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:

July 2026 on Drop the Needle

7/6/2026

Piece: Lincoln Portrait

Composer: Copland

Conductor: Aaron Copland

Orchestra: The London Symphony Orchestra

Soloist: Henry Fonda, narrator

Copland Lincoln Portrait album cover conducted by Aaron Copland

7/13/2026

Piece: Firebird

Composer: Stravinsky

Conductor: Riccardo Muti

Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra

Stravinsky Firebird album cover conducted by Riccardo Muti

7/20/2026

Piece: Siegfried Idyll

Composer: Wagner

Conductor: Rafael Kubelik

Orchestra: The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Wagner Siegfried Idyll album cover conducted by Rafael Kubelik

7/27/2026

Piece: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43

Composer: Sibelius

Conductor: Thomas Schippers

Orchestra: The New York Philharmonic

Sibelius Symphony No. 2 album cover conducted by Thomas Schippers

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

Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 55 "Eroica"

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

London Classical Players/Norrington

Label

EMI

Catalog Number

49101

Today's Playlist

11:00am Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Janis/Minneapolis Symphony/Dorati

11:32am Selections from Six Morceaux, VWV 3003

Composed by

Pauline Garcia Viardot (1821–1910), arr. Julian Riem

Performed by

Gromes/Festival Strings Lucerne/Dodds

11:41am Piano Sonata No. 12 in F, K. 332

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Mao Fujita

12:01pm Flute Concerto in D

Composed by

Leopold Hofmann (1738-1793)

Performed by

Pahud/Haydn-Ensemble Berlin/Schellenberger

12:21pm Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E flat, Op. 74

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

Hilton/City of Birmingham Symphony/Jarvi

12:44pm Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Composed by

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Performed by

Finnish Radio Symphony/Saraste

12:54pm Music selected by the announcer

1:01pm Violin Concerto No. 4 in G

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Shaham/Sejong Soloists

1:19pm The Seasons, Op. 67 (a ballet)

Composed by

Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936)

Performed by

Czech Radio Symphony/Lenard

1:59pm Lullaby for Strings

Composed by

George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Performed by

Moscow Philharmonic/Kitayenko

2:10pm Piano Trio in B flat, Op. 97 "Archduke"

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Trio Elegiaque

2:50pm Flute Concerto in F, RV 433 "La tempesta di mare"

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

Gazzelloni/I Musici

2:59pm Harp Concerto in E flat, Op. 15

Composed by

Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812)

Performed by

Platilova/I Musici/Eliska

3:24pm Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9

Composed by

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

Performed by

Dresden State Orchestra/Davis

3:35pm Overture in B flat from Tafelmusik, Part III

Composed by

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Performed by

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra/Koopman

3:59pm Les Preludes

Composed by

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan

4:17pm Danzon No. 2

Composed by

Arturo Marquez (b.1950)

Performed by

Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas/de la Parra

4:27pm Alla Marcia from Karelia Suite, Op. 11

Composed by

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Performed by

Eastman Rochester Pops/Fennell

4:33pm Romanian Rhapsody No. 2 in D

Composed by

George Enescu (1881-1955)

Performed by

Vancouver Symphony/Comissiona

4:46pm Waltz from Act I, Swan Lake, Op. 20

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

London Symphony/Monteux

4:52pm Prelude in B minor, Op. 32 No. 10

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Vladimir Ashkenazy

5:00pm Polonaise from Christmas Eve

Composed by

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

Performed by

Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy

5:05pm Ballade for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 19

Composed by

Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)

Performed by

Lemelin/CBC Vancouver Orchestra/Bernardi

5:19pm Hebrides Overture, Op. 26

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Slovak Philharmonic/Dohnanyi

5:31pm Waltz alla Maud

Composed by

Paul Tortelier (1941-1990)

Performed by

P&M Tortelier/English Chamber Orchestra

5:39pm Sinfonia from Cantata 52

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Bach Collegium Japan/Suzuki

5:44pm Intermezzo from Italian Suite

Composed by

Joseph Joachim Raff (1822-1882)

Performed by

Czechoslovak State Philharmonic/Edlinger

5:50pm Romance for Viola and Orchestra, Op. 85

Composed by

Max Bruch (1838-1920)

Performed by

Bashmet/London Symphony/N. Jarvi

6:00pm Overture to Fra Diavolo

Composed by

Daniel-Francois Auber (1782-1871)

Performed by

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

6:09pm Symphony No. 008 in G, "Evening"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

English Concert/Pinnock

6:32pm Flute Quartet No. 1 in D, K. 285

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Bennett/Grumiaux Trio

6:46pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 73

Composed by

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Performed by

London Symphony Orchestra/Haitink

7:43pm Suite No. 2 from Peer Gynt, Op. 55

Composed by

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)

Performed by

Utah Symphony Orchestra/Abravanel

8:01pm Symphony No. 5 in E flat, Op. 82

Composed by

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Performed by

NY Philharmonic/Bernstein

8:35pm Three Etudes from Op. 10

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Barenboim

8:44pm Harp Concerto in B flat, Op. 4 No. 6

Composed by

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

Performed by

Laskine/Paillard Chamber Orch/Paillard

8:59pm Symphony No. 1 in E flat, Op. 8

Composed by

Reinhold Gliere (1875-1956)

Performed by

BBC Philharmonic/Downes

9:35pm Demarest Suite

Composed by

Barbara Harbach (b.1946)

Performed by

London Philharmonic/Angus

9:47pm Petite Suite (for flute, viola and harp)

Composed by

Stephen Paulus

Performed by

Cosmos Trio

10:00pm Lute Suite in G minor, BWV 995 (perf. on guitar in A minor)

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Sharon Isbin

10:23pm Quartet in E flat (1823)

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Emerson String Quartet

10:48pm Suite Orientale, Op. 48

Composed by

Mel Bonis (1858-1937)

Performed by

Varache/Copery/Granjon

11:00pm Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathetique"

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

John O’Conor

11:19pm Symphony No. 38 in D, K. 504 “Prague”

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Dresden State Orchestra/Haitink

11:49pm Music selected by the announcer