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

Pictures at an Exhibition

Composed by

Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881), orch. Maurice Ravel

Performed by

National Symphony/Slatkin

Label

RCA

Catalog Number

5661

Today's Playlist

2:01pm Palladio

Composed by

Karl Jenkins (1944-)

Performed by

London Philharmonic Strings/Jenkins

2:18pm Piano Sonata No. 50 in C, Hob. XVI:50

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Marc-Andre Hamelin

2:34pm Flute Concerto No. 1 in G, K. 313

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Pahud/Berlin Philharmonic/Abbado

3:00pm Hungarian Dances Nos. 1-6

Composed by

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Performed by

Vienna Philharmonic/Abbado

3:19pm Clarinet Quintet In B flat, Op. 89

Composed by

Anton Reicha (1770–1836)

Performed by

Zahradnik/Panocha Quartet

3:47pm Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Bamberg Symphony/Flor

4:01pm Concerto in C, RV 87

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

Camerata of Cologne

4:09pm Prelude No. 5 in G minor, Op. 23

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff arr. Antoince Fougeray

Performed by

Raphael Feuillatre

4:15pm Ballet Music from Macbeth

Composed by

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Performed by

Scottish National Orchestra/Gibson

4:26pm Serenade No. 13 in G, K. 525 "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Columbia Symphony/B. Walter

4:41pm Concerto in D for Trumpet and 2 Oboes

Composed by

Anonymous

Performed by

Basch/Virtuoso Chamber Music/Asperen

5:00pm Clair de lune from Suite Bergamasque

Composed by

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Performed by

Williams/Bream

5:06pm Dance of the Miller’s Wife from Three Cornered Hat

Composed by

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)

Performed by

Berlin Radio Symphony/Maazel

5:15pm Violin Concerto in F, Op. 7 No. 4

Composed by

Jean-Marie Leclair (1697-1764)

Performed by

Ruhadze/Ensemble Violini Capricciosi

5:31pm Quickened Pulses Waltz

Composed by

Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899)

Performed by

Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic/Walter

5:41pm Sonata a 3 in E Minor, Op. 1, No. 11

Composed by

Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751)

Performed by

Parnassi Musici

5:47pm Suite in D from Terpsichore

Composed by

Michael Praetorius (1571–1621)

Performed by

Christopher Parkening

6:00pm A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Composed by

Joseph Joachim Raff (1822-1882)

Performed by

Basel Radio Symphony/Travis

6:20pm Intermezzo in A, Op. 118 No. 2

Composed by

Johannes Brahms, arr. by Nicolai Popov

Performed by

Ottensamer/Wang

6:26pm Four's Company

Composed by

Paul Lansky (b.1944)

Performed by

Curtis Institute Guitar Quartet

6:46pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622

Composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Performed by

Neidich/Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

7:31pm 4 Impromptus, D. 899

Composed by

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Performed by

Alfred Brendel

8:01pm Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Richter/Warsaw Philharmonic/Wislocki

8:36pm Lute Suite In E minor, BWV 996

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by

Yolanda Kondonassis

8:53pm Intermezzo from Goyescas

Composed by

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)

Performed by

Chicago Symphony/Reiner

9:01pm Sonata Concertata in A

Composed by

Niccolo Paganini (1782–1840)

Performed by

Galway/Yamashita

9:16pm Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Tsang/Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Yoo

9:58pm Prelude

Composed by

Anonymous

Performed by

Christopher Wilson

10:00pm Three Gymnopedies

Composed by

Eric Satie (1866-1925)

Performed by

Stoltzman/Allen

10:10pm Overture & Venusberg Bacchanale from Tannhäuser

Composed by

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Maazel

10:33pm A Summer’s Day in the Country

Composed by

Niels Gade (1817-1890)

Performed by

Lyngby-Taarbaeck Symphony/Eriksson

11:00pm Horn Quintet in E, Op. 106

Composed by

Anton Reicha (1770–1836)

Performed by

Klanska/Panocha Quartet

11:29pm Suite Cubana

Composed by

Manuel Ponce (1882-1948)

Performed by

Jorge Federico Osorio

11:43pm Music selected by the announcer