Eleven-year-old pianist Daniel Song of Pennsylvania; 15-year-old Caeli Smith, a “Roving Reporter” on NPR’s “From the Top”; and Matthew Lipman, 16, a dedicated violist.

August 2008 (check local listings)

Eleven-year-old Pennsylvania native Daniel Song's dreams range from pursuing the piano professionally to being a doctor or even a professional athlete. His grandfather in Korea has never seen him perform, but on this episode of FROM THE TOP AT CARNEGIE HALL, the two are reunited backstage after Daniel performs Franz Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 7 in E-flat Major, "Eroica." Fifteen-year-old Caeli Smith, a "Roving Reporter" on NPR's "From the Top," comes from a musical family, and she's passionate about musical education in public schools. Host Christoper O'Riley joins Caeli in a stirring performance of "Bordel 1900" from "L'Histoire du Tango" by Astor Piazzolla. At 16 years of age, Matthew Lipman is an affable and dedicated violist, with a family to match - his mother drives him two hours to his lessons and, although his father was recently laid off, the family still finds a way for Matthew to pursue his music. Armed with a variety of viola jokes, Matthew initially took up the viola as a way to get attention from the girls in his class. He concludes this episode with a perfor¬mance of Paganini's "La Campanella," accompanied by Christopher O'Riley.