Great Performances

Watch Great Performances

  • TV-G
  • 1972
  • 52 Seasons
  • 7.9  (933)

Great Performances is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts, airing on PBS since 1972. The long-running show features performances of music, dance, opera, theater, and other artistic genres from around the world. Great Performances offers viewers a front-row seat to outstanding performances captured live on stage or filmed on location.

The series has been a staple of PBS programming for over 50 years, making Great Performances one of the longest-running programs on American television. Over the decades, the show has covered a diverse array of artists and genres ranging from classical music to contemporary pop, with legendary stars like Luciano Pavarotti, Pl

Great Performances is a series that ran for 52 seasons (308 episodes) between November 4, 1972 and on PBS

Great Performances
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Seasons
Boccherini: Night Music
16. Boccherini: Night Music
April 18, 2025
Summary is not available.
The Magic of Nureyev
15. The Magic of Nureyev
April 11, 2025
Summary is not available.
Great Performances at the Met: Grounded
14. Great Performances at the Met: Grounded
March 21, 2025
Follow a fighter pilot who operates a drone in a high-tech world battling both war and motherhood. With pressures from every angle, she balances being the perfect soldier, wife and mother. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Michael Mayer's staging.
Andrea Bocelli 30th – The Celebration
13. Andrea Bocelli 30th – The Celebration
February 28, 2025
Experience the world-renowned Italian tenor’s 30th anniversary concert from Tuscany featuring global superstars Ed Sheeran, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Sofia Carson, Brian May, Jon Batiste and more. Directed by Grammy nominee and Emmy winner Sam Wrench.
Taking Note - Julian Rhee
12. Taking Note - Julian Rhee
February 26, 2025
When his love for the violin formed between high school and college, Julian Rhee continued to be inspired by his teachers and his family. Playing on a 1699 Stradivarius on loan from the Mary B. Galvin Foundation and the efforts of the Stradivari Society, Rhee performs a sonata for violin and piano by Saint-Saens that he feels shows off the full range of the violin.
Movies for Grownups® Awards 2025 with AARP The Magazine
11. Movies for Grownups® Awards 2025 with AARP The Magazine
February 23, 2025
Iconic and beloved screen and stage performer Alan Cumming returns as host for this awards show in which Glenn Close receives the Career Achievement Award.
Taking Note - Balourdet Quartet
10. Taking Note - Balourdet Quartet
February 19, 2025
The Balourdet Quartet’s name was inspired by the food of Antoine Balourdet, the chef at the Taos School of Music, for which violinists Angela Bae and Justin DeFilippis and cellist Russell Houston shared a passion in addition to their music. Violist Benjamin Zannoni later joined the group, and the quartet was borne based on the group’s love for the repertoire and chamber music.
Taking Note - Njioma Chinyere Grevious
9. Taking Note - Njioma Chinyere Grevious
February 12, 2025
With early inspiration from her mother’s love of music, Njioma Chinyere Grevious took up the violin after watching her sister learn to play. Gaining initial skills through lessons from Boston’s Project STEP, Grevious particularly values the training she received in high school from teacher James Buswell whose instruction included both musical insight and life lessons.
Taking Note - Sandbox Percussion
8. Taking Note - Sandbox Percussion
February 5, 2025
After meeting in graduate school in 2011, members Terry Sweeney, Jonny Allen, Victor Caccese, and Ian Rosenbaum created Sandbox Percussion. The chamber percussion group chose their name as a reference to a playful and dedicated space for creativity. Using a diverse range of instruments including homemade steel pipes, the group performs “Pillar V” by contemporary composer Andy Akiho.
Taking Note - Clayton Stephenson
7. Taking Note - Clayton Stephenson
January 29, 2025
A Juilliard Pre-College student at age 10, pianist Clayton Stephenson only decided in the past few years to pursue piano professionally after studying economics at Harvard University. Playing Godowsky’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes from Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus,” Stephenson believes that the piano portrays many instruments.
From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2025
6. From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2025
January 1, 2025
Experience this annual beloved concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss. Conducted by Riccardo Muti for the seventh time, PBS favorite Hugh Bonneville returns to host.
Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
5. Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
November 29, 2024
Celebrate the centennial birthday of composer Henry Mancini with Michael Bublé, Cynthia Erivo, saxophonist Dave Koz, Monica Mancini and host Jeff Goldblum featuring Mancini’s signature songs and clips from his beloved movies and TV shows.
Patsy Cline: Walkin' After Midnight
4. Patsy Cline: Walkin' After Midnight
November 22, 2024
Experience the music of the legendary Patsy Cline a star-studded tribute concert from Nashville's Ryman Auditorium featuring Wynonna, Beverly D'Angelo, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Wilson, Ashley McBryde and many more.
Rodgers & Hammerstein's 80th Anniversary
3. Rodgers & Hammerstein's 80th Anniversary
November 15, 2024
Directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary features an all-star cast at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, including Michael Ball, Daniel Dae Kim, Maria Friedman, Audra McDonald, Julian Ovenden and more.
Land of Gold
2. Land of Gold
November 1, 2024
Explore Peter Sellars' San Francisco Opera production of John Adams' "Girls of the Golden West" set during Gold Rush. Go behind the scenes with cast members Julia Bullock, J'Nai Bridges and others as they bring the show to life on stage.
Émigré: A Musical Drama with the NY Phil
1. Émigré: A Musical Drama with the NY Phil
October 25, 2024
Enjoy this semi-staged oratorio with the New York Philharmonic and an international cast telling the story of Jewish refugees in World War II Shanghai set to music by Aaron Zigman with lyrics by Mark Campbell and additional lyrics by Brock Walsh.
Description
Where to Watch Great Performances
Great Performances is available for streaming on the PBS website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Great Performances on demand at Fandango at Home and PBS.
  • Premiere Date
    November 4, 1972
  • IMDB Rating
    7.9  (933)
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