Drop the Needle

Mondays at 7:00 p.m. Eastern

Visit a place where analog sound lives.

Drop the Needle is The Classical Station’s tribute to the timeless artistry of vinyl recordings. Hosted by Vince Tillona, this program brings you hand-selected treasures from the station’s vast archive of over 25,000 albums—a collection that features legendary performances, rare pressings and the warmth of sound that only vinyl can offer.

Each week, Vince carefully curates a listening experience for audiophiles and music lovers alike, reviving recordings that have shaped the classical tradition and rediscovering gems no longer available in modern formats.

Whether you’re a lifelong collector or simply curious about the magic of vinyl, Drop the Needle invites you to savor the depth and authenticity of classical music as it was meant to be heard.

Every episode of Drop the Needle features an array of treasures from our extensive vinyl library. Here are just a few of the selections we’re especially excited to share with listeners this month:

May 2026 on Drop the Needle

5/4/2026

Piece: Háry János Suite

Composer: Kodály

Conductor: Antal Doráti

Orchestra: The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra

Kodály Háry János Suite album cover conducted by Antal Doráti

5/11/2026

Piece: Trumpet Concerto in E Major

Composer: Hummel

Conductor: Pierre Monteux

Orchestra: The Boston Chamber Ensemble

Soloist: Armando Ghitalla, trumpet

Album cover from the May 11 Drop the Needle program

5/18/2026

Piece: Symphony No. 5

Composer: Tchaikovsky

Conductor: Yevgeny Mravinsky

Orchestra: The Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 album cover conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky

5/25/2026

Piece: Symphony No. 5 “Reformation”

Composer: Mendelssohn

Conductor: Claudio Abbado

Orchestra: The London Symphony Orchestra

Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 album cover conducted by Claudio Abbado

Elsa Says Thank You For Giving To The Classical Station

Elsa, Vince Tillona's grand-dog and Drop the Needle's unofficial mascot

During the Fall 2025 fund drive, Drop the Needle host Vince Tillona called to make a donation from his three dogs and four cats.

He told the story of how, during announcer training, volunteers were taught to visualize speaking to a single person, not a full audience.

That’s why a picture of Vince’s grand-dog Elsa sits on the desk each week during Drop the Needle—she’s the listener he imagines when he speaks.

As Vince explains, “She always listens and she’s totally non-judgemental. She’s the perfect audience.” (And yes, Elsa is a dog, despite what you may have heard on the air!)

Now Playing

String Quartet No. 21 in D, K. 575

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Franz Schubert Quartett

Label

Nimbus Records

Catalog Number

5351

Today's Playlist

11:00am Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D. 417 "Tragic"

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Muti

11:33am Prelude, Mazurka and Swanilda's Waltz from Coppelia

Composed by

Leo Delibes (1836-1891)

Performed by

Royal Scottish Nat. Orch./Jarvi

11:42am Songs Without Words, Op. 30

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Daniel Gortler

12:01pm Suite No. 3 from Ancient Airs and Dances

Composed by

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)

Performed by

L.A. Chamber Orch/Marriner

12:16pm A Moorside Suite

Composed by

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Performed by

London Collegiate Brass/Stobart

12:32pm Piano Trio in E flat, WoO 38

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Kempff/Szeryng/Fournier

12:50pm Music selected by the announcer

1:01pm Overture and Dances from Bartered Bride

Composed by

Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

Performed by

Slovak Philharmonic/Wordsworth

1:21pm Symphonic Variations, Op. 78

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Philharmonia Orchestra

1:45pm Sinfonia in D minor

Composed by

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–1784)

Performed by

Cologne Chamber Orchestra/Müller-Brühl

2:00pm Divertimento in D, K. 131

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Cleveland Orchestra/Szell

2:27pm Bassoon Concerto in F, Op. 75

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

North West German Philharmonic/Racz

2:45pm Concerto in F for 3 Violins from Tafelmusik, Part II

Composed by

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Performed by

Paillard Chamber Orchestra/Paillard

3:00pm Symphony No. 053 in D, "Imperial"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra/Haenchen

3:24pm Poetic Waltzes

Composed by

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)

Performed by

Raphael Feuillatre

3:39pm Violin Concerto No. 2 in E, BWV 1042

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Oistrach/Vienna Symphony

3:59pm Fantasia on Greensleeves

Composed by

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Performed by

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner

4:04pm American Eagle Waltz

Composed by

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)

Performed by

Gulbenkian Orchestra/Swierczewski

4:12pm Sara la baigneuse, Op. 11

Composed by

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

Performed by

Utah Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Fischer

4:20pm Elegiac Trio

Composed by

Arnold Bax (1883-1953)

Performed by

Mallarme Chamber Players

4:31pm Carnival Overture, Op. 92

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

The Philharmonic Brass/Sokhiev

4:41pm Legend of the Skerries, Op. 20

Composed by

Hugo Alfven (1872-1960)

Performed by

Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Willen

5:00pm Tango

Composed by

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Performed by

John Williams

5:04pm Serenade on Country Dances from Old Graz

Composed by

Jeno Takacs (1902-2005)

Performed by

Vienna Quintet

5:16pm Oboe Concerto in D minor, Op. 9 No. 2

Composed by

Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751)

Performed by

Camden/London Virtuosi/Georgiadis

5:30pm Viennese Good Nature Waltz

Composed by

Johann Strauss Sr. (1804-1849)

Performed by

Boskovsky Ensemble

5:37pm Dance of the Maidens from Spartacus

Composed by

Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)

Performed by

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Simonov

5:46pm One of Ours - A Cather Symphony

Composed by

Barbara Harbach (b.1946)

Performed by

Slovak Radio Symphony/Trevor

6:00pm Can Can from The Fantastic Toyshop

Composed by

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) after Rossini

Performed by

Boston Pops/Fiedler

6:03pm Dances from Lakme

Composed by

Leo Delibes (1836-1891)

Performed by

Radio Luxembourg Symphony/Froment

6:10pm Song without Words in D, Op. 109

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

du Pre/Moore

6:17pm Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Orchestra of the 18th Century/Bruggen

6:50pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Daphnis et Chloe: Suite No. 2

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Maazel

7:19pm Symphony No. 1 in G minor

Composed by

Vasily Kalinnikov (1866-1901)

Performed by

National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine/Kuchar

8:00pm Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

Composed by

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

Performed by

Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Muti

8:56pm Prelude in F sharp minor, Op. 23 No. 1

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Performed by

Anna Fedorova

9:02pm Piano Concerto in G

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Michelangeli/Zurich Chamber Orch/de Stoutz

9:26pm Siegfried Idyll

Composed by

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Maazel

9:48pm Scherzo No. 4 in E, Op. 54

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Evgeny Kissin

10:00pm Guitar Quintet No. 5 in D

Composed by

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

Performed by

Romero/Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble

10:19pm Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Stoltzman/English Chamber Orchestra

10:50pm Chaconne in G

Composed by

Marin Marais (1656-1728)

Performed by

Les Voix Humaines

11:00pm Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30

Composed by

Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915)

Performed by

Han/Sussmann/Lee/Neubauer/Finckel

11:43pm Music selected by the announcer