, August 4, 2013: Aspen, Colorado
Harris Concert Hall
Aspen Music Festival and School with support from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation

Sunday, September 14, 2013: Vermillion, South Dakota
Aalfs Auditorium
National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota

Saturday, September 28, 2013: Bowling Green, Ohio
Kobacker Hall
Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts

Sunday, October 6, 2013: Boston, Massachusetts
New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall

Sunday, November 10, 2013: Stanford, California
Bing Concert Hall
Stanford University

Saturday, November 23, 2013: Wingate, North Carolina
George A. Batte, Jr Fine Arts Center
Wingate University with support from Bank of America

Saturday, January 18, 2014: Costa Mesa, California
Segerstrom Hall
Pacific Symphony

Thursday, January 23, 2014: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tivoli Theatre
WSMC Classical 90.5

Saturday, February 8, 2013: Boston, Massachusetts
New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall

Wednesday, April 2, 2014: Cincinnati, Ohio
The Corbett Center for the Performing Arts
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Thursday, April 24, 2014: Tacoma, Washington
Rialto Theatre
Northwest Public Radio and the Broadway Center

Saturday, April 26, 2014: Seattle, Washington
PONCHO Concert Hall
Cornish College

Wednesday, May 13, 2014: Norfolk, Virginia
Attucks Theatre
Virginia Arts Festival

Schedule is subject to change. Check www.fromthetop.org for updated information.

From the Top is an independent non-profit organization headquartered in Boston that celebrates the power of music in the hands of extraordinary young people: unleashing the potential of young musicians as leaders in the arts; trumpeting the role of music to impact and enrich lives; and inspiring and building new audiences with a deeper appreciation for classical music.

From the Top's radio program is made possible through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and corporate underwriting from U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. It is also supported through the generous contributions of individuals and institutions as well as public radio stations. From the Top's founding partners are New England Conservatory and WGBH.

Learn more at www.fromthetop.org, and watch a promo for the program below!