5/2: Musicians with Disabilities Celebration 2026 co-hosted by violinist Julia LaGrand
Co-hosted by violinist and disability activist Julia LaGrand and host Peter Dugan, this week’s episode spotlights the perspectives and artistry of four young musicians with disabilities and is part of a broader initiative by From the Top to increase inclusivity and transparency for disabled artists.
5/9
This week’s program was recorded with our friends at Classical King in Seattle and showcases talented musicians from the great Pacific Northwest! We reconnect with Seattle Symphony’s Assistant Principal Cellist and From the Top alum Nathan Chan who joins Peter and our teen cellist for a Shostakovich polka! We also meet an accomplished young violinist who demonstrates some difficult bowing and a teen guitarist from Portland plays a rare duo with Peter. A 17-year-old double-bassist plays an excerpt from a lyrical sonata. Finally, we meet a teen composer who writes music based on her life experiences, including her journey with cancer. We hear her work performed by the Seattle Symphony that was inspired by a backpacking trip.
5/16
Violinist Cecilia O'Malley, 17, from Wheaton, Illinois
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35: II. Romance by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)
Flutist Nam Le, 16, from Benton, Arkansas
Sonatine for Flute and Piano: II. Andante, III. Animé by Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013)
Violist Zach Grunwald, 16, from Lake Worth, Florida
Viola Sonata F minor, Op. 120 No. 1: IV. Vivace by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Pianist Hailey Culp, 18, from Cumming, Georgia
Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-Flat Major, Op. 110: I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo by Name Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Trombonist Fletcher Wilson, 18, from Bartlett, Tenessee
Sonata for Trombone and Piano: I. Allegro Maestoso by Eric Ewazen (b. 1954)
Tuzforro Horn Trio
Horn Trio in E-flat major, Op.40, II. Scherzo: Allegro by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
5/23: "Journeys"
This week, we celebrate five musicians and their unique journeys. From a decorated Eagle Scout who turned to YouTube to get his start on trumpet to a mezzo soprano who is passionate about representing Hispanic culture in the works she sings and a clarinetist who found a home-away-from-home surrounded by music and art at the Interlochen Arts Academy. We hear the violin showpiece “Figaro” from the Barber of Seville and the tender second movement of Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2.
5/30
Pianist Wilson Liu, 11, from Livingston, New Jersey
Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971: I. Allegro by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Violinist Jayden King, 10, from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Cellist Richard Wang, 12, from New York, New York
Polonaise De Concert in D Minor, Op. 14 by David Popper (1843-1913)
Violinist Ava Pakiam, 15, from San Francisco, California
West Side Story Suite for Violin and Piano: "I Feel Pretty" and "America" by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), arr. Raimundo Penaforte (b. 1961)
Maximillian Libertor, 18, from Torrance, California
The Perfect Rag by Ferdinand ""Jelly Roll"" Morton (1890-1941)
Composer/Saxophonist Ethan Liu, 18, from Talahasee, Florida
Return to Hometown by Ethan Liu (b. 2007)