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:

June 2026 on Drop the Needle

6/1/2026

Piece: The Four Seasons

Composer: Vivaldi

Conductor: Trevor Pinnock

Orchestra: The English Concert

Soloist: Simon Standage, violin

Vivaldi The Four Seasons album cover conducted by Trevor Pinnock

6/8/2026

Piece: Symphonia Concertante in E-flat, K. 364

Composer: Mozart

Conductor: Daniel Barenboim

Orchestra: The English Chamber Orchestra

Mozart Symphonia Concertante album cover conducted by Daniel Barenboim

6/15/2026

Piece: Pulcinella Suite

Composer: Stravinsky

Conductor: Igor Stravinsky

Orchestra: The Columbia Symphony Orchestra

Stravinsky conducts Pulcinella Suite album cover

6/22/2026

Piece: Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20

Composer: Mendelssohn

Orchestra: The Marlboro Festival Ensemble

Mendelssohn Octet album cover performed by the Marlboro Festival Ensemble

6/29/2026

Piece: String Serenade, Op. 22

Composer: Dvorak

Conductor: Neville Marriner

Orchestra: The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Dvorak String Serenade album cover conducted by Neville Marriner

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. 2 in A minor, Op. 13

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Emerson String Quartet

Label

Deutsche Grammaphon

Catalog Number

0

Today's Playlist

3:31pm Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Composed by

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Performed by

Academy SMF/Marriner

3:42pm Selections from The Skaters

Composed by

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)

Performed by

Cincinnati Pops/Kunzel

4:00pm Grand Tarantelle

Composed by

Louis Moreau Gottschalk, arr. by Hershy Kay

Performed by

List/Vienna State Opera Orchestra/Buketoff

4:09pm Trio in D, Op. 2 No. 4

Composed by

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

Performed by

The Vivaldi Project

4:20pm Violin Sonata in E flat, K. 302

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Gil & Orli Shaham

4:32pm Mallorca, Op. 202

Composed by

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Performed by

David Russell

4:40pm Romance from Masquerade

Composed by

Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)

Performed by

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Simonov

4:46pm Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F, BWV 1047

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Mason/English Chamber Orchestra/Britten

4:59pm Canzon No.2

Composed by

Giovanni Gabrieli, arr. by Tim Higgins

Performed by

National Brass Ensemble

5:03pm My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone

Composed by

Percy Grainger (1882-1961)

Performed by

Smirnoff/Moerschel/Drury

5:09pm Were you there?/Steal Away from Spirituals for Strings

Composed by

Morton Gould (1913-1996)

Performed by

London Philharmonic/Klein

5:15pm La Valse

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Previn

5:29pm Fleeting Happiness, a waltz

Composed by

Joseph Lanner (1801-1843)

Performed by

Ensemble Vienna

5:37pm Flute Quartet in B flat, Op. 8 No. 2

Composed by

Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787)

Performed by

de Winne/Il Gardellino

5:51pm Serenade for String Quartet, Op. 1

Composed by

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)

Performed by

Ying Quartet

6:01pm Impromptu in F minor, D. 935 No. 1

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Performed by

Maria Joao Pires

6:14pm The Swan of Tuonela

Composed by

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Performed by

Philadelphia Orchestra/Ormandy

6:25pm Minuet from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1

Composed by

Georges Bizet (1838–1875)

Performed by

Balint/Mercz

6:31pm Romance No. 1 in G for Violin, Op. 40

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Midori/Festival Strings Lucerne/Dodds

6:38pm Concertino in E flat for Clarinet & Orchestra, Op. 26

Composed by

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Performed by

Stoltzman/Slovak Radio Symphony/Trevor

6:49pm Music selected by the announcer

6:59pm Villi_Rondine Part 1

Composed by

Giacomo Puccini

8:11pm Villi_Rondine Part 2

Composed by

Giacomo Puccini

9:28pm Villi_Rondine Part 3

Composed by

Giacomo Puccini

10:10pm Lavender and Mulberry Sonatina

Composed by

Anthony Sidney (b. 1952)

Performed by

Cover/Bonachea/Savage

10:19pm The Seasons, Op. 67 (a ballet)

Composed by

Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936)

Performed by

Philharmonia/Svetlanov

11:01pm Guitar Quintet No. 9 in C, "Retreat from Madrid"

Composed by

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

Performed by

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

11:30pm Violin Sonata in D, K. 306

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Perlman/Barenboim

11:54pm Music selected by the announcer