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Tuesday at 7pm: Carnegie Hall's Opening Night Gala Los Angeles PhilharmonicThis star-studded Opening Night performance features renowned pianist Lang Lang and the incomparable Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. As soloist in Rachmaninoff’s spellbinding and immensely popular Piano Concerto No. 2, Lang Lang kicks off not only our 2024–2025 season, but also his own, three-concert Perspectives series here at the Hall. Also featured is baritone Gustavo Castillo, who reprises his recent role with the ensemble as soloist in Ginastera’s ballet Estancia. Experience music history as it’s made at one of the year’s most celebratory musical events.Celebrate the launch of our 2024–2025 season, and complete this glamorous evening with the option of attending a pre-concert cocktail reception at Carnegie Hall; a post-concert, black-tie gala dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street; or both. Individual gala tickets start at $1,000 and include prime seating for the concert. Proceeds from the gala support Carnegie Hall’s artistic, music education, and social impact programs.
Program Notes Courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
PerformersLos Angeles PhilharmonicGustavo Dudamel, Music and Artistic DirectorLang Lang, PianoGustavo Castillo, Baritone
ProgramRACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2
GINASTERA Estancia
Saturday at 1 pm: Puccini’s Madama ButterflyFrom the 2024 edition of the famed Aix-en-Provence Festival in France for a three-week visit starting with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, a heart-wrenching tale of love and betrayal. This opera tells the story of Cio-Cio-San, portrayed by Ermonela Jaho, a young Japanese woman who marries an American naval officer, played by Adam Smith, only to be abandoned, leading to tragic consequences. Mihoko Fujimura and Lionel Lhote join in this poignant production conducted by Daniele Rustion.
Program notes courtesy of WFMT
Read a synopsis of Madama Butterfly here.
Listen an episode from the Aria Code podcast here:
Listen to an episode fro Jeff Spurgeon's 3-Minute Opera here:
Cast:Cio-Cio-san - Ermonela JahoB. F. Pinkerton - Adam SmithSuzuki - Mihoko FujimuraSharpless - Lionel LhoteGoro - Carlo BosiThe Bonze - Inho JeongPrince Yamadori - Kristofer LundinKate Pinkerton - Albane CarrèreThe Imperial Commissioner - Kristján JóhannessonLo Zio Yakusidé - Alexander De JongThe Official Registrar - Hugo SantosCio-Cio-san’s Mother - Karine MotykaLa zia - Sharona ApplebaumLa cugina - Marie-Eve Gouin
ENSEMBLE:
Lyon Opera Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR:
Daniele Rustioni
Live concert broadcast series kicks off with Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night concert on October 8 and continues through April 2025 on WQXR 105.9 FM in New York, public radio stations nationwide, and at WQXR.org
Hosted by WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon and WNYC’s John Schaefer
WQXR and Carnegie Hall are proud to announce the schedule for the 2024-2025 season of Carnegie Hall Live, a series of live concert radio broadcasts, hosted by WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon and WNYC’s John Schaefer.
The season kicks off on Tuesday October 8 at 7pm with Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night Gala performance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Gustavo Dudamel conducts Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Ginastera’s Estancia, featuring pianist Lang Lang and baritone Gustavo Castillo.
Upcoming Season HighlightsAdditional season highlights include:the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Kirill Petrenko (November 18, 2024);the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with its next chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä, joined by soloist Lisa Batiashvili (November 22, 2024);an evening of French Baroque music from Les Arts Florissants (January 28, 2025), conducted by William Christie in celebration of his 80th birthday;Anthony Parnther conducting the Gateways Festival Orchestra, featuring mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges (April 27, 2025) The season also features three Carnegie Hall Live debuts:Conductor Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic (December 4, 2024);a solo recital from pianist Igor Levit, featuring the work of Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven (January 12, 2025);the London Symphony Orchestra, led by Sir Antonio Pappano with pianist Yunchan Lim (March 6, 2025) UPCOMING LIVE BROADCAST SCHEDULETuesday, October 8, 2024 at 7:00 PMCarnegie Hall’s Opening Night Gala Los Angeles Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel, Music and Artistic Director Lang Lang, Piano Gustavo Castillo, Baritone
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 GINASTERA Estancia
Monday, November 18, 2024 at 8:00 PMBerliner Philharmoniker Kirill Petrenko, Chief Conductor
BRUCKNER Symphony No. 5
Friday, November 22, 2024 at 8:00 PMRoyal Concertgebouw Orchestra Klaus Mäkelä, Conductor Lisa Batiashvili, Violin
ELLEN REID Body Cosmic (US Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall) PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 2 RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 8:00 PMCzech Philharmonic Semyon Bychkov, Chief Conductor and Music Director Gil Shaham, Violin
DVOŘÁK Violin Concerto G. MAHLER Symphony No. 5
Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 2:00 PMIgor Levit, Piano
J. S. BACH Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903 BRAHMS Ballades, Op. 10 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7 (arr. Liszt for solo piano)
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 7:30 PMLes Arts Florissants William Christie, Artistic Director and Conductor Ana Vieira Leite, Soprano Juliette Mey, Mezzo-Soprano Rebecca Leggett, Mezzo-Soprano Bastien Rimondi, Tenor Matthieu Walendzik, Baritone
CHARPENTIER Ouverture from Médée CHARPENTIER "Pour flatter mes ennemis" from Médée CHARPENTIER "Qu'il le cherche, mais qu'il me craigne" from Médée CHARPENTIER "Quel prix de mon amour" from Médée LULLY "Le sommeil" from Atys LULLY "Qu'il sait peu son malheur ... Je jure, je promets" from Atys LULLY "Venez vous livrer" from Atys RAMEAU Selected Orchestral Dances from Scene 4, No. 5 of Pigmalion RAMEAU "Règne, Amour" from Pigmalion RAMEAU "Tu chantais" from Les fêtes d’Hébé RAMEAU "En vain, contre Thélème" from Les fêtes d’Hébé RAMEAU "Dansons tous, dansons chantons" from Les fêtes d’Hébé RAMEAU "Mortels que le plaisir ... Le Ruisseau" from Les fêtes d’Hébé RAMEAU "Ciel, o ciel" from Les fêtes d’Hébé RAMEAU "Air tendre" from Les fêtes d’Hébé RAMEAU "Formons les plus brillants concerts ... Aux langueurs d'Apollon" from Platée RAMEAU "Qu'ai-je appris ... Puissant maître des flots ... Que ce rivage retentisse" from Hippolyte et Aricie RAMEAU "Je ne vous peindrai point les transports de mon cœur" from Les Indes galantes RAMEAU "Bannissons les tristes allarmes" from Les Indes galantes RAMEAU Rondeau and "Forêts paisibles" from Les Indes galantes
Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 8:00 PMVienna Philharmonic Riccardo Muti, Conductor
CATALANI Contemplazione STRAVINSKY Le baiser de la fée SCHUBERT Symphony in C Major, D. 944, "Great"
Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 8:00 PMLondon Symphony Orchestra Sir Antonio Pappano, Chief Conductor Yunchan Lim, Piano
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 WALTON Symphony No. 1
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 8:00 PMThe Cleveland Orchestra Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director and Conductor
STRAVINSKY Pétrouchka (1947 version) TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique"
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 8:00 PMPre-recorded Broadcast Anthony McGill, Clarinet Emanuel Ax, Piano
Program to include: JAMES LEE III Joyous Advocate SCHUBERT Sonata in A Minor, D. 821, "Arpeggione" PRICE Adoration JESSIE MONTGOMERY Peace ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK The Blue Bag BERNSTEIN Clarinet Sonata
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 8:00 PMThe Philadelphia Orchestra Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music and Artistic Director
G. MAHLER Symphony No. 6
Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 2:00 PMGateways Festival Orchestra Anthony Parnther, Conductor J'Nai Bridges, Mezzo-Soprano
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 WILLIAM DAWSON Negro Folk Symphony Plus selected songs and spirituals
Listen Saturday, September 27th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Click here for the upcoming Saturday Opera broadcast schedule.
Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde delves into a profound and tragic love story, exploring the intense and mystical bond between the two lovers. Presented at the Bayreuth Festival, this production features Andreas Schager as Tristan and Camilla Nylund as Isolde, with Günther Groissböck, Olafur Sigurdarson, and Victoria Karkacheva as Brangäne. Semyon Bychkov conducts this exceptional interpretation of Wagner’s work, renowned for its rich orchestration and emotional depth.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Listen to the Aria Code episode here.
CAST:
Tristan - Andreas SchagerMarke - Günther GroissböckIsolde - Camilla NylundKurwenal - Olafur SigurdarsonMelot - Birger RaddeBrangäne - Christa MayerEin Hirt - Daniel JenzEin Steuermann - Lawson AndersonJunger Seemann - Matthew Newlin
ENSEMBLE - Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and Chorus
CONDUCTOR - Semyon Bychkov
Sept. 26, 2024 - The reason for the outmigration from New York is a charged political issue at the Capitol, with popular narratives circulating on both sides of the aisle. Newsday Capitol reporter Mike Gormley is trying to cut through the rhetoric with his recent reporting on why New Yorkers are leaving and where they're going.
Sept. 26, 2024 - Times Union state investigative reporter Raga Justin discusses her deep dive into a Capital Region nursing home and what it tells us about the quality of care around the state and oversight of the industry.
Sept. 26, 2024 - It's been more than five years since state policymakers put in place a major gun storage law and now they want to make sure gun owners know about it. We talk about this awareness campaign and the role of gun storage requirements with Tanya Schardt, senior director of state and federal policy for the advocacy group Brady.
Host Lee Koonce features three recent winners of the National Association of Negro Musicians’ annual competition: violist Solomon Leonard, bass singer Edwin Jhamal Davis and flutist Terry Andrews. They perform a program of Bach, Meyerbeer, Valerie Coleman, and more.
Founded in 1919, the National Association of Negro Musicians is the country’s oldest organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and supporting all genres of music created or performed by African Americans. Many extraordinary competition winners and other artists have been affiliated with this venerable organization including Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, William Warfield, Florence B. Price, Lena Horne, Nina Simone and many others.
Program:
Bach: Prelude from Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008- Solomon Leonard, viola
Tillis: Three Showpieces for Viola, III. Fancy- Solomon Leonard, viola
Meyerbeer: “Nonnes, qui reposez” from Robert le diable- Edwin Jhamal Davis, bass; Mitchell Cirker, piano
Garrett: “O del mio amato ben” from A Love Cycle- Edwin Jhamal Davis, bass; Mitchell Cirker, piano
Coleman: Wish - Sonatine for flute and piano- Terry Andrews, flute; Dan Velicer, piano
Eilam-Amzallag: Desolation for Flute- Terry Andrews, flute
Traditional (arr. Dave Ragland): Calvary- Edwin Jhamal Davis, bass; Mitchell Cirker, piano
Leonard: Remembrances- Solomon Leonard, viola; New Standard Band
Sept. 25, 2024 - New tenant protections were included in the state budget, but what effect are they having in New York City and beyond? We try to answer that question with the help of Chris Janaro, a housing reporter with City Limits.
Last weekend, New York at Night host Nimet Habachy had her final ever shift on WQXR after 42 years of spinning records for the city's classical music-loving insomniacs. For four decades, she's lulled you to sleep with the Brahms lullaby and woken you up with Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries — a loyal companion on a nightly journey through music that spans the centuries.
Nimet would like to bid you farewell with a letter, plus you can listen to her final sign-off on-demand.
Dear, dear WQXR Night Companions:
I don't know how to begin to thank you for writing me so many kind notes on the occasion of my leaving WQXR's overnight program. I'm not sure I deserve them, but I certainly have enjoyed them! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have very much taken me by surprise from the very beginning of this enterprise. I never imagined the night show would fly. I thought there'd be no one to share the nights with, and the show would wither and die.
You see, I was such a long shot; a most unlikely all-night radio announcer.
I was born in an Egypt that was nominally under the influence of Napoleon Bonaparte, and still under the thumb of the British. I negotiated the playground swings in English, lost the battle in French, and went crying to anyone who would listen in Arabic. Or, I battled in French, won the swings in Arabic, and gloated in English. The polyglot nature of the playground and an English school left me with an English accent. Henry Higgins says it best in Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady, "Her English is too good, he said, that clearly indicates that she is foreign."
That was 42 years ago. The show flourished. You and I became friends through the wiring and the ether. You wrote letters welcoming me from the start. New York at Night became company to many on the nightshift; cabbies, the Entenmann delivery truck drivers, some of New York's finest, and many in the medical world. I took musical requests from you all. We not only heard the music of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, but we began to share details of our lives. I soon became riveted to news of the book one of my listeners was writing in the good company of the music. I worried about the health of another listener, and followed the progress of his recuperation closely. I think I played Beethoven's 9th Symphony for him when he was all well again. Then there was another gentleman who was serving a prison term for "juggling the pans in the prison kitchen instead of the books." One gallant listener offered to be at the ready with a baseball bat should I ever need protection on Times Square. I knew we had a permanent bond when I started to get the family holiday letter.
That's how it began. We are all the richer for enjoying the most beautiful music on this marvelous station we are lucky enough to call home. Here's to WQXR! Sheherazade told her tales to one measly Sultan for a mere 1001 nights, but I've spun records, tapes, and CDs for New Yorkers for 10,001 nights and more.
My, but did I ever luck in.
Thank you.
Nimet Saba Habachy
Sept. 24, 2024 - In light of the beleaguered rollout of a program by the state attorney general's office to monitor racial discrimination in the real estate industry, we examine what else is happening in New York to combat this problem. Our guest is Maura McDermott, an investigative reporter with Newsday, which thrust this problem into the light in 2019.
Sept. 24, 2024 - New York State Court of Appeals Judge Shirley Troutman, who serves as co-chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission, discusses the importance of juror diversity and steps that could address the composition of juries.
Sept. 24, 2024 - Assemblymember Josh Jensen, a Rochester-area Republican, shares concerns with a nursing home rating transparency effort and discusses how the quality of care at nursing homes can be improved.
Sept. 23, 2024 - We recap former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's testimony on the state's pandemic response before a congressional subcommittee with the help of Brendan Lyons, a managing editor at the Times Union.
From September 23rd to 29th on WQXR, you'll hear works celebrating contributions made to classical music by Latin American composers and musicians on-air.
You can learn a little bit more about the legacies and achievements of a few of those composers here.
- Tania León (b. 1943)Tania León(Gail Hadani)Tania León hails from Havana, Cuba, and she later moved to New York City in 1967 to study music at New York University. She is a composer, conductor, educator, and advisor to arts institutions. León's work infuses the rhythms of her homeland with her traditional classical training.
Her first orchestral piece, "Batá," is a deeply personal work that uses drums and rhythms from Cuba. In a previous interview with WQXR, León explained that "Batá" was inspired in part by a walk she took one evening with her father before his passing, when they stopped to watch Batá drummers. She sought to answer a crucial question he asked her: "Where are you in your music?"
The title refers to the Cuban drums and rhythms, and the piece ends and begins with whistling. When León was a little girl, her father worked far away from Havana. When he returned around 3 am at night, she could always hear him coming from a few blocks away due to the distinctive sound of his whistling.
Since that first orchestral work debuted in 1985, León's contributions to modern American classical music have been innumerable. In 2021, she won a Pulitzer Prize for Music for her work Stride. In 2022, she received the Kennedy Center Honors for her impact on American music.
You can read more about how her father influenced her here.
Listen to Batá here:
You can hear a live performance of Stride in a recent episode of WQXR's Carnegie Hall Live:
- Paquito D'Rivera (b. 1948)Paquito D'Rivera(R. Andrew Lepley)Paquito D'Rivera is a versatile composer, clarinetist, and saxophonist, and he was also born in Havana, Cuba. He later moved to the U.S. in 1981. His ability to seamlessly combine jazz and classic traditions has earned him 14 Grammy Awards, a testament to his musical talent and adaptability.
Are you a fan of the podcast "If This Hall Could Talk," which explores Carnegie Hall's history? You can watch Paquito D'Rivera play Benny Goodman's clarinet, one of the artifacts mentioned in the series. As a child, D'Rivera's father would play him Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman's records, which had a profound influence on him.
Listen to the ensemble Imani Winds perform "Kites Over Havana" by D'Rivera on Soundcheck, the music program hosted by Carnegie Hall Live and New Sounds host John Schaefer:
- Teresa Carreño (b. 1853 - 1917)Teresa Carreño playing piano in 1917, her final year alive. Play on until the end!(Public Domain)Teresa Carreño was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1853 and moved to New York City in 1862. A virtuosic pianist, soprano, conductor, and composer; she considered herself primarily a performer. Beginning her life as child prodigy, at 10 years old she played the piano for then president Abraham Lincoln. Her exceptional abilities earned her the nickname "Valkyrie of the Piano." Throughout her impressive career spanning 54 years, she composed about 75 works, becoming a pioneering female figure in classical music.
Listen to Teresa Carreño's Ballade Op. 15.
- Gabriela OrtizComposer Gabriela Ortiz, México.(courtesy of the artist / © Gabriela Ortiz)Gabriela Oritz in in an exciting career moment that brings great news for New Yorkers looking to see her work performed live: she is currently the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall for the 2024-25 season. Born into a musical family in Mexico City, she has been championed by frequent collaborator Gustavo Dudamel as "one of the most talented composers in the world." Her works range from chamber pieces to opera and orchestra. During her residency with Carnegie Hall, she'll premiere four new works that align with the season's theme: Nuestros sonidos: Celebrating Latin Culture in the U.S.
Look out for her upcoming events at Carnegie Hall! On October 9th, 2024 you can hear the New York Premiere of Dzonot, a concerto for cello and orchestra which will be performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic featuring soloist Alisa Weilerstein.
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Angélica NegrónAngélica Negrón(courtesy of the artist)Puerto Rican-born composer, performer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator Angélica Negrón was recently The Greene Space at WQXR and WNYC Artist-In-Residence in 2022, where she created a sonic playground called El Living Room. A funhouse variety show involving plant and robot instruments, comedy, and mixed-media creativity, it embodied what makes Negrón's work so unique: her whimsical creativity and authenticity. She has written music for accordions, plants, toys, vegetables, electronics, chamber ensembles, and orchestras. Her work has been commissioned by prestigious ensembles like the Kronos Quartet, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Sō Percussion, and the American Composers Orchestra.
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Arturo MárquezArturo Márquez conducts the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México in 2011.(Maria Luisa Severiano/La Jornada)Mexican-born composer Arturo Márquez has a unique ability to marry folk traditions with classical structures, which has made him a beloved figure in Latin American music. Fandango (2021), Márquez's mariachi-inspired concerto, was recently featured on WQXR's Carnegie Hall Live under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel in 2022. This work takes its name and inspiration from the Spanish dance that made its way to the Americas in the 18th century. Anne Akiko Meyers delivers a breathtaking live performance in this colorful piece for violin and orchestra. Meyers approached the composer about creating a rhythmically charged work, and she learned Márquez's late father was a mariachi violinist. He had been waiting for an opportunity to honor the music of his childhood for a long time, and you can hear the influence in this work.
You can listen to the full concert, which also features the New York premiere of Gabriela Ortiz's Kauyumari, here:
Sept. 23, 2024 - The state's teachers' union is throwing its weight behind Democrats in purple congressional districts in New York in order to make Hakeem Jeffries the next speaker of the house. We talk about this political decision with Melinda Person, president of New York State United Teachers.
Sept. 23, 2024 - Cannabis Farmers Alliance President Joseph Calderone provides an update on the state's "seed-to-sale" tracking system and reflects on the experience of marijuana farmers in New York.
Sept. 23, 2024 - We discuss efforts to ensure the long-term viability of emergency medical services, including a recently adopted bill dealing with Medicaid rates, with Ryan Gregoire, legislative director for the New York State Association of Counties, and Steve Kroll, chair of the legislative committee for the New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association.
Host Alexa Smith presents the newest members of the Astral Artists roster in a 2-part series. Over the next two weeks, we’ll meet the seven winners of their 2023 National Competition. They are pianists Sylvia Jiang, Eunbi Kim, and Priscila Navarro, baritone Nathaniel Sullivan, cellist Luiz Fernando Venturelli, harpist Noël Wan, and the ensemble Astral Mixtape. In tonight’s installment, we’ll hear the first half of their performances from the 2023 Fall Showcase, recorded last October at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.
Astral Artists has given young and up-and-coming artists robust professional development for over 31 years. They maintain a select roster of rising-star soloists and chamber ensembles, helping them grow into leaders in the classical music field. Their artists receive individualized mentorship, performance opportunities, and access to a prestigious network of working musicians.
Program:
Bach: Fantasy and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 904- Priscila Navarro, piano
Rachmaninoff: Études-Tableaux, Op. 33, No. 6 & 7- Priscila Navarro, piano
León: Tumbao- Priscila Navarro, piano
Gershwin (trans. Earl Wild): “Embraceable You” & “I Got Rhythm” - Priscila Navarro, piano
Debussy: Mandoline - Nathaniel Sullivan, baritone; Priscila Navarro, piano
Bach: “Jesus ist ein Schild der Seinen” from Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 - Nathaniel Sullivan, baritone; Priscila Navarro, piano
Britten: “Bugles sang” from The War Requiem, Op. 66- Nathaniel Sullivan, baritone; Priscila Navarro, piano
Berg: “Wir arme Leut!” from Wozzeck- Nathaniel Sullivan, baritone; Priscila Navarro, piano
Conte: “Everyone Sang” from Everyone Sang- Nathaniel Sullivan, baritone; Priscila Navarro, piano
Roumain: It Feels Like a Mountain, Chasing Me- Eunbi Kim, piano
Sept. 3, 2024 - Assemblymember Gina Sillitti, a Long Island Democrat, discusses her legislation intended to make it easier for New Yorkers with food sensitivities to dine out at a restaurant.
Sept. 3, 2024 - Iroquois Healthcare Association Executive Vice President Kevin Kerwin explains how the Hochul administration is steering about $650 million to boost the healthcare workforce in New York, with a focus on serving Medicaid patients.
Sept. 3, 2024 - With opportunities to gamble in New York seemingly growing every year, we check in with Dr. Chinazo Cunningham, commissioner of the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports, to learn what the Hochul administration is doing to address problem gambling.
Sept. 3, 2024 - State lawmakers want to commemorate the work of abolitionist Sojourner Truth with an annual day of celebration in November. We discuss her remarkable life with Lynn Spangler, a former professor at SUNY New Paltz, who did a documentary on the former Hudson Valley resident.
Mondays at 10 pm, you'll hear a new program bringing you Latin American and Iberian music from the 16th century to today. Acclaimed composer, musician, and professor Elbio Barilari is your guide on this adventure through a rich musical landscape. Enjoy and learn about the lively, compelling, and seldom-heard treasures of Latin American and Spanish classical music from around the world.
Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Monday, Septmber 2nd: Latin American Piano from Three Centuries Latin American composers from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries have developed an amazing andbeautiful catalog. Fiesta presents a selection of some of the greatest Latin American piano music from thepast 300 years. With works by Villa-Lobos, Ponce, and Tomás León.
PlaylistLição No. 8 da Primeira Parte, by José Maurício Nunes GarciaMário Trilha, pianoforte
Cubanas for piano, by Gisela HernándezJuana Zayas, piano
Legende, by Manuel PonceJorge Federico Osorio, piano
Two Motions in One Movement, by Samuel ZymanClaudia Corona, piano
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3, by Heitor Villa-LobosCristina Ortiz, piano; New Philharmonia Orchestra; Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
Last Week's Program:Monday, August 26th: Claudio Santoro, Brazilian ComposerClaudio Santoro (1919‐1989) was a prominent Brazilian composer and educator from the generation after Heitor Villa‐Lobos. Santoro combines amazing musical wisdom and technique with a gift to create powerful melodies. Listen to one of the best-kept secrets of 20th century music: Claudio Santoro.
PlaylistOuve O SilêncioChiara Santoro, soprano; Eugenia Tamburri, piano
12 PreludesClaudio Santoro, piano
Symphony No. 5Leningrad Symphony Orchestra: Claudio Santoro, conductor
Monday, August 19thEdison Quintana: Pianist Extraordinaire
Edison Quintana is acknowledged as one the most versatile and consummate pianists currently performing in concert halls in Mexico. Whether in jazz stylings, classical works for piano and orchestra, or Latin-American folk music, he embraces allthe possibilities of his instrument. We will feature him in works by Astor Piazzolla, Manuel Ponce, and José Pablo Moncayo.Playlist
Odeon – Tango Brasileiro, by Ernesto NazarethEdison Quintana, piano
3 Piezas for Piano, by José Pablo MoncayoEdison Quintana, piano
Le Grand Tango, by Astor PiazzollaCarlos Miguel Prieto, cello; Edison Quintana, piano
Piano Sonata No. 2, by Manuel PonceEdison Quintana, piano
Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 16, by Rodolfo HalffterEdison Quintana, piano
Monday, August 12th Composer, pianist, and conductor Luis Gianneo is acknowledged as one of the leading Argentine composers of the 20th century. He composed nearly 100 works from nearly every genre of classical music. We will share his symphonic poem El tarco en flor and his chamber work Segundo Trio.
PlaylistObertura Para Una Comedia InfantilOrquesta Sinfónica De Salta; Luis Gorelik, conductor5 Piezas for Viola and HarpTrio Luminar
El tarco en florOrquesta Sinfonica de Entre Ríos; Gabriel Castagna, conductor
Segundo TrioTrío Arbós
Listen Saturday, August 31st, at 1pm EDT.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.From the Bavarian State Opera, Tosca by Giacomo Puccini tells the intense and dramatic love story of the singer Tosca (Eleonora Buratto) and the artist Cavaradossi, (Charles Castronovo) set against the backdrop of political unrest in Rome. Ludovic Tézier, Milan Siljanov, and Martin Snell join the cast in a thrilling ride through love, jealousy, betrayal, and the quest for freedom. Andrea Battistoni conducts this recent performance.Read full synopsis.
Hear host Jeff Spurgeon give you the plot to Tosca in three minutes.
Listen to the Aria Code episode about Tosca.
CAST:Floria Tosca - Eleonora BurattoMario Cavaradossi - Charles CastronovoBaron Scarpia - Ludovic TézierCesare Angelotti - Milan SiljanovSacristan - Martin SnellSpoletta - Tansel AkzeybekSciarrone - Christian RiegerA Jailer - Paweł HorodyskiENSEMBLE: Bavarian State Opera Orchestra and ChorusCONDUCTOR: Andrea Battistoni
WQXR has curated the perfect soundtrack for the back-to-school season, helping kids, parents, and everyone involved get into the rhythm of the school year. From September 2-8, tune in for a week filled with special school-themed features and compositions by young musical prodigies. You'll hear from classical greats like Mozart and the Mendelssohns, who started their careers at a young age, as well as fresh new works by the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers.
Featured Series: Once Upon a ComposerEach Saturday morning at 10 am, we’re excited to introduce a brand-new musical moment designed for kids and families: Once Upon a Composer. Hosted by the fabulous flutist and WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase presenter, Emi Ferguson, this series brings to life the true stories of famous composers. Each episode will feature a captivating tale introducing you to a new composer, followed by a selection of the composer’s music, offering a delightful and educational experience for young listeners.
The segment won't be available to listen to on-demand, but if you're interested in learning more be sure to get a copy of Emi's book, Iconic Composers, a celebration of 50 different classical composers. You can purchase it here on Emi's website, or here on Amazon.
Don’t miss the premiere of Once Upon a Composer every Saturday at 10 AM from September 7th through November 30th, 2024 on WQXR.
Whether you're in the car, getting ready in the morning, or winding down after a busy day, WQXR is your perfect companion for the back-to-school journey. Let the music inspire and energize you as we kick off another school year together!
Keep the classical fun going through out the school year by subscribing to our Kids and Family Newsletter.
Do you know anyone who's starting a new school year? What recommendations do you have for young people looking to learn more about classical music? Let us know in the comments below.
Welcome to our latest Book Club feature!
Every Sunday afternoon at 3 pm, weekend host Annie Bergen will share a book recommendation and piece of music for you to enjoy.
This time, we're diving into Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food by Jeanine Donofrio, a must-read for anyone passionate about healthy eating. Jeanine, the creative mind behind Loveandlemons.com, has packed this cookbook with wholesome vegetarian recipes that are both delicious and easy to prepare.
Whether you're looking for everyday meals or something special for your next gathering, this book has you covered. With a focus on fresh ingredients and vibrant flavors, you'll find yourself reaching for this cookbook time and time again.
Annie's favorite recipe from the book: Creamy Coleslaw for Your Next BBQPlanning a BBQ this soon? Jeanine’s recipe for creamy coleslaw is the perfect side dish to complement your spread. It's light, flavorful, and sure to be a hit with your guests!
Get in the Cooking Spirit with Some MusicTo make your cooking experience even more enjoyable, why not pair it with a little music? We recommend Ralph Vaughan Williams' "March Past of the Kitchen Utensils" – a fun, lively piece that perfectly captures the joy of cooking.
Listen to it here:
Do you have a favorite piece of classical music about food? What cook books do you love? Let us know in the comments below!
Aug. 30, 2024 - Assembly Local Governments Committee Chair Fred Thiele, a Long Island Democrat, discusses legislation that would put down guardrails on the interest rates that municipalities can charge delinquent property taxpayers.
Aug. 30, 2024 - A dearth of state and local rules governing septic system oversight and operations could be creating environmental problems in New York, according to Claudia Braymer, deputy director of Protect the Adirondacks, who also discusses legislation designed to give property owners information about property septic upkeep.
Aug. 30, 2024 - New York Power Authority Robotics Program Manager Peter Kalaitzidis provides an update on the usage of drones to monitor the state's energy infrastructure.
Aug. 30, 2024 - The state Department of Health has brought in a former Biden administration official, Dr. David Holtgrave, to help steer New York's response to the opioid epidemic.
Aug. 29, 2024 - We discuss proposed changes to New York's contracting laws that are designed to prevent tropical forest deforestation. We consider the impact of the proposal with Francis Palasieski, director of government affairs for the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, and Louise Eddy, owner of Saratoga Quality Hardware.
WQXR is once again partnering with the New York Philharmonic to showcase music written by fourteen extraordinary composers between the ages of 9 - 17 and all participants in the NYPhil's Very Young Composers program. The compositions are performed by musicians from The Knights: Colin Jacobsen, violin; Miranda Sielaff, viola; and Caitlin Sullivan, cello.Catch them on-air throughout the week from September 2-8, 2024 or listen to them here on-demand.
Explore Works by the NY Phil's Very Young Composers"Train Ride for String Trio" by Max Bissonnette
Max Bissonnette(Courtesy of Max Bissonnette)Max Bissonnette, born on July 2, 2009, is a composer, writer, and artist from New York City. Their work emphasizes storytelling through music, with a strong focus on musical theater.
Note from the composer: “Train Ride for String Trio” is a piece told through multiple perspectives. First, that of the exterior of the train, which is more tactile and mechanical. The second is the interior of the train, which spans from interactions passengers might have, to the views out the window. "Midnight Storm" by Dorian Tabb
Dorian Tabb(Courtesy of Dorian Tabb)Dorian Tabb, born on January 14, 2010, began piano studies at age four and started composing one year later. A winner of the First Commission Award from Composers Now and the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composers Award in 2023, he is currently enrolled at the Special Music School High School and the Juilliard Pre-College.Note from the composer: "Midnight Storm" is intended to depict the timeline of a storm. The beginning is quiet and eerie, picking up in intensity. In the middle, there is a much more lighthearted, calm part, which is supposed to be a break in the storm. After that though, the storm comes back and hits in full force, ending on a mysterious note.
"Sailboat" by Audrey Wolrich
Audrey Wolrich(Courtesy of Audrey Wolrich)Audrey Wolrich, born on May 3, 2012, has been composing for VYC since she was nine years old. She plays the piano and is learning guitar. Her favorite part of composing is finding the right tune for the piece. Her works include Raindrops in the Night, Sailboat, Birds, and Highlighter.Note from the composer: I tried to compose this piece to be calm and to put the listener in a relaxed place. I have never been on a sailboat but I think I know the feeling of watching a sunset on a sailboat, that calm feeling of just you and your thoughts. I decided for it to be quiet because I feel that relaxation comes from a quiet environment where you can hear yourself think. You may notice how I went with a slow tempo. I did it because you might feel more at ease if you aren't rushed. "Patchwork Quilt" by Alonso Vallely
Alonso Vallely(Courtesy of Alonso Vallely)Alonso Vallely, born on June 27, 2011, is a 13-year-old composer and violinist from the Bronx, New York. He started composing at age eight. In the summer of 2023, he composed a piece performed at Luzerne Music Center. Patchwork Quilt, the piece composed for The Knights, took four months to complete. Alonso also enjoys hiking and reading.
Note from the composer: After listening to improvisational music, I decided to compose a piece with parts that could be played in any order. When performing Patchwork Quilt, the musicians agree on an order before playing. Like a quilt, this piece is made up of unrelated elements that come together to form something different. "dew" by Mel Zhang
Mel Zhang(Courtesy of Mel Zhang)Mel Zhang, born on March 24, 2007, is a seventeen-year-old Chinese-American composer, writer, and artist from South Harlem. She enjoys fusing different artistic mediums, with her compositions often beginning visually. She has been composing for seven years.Note from the composer: “dew” was composed in anticipation of summer storms. The piece begins with innocence, then it becomes challenged, moving into a pensive thunderstorm that resolves into that same naivete. We idealize living progressively, but our experiences are as cyclic as the rain: the downpour is as natural as its dew. "Preservation and Dysfunction" by Owen Berenbom
Owen Berenbom(Courtesy of Owen Berenbom)Owen Berenbom, born on October 8, 2009, is 14 years old and has been in the VYC program since he was 10. He plays jazz piano and alto saxophone. Owen enjoys composing jazz-inspired pieces for instruments not typically featured in that type of music. He also enjoys running competitively and playing with his goldendoodle, Alby.Note from the composer: Owen's piece, "Preservation and Dysfunction" is about a utopian world's struggles to defend its traditions, customs, and way of life. Owen incorporated jazz harmonies and rhythms into this piece for a string trio. The rotating central key and syncopated rhythm convey a sense of urgency and unease.
"Stringy Stringness" by Billy Parker
Billy Parker(Courtesy of Billy Parker)Billy Parker, born on August 2, 2013, joined the Young Composer program in 4th grade. He likes swimming, soccer, and cooking.Note from the composer: Stringy Stringess is a string trio. I tried to give each of the instruments their own time to be heard. In the middle there's a moving upward point before it comes crashing down again. "川の神々の戦い - River Spirit Battles" by Koji Ishida
Koji Ishida(Courtesy of Koji Ishida) Koji Ishida, born on July 8, 2013, began composing at the age of six and has participated in the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composer Program for the past two seasons. He studies percussion, trumpet, violin, piano, and organ and is a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus. Koji enjoys playing table tennis and baseball, learning Japanese, and making sushi.Note from the composer: River Spirit Battles was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s movie, Spirited Away. In the movie, two of the main spirits are No-Face and Haku in the form of a dragon. In one of the scenes, Haku is injured by many paper birds (shikigami) who were chasing him so that he bled out badly and almost died. I was thinking about this movie and all the spirits when I wrote this piece.
"String Trio #1" by Ryer LaMattina
Ryer LaMattina(Courtesy of Ryer LaMattina)Ryer LaMattina, born on August 2, 2012, joined Young Composers in the fifth grade. Now in middle school, he is learning the clarinet and bass clarinet. In addition to music, Ryer likes soccer, video games, and reading.Note from the composer: When Ryer was writing this piece, he was thinking about intense scenes in movies and movie scores. He is very proud of how it came out and thinks it might be his best piece yet!
"Division" by Hermione Fung
Hermione Fung(Courtesy of Hermione Fung)Hermione Fung, born on October 15, 2014, is 9 years old and has been attending her composer brother’s readings since she was in a stroller. She has been a composer herself for one year and plays the violin, harp, and percussion.Note from the composer: Hermione named her piece "Division" as part 2 of her series of work named after symbols. She has a lot of fun composing for the string quartet as she is a double strings player herself. She likes how the different sound effects from the strings all blend together. The rhythm of "Division" is similar to ❓, her earlier piece but this has more long notes than short notes.
"Colors" by Evie Nemirof
Evie Nemirof(Courtesy of Evie Nemirof)Evie Nemirof, born on March 29, 2014, is a 10-year-old girl who started composing six months ago. She plays the cello and is learning to play the ukulele. She likes to draw, paint, play with Legos, read, and make pottery. Her composition “Crickets,” composed for French horn and trumpet, was performed at the Sidewalk Studio in April.Note from the composer: I composed each section, and then decided after I listened to the completed section what color it represented. I start the piece with light purple because the color makes me think of calm and quiet. The next section’s color is Blue because it is bouncy and exciting. The third section is dark green because it sounds dark and sad. The fourth section is hot pink. It sounds energetic and fun. The last section is called Rainbow because there are chords and it sounds very royal and final. "Aotearoa" by Oliver Mar
Oliver Mar(Courtesy of Oliver Mar)Oliver Mar, born on March 11, 2011, is 13 years old, from New Zealand, and enjoys composing, sailing, skiing, tennis, and is an avid reader.Note from the composer: This piece is a kind of “musical vacation” to New Zealand, or Aotearoa. It showcases the things that I find special to New Zealand, such as the southern lights. The movements follow a circle of time — Rain, Sunrise, Birds, Aurora, looping back to Rain. Though this piece was written in New York, in a way, it is a like a portable version of Aotearoa. "Sirens" by Adam Omarah
Adam Omarah(Courtesy of Adam Omarah)Adam Omarah, born on November 23, 2009, is 14 years old and is a composer, musician, aspiring producer, and sound engineer. He started learning piano at the age of four in Dubai. He discovered his passion for composition and production during the pandemic and began composing at the Very Young Composers Program when he moved from Dubai to New York in 2022.Note from the composer: His composition "Sirens" is an 'interlude-esque" piece which "includes interesting harmonies that complement the melancholy mood of the piece".
"Dialogue" by Emilia Epstein
Emilia Epstein(Courtesy of Emilia Epstein)Emilia Epstein, born on October 8, 2012, is 11 years old and began her composing journey as a member of the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program during her 5th grade year at P.S. 59. Emilia loved the opportunity to express herself through music and has been motivated to continue creating ever since.Note from the composer: Her piece, “Dialogue,” was born in a realization that music is everywhere. Inspired by a lively conversation in her home, Emilia wanted the instruments to “talk” to one another, bringing different voices and perspectives to the piece. She looks forward to continuing to find inspiration in NYC and her travels.
Aug. 29, 2024 - Richard Berkley, who leads the Office of Consumer Services in the State Department of Public Services, discusses a pilot program capping the energy bills of low-income New Yorkers who electrify their homes.
Aug. 29, 2024 - State Sen. Leroy Comrie, a Queens Democrat, wants to impose new guardrails and teeth to the state law governing how and when utilities respond to consumer complaints. He also wants energy consumers to have more information before a rate hike is enacted.
This broadcast originally aired on March 27th, 2024.
Tonight we welcome students from Manhattan School of Music’s College and Precollege programs into the studio. Host Alexa Smith brings together talented students from across the school’s wide array of musical disciplines. You’ll hear vocal artists, soloists, and small ensembles performing music by Janáček, MacDowell, Valerie Coleman and more.
For over 100 years, Manhattan School of Music has produced some of the greatest musicians in classical music from around the world. Founded in 1918 by Janet Daniel Schenck as a neighborhood music school, its original location on East 104th street was in the Union Settlement Association and served many newly arrived immigrants. Today, the school makes its home on the west side of Manhattan on 120th and Broadway and is led by Dr. James Gandre.
Program:
Leoš Janáček: Cunning Little Vixen- Sofia Gotch, soprano; Xiaoyin Zhu, piano
Edward MacDowell: Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 23, I. Larghetto calmato- Perry Zou, piano
Wenzel Thomas Matiegka (arr. Franz Schubert): Notturno Op. 21, I. Allegro moderato- Lorien Britt, flute; Richie Johnson, guitar; Yuchen Tu, viola; Tom Readett, cello
Wenzel Thomas Matiegka: Sonata No. 5 in D Major, I. Allegro moderato- Richie Johnson, guitar
Valerie Coleman: Afro-Cuban Concerto, I. Afro, II. Vocalise- Kyrese Washington, flute; Aaron Haettenschwiller, oboe; Mateo Balboa Doldan, clarinet; Peter Ecklund, bassoon; Taylor Krause, horn
J.S. Bach (arr. Ralph Sauer): Contrapunctus I, Art of the Fugue- Lindsay Ross, trumpet; David Peebles, trumpet; Keegan McCardell, horn; Sterling Davis, trombone; Tanner Stegink, tuba
Cait Nishimura: When the Clouds Break- Lindsay Ross, trumpet; David Peebles, trumpet; Keegan McCardell, horn; Sterling Davis, trombone; Tanner Stegink, tuba
Aug. 27, 2024 - State lawmakers passed a bill this past session restricting the construction of new school buildings near highways. We discuss the bill and school construction more broadly with Brian Cechnicki, executive director for the Association of School Business Office of New York.
Aug. 28, 2024 - State lawmakers approved legislation creating a registry of short-term rental units in New York and imposing certain standards for operating the type of property that may appear on VRBO or Airbnb. We discuss the proposal with Nathan Rotman, the Northeast policy lead for Airbnb.
Aug. 28, 2024 - David Levin, a senior consultant for End of Life Choices New York, explains an update to the state's laws governing health care proxies and makes the case for end of life planning.
Aug. 28, 2024 - State Health Commissioner Jim McDonald talks about the state's ongoing effort to make the RSV vaccine more accessible for pregnant women and senior citizens.
Aug. 28, 2024 - Assemblymember Landon Dais, a Bronx Democrat, discusses the state attorney general's expanded powers to penalize the perpetrators of "deed theft" and considers what can be done to stop illegal deed transfers from happening at all.
For the next three installments of Reflections from the Keyboard, host David Dubal will explore the rich world of Frederic Chopin’s nocturnes and waltzes. Chopin — the poet of the piano — began writing his waltzes as a teenager. Chopin gave birth to the modern piano and, indeed, to the modern pianist, creating a spirit of originality.
This week’s episode features three performances of his famous Minute Waltz performed back to back.
Program playlist (all by Chopin):
Waltz No. 14, Op. posth. In E MinorEvgeny Kissin, pianoBMG Classics
Nocturne C Sharp Minor, Op. posthWładysław Szpilman, pianoSony Classics
Nocturne C Sharp Minor, Op. posthThomas Manshardt, pianoAppian Publications and Recordings
Waltz No. 2 in A-Flat Major, Op. 34 No.1Eliso Virsaladze, pianoBMG Classics
Nocturne in B Major, Op. 9 No. 3Wilhelm Kempff, pianoThe Decca Record Company
Waltz No.13 in D Flat Major, Op. 70 No. 3Agustin Anievas, pianoEMI Records
Nocturne in D Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2Dinu Lipatti, pianoRegis
Valse in D Flat, Op. 64 No. 1Wilhelm Backhaus, pianoPearl
Waltz in D Flat, Op. 64 No. 1 "Minute"Arthur Rubinstein, pianoPhillips Classics
Valse in D Flat, Op. 64 No. 1Dinu Lipatti, pianoRegis
Nocturne in C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1Arthur Rubinstein, pianoPhillips Classics
Grande Valse Brilliante in E-Flat Major, Op. 18Ingrid Filter, pianoVAI
See the program for LA PhilharmonicHailed for outstanding artistry since 1919, the acclaim of the Los Angeles Philharmonic continues under the leadership of Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel, one of the most exciting young conductors today. Dudamel’s infectious emotional energy wins over the most jaded souls. For his inaugural concert at the Hollywood Bowl, 18,000 people greeted him with a hollering, stamping, pop-star ovation.
Each year, the LA Phil presents these national broadcasts hosted by Brian Lauritzen, giving fresh perspective on orchestral performance today.Courtesy of WFMT.
Below is the upcoming Los Angeles Philharmonic 2023 broadcast schedule.
Upcoming 2024 Broadcast Schedule:Saturday, August 24:Bernstein and WootenConductor: Thomas WilkinsSoloist: Victor Wooten, bass*
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Ballade in A minor, Op. 33Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side StoryVictor Wooten: La Lección Tres*
Previous Broadcasts:Saturday, July 20:Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony
Conductor: Gemma NewSoloist: Boris Allakhverdyan, clarinet*
Igor Stravinsky: Danses concertantes Aaron Copland: Clarinet Concerto* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 38, “Prague”
Saturday, July 27: Brahms & Bruckner with Dudamel (featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter & Pablo Ferrández)
Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel Soloist: Anne-Sophie Mutter, violinJohannes Brahms Double Concerto* Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 1
Witness the North American debut of the Africa United Youth Orchestra (AUYO), organized by the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, South Africa’s national orchestra. AUYO comprises stellar musicians from several African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Led by American conductor William Eddins, the first half of the concert highlights works by South African composers Michael Mosoeu Moerane, Mzilikazi Khumalo, and Bongani Ndodana-Breen. Opening the program is Moerane’s Fatše La Heso (My Country), followed by arias from Khumalo’s uShaka KaSenzagakhona (a dramatic work about the legendary King of the Zulus) and Princess Magogo (the first Zulu opera) sung by South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, who is also featured in one of Ndodana-Breen’s Three Orchestral Songs on Poems of Ingrid Jonker. The concert concludes with Dvořák’s beloved Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” featuring members of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.
Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall
Conductor: William EddinsSoloists: Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Soprano; Goitsemang Lehobye, Soprano with Members of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of AmericaTime: 7 PMLocation: Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
WQXR HOSTS: Jeff Spurgeon and Annie Bergen
PROGRAM:MICHAEL MOSOEU MOERANE Fatše La Heso (My Country)MZILIKAZI KHUMALO "Nandi's Aria" from uShaka KaSenzagakhonaMZILIKAZI KHUMALO "Sengiyeza" from Princess MagogoBONGANI NDODANA-BREEN "Die Kind" from Three Orchestral Songs on Poems of Ingrid JonkerDVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela during Carnegie Hall’s World Orchestra Week (WOW!), which celebrates extraordinary youth ensembles from around the globe.
In the first half of the program, the gifted young musicians perform John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Estévez’s symphonic poem Mediodía en el llano, and Ginastera’s Four Dances from Estancia, which the orchestra also performed in its unforgettable international debut at the Salzburg Festival. The second half of the concert comprises Shostakovich’s riveting Symphony No. 5.
Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall
Conductor: Gustavo DudamelTime: 7 PMLocation: Stern Auditorium / Perelman StageWQXR HOSTS: Elliott Forrest and Paul CavalcontePROGRAM:JOHN ADAMS Short Ride in a Fast MachineESTÉVEZ Mediodía en el llanoGINASTERA Four Dances from EstanciaSHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5
World Orchestra Week (WOW!) kicks off with a performance by NYO2—Carnegie Hall’s national youth orchestra for younger teens, called “superbly talented” (New York Classical Review) and “a bright future for classical music” (Musical America). Conducted by Teddy Abrams—and featuring principal players from several of the nation’s top orchestras as soloists—they perform some of the concert repertoire’s most beloved works. In addition to Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite, the program includes a Carnegie Hall co-commissioned world premiere by Emmy Award–winning composer Jasmine Barnes, who has been commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and many more.
Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Conductor: Teddy AbramsSoloists: Demarre McGill, Flute; Titus Underwood, Oboe; Anthony McGill, Clarinet; Andrew Brady, BassoonTime: 7 PMLocation: Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
WQXR HOSTS: Jeff Spurgeon and Annie BergenPROGRAM:BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side StoryJASMINE BARNES KINSFOLKNEM (World Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet Fantasy OvertureSTRAVINSKY The Firebird Suite (1919 version)
This week on New York In Concert, we’re focusing on music with connections to poetry from ensembles and organizations around the city. In the first half of the program, we’ll hear performances of Faure’s Pavane (which originally included a poem by Robert de Montesquiou), several of Dvorak’s Cypresses, and three Grieg songs performed by soprano Lise Davidsen and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. We’ll conclude with excerpts from a concert by Trinity Wall Street, Four Last Songs Re-Imagined, which featured both Strauss’s original and an arrangement for cello and orchestra.Grieg: Three Songs (Total 8:17) (Back to back)
Zur Rosenzeit, Op. 48Gruß, Op. 48Møte from Haugtusa Lise Davidsen, Leif Ove Andsnes (TGS)
Fauré: PavaneOrpheus & Boyd Meets Girl (GatherNYC)(poem by Montesquieu)
Dvořák: CypressesIII. When thy sweet glances
Thou only dear one Nature Lies Peaceful (fast) Verona Quartet (Chelsea Music Festival)
Beach: Two Browning SongsKara Dugan, mezzo; Peter Dugan, piano
Strauss: Four Last SongsSarah Brailey, soprano (“Spring,” September”) Andrew Yee, cello (“While Falling Asleep,” “At Sunset”); NOVUS NY; Experiential Orchestra, cond. James Blachly(Trinity Wall Street)Poems by Eichendorff and Hermann Hesse
This week host David Dubal continues his exploration of Johannes Brahms. When we last left our “third B,” Brahms was still very much a young man whose star was on the rise. He had just met Robert and Clara Schumann and they were astounded by the talent of the young composer.
This episode looks at Brahms’s relationship with the Schumanns and his arrival in Vienna, where Brahms would meet Eduard Hanslick, an influential music critic and later one of his most ardent supporters.
Music in this week's program includes the finale of the First Piano Concerto in D-Minor performed by Stephen Kovacevich with the London Philharmonic, selections from the Handel variations played by Emmanuel Ax, and the First Rhapsody interpreted by Radu Lupu.
Program playlist (all by Johannes Brahms):
Sonata in F minor, Op.5 No.3, III. ScherzoAntti Siirala, pianoOndine
Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, op.15 - 3. RondoStephen Kovacevich, piano; London Philharmonic; Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductorEMI
16 Waltzes, Op.39 No.1 in B majorAntti Siirala, pianoOndine
16 Waltzes, Op.39 No.4 in E minorAntti Siirala, pianoOndine
16 Waltzes, Op.39 No.5 in E majorAntti Siirala, pianoOndine
16 Waltzes, Op.39 No.6 in C sharp majorAntti Siirala, pianoOndine
16 Waltzes, Op.39 No.9 in D minorAntti Siirala, pianoOndine
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, Var. 23-25Emanuel Ax, pianoSony Classical
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, FugaEmanuel Ax, pianoSony Classical
Rhapsodie in B minor Op. 79 No. 1Radu Lupu, pianoLondon Decca
From Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118, No. 2. Intermezzo in A majorEmanuel Ax, pianoSony Classical
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, AriaJohannes Brahms, pianoEmanuel AxSony Classical
Listen Saturday, July 27th, at 1 pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
The opulent Palais Garnier in Paris is the location of this performance of Médée by 18th century composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. This opera delves into the dark and tragic tale of Médée, portrayed by Lea Desandre, who uses her sorceress powers in vengeful acts against her unfaithful lover, Jason, played by Reinoud Van Mechelen. Opéra de Paris is conducted by William Christie, this production offers a riveting exploration of love, betrayal, and revenge, weaving a powerful emotional tapestry that is both captivating and heart-wrenching.
Read synopsis.
CONDUCTOR: William Christie
CAST:
Médée - Lea DesandreJason - Reinoud Van MechelenCréon - Laurent NaouriCréuse - Ana Vieira LeiteOronte - Gordon BintnerNérine - Emmanuelle de NegriCléone - Elodie FonnardArcas - Lisandro AbadieAmour (Love) - Julie Roset
July 7, 2024 - We learn about the workings of the state's Brownfield Cleanup Program and highlight a completed brownfield remediation effort in Syracuse with the help of Patrick Foster, the deputy commissioner for environmental remediation and materials management at the State Department of Environmental Conservation.
July 7, 2024 - State Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, makes the case for adding an "Equal Rights Amendment" to the state constitution and discusses how the proposal should appear on this year's ballot.
July 26, 2024 - Rory Christian, chair and CEO of the state Public Service Commission, explains how the state's energy utility regulator is helping advance New York's green energy goals and responds to an audit by the state comptroller's office that was critical of the PSC's planning practices.
To American TV audiences, the sounds of the Olympics are the regal trumpet fanfares of John Williams's Olympic Fanfare and Theme and Leo Arnaud's Bugler’s Dream.
But in fact, classical music has played a role in the Olympics for more than a century. The games have found a place for composers as diverse as Richard Strauss, Dmitri Shostakovich, Philip Glass and Josef Suk. The opening events rely on music, award ceremonies always feature national anthems, and for some events, such as gymnastics and synchronized swimming, music is an essential ingredient in the routines. But as marriages go, it has been a rocky one at times (view the playlist for this show).
July 25, 2024 - Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, a Capital Region Democrat, discusses how having a son with autism changed his life and informs much of his advocacy work.
July 25, 2024 - The recently departed head of the New York State Museum, Mark Schaming, discusses his career, including why he's leaving, developing an early 9/11 exhibit, repatriating Native American objects, and the challenges of major renovations.
July 25, 2024 - Senate Education Committee Chair Shelley Mayer, a Westchester County Democrat, and Grace Evans, who previously served as a student representative on her local board of education, discuss legislation requiring school boards of education to have at least one non-voting student representative.
Inspired by a booklet and button from a 1910 Women's Suffrage Party Convention, this episode explores how a series of meetings at Carnegie Hall contributed to the evolving national dialogue on women’s rights across the United States. It’s a chapter that illustrates Carnegie Hall’s legacy not only as a music hall, but also as a center for political discourse, activism, and social change.
Guests include Marcia Chatelain, an expert on the Black suffragists’ movement and author of “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America”; Coline Jenkins, an expert on the suffragists and both the great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and great-granddaughter of Harriot Stanton Blatch; and Susan Ware, author of “Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote.” Members of Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives and Museum team—including director Kathleen Sabogal, assistant director Rob Hudson, and founding archivist Gino Francesconi—are also featured.
If This Hall Could Talk is available wherever you get podcasts. New episodes are released every other week.
We’re kicking off a two-part series of live performances from the Early Music America Summit which took place October 2023 in Boston Massachusetts. In this first installment, host Emi Ferguson presents a program of Castello, Bassano, Biber, and Telemann.
Since 1985, Early Music America has been working to develop, strengthen, and celebrate early music throughout the Americas. Their membership includes a wide range of early music enthusiasts, including professional performers, educators, ensembles and instrument makers. Each year, EMA holds a three day-summit which also plays host to a Young Performers Festival for collegiate and pre-college ensembles and an Emerging Artists Showcase for soloists and ensembles on the rise.
Program:
Castello: Sonata Duodecima a 3- The Fooles
Bassano: Ricercata Quarta- The Fooles
Biber: Passacaglia- Marie Nadeau-Tremblay, violin
Telemann: Concerto no. 4 for Oboe in E Minor from “Tafelmusik” TWV 51:E1- Gaia Saetermoe-Howard, oboe; Harvard Baroque Orchestra
Castello: Sonata Decimaterza a 4 & Sonata Decimaquarta a 4- The Fooles
July 24, 2024 - After two years of work, the Hochul administration released a plan this summer for mitigating the health effects of extreme heat in New York. We discuss the interagency report with Leo Bachinger and Mark Lowery, the program manager and assistant director, respectively, of the state DEC's climate change office.
July 24, 2024 - State Sen. James Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat, explains why he wants to give government procurement officers more flexibility when purchasing office products and shares his reservations with the unique manufacturing business in the state's prison system.
July 24, 2024 - We get an update on the state's process of strengthening protections for New York's freshwater wetlands with Erin McGrath, policy director for Audubon New York, and Roger Downs, conservation director of the Sierra Club's Atlantic Chapter.
This concert will be broadcast live on July 23, 2024.The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society has been captivating audiences with their performances of Baroque and Classical works for 209 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States). You'll hear the orchestra play on period instruments with a vitality and creativity that has inspired generation after generation.
Hosted by Terrance McKnight.
Program:
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Concerto grosso in D major, Op. 6 No. 1 1. Largo-Allegro, 2. Largo-Allegro, 3. Largo, 4. Allegro, 5. Allegro
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), From Guilio Cesare - Piangerό la sorte mia, featuring Joélle Harvey, soprano
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), From Semele - Endless Pleasure, featuring Joélle Harvey, soprano
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), Organ Concerto in F Major, HWV 295, featuring Ian Watson, organ 1. Larghetto, 2. Allegro, 3. Larghetto, 4. Allegro
Intermission
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C Minor, BWV 1060R, featuring Aisslinn Nosky, violin, Debra Nagy, oboe 1. Allegro, 2. Adagio, 3. Allegro
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), Silete venti, HWV 242, Symphonia & Recit: Silete venti, featuring Joélle Harvey, soprano 1. Aria: Dulcis amor, 2. Recit: O fortunata anima, 3. Aria: Date serta, 4. Aria: Alleluja
Listen Saturday, July 20th, at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Aušrinė Stundytė takes the lead role, with notable performances by Sara Jakubiak as Elektra’s sister Chrysothemis, and Karita Mattila sings the role of their mother in this intense drama. Sir Antonio Pappano conducts.
Listen to the Elektra episode of Aria code here.
Read synopsis.
CONDUCTOR: Sir Antonio Pappano
Elektra - Aušrinė StundytėChrysothemis - Sara JakubiakKlytämnestra - Karita MattilaOrest - Łukasz GolińskiAegisth - Charles WorkmanOrest's tutor - Michael MofidianFirst maid - Noa BeinartSecond maid - Veena Akama-MakiaThird maid - Gabrielė KupšytėFourth maid - Ella TaylorFifth maid - Valentina PuskásAn overseer - Lee BissetA young servant - Michael GibsonAn old servant - Jeremy WhiteConfidante - Marianne CotterillTrainbearer - Amanda Baldwin
An encore broadcast of this concert will play on Friday, July 19, 2024 at 9 pm, EDT. Original broadcast date: October 4, 2023
ARCHIVED STREAMING RIGHTS TO THIS BROADCAST HAVE EXPIRED.
Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Quebec’s Les Violons du Roy—named after the court orchestra of the French kings—has long been a favorite chamber ensemble at Carnegie Hall. They now return in their first performance at the Hall with Music Director and Conductor Jonathan Cohen, who brings an extraordinary new energy to the group.
Adding further to the excitement is Miloš, named the “hottest guitarist in the world” by The Sunday Times. Enjoy expertly informed performances of selections by Vivaldi, Boccherini, Purcell, Handel, Rameau, and others.
The night is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:VIVALDI: Sinfonia from L'OlimpiadeMARCELLO: Adagio from Oboe Concerto in D MinorBOCCHERINI: Fandango from Guitar Quintet in D Major, G. 448J. S. BACH: Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 in D MinorHANDEL: Concerto Grosso in A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4TELEMANN: Overture Suite in B-flat Major, TWV55:B8, "Burlesque Overture"RAMEAU: "Les Arts et les heures" Les BoréadesHANDEL: Minuet from Suite in B-flat Major, HWV 434S. L. WEISS: Passacaglia for Lute in D MajorPURCELL: Suite from The Fairy QueenPURCELL: "Curtain tune on a Ground" from The History of Timon of AthensVIVALDI: Concerto in D Major for Lute, Strings, and Continuo, RV 93
Encores:
VIVALDI: Larghetto from Trio Sonata in C Major, RV 82ARLEN: "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz(Miloš solo)
Miloš appears courtesy of Sony Classical. His new album, Baroque, is available now.
For decades, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s has been a major player in the New York’s classical music scene, including regular appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Caramoor Summer Festival.
Tonight on New York In Concert, we’ll hear them in performances of works by Corelli, Vaughan Williams, Mahler, and more from several of their live-streamed concerts.
Hosted by John Schaefer.
ProgramSanz: “La Follia” for Guitar and ContinuoMichael Leopold, baroque guitar
Corelli: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 5 No. 12 “Follia”Mitsuru Tsubota, violin; Myron Lutzke, cello; Robert Wolinsky, harpsichord, Michael Leopold, theorbo
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (arr. Klaus Simon): 3rd Movement Orchestra of St. Luke’s, cond. Tito Muñoz
The Lark Ascending (arr. Martin Gerigk)Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Tito Muñoz cond.; Tai Murray, violin(Based on a poem by George Meredith)
Geminiani: Concerto Grosso in D Minor, H. 143 “La Follia”Orchestra of St. Luke’s
July 12, 2024 - Ron Richter, CEO of JCCA, one of the largest foster care and family service agencies in New York, weighs in on the infrastructure needed to meet the mental health needs of young New Yorkers.
July 12, 2024 - The state's utility regulator has updated its plans for obtaining six gigawatts of energy storage in New York by 2030, so we explore the road ahead with David Solimeno and Ari Goldberg, attorneys with Barclay Damon.
July 11, 2024 - In an excerpt from this week's Dispatches From Planet Albany, State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, a Queens Democrat, discusses her first term in office, including working with her colleagues at the Capitol, pushing bills to the finish line, and living out of a suitcase.
July 11, 2024 - We discuss the lengthy tax appeals process in New York, including the work of a three-person tribunal, with Andrew Wright and Craig Reilly, partners at the law firm Hodgson Russ.
Benny Goodman’s clarinet is one of the most iconic objects in the Rose Archives and Museum — and possibly the most poignant. When Goodman made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1938, it was a moment that changed both jazz and American culture forever. Not only did Goodman lead one of the first racially integrated groups to perform at Carnegie Hall for a paying audience, but his debut was among the very first times that swing music — often found only in nightclubs and dance halls — was presented in a seated concert hall.
This setting enabled audiences to engage with the music in a whole new way and granted it greater social and critical acceptance as an art form. The Goodman family donated one of his clarinets to the Hall many years later, and it was this instrument that provided the initial inspiration for Carnegie Hall’s Rose Museum in 1991.
Guests in this episode include Rachel Edelson, Benny Goodman’s daughter; Jon Hancock, author of “Benny Goodman: The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert”; Tomoji Hirakata, Yamaha senior technical specialist and technician for Goodman’s clarinet; and Paquito D’Rivera, Grammy Award-winning clarinetist and bandleader. Members of Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives and Museum team, including assistant director Rob Hudson and founding archivist Gino Francesconi, are also featured.
If This Hall Could Talk is available wherever you get podcasts. New episodes are released every other week.
Listen Saturday, July 13th, at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
A London performance of the majestic story of Das Rheingold, from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Christopher Maltman is Wotan, the god of battle, Christopher Purves sings Alberich, with Sean Panikkar as Loge. Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the first of the four chapters that make up Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Sir Antonio Pappano
CAST:
Wotan - Christopher MaltmanAlberich - Christopher PurvesLoge - Sean PanikkarFricka - Marina PrudenskayaFreia - Kiandra HowarthErda - Wiebke LehmkuhlDonner - Kostas SmoriginasFroh - Rodrick DixonMime - Brenton RyanFasolt - In-Sung SimFafner - Soloman HowardWoglinde - Katharina KonradiWellgunde - Niamh O'SullivanFlosshilde - Marvic Monreal
Tonight, the Young Artists Showcase features performances from the 2022 and 2023 iPalpiti Summer Festivals, featuring Trio Zadig and the iPalpiti Orchestral Ensemble of International Laureates. Host Alexa Smith shares a program of Shotakovich, Webern, and Rachmaninoff.
Since its founding in 1997, iPalpiti Artists International has been led by conductor Eduard Schmieder. This award-winning group brings together talented young musicians from around the globe, creating a renowned ensemble that has catapulted the careers of countless rising stars. Each summer in Los Angeles they present a festival of vibrant performances. The summer festival has produced multiple recordings, and the Orchestral Ensemble has toured around the world to perform in venues like the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and New York’s own Carnegie Hall.
Program:
Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor, Opus 8- Trio Zadig
Webern: Langsamer Satz- iPalpiti Orchestral Ensemble of International Laureates; Eduard Schmieder, conductor
Rachmaninoff: Piano Trio Élégiaque No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 9, I. Moderato & III. Allegro risoluto- Trio Zadig
Avison: Concerto No. 6 in D Major: II. Con furia (After Scarlatti)- iPalpiti Orchestral Ensemble of International Laureates; Eduard Schmieder, conductor
July 9, 2024 - The Hochul administration has formally acknowledged New York isn't on track to hit its renewable energy goals for 2030, so what should happen next? We try to answer that question and consider how we got to this point with the help of Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.
So nice, we're playing them twice! Before the 2024-25 Carnegie Hall Live season begins, you have a final chance to hear highlights from the 2023-24 season. Encore broadcast highlights include Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night Gala performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Additional highlights include a solo recital with pianist Daniil Trifonov in a program of Rameau, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven’s monumental “Hammerklavier” sonata and Jordi Savall with his ensemble Hesperion XXI in an inventive program of early Baroque music.
Several concerts in the series are part of Carnegie Hall’s citywide festival, Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Andris Nelsons with Seong-Jin Cho as soloist in Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand; Orchestre de Paris conducted by rising star Klaus Mäkelä; and the National Symphony Orchestra led by Gianandrea Noseda with violinist James Ehnes, making their Carnegie Hall Live series debu.
View the full encore schedule below. Friday nights at 9 pm through September 27th.July 12: Chicago Symphony Orchestra with conductor Riccardo Muti
July 19: Les Violons du Roy
July 26: Daniil Trifonov, Piano
August 9: The Philadelphia Orchestra
August 16: Boston Symphony Orchestra
August 23: Danish String Quartet
August 30: National Symphony Orchestra
September 6: Vienna Philharmonic
September 13: Jordi Savall, Music Director and Viola da Gamba Hespèrion XXI
September 20: Orchestre de Paris
September 27: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
July 8, 2024 - New York Center for Health Workforce Studies Director Dr. Jean Moore and Senior Program Manager Dr. Robert Martiniano discuss the healthcare workforce landscape, including where personnel are increasing, what jobs are hard to fill, and how to address the state's recruitment needs.
July 8, 2024 - We get an update on the state's effort to turn underutilized sites, like former industrial properties and brownfields, into the future home of green energy projects. New York State Energy Research & Development Authority Build-Ready Program Director Gillian Black explains what it takes to make sites hospitable for private developers and highlights two of the latest projects.
It’s a concerto celebration on New York In Concert this week. The program begins with a performance by violinist Augustin Hadelich and the New Jersey Symphony of a violin concerto composed by Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. You’ll also hear a concerto for five instruments by German Baroque composer Johann David Heinichen, and conclude with the finale from Beethoven’s violin concerto.
Hosted by John Schaefer.
ProgramChevalier of St. Georges: Violin Concerto in A, Op. 5, No. 2 NJ Symphony, cond. Xian Zhang; Augustin Hadelich, violin
Johann David Heinichen: Concerto in G for Violin, 2 Flutes, and 2 Oboes Juilliard415, cond. Lawrence Cummings (Music Before 1800)
Beethoven: Violin Concerto (arr. Atkinson) - Finale The Knights, Gil Shaham, violin
July 8th is the 100th birthday of our sister station, WNYC! Longtime WQXR listeners will remember that WNYC acquired New York’s only 24-hour classical station in 2009. We're celebrating that partnership all day on-air. For 100 years, WNYC has built a legacy of providing listeners an incredible window into the classical music world through live broadcasts, specialty shows and artist interviews.
Here are some of those moments in the station's history.
Leonard Bernstein Conducts the New York City Symphony at City CenterLeonard Bernstein rehearsing with the New York City Symphony Orchestra in 1945.(Photo courtesy of City Center Archives)On October 8, 1945, WNYC was on the scene to capture Leonard Bernstein making his debut as conductor of the New York City Symphony, a shoestring orchestra created by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia to bring symphonic music to the masses. Tickets were 75 cents, and the balcony at New York City Center was packed with bohemians, bobby soxers, and working stiffs. It was Bernstein’s ideal audience, according to the critic Virgil Thomson: “real New Yorkers, many of them young, most of them working people, and all of them twentieth-century minded.”
The program features Aaron Copland’s Outdoor Overture, Shostakovich’s First Symphony, and Brahms’ Second Symphony. Listen and learn more here.
First Stereo Broadcast on WNYCLewisohn Stadium concert program from July 6, 1959.(WNYC Archive Collections)The first simulated remote stereo broadcast on WNYC was on June 23, 1958 of the Lewisohn Stadium Concert. For this 'binaural' concert Leonard Bernstein conducts the Stadium Symphony Orchestra from Lewisohn Stadium in The Bronx. Among the works played: Roy Harris' Symphony #3. Listen here.
Eubie Blake Birthday TributeEubie Blake on the cover of the WNYC Program Guide in February, 1982.(WNYC Archive Collections)WNYC-FM broadcast a special two-hour tribute to the pianist and composer, Eubie Blake, on his 99th birthday on February 7, 1982. It featured rare and private recordings of Eubie Blake's performances, compositions, and an exlusive interview where he reminiscences on his spectacular musical career. Read more and listen.
Glenn Gould Interviewed by Tim PageGlenn Gould in Toronto, during the 1970s(Don Hunstein, courtesy of Sony Classical)Tim Page interviews pianist Glenn Gould. Page hosted a program called New, Old and Unexpected, and presented hundreds of radio premieres including major works by Meredith Monk, Elliott Carter and Steve Reich. Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson were among his guests. Page is a writer, editor, music critic, producer, and professor. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for music criticism. Listen here.
John Williams on Meet the ComposerConductor of the Boston Pops, John Williams, is seen, 1980.(AP Photo)John Williams appears on a 1985 episode of Meet the Composer with Tim Page to talk about his early career and that he enjoys doing music for all genres of film. He talks about his scores for the Star Wars Trilogy and Jaws. He also reflects on the freedom of writing concert music not tied to a script like his flute concerto. Listen here.
WNYC Welcomes Terrance McKnightTerrance McKnight(WQXR)On Feb 25, 2008, WNYC Radio announces Terrance McKnight as the new host of the weekday edition Evening Music, the station's nightly classical musical program. He brings to the position wide and varied musical experience that includes performance, teaching, and radio broadcast. Listen to his debut.
WNYC Acquires WQXRWQXR mic in the studio(WQXR)WQXR's first non-commercial broadcast at 105.9 FM takes place on October 8, 2009 as part of New York Public Radio. It is simulcast over WNYC-FM from Carnegie Hall. The broadcast featured a smashing and energized live concert from Carnegie Hall with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Read More.
WNYC is celebrating its centennial with live events, audio programming, public art, a city-wide storytelling initiative and partnerships with other New York institutions. Visit wnyc.org/100 to learn more about how you can join the celebration of WNYC’s first — and next — 100 years.
Listen Sunday, July 7, at 7pm on WQXRThe mighty Mahler is a symphonic force with a deeply personal connection to New York City — he was, after all, the Music Director of the Philharmonic in the final years of his life. Fitting, then, that on the anniversary of his birth, we’ll have some special programming. Join producer and host Aaron Cohen on Sunday, July 7, at 7 pm for “Embrace Everything: Mahler’s First Symphony.” For one hour, Cohen will host conductors, musicians, and scholars to dive deep into the inner workings of the First Symphony.
Listen to the entire "Embrace Everything" series here, or wherever you get your podcasts. 3-Minute Mahler
Looking more Mahler? This week, in celebration of Mahler’s birthday, Jeff Spurgeon conducts a three minute rundown of the great Bohemian composer’s symphonies. That’s nine symphonies, approximately 10 hours of music, in less time than your average wait for the subway.
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, host David Dubal continues his exploration of piano concertos, turning his attention to virtuosic finales.
This program features the dazzling final movements from concertos by Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, and more.
Program:
Mozart: Concerto No. 23 in A Major, KV 488, III. Allegro Assai— Maria Yudina, piano; Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Gauk
Prokofiev: Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26, III. Allegro, ma non troppo— William Kapell, piano; Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski
Herz: Concerto No. 1 in A Major, Op. 34, III. Allegro Moderato— Howard Shelley, piano; Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Howard Shelley
Weber: “Konzertstück” for Piano and Orchestra in F minor, III. Piu moto - Presto giojoso— Dana Protopopescu, piano; BRTN Philharmonic Orchestra Brussels conducted by Alexander Rahbari
Mozart: Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, KV 595, III. Allegro— Clifford Curzon, piano; London Symphony Orchestra conducted by István Kertész
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 1, III. Allegro Vivace— Byron Janis, piano; Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kirill Kondrashin
Listen Saturday, July 6th, at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Opéra de Lille presents Mozart’s Don Giovanni, featuring Timothy Murray as the licentious nobleman Don Giovanni, alongside James Platt as the Commendatore and Emőke Baráth as his daughter Donna Anna. Emmanuelle Haïm leads the Lille Opera Chorus and Le Concert d’Astrée in this timeless tale of seduction and retribution.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Emmanuelle Haïm
CAST:
Don Giovanni - Timothy MurrayIl Commendatore - James PlattDonna Anna - Emőke BaráthDon Ottavio - Eric FerringDonna Elvira - Chiara SkerathLeporello - Vladyslav BuialskyiMasetto - Sergio Villegas GalvainZerlina - Marie Lys
Tonight, host Emi Ferguson presents the five finalists of the 2025 American Pianists Awards, Michael Davidman, Avery Gagliano, Sasha Kasman Laude, Elliot Wuu and Angie Zhang. They will compete in a 13 month competition for the prize of the Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship, awarded to a single American pianist. The American Pianists Awards alternate between classical and jazz piano every two years and offer significant opportunities for American pianists, ages 18–30, to advance their careers. The finalists were selected from nominations solicited from over 1,200 piano educators, artists and other industry professionals. Each winner receives career support valued at over $200,000, which is tailored to the particular needs of the winner and includes a cash award, performance engagements, publicity and recording opportunities.
Tonight you’ll hear performances from a “sneak preview” concert showcasing the finalists held in New York City at Steinway Hall on May 9th.
The American Pianists Association has been supporting aspiring young American pianists for over 40 years. Founded in New York City as the Beethoven Foundation in 1979, the organization moved to Indianapolis in 1982 and changed its name to the American Pianists Association seven years later. The organization strives to provide the bridge between academic training and a full-fledged professional career, focusing on individual sensibilities of each pianist to help them develop as artists.
Angie Zhang(Lee Clifford)Program:
Chopin: Ballade No. 1 In G minor, Op. 23- Michael Davidman, piano
Ravel: Sonatine, II. Mouvement de menuet & III. Animé- Avery Gagliano, piano
Medtner: Forgotten Melodies 1, Op. 38, No. 6, Canzona serenata- Sasha Kasman Laude, piano
Medtner (arr. Sasha Kasman Laude): Two Poems, Op. 13, No. 1, “Winter Evening”- Sasha Kasman Laude, piano
Debussy: Claire de Lune from Suite bergamasque- Elliot Wuu, piano
Debussy: L'isle Joyeuse- Elliot Wuu, piano
Granados: Goyescas, I. Los Requiebros- Angie Zhang, piano
Listen live, Tuesday, July 9th at 7:30pmThe Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Boston-based chamber orchestra A Far Cry will perform music that explores themes of immigration and home, featuring works by contemporary composers. You’ll also hear music by Janáček that was inspired by his teacher, Dvořák.
Hosted by Terrance McKnight.
Program:
Kareem Roustom (b. 1971), Dabke, (2014)
Kinan Azmeh (b. 1976), Ibn Arabi Postlude, (2005)
Dinuk Wijeratne (b. 1978), Clarinet Concerto, (2018), (co-commission by Rockport Music)
Part I - ‘Prologue: Foretelling, Part II - ‘The Dance of Ancestral Ties’, Part III - ‘Flux’, Part IV - ‘Exile: The salt and bread of rhythm’, Part V - ‘Cadenza: Solitary Traveler’, Part VI - ‘Epilogue: Home in Motion’
Intermission
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), Idyll, (1878) I. Andante, II. Allegro, III. Moderato, IV. Allegro, V. Adagio, VI. Scherzo, VII. Moderato
July 3, 2024 - Nick Hoefly, co-owner of Astor Apiaries and a member of state's Apiary Industry Advisory Committee, discusses beekeeping in New York City and how the state solicits input on policing affecting beekeepers.
July 3, 2024 - An order from the state's health commissioner should make doula services more accessible to New Yorkers on Medicaid. We cover why this move matters for maternal health with Johanne Morne, executive deputy commissioner of New York State Department of Health,
July 3, 2024 - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is expanding its footprint in New York, which is good news for early childhood literacy efforts, according to Education Trust New York's Jenn O'Connor and United Way of the Greater Capital Region's Peter Gannon.
July 3, 2024 - Investigative Post reporter J. Dale Shoemaker explains how state regulatory officials are being pressured to advance a controversial industrial park in western New York that has major economic development potential.
July 2, 2024 - Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State President & CEO Mike Alvaro discusses the state's effort to use assistive technology to meet basic health care needs of New Yorkers with disabilities in order to avoid emergency care.
July 2, 2024 - Rewiring America New York Policy Director Michael Hernandez explains the steps that state regulators are taking to ensure that future buildings in the Empire State only use electric appliances.
July 2, 2024 - We discuss the recommendations of an interagency task force examining the state's response to the opioid epidemic with Dr. Chinazo Cunningham, commissioner at the State Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
July 2, 2024 - The Hochul administration should have recouped more than $40 million from the federal government for unemployment payouts during the pandemic, according to Tina Kim, deputy comptroller for the division of state government accountability in the state Comptroller's Office, which conducted an audit of the state Department of Labor.
July 1, 2024 - Former Assemblymember Dick Gottfried, a long-time leader on health care issues, discusses the Hochul administration's commissioned report on New York's pandemic response and makes the case for an additional review of this critical time period.
This week on New York In Concert, we are shining a light on American composers. You will hear music of Adolphus Hailstork performed by the Harlem Chamber Players, Jessica Meyer performed by Trinity Wall Street’s NOVUS NY orchestra, Jack Hughes performed by the American Composers Orchestra, and more.
Hosted by John Schaefer.
ProgramMeyer: In the WavesNOVUS NY
Hughes: Three Ways of Getting ThereAmerican Composers Orchestra
Steinke: Rituals: 4. More Cannons, 5. RequiemCRUX
Hailstork: Sonata da ChiesaHarlem Chamber Players, cond. Tania Leon
Cotten: Freight TrainAizuri Quartet
July 1, 2024 - Empire Justice Center Managing Attorney Susan Antos highlights the long delays for low-income families trying to access public benefits, including how the pace of state hearings are contributing to the problem and are the subject of a new lawsuit.
July 1, 2024 - We say hello to Liz Urbanski-Farrell, who was recently selected to be the first employed executive director of the New York State Association for Rural Health, which represents a range of upstate health care providers.
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, host David Dubal continues his exploration of piano concertos, delving deeper into the power and artistry of the collaboration between a virtuosic soloist and an orchestra.
This program features movements from concertos by C.P.E. Bach, Beethoven, Gershwin, and a comparative performance of the third movement from Liszt's first piano concerto.
Program:
C.P.E. Bach: Piano Concerto in D Minor, III. Allegro assai— Artur Balsam, piano; Winterhur Symphony Orchestra conducted by Victor Desarzens
Gershwin: Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra, III. Allegro con brio— Oscar Levant, piano; New York Philharmonic conducted by André Kostelanetz
Busoni: Piano Concerto, Op. 39, II. Pezzo giocoso— John Ogdon, piano; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Daniell Revenaugh
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat, III. Allegro marziale animato— André Watts, piano; New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat, III. Allegro marziale animato— Byron Janis, piano; Moscow Philharmonic conducted by Kirill Kondrashin
Weber: Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 32, III. Rondo. Presto— Dana Protopopescu, piano; BRTN Philharmonic Orchestra Brussels conducted by Alexander Rahbari
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, II. Andante con moto— Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta
Listen Saturday, June 29th, at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
We travel to the Netherlands for Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, performed by Les Arts Florissants as part of the Utrecht Early Music Festival. This production, conducted by William Christie, features a dynamic cast including Paulina Francisco and Georgia Burashko. A baroque interpretation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this semi-opera combines Purcell’s exquisite music with spoken drama and dance, celebrating the enchantment and complexities of love in a fantastical setting.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: William Christie
CAST:
Soprano - Paulina Francisco Mezzo-soprano - Georgia Burashko Mezzo-soprano - Rebecca Leggett Mezzo-soprano - Juliette MeyTenor - Rodrigo Carreto Tenor - Iljia Aksionov Baritone - Hugo Herman Wilson Bass-baritone - Benjamin Schilperoort
June 28, 2024 - Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Pete Harckham, a Westchester County Democrat, shares behind-the-scenes details on the legislative effort to reduce plastic packaging waste in New York.
June 28, 2024 - An effort to increase access to primary care by expanding opportunities for physician assistants is facing opposition from the New York Academy of Family Physicians. We talk with the group's president, Dr. Rachelle Brilliant, about their concerns for low-income New Yorkers.
June 28, 2024 - In light of state policymakers considering restrictions on smartphones in schools, we speak with Melinda Person, president of the New York State United Teachers, about potential bans and why they make sense.
From The Beach Boys to Chicago, and Pink Floyd to Joni Mitchell, Carnegie Hall’s stage has hosted the best of the best when it comes to rock and popular music, especially during the early 1970s. This episode tells the story of how some of the most famous acts of the day shaped the identity of the hall and revolutionized how and where rock music could be heard. We also explore the creation of Carnegie Hall’s special T-shirts for ushers, which better fit the vibe, energy, and milieu of these concerts.
Guests featured on this episode include legendary concert promoter and New York treasure Ron Delsener, one of the era’s top producers; Lee Loughnane, trumpeter and founding member of the rock band Chicago; and Alan Light, former editor-in-chief of magazines Vibe and Spin and former senior writer for Rolling Stone. Also featured is Gino Francesconi, the founding archivist of Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives and Museum.
If This Hall Could Talk is available wherever you get podcasts. New episodes are released every other week.
Music used in this episode includes:
“American Pie”
Written and performed by Don McLean
© Songs of Universal, Inc. obo Benny Bird Co., Inc. (BMI)
“All My Loving”
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (BMI) / MPL Communications, Inc. (ASCAP)
“Who Do You Love (Part 1)”
Written by Ellas McDaniel
BMG Platinum Songs US obo Arc Music Corp. (BMI)
“The Weight”
Written by Jaime Robbie Robertson
© Universal Tunes (SESAC)
“Spirit in the Sky”
Written and performed by Norman Greenbaum
Bike Music (BMI) c/o Concord Music Publishing
“All Right Now”
Written by Andy Fraser and Paul Bernard Rogers
© Catherine’s Peak Music (BMI)
“Rocket Man (I Think it’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)”
Written by Elton John and Bernard Taupin
© Universal Polygram Int. Publishing, Inc. obo Universal / Dick James Music Ltd., Universal Songs of Polygram Int., Inc. obo of Universal / Dick James Music Ltd. (ASCAP, BMI)
“Feelin’ Alright”
Written by Dave Mason
© Universal Songs of Polygram Int., Inc. obo Universal/Island Music Ltd. (BMI)
“You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m Here”
Written by Frank Vincent Zappa
Munchkin Music Co. (ASCAP) administered by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing
“Your Song”
Written by Elton John and Bernard Taupin
© Universal Polygram Int. Publishing, Inc. obo Universal / Dick James Music Ltd., Universal Songs of Polygram Int., Inc. obo Universal / Dick James Music Ltd. (ASCAP, BMI)
Host Lee Koonce presents students, faculty, and alumni from the Eastman School of Music. You’ll hear selections from a concert of five singers and three pianists that recently took place in WQXR’s Greene Space and was generously sponsored by The Gerda Lissner Foundation. The foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide encouragement and financial support to young singers as they pursue careers in opera. It’s the first of three concerts sponsored by the foundation this year, all of which will be held in WQXR’s Greene Space.
Tonight, Lee speaks with three of the singers on the program, and showcases music by Donizetti, Mozart, Wolf, and more.
Watch the full concert here:
Program:
Donizetti: Come paride vezzoso from L’Elisir d’amore- Minghang Wang, baritone; Jeongmin Oak, piano
Mozart: Smanie implacabili from Cosi fan tutte- Hailey McAvoy, mezzo-soprano; Alison d'Amato, piano
Wolf: Anakreon’s Grab & Der Musikant- Adam Holthaus, tenor; Jeongmin Oak, piano
Duparc: Phidylê- Minghang Wang, baritone; Jeongmin Oak, piano
Boykin: Moments in Sonder- Nicole Cabell, soprano; Alison D'Amato, piano
Miller: Little Stream- Hailey McAvoy, mezzo-soprano; Alison d'Amato, piano
Kohn: Hell in Texas (American Folk Song)- Adam Holthaus, tenor; Jeongmin Oak, piano
Verdi: E strano…Sempre libera from La Traviata- Jazmine Saunders, soprano; Ava Linvog, piano
June 27, 2024 - We explore legislation designed to keep New York's students out of extreme heat with Greg Berck, of the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
Listen live Tuesday, June 25th at 7:30pm. The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Hosted by Elliott Forrest
ProgramWolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Le Nozze de Figaro, K.492 (1786)
Overture – in D major, (Presto)
Louise Farrenc (1804-1875), Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36 (1847)
Adagio-Allegro, 2. Adagio cantabile, 3. Scherzo. Vivace, 4. Finale.Allegro Intermission
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), 'Pastoral' Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op.68 (1808)
Allegro ma non troppo, 2. Andante molto mosso, 3. Allegro, 4. Allegro, 5. Allegretto
Listen Saturday, June 22nd, at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
With Andreas Schager, Elza van den Heever, and Tanja Ariane Baumgartner leading the cast, and Christian Thielemann at the helm, audiences will be transported into the heart of a mystical narrative. This opera, renowned for its intricate psychological depth and lavish score, weaves a tale of a fairy empress on a quest to gain a shadow—symbolizing her desire for motherhood and human connection.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Christian Thielemann
CAST:
The Emperor - Andreas SchagerThe Empress - Elza van den HeeverThe Nurse - Tanja Ariane BaumgartnerThe Messenger of Keikobad - Clemens UnterreinerBarak - Michael VolleThe Dyer's Wife - Elena PankratovaThe Guardian of the Threshold / Voice of a Falcon - Maria NazarovaApparition of a Youth - Jörg SchneiderVoice from Above - Stephanie MaitlandThe One-eyed Man - Martin HässlerThe One-armed Man - Evgeny SolodovnikovThe Hunchback - Thomas Ebenstein
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus
In 2018, composer Mark Adamo was inspired to compose what would become Last Year, a cello concerto, when he saw a news report about catastrophic flooding in Houston after listening to a recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. This week on New York In Concert, we’ll hear Adamo’s work, performed by cellist Jeffrey Ziegler and the American Composers Orchestra, alongside two of the Vivaldi concertos that inspired Last Year, performed by the New Jersey Symphony.
Hosted by John Schaefer.
ProgramVivaldi: “Spring” and “Autumn” from The Four SeasonsNJ Symphony; Eric Wyrick, violin
Adamo: Last Year for Cello, String Orchestra, and PercussionJeffrey Ziegler, cello; American Composers Orchestra, cond. Mei-Ann Chen
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, David Dubal begins a new five-part series exploring the wonders of one of the great forms of orchestral music: the piano concerto. Concertos feature the collaboration between a soloist and an orchestra, requiring both stunning virtuosity and true ensemble playing. This series will feature movements from concertos that are well-known and well-loved alongside lesser-known treasures of the repertoire.
On this program, we hear works by Grieg, Mozart, Haydn and more, all interpreted by world-renowned pianists.
Program:
Lipatti: Concertino en style classique, Op. 3, II. Adagio molto--Dinu Lipatti, piano
Haydn: Concerto No. 11 in D Major, III. Rondo all’Ungarese, Allegro assai--Evgeny Kissin, piano
Dohnányi: Variations on a Nursery Tune, Op. 25, Var. II - Walzer and Finale Fugato--Zoltán Kocsis, piano
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35, IV. Allegro brio, Presto--Evgeny Kissin, piano
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35, IV. Allegro brio, Presto--André Previn, piano
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, II. Andante--Murray Perahia, piano
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato - Quasi presto--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Listen Sunday, June 16th. WQXR brings you the perfect soundtrack for Father's Day!
We asked our listeners "What’s the best thing your father taught you?" All day long on Father's Day, we will be sharing fatherly words of wisdom on-air, sent in by our listeners. Tune in for music about, composed by, and performed by fathers, and hear what fatherly advice your fellow listeners have to share.Join us on WQXR Sunday for a great musical Father’s Day.
WQXR brings you the perfect soundtrack for Father's Day!
We asked our listeners "What’s the best thing your father taught you?" All day long on Father's Day, we will be sharing fatherly words of wisdom on-air, sent in by our listeners. Tune in for music about, composed by, and performed by fathers, and hear what fatherly advice your fellow listeners have to share.Read on to see how your fellow listeners paid homage to their fathers. "My dad, a great father and wonderful, compassionate doctor, instilled the Golden Rule in my sister and me. He was certainly a good teacher as he followed the rule himself so well in treating others the way he would want to be treated." - David
"Our dad, Dan, is a loyal, lifelong WQXR listener. When we were growing up, he drove us all over; school drop-off, sports events, playdates... while playing your wonderful station. He has taught us much, but from his steady example has come the best guidance: the magical accumulation of small, steady progress leading to grand crescendo." - Rob and Brooke
"You would be a fool if you don't marry that girl! We'll be married 50 years come July." - Kenneth
"My father always said: Always put money aside for a rainy day.” - Suzanne
"My father gave me this advice: listen to WQXR. Having taken that advice to heart, I became and remain a classical music lover and lifelong station listener... and am likely listening right now." - Peter
"My father was not only a Holocaust survivor but he was also old enough to have survived World War I. In addition, he survived a pogrom in rural Poland where he was from in 1946. What I learned from my father was it was important not only to have a Plan A but a Plan B and a Plan C as well." - Leo
"My dad taught me to be self disciplined and to roll with the punches…to accept life." - Cynthia
"If you don't want anyone to know about it, you probably shouldn't be doing it." - David
"I believe my Dad was the finest Man I ever knew. His philosophy of life was a simple yet universal truth – It’s Nice to be Nice. And he practiced what he preached. As a teenager and young man, I thought that was simplistic and naive. As I’ve grown older and, hopefully somewhat wiser, I understand the wider implications of that elemental yet eloquent guidance. - Bob
Listen Saturday, June 15th, at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
This production of Guillaume Tell stars Roberto Frontali in the title role of the Swiss folk hero, with John Osborn as Arnold and Lisette Oropesa starring as Mathilde. Under the skilled direction of Bertrand de Billy, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus deliver a riveting performance of Rossini’s final opera, which tells the story of Tell’s fight for Swiss freedom.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Bertrand de Billy
CAST:
Guillaume Tell - Roberto Frontali Arnold - John Osborn Mathilde - Lisette Oropesa Jemmy - Maria Nazarova Gesler - Jean Teitgen Ruodi - Iván Ayón Rivas Walter Furst - Stephano Park Melcthal - Evgeny Solodovnikov Rodolphe - Carlos Osuna Leuthold - Nikita Ivasechko Hedwige - Monika Bohinec A hunter - Ferdinand Pfeiffer
June 14, 2024 - New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association President Mark Dorr warns about the pitfalls of towns and cities imposing their own occupancy taxes on hotels and motels.
June 14, 2024 - We explore a proposed merger of health insurers in New York with Mark Ustin, a healthcare regulatory lawyer and lobbyist with Farrell Fritz.
June 14, 2024 - Denise Seidelman, an attorney specializing in adoption and reproductive law, explains proposed tweaks to the state's 2020 gestational surrogacy law.
June 14, 2024 - This is an excerpt of our Dispatches from Planet Albany episode with Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who discussed the legislative journey of his bill regulating social media consumption by minors.
June 13, 2024 - Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, makes the case for implementing congestion pricing (on time) in Manhattan.
June 13, 2024 - League of Women Voters of New York State Executive Director Laura Ladd Biermann and Deputy Director Erica Smitka call for the inclusion of a ballot referendum that would add anti-discrimination language to New York's constitution.
June 13, 2024 - State Education Department officials Angelique Johnson-Dingle and Jason Harmon discuss an effort to overhaul New York's high school graduation requirements, including ending a Regents exam requirement.
Ella Fitzgerald made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1947 and returned more than 40 times before her final performance in 1991. When asked if she wanted to let a pack of fans greet her backstage after a performance at the Hall, she replied, “Oh yes, you’d better let them back. Someday, they may not want to come.” The beloved “First Lady of Song” was self-conscious and shy, hyper-aware of the fleeting nature of fame and recognition. Yet she projected an enchanting stage presence, a singular voice combined with improvisational mastery, and a signature sense of style — including her eyewear, like the pair of glasses seen on Ella’s 1973 "Newport Jazz Festival: Live at Carnegie Hall" album cover, which are now housed in Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives.
Guests featured in this episode include vocalist Samara Joy (2023 Grammy Award winner for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album) and Fran Rosman, executive director of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation and archivist of the Ella Fitzgerald estate. Members of Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives and Museum team, including director Kathleen Sabogal, assistant director Rob Hudson, and founding archivist Gino Francesconi, are also featured.
If This Hall Could Talk is available wherever you get podcasts. New episodes are released every other week.
Music used in this episode includes:
“Stella by Starlight”
Written by Victor Young and Ned Washington
Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP) / Reservoir Media Music obo Catharine Hinen Music (ASCAP)
“How High the Moon”
Written by Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton
Chappell & Co. Inc. (ASCAP)
“Single-O”
Written by Donald Kahn and Johnny Mercer
WC Music Corp. (ASCAP)
“Give Me the Simple Life”
Written by Rube Bloom and Harry Ruby
“A-Tisket, A-Tasket”
Adapted by Ella Fitzgerald and Van Alexander
EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc. (ASCAP)
“I’m Glad There Is You”
Written by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira
Courtesy of Morley Music Co. (ASCAP)
“Basin Street Blues”
Written by Spencer Williams
Edwin H. Morris & Company, A Division of MPL Music Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)
“Rock It for Me”
Written by Kay Werner and Sue Werner
Words & Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
“Flying Home”
Written by Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, and Sid Robin
Ragbag Music Publishing Corp. c/o Princess Music Publishing Corp. (ASCAP) / © Universal Music Corp. obo PW 3 ASCAP Songs (ASCAP)
“Blues in the Night”
Written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer
WC Music Corp. (ASCAP)
“Take the ‘A’ Train”
Written by Billy Strayhorn
Reservoir Media Music obo Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc. (ASCAP) / Music Sales Corporation obo itself and Tempo Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”
Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler
SA Music LLC (ASCAP) / EMI Mills Music, Inc. (ASCAP) / BMG Gold Songs (ASCAP) / Redwood Music Ltd. (PRS)
“All the Things You Are”
Written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
© Universal Polygram Int. Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)
“In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”
Written by David Mann and Bob Hilliard
Better Half Music Co. (a division of Bourne Co.) (ASCAP) / Rytvoc, Inc. (ASCAP)
“Get Out of Town”
Written by Cole Porter
Chappell & Co. Inc. (ASCAP)
“Midnight Sun”
Written by Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke, and Johnny Mercer
Wixen Music Publishing obo Crystal Music Publishers, Inc. (ASCAP) / © Songs of Universal, Inc. obo Primary Wave 3 Songs (ASCAP)
Recordings of stage dialogue and introductions courtesy of The Verve Music Group and Universal Records under exclusive license from Universal Music Enterprises
ARCHIVAL
Memorex commercials courtesy of Finest Brands, Inc.
Host Simone Dinnerstein presents musicians who are the children of musicians, and even the grandchildren of musicians. Oriana and Ilaria Hawley, Conor McMillen, and Val Lasser come into the studio to perform with their parents and talk about life in a musical family. We’re featuring original compositions by Ilaria Hawley and Val Lasser and performances of Brahms and Lisa Bielawa.
Program:
Hawley: Desert Mists- Ilaria Hawley, flute
Hawley: Spectrum- Ilaria Hawley, flute; Oriana Hawley, viola; Rebecca Fischer, violin
Brahms: First Movement of Sonata in Eb for Viola and Piano, Op 120 No 2- Oriana Hawley, viola; Fengyi Wang, piano
Bielawa: Insomnia Etude: 4 am- Oriana Hawley, viola; Fengyi Wang, piano
Brahms: FAE, Sonatensatz- Conor McMillen, violin; Blair McMillen, piano
Layton: After You’ve Gone- Conor McMillen, violin; Blair McMillen, piano
Lasser: To Regard This Weather With Claim and Wonder- Val Lasser, soprano; Philip Lasser, piano
Lasser: yes is a pleasant country- Val Lasser, soprano; Philip Lasser, piano
Lasser: For What- Val Lasser, soprano; Philip Lasser, pianoWeb exclusive
Lasser: Death in Green- Val Lasser, soprano; Philip Lasser, piano
June 12, 2024 - Kerri Neifeld, the outgoing head of the State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, explains her decision to leave the Hochul administration, reflects on her time as commissioner, and outlines the qualities necessary for her successor
Listen live Tuesday, June 11th at 7:30pmThe Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Hosted by Paul Cavalconte and Nimet Habachy
ProgramNOSKY’S BAROQUE BAND AISSLINN NOSKY - DIRECTOR and VIOLIN SOLOIST
Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco (1675-1742), Sinfonia in D Major, Op. 6, No. 12, (1735)
- Allegro, 2. Grave, 3. Allegro ma non troppo
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), Concerto Grosso in A minor Op.6, No.4, HWV 322, (1732)
- Larghetto affettuoso, 2. Allegro, 3. Largo e piano, 4. Allegro
Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer (1692-1766), Concerto Grosso No.1 in G major, (1740)
- Grave, 2. Allegro, 3. Un poco andante, 4. Allegro
Pietro Antonio Locatelli (1695-1764), Concerto Grosso in E flat major, Op. 7 No. 6,"il Pianto d'Arianna” (1741)
1.Andante, 2. Largo, 3. Largo andante, 4. Grave, 5. Allegro, .6 Largo
Intermission
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Concerto Grosso in C minor, Op. 6 No. 3 (1712 or prior)
- Largo, 2. Allegro – Adagio, 3. Grave, 4. Vivace, 5. Allegro
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), Quintet (Sinfonia Spirituosa) in D major, TWV 44:1
- Sinfonia. Spirituoso, 2. Largo, 3. Vivace
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Violin concerto in D major, RV 208 "il Grosso Mogul" (1720)
- Allegro, 2. Recitative: Grave, 3. Allegro
On this edition of the Young Artists Showcase, host Simone Dinnerstein presents one of her former students, pianist Julian Jenson. He shares a program of Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven and more.
Julian Jenson is a pianist, early keyboardist, and educator from New Jersey. From a musical family, Julian has played both as soloist and collaborator in concerts around the world. A former student of Simone Dinnerstein, Julian now studies with Dr. Joyce Lindorff at Temple University, where he is studying in the DMA Historical Keyboard Performance program. Although his primary focus is on solo improvisation in historical styles, Julian also enjoys playing chamber music, especially collaborating often with his wife and Chilean soprano, Susana Leiva. When they aren’t performing or teaching, the two enjoy spending time with their cat Gingy.
Special thanks to Julian Jenson, Alex Nappi, Matthew DiFabio, David Pasbrig, and Arjin Roe Asthana for these recordings.
Program:
J.S. Bach: English Suite No. 1 in A Major, BWV 806: II. AllemandeC.P.E. Bach: Rondo in C minor, Wq. 59/4Mozart: Fantasia in C minor, K. 475Chopin: Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1Chopin: Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, op. 19, I. Allegro con brioWith the Temple University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jose Luis DominguezBeethoven: Bagatelle Op. 126 No. 1
- Julian Jenson, piano
June 4, 2024 - We highlight dairy industry issues, including expanding the eligibility of an overtime tax credit, with Allyson Jones-Brimmer, vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs for the Northeast Dairy Producer Association, and Keith Kimble, the association's chair.
June 4, 2024 - New York State Insurance Fund Executive Director and CEO Gaurav Vasisht explains an effort to use discounted insurance premiums to incentivize hospitals to reduce their carbon footprint.
June 4, 2024 - Riverkeeper Government Affairs Senior Manager Jeremy Cherson makes the case for updating state definitions to ensure sewer authorities have the authority to use fees they charge to promote flood diversion strategies and build better stormwater infrastructure.
June 4, 2024 - One in six residents of assisted living facilities in New York have experienced physical or verbal aggression from a fellow resident, according to a study from Dr. Karl Pillemer, professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.
This week on New York In Concert, we salute the quartet with performances of quartets from around the city, including the Ulysses Quartet (Death of Classical), the Diderot Quartet (Music Before 1800), Sugar Hill Salon, and more. The Diderot Quartet will return for the 50th anniversary season of the Music Before 1800 series in December 2024. Click here for information.
Hosted by John Schaefer.
ProgramHaydn: “The Joke” Quartet, Op. 33 - 2. Scherzo & 4. Presto Diderot Quartet (Music Before 1800)
Golijov: Tenebrae (for String Quartet)Ulysses Quartet (Death of Classical)
Montgomery: StrumCatalyst Quartet (TGS)
Goepfart: Wind Quartet in D Minor - 1. Allegro risolutoSugar Hill Salon (Amir Farsi, flute; Tamara Winston, oboe Ian Tyson, clarinet; Alexander Davis, bassoon)
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 “Serioso” (arr. Mahler) - 3rd and 4th movementsOrpheus Chamber Orchestra/Naumburg 2018
Sunday, June 2, 11:00 am - 4:00 pmBrooklyn Children's Museum 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213WQXR is heading back to Brooklyn for a Classical Kids Fair at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum! Families can experience live performances, arts and crafts, dance and composition workshops, and even try out some instruments! Listen, look, and play alongside WQXR and our friends from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, The Knights, the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program, and Dancers of the Met Opera.
Entry to the Classical Kids Fair is included with regular museum admission to the Brooklyn Children's Museum. WQXR listeners can receive 50% off regular museum admission by using the promo code "WQXR24" online or by mentioning "WQXR24" at the Museum ticket desk.
Sign up for WQXR's Kids and Family Newsletter to receive more information about the Classical Kids Fair:
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Listen Saturday, May 11th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the 2023-24 Met Opera Radio Broadcast Season.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023-24 season of Saturday matinee radio broadcasts continues with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Soprano Asmik Grigorian makes her network broadcast debut starring in the title role of Cio-Cio-San, the Japanese girl who embraces a new life by marrying an American naval officer. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman is Lieutenant Pinkerton, who takes Butterfly as his bride, then leaves her to bear an unimaginable burden. The cast also features Elizabeth DeShong as Cio-Cio-San’s loyal maid Suzuki, and Lucas Meachem as the American consul Sharpless. Xian Zhang conducts Puccini’s gorgeous and heart-wrenching score.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Xian Zhang
CAST:
Cio-Cio-San - Asmik Grigorian Pinkerton - Jonathan Tetelman Suzuki - Elizabeth DeShong Sharpless - Lucas Meachem
Listen to this episode of New York in Concert on Monday, May 6th at 10pm.
Back in 2022, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo curated the concert program “Everlasting Light,” originally intended as a Hanukkah concert for the holiday season featuring a mixture of baroque and contemporary works. Tonight’s broadcast features excerpts from that 2022 concert.
Hosted by John Schaefer.
ProgramHandel: Arias
Ombra mai fu from XerxeAngel Blue, the Knights Sento la gioia from Amadigi di GaulaAnthony Roth Costanzo, the Knights Kodaly: Dances of Galanta
The Knights Glass: Liquid Days
Brooklyn Youth Chorus, the Knights Blanchard: Peculiar Grace
Angel Blue, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, the Knights Simon: Another Rising
Anthony Roth Costanzo, Brooklyn Youth Chorus Bernstein: Somewhere
Anthony Roth Costanzo, Angel Blue, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, the Knights Duruflé: Requiem - 1. Introit
NOVUS NY, Downtown Voices
Broadcast live on Thursday, May 2nd, at 8pm. Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, which he calls “an extraordinary journey … in a strange way, Mahler’s most classical symphony, even though it is so profound and tragic and, in many ways, apocalyptic.” In works by Hindemith and Zemlinsky, the program also reveals the Weimar Republic’s electrifying sense of cross-cultural artistic possibility, as ragtime music and poetry of the Harlem Renaissance become integral components of 1920s works by leading German composers.
The night is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:HINDEMITH Ragtime (Well-Tempered)
ZEMLINSKY Symphonische Gesänge, Op. 20
G. MAHLER Symphony No. 6
Performers:Bavarian Radio Symphony OrchestraSir Simon Rattle, Chief ConductorLester Lynch, Baritone
Listen Saturday, April 27th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the 2023-24 Met Opera Radio Broadcast Season.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023-24 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with Terence Blanchard’s jazz-inflected drama Fire Shut Up in My Bones, in a performance from earlier this month. Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green stars as Charles, who grows up in a small town amidst hardship and trauma and comes to face a reckoning with his painful past. Soprano Latonia Moore is his mother Billie, who struggles to give her son a stable life, and soprano Brittany Renee personifies the voices that speak to Charles in moments of comfort and crisis. Evan Rogister conducts this gripping and lyrical opera, based on the best-selling memoir by columnist Charles M. Blow.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Evan Rogister
CAST:
Charles - Ryan Speedo Green Billie - Latonia Moore Destiny/Loneliness/Greta - Brittany Renee
April 25, 2024 - NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas discusses the state budget, including language designed to promote new home construction and increase tenant protections.
April 25, 2024 - Is New York going to be the next leader in artificial intelligence research? State policymakers hope so. Bloomberg Government Albany reporter Zach Williams explains the state's expensive bet on "Empire AI."
April 25, 2024 - As part of an effort to address chronic conditions with healthy foods, Democratic lawmakers are pushing for Medicaid coverage of medically tailored meals. We explore the merits of this idea with Karen Pearl, chair of the Food is Medicine Coalition and special advisor to God's Love We Deliver.
Tonight, host Emi Ferguson shares performances from the awards ceremony for the 52nd George and Nora London Foundation, live from the Gilder Lehrman Hall at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. The George and Nora London Foundation awards $12,000 to six young American and Canadian singers each year and is one of the opera world’s oldest and most prestigious competitions. The 2024 George London award winners are soprano Katerina Burton, Mezzo-Sopranos Emily Treigle and Erin Wagner, Tenor Samuel White, and Baritones Darren Drone and Benjamin Dickerson. Tonight’s show features their award winning performances, along with songs from two George London Encouragement Award winners and an alumnus of the competition.
Watch the whole concert here:
Program:
Giordano: Nemico della patria, from Andrea Chérnier- Benjamin Dickerson, Baritone
Strauss: Senn wir wieder gut, from Ariade aux Naxos- Erin Wagner, Mezzo-Soprano
Verdi: Tu che le vanità, from Don Carlo- Katerina Burton, Soprano
Massenet: O ma lyre immortelle, from Sapho- Cierra Byrd, Mezzo-Soprano
Gounod: Ah! Leve-toi, soleil!, from Roméo et Juliette- Bergsvein Toverud, Tenor
Wagner: Amfortas! Die Wunde, from Parisfal- Samuel White, Tenor
Puccini: Si corre dal notaio, from Gianni Schicchi- Darren Drone, Baritone
Handel: Iris, Hence away, from Semele- Emily Treigle, Mezzo-Soprano
Verdi: Carlos écoute, from Don Carlos- Blake Denson, Baritone
All performers were joined by collaborative pianist, Michael Fennelly.
April 24, 2024 - Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Patricia Fahy, an Albany-area Democrat, discusses the recently adopted state budget, including tuition assistance for students and aid for public colleges and universities.
April 24, 2024 - The state's Public Service Commission has a very important role, but do New Yorker understand what's going on? We explore how to make the work of the state regulator more accessible and comprehensible with Laurie Wheelock, executive director of the Public Utility Law Project of New York.
April 24, 2024 - As the general counsel for the Berger Commission, Mark Ustin, a healthcare regulatory lawyer and lobbyist with Farrell Fritz, has firsthand knowledge about efforts to close and merge hospitals in New York, so we have him weigh in on efforts by Democratic state lawmakers to make it more difficult to shutter facilities.
April 24, 2024 - New York State Association of Cemeteries Legislative Director David Fleming talks about the challenge of maintaining the state's non-profit cemeteries and highlights a statewide cleanup effort.
April 23, 2024 - Siena College Research Institute pollster Steve Greenberg talks about a new survey of New York voters, which examined the asylum seeker crisis, illegal marijuana sales, and congestion pricing.
April 23, 2024 - Albany Law professor and New York Court Watcher blog author Vin Bonventre discusses how New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson has steered the state's top court.
April 23, 2024 - Fiscal Policy Institute Executive Director Nathan Gusdorf weighs in on the topline spending figures in the new state budget and argues that New York could have spent more given inflation.
April 23, 2024 - With the Biden administration adopting new drinking water regulations for PFAS, Kate Donovan, northeast director of environmental health for the Natural Resources Defense Council, wants state policymakers to do more to limit PFAS in everyday products.
April 22, 2024 - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation interim Commissioner Sean Mahar talks about his new leadership role and the short-term challenges he faces.
April 22, 2024 - We discuss parking in the Adirondack Park, as the state plans another year of reservation parking for the Adirondack Mountain Reserve. We speak with DEC Deputy Commissioner of Natural Resources Katie Petronis and interim Commissioner Sean Mahar.
Despite the reach of Spanish music and culture, much of the rich Spanish piano repertoire remains unexplored. In the final installment of the Sounds of Spain on Reflections From the Keyboard, host David Dubal brings you lesser-known pieces that embody the Iberian Peninsula and all the flavor it has to offer. Program highlights are Federico Mompou’s Girls in the Garden played by Walter Hautzig, Scarlatti’s Sonata in C Sharp Minor played by Sergei Babayan, and Joaquin Rodrigo’s Nostalgic Prelude played by Arturo Pizarro.
Program playlist:
Isaac Albéniz: El Puerto (from Iberia)John Browning, pianoMSR Classics
Federico Mompou: Girls in the Garden (Jeunes Filles au Jardin)Walter Hautzig, pianoAmericus Records
Manuel De Falla: Scenes; Song of the Will-o'- the Wisp (from El Amor Brujo)Ruth Laredo, pianoMCA Classics
Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in C- Sharp Minor: Allegro (K. 247)Sergei Babayan, pianoPro Piano Records
Enrique Granados: Epílogo: Serenata del EspectroBenita Meshulam, pianoChesky Records
Francisco Tárrega: Capricho ÁrabeKoji Attwood, pianoBramble Brook Space Records
Manuel Infante: El Vito (Gracia) from Three Andalusian DancesCipa and Misha Dichter, pianoClassical 1001 CD
Joaquín Rodrigo: Preludio de AñoranzaArtur Pizarro, pianoNaxos Spanish Classics
Ernesto Halffter: Preludio y DanzaAdam Kent, pianoBridge Records
Joaquín Rodrigo: Seguidillas del DiabloArtur Pizarro, pianoNaxos Spanish Classics
Isaac Albéniz: Sevilla (Suite Espagnole Op. 47)Magda Tagliaferro, pianoDante Productions
In 2024, this program airs at 8pm on Sunday, April 21st.The springtime Jewish holiday of Passover is about liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. In this one-hour special, violinist Itzhak Perlman shares Passover music from many traditions, plus songs and memories from his childhood in Israel. The program draws its shape from the Passover seder and, like that ancient family ritual, the music gets progressively giddier as the show moves along.
Selections include music from familiar classical works (Handel’s Israel in Egypt), and from lesser-known classical pieces such as Halévy’s opera La Juive, with Jan Peerce; Dessau’s 1934 German setting of the Haggadah; Korngold’s glorious Passover Psalm.
Perlman’s playing is represented by a duet with Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, as well as the beloved theme from Schindler’s List. Other recordings include unusual takes on traditional tunes, like a swing “Dayenu,” “Who Knows One?” in Ladino, the zany Moishe Oysher treatment of “Chad Gadya,” and “Go Down, Moses” sung by Paul Robeson.
Program playlist:Dayenu Variations Arr. Jon Simon Jon Simon, piano Jon Simon Solo Piano Silver Lining Records He led them through the deep (from Israel in Egypt) George Frideric Handel Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Israel in Egypt Philips 432 110-2 Ha Lahma Anya Moishe Oysher; arr. Simon Spiro Cantor Simon Spiro and Schola Hebraeica Traditional Cantorial and Concert Favorites Milken Archive/Naxos 8.559460 Ma Nishtanah Jewish Holiday Songs, Vol. 3 Hataklit Ltd Knechte waren wir dem Pharao in Ägypten (from Hagadah Shel Pessach) Paul Dessau; text by Max Brod Alfred Muff, bass; North German Radio Choir; Hamburg Alsterspatzen Children’s Choir; Gerd Albrecht, conductor Hagadah Shel Pessach Capriccio 10 590/91 Theme from Schindler’s List John Williams Itzhak Perlman, violin; John Williams, conductor John Williams Greatest Hits 1969-1999 Sony Classical Chassidic Medley: Adir Hu/Moshe Emes Andy Statman, clarinet; David Grisman, mandolin Songs of Our Fathers ACD 14 Rally (from The Prince of Egypt) Hans Zimmer The Prince of Egypt Dreamworks DRMD 50041 Children’s Dance (from Cantata of the Bitter Herbs) Ernst Toch Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz, conductor Cantata of the Bitter Herbs Milken Archive/Naxos 8.559417 Go Down Moses Paul Robeson He smote all the first-born of Egypt (from Israel in Egypt) George Frideric Handel Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Israel in Egypt Philips 432 110-2 The Ten Plagues (from Cantata of the Bitter Herbs) Ernst Toch Theodore Bikel, narrator; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz, conductor Cantata of the Bitter Herbs Milken Archive/Naxos 8.559417 He rebuked the Red Sea (from Israel in Egypt) George Frideric Handel Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Israel in Egypt Philips 432 110-2 But the waters overwhelmed their enemies (from Israel in Egypt) George Frideric Handel Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Israel in Egypt Philips 432 110-2 Dayenu (swing version) Sam Medoff and The Yiddish Swingtet Music from the Yiddish Radio Project Shanachie Entertainment Kama Ma’alot Tovot – Dayeinu Yaffa Yarkoni Jewish Holiday Songs, Vol. 3 Hataklit Ltd O Dieu, Dieu de nos pères (from La Juive) Jacques Fromental Halévy Jan Peerce, tenor; Victor Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Wilfred Pelletier, conductor Lebendige Vergangenheit Preiser Zog, Maran Shmuel Bugatch; lyrics by Avrom Reisen Martha Schlamme, singer; Robert DeCormier, conductor Raisins and Almonds Vanguard Classics Chassidic Medley: Adir Hu/Moshe Emes Andy Statman, clarinet; David Grisman, mandolin Songs of Our Fathers ACD 14 T’filas tal Itzhak Perlman, violin; Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot; Rusell Ger, conductor Eternal Echoes Sony Masterworks Passover Psalm, op. 30 Erich Wolfgang Korngold Bavarian Radio Chorus, Munich Radio Orchestra; Marcello Viotti, conductor Paradisi Gloria Psalms Profil 4036 Oh, Freedom [actual track name is “Spiritual Trilogy”] Odetta Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues Trigger Records/Rykodisc 1004 (1996 CD) or V.I. Music 450661 (2005 CD) Miriam’s Song Debbie Friedman The Journey Continues Sounds Write Productions, Inc. SWP 614 Ani Maamin The Western Wind The Passover Story Western Wind Records 1800 CD Shir Ha’ma’alot Yossele Rosenblatt Best Yiddish Songs Hataklit Ltd Eliyohu hanovi arr. Zalmen Mlotek Children’s Chorus of Workmen’s Circle Schools, Zalmen Mlotek, conductor “Gut Yom-Tev Kinder!” (audiocassette) Hodu Lashem (Psalm 118) Rabbi Samuel Elyahu Taub Benzion Shenker and the Modzitzer Choral Ensemble, Elliot Birnbaum, director Sholosh R’golim: Modzitzer Melodies Heginah Records NR 1202 (LP) Adir Hu arr. Moni Amarilio Yehoram Gaon Songs for Passover in the Sephardic Tradition CBS 80668 (LP) Adir Hu Shlomo Carlebach and Neginah Orchestra Yisroel Btach BaHaShem Zimrani Records 224 Ken Supiesse y Entendiesse Fortuna La prima vez: kantes judeos espanyoles Sonopress/FAP 7 Khad Gadyo arr. Zalmen Mlotek Children’s Chorus of Workmen’s Circle Schools, Zalmen Mlotek, conductor “Gut Yom-Tev Kinder!” (audiocassette) Chad Gadya Shoshana Damari Greatest Songs Hed Artzi Un Kavritico Arr. Flory Jagoda Cantor Gastón Bogomolni Pesach With an Accent Bogomolni 845121046236 Chad Gadya [actual track name is “Concluding Folk Hymns”] Moishe Oysher Moishe Oysher - Passover Seder, Kol Nidrei & Chanukah Party Leisure Time Music Le’Shana Ha’ba’ah Jewish Holiday Songs, Vol. 3 Hataklit Ltd
Listen Saturday, April 20th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the 2023-24 Met Opera Radio Broadcast Season.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023-24 season of Saturday matinee radio broadcasts continues with La Rondine, Puccini’s bittersweet opera about love in all its guises. Soprano Angel Blue stars as the courtesan Magda, who has a beautiful dream of love – but one that proves elusive. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman makes his network broadcast debut as Ruggero, a newcomer to Paris who falls in love with her. And another pair of Met debutantes, soprano Emily Pogorelc and tenor Bekhzod Davronov, are the pragmatic couple Lisette and Prunier. Speranza Scappucci conducts this lesser-known gem by Puccini, a captivating romance colored with a tinge of heartbreak.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Speranza Scappucci
CAST:
Magda - Angel Blue Ruggero - Jonathan Tetelman Lisette - Emily Pogorelc Prunier - Bekhzod Davronov
April 19, 2024 - New York's pay frequency law requires manual workers get paid weekly, but the implementation of this requirement is the subject of various legal challenges, according to Jared Cook, a senior counsel for Tully Rinckey's Rochester office.
This concert was broadcast live on Thursday, April 18th, 2024. Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The exemplary Danish String Quartet presents the fourth installment of its Doppelgänger project, in which they pair one of Schubert’s timeless string compositions with a newly commissioned work inspired by it. The program features Schubert’s mammoth String Quintet, which was written during the final weeks of the composer’s life and is considered one of the all-time greatest chamber works by any composer. The inimitable Thomas Adès—“one of the most accomplished and complete musicians of his generation” (The New York Times)—contributes its Doppelgänger companion.
The night was hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:SCHUBERT String Quintet in C Major, D. 956
THOMAS ADÈS Wreath for Franz Schubert (NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
SCHUBERT "Die Nebensonnen" from Winterreise (arr. Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen)
Encore:NIELSON "Underlige aftenlufte" (arr. Danish String Quartet)
Performers:Danish String Quartet- Frederik Øland, Violin- Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Violin- Asbjørn Nørgaard, Viola- Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, Cello
Johannes Rostamo, Cello
If This Hall Could Talk tells the story of culture in America as witnessed at one iconic venue: New York City’s Carnegie Hall. It’s long been a destination for the world’s top musical talents, speakers, activists, and with a history spanning more than 100 years. Objects from the Carnegie Hall Rose Archives tell a complicated and quirky history of the hall showcasing the creation, development and celebration of uniquely American historical moments and music.
Each episode features an object from the collections of Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives and uses it as the starting point for stories of broader musical, cultural, and political significance. Hosted by Broadway star Jessica Vosk, the show brings in voices ranging from marquee talent to historical experts, guiding listeners on a journey that is guaranteed to leave them with a newfound appreciation for the breadth, diversity, and endless invention of the country’s musical arts and culture.
April 18, 2024 - We consider legislation requiring informed consent to screen pregnant and postpartum mothers for drugs and alcohol with the help of Jenna Lauter, policy council for the New York Civil Liberties Union, and Desseray Wright, a family defense practice policy advocate with The Bronx Defenders.
April 18, 2024 - Assembly Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Committee Chair Phil Steck, a Capital Region Democrat, discusses his legislation to expand the types of opioid reversal agents that are widely deployed in New York.
April 18, 2024 - We talk about the importance of preserving New York's native plants with Ed Toth, director of the Mid-Atlantic Seed Bank, and Janice Wiles, co-founder of a native seeds and plant nursery in the Finger Lakes.
April 18, 2024 - Assemblymember Harry Bronson, a Rochester-area Democrat, and Maya Benattar, a licensed creative arts therapist, make the case for legislation expanding access to creative arts therapy
Tonight, host Emi Ferguson is joined in the studio by cellist Coleman Itzkoff and pianist Mika Sasaki. Coleman shares a program of Bach, Esmail, Vasks, Clara Schumann and more.
Coleman Itzkoff is a soloist, chamber musician, and educator from Cincinnati, Ohio. His work incorporates baroque, classical and new music across mediums, including contemporary dance and experimental theater. He has premiered over 100 contemporary works in the last five years and is a member of several ensembles, including the early music ensembles Ruckus and Twelfth Night. He is also a founding member of AMOC (American Modern Opera Company).
Program:
Bach: Prelude, BWV 999 and Courante, BWV 1013- Coleman Itzkoff, cello; Mika Sasaki, piano
Esmail: Varsha- Coleman Itzkoff, cello; Mika Sasaki, piano
Vasks: "Dolcissimo" from Das Buch- Coleman Itzkoff, cello
C. Schumann: Drei Romanzen, Op. 22 arr. cello/piano- Coleman Itzkoff, cello; Mika Sasaki, piano
Lavista: Tres Danzas Seculares- Coleman Itzkoff, cello; Mika Sasaki, piano
Bird (arr. Emi Ferguson): Hover II- Coleman Itzkoff, cello; Ruckus
Debussy: Petite Suite, III. Menuet- Coleman Itzkoff, cello; Mika Sasaki, piano
Special thanks to Peermusic Classical, Reena Esmail, Melanie Eveland, Pēteris Vasks, and Constantin Bartels.
April 17, 2024 - Senate Racing, Gaming & Wagering Committee Chair Joe Addabbo, a Queens Democrat, talks about the gambling landscape in New York, including the effort to issue new casino licenses, expanding sports gambling options and authorizing online casino games.
April 17, 2024 - Rewiring America New York Policy Director Michael Hernandez explains the lack of regulatory action to implement New York's transition to all-electric buildings.
April 17, 2024 - New York Council of School Superintendents Deputy Director Bob Lowry weighs in on the preliminary details that are emerging about state education in the budget.
April 16, 2024 - We get an update on the legal maneuvering in the corruption case against former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin from Jon Campbell, the reporter at the Capitol for Gothamist & WNYC.
April 16, 2024 - New York marijuana farmers are operating at a loss and the industry is at risk of collapsing if the state doesn't offer financial relief, according to Joseph Calderone, co-founder and president of the Cannabis Farmers Alliance.
April 15, 2024 - Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Lavine, a Long Island Democrat, discusses the illegality of adultery in New York and why he's trying to repeal this section of the state's penal code.
April 15, 2024 - Attorney Fatima Afia, of the Rudick Law Group, talks about legislation addressing illegal marijuana retailers and explains multiple legal challenges to New York's retail marijuana regulations.
Have you heard – that the emerging star pianist Yunchan Lim is releasing his debut recording with a bold take on Chopin’s Études? Dear listener,
I grew up in an apartment with shelves of classical music CDs that my parents amassed over the years. Once old enough to be trusted with those scratch-prone discs and based solely on the album art, I popped the ones that most intrigued me into the CD player. Soon, I would accumulate a pile of favorites.
By the time I entered my teens, I had an MP3 player that mostly played non-classical music. But I did still occasionally return to my parents’ CDs. Chopin was on my regular rotation, and I especially liked to hear Étude Op. 25 No.11 on repeat. Something about the way the calm and delicate first four bars give way to the dramatic rest of the piece spoke to my angsty teenage self, the piercing high notes tumbling down at an impressive speed to create overwhelming, gorgeous sounds.
In well over a decade since then, I’ve grown out of my restless young adulthood, my parents have moved countries and back, and I’m unsure if we’ve kept all those CDs. But the music you love as a young person has a special place in your heart, especially when you realize they’re as timeless and poignant as Chopin’s works.
So I was naturally thrilled that for his debut recording, pianist Yunchan Lim was to set down Chopin’s Études Op. 10 and Op. 25. Lim stunned the music world in 2022 when he became the youngest person to ever win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 18, his electric performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 having since gathered millions of views online.
When you listen to Lim’s take on the Études, there’s no question he plays with a dynamism and charisma that instantly captivates the ear. But what truly makes this recording a joy to listen to is the vividness of his imagination that comes alive through each piece. Within the Études, Lim says there are “such things as the agony of the earth, the regrets of an older person, love letters, longing, and freedom,” and he puts every ounce of that interpretation into his precise yet playful piano playing.
Of my often-played favorite, Op. 25-11, Lim says it is a song “heading towards the end of the world.” After all, what speaks to a teenager’s late-night emotional turmoils if not a song heading towards the end of the world?
Back then, I didn’t know it was called ‘Winter Wind.’ But listening to Lim’s rendition while I write on this wet afternoon, with unusually fierce winds flipping umbrellas and making menacing sounds, I feel it’s an apt name for the piece. It may be spring on paper, but alas, I’m bundled up back in my warmest sweater, listening to this musical embodiment of an unforgiving winter storm.
Fear not – Yunchan Lim’s magnificent debut album isn’t just for the restless souls or the storm watchers. His take on Op.10-3 ‘Tristesse’ comforts a longing heart, and the delightful Op.10-5 ‘Black Keys’ adds a pep to your step. Op.10-7 ‘Toccata,’ which Lim considers most challenging and most evocative of the Études, plays like one breathless scene from a film, every note worthy of savoring.
Lim made his Carnegie Hall debut earlier this year and faces an impressive international tour schedule ahead, with stops across the US, Europe, Japan, and his native South Korea.
Ahead of the album release on April 19, WQXR will be playing tracks from Lim’s debut album with Decca throughout the week of April 15. I suspect – and hope – we’ll be hearing a lot more of the rising star pianist for many years to come.
Sarah BaikDigital Content Associate, WQXR
Sarah Baik(Photo provided by Sarah)Sarah Baik is the Digital Content Associate at WQXR.
This week, host David Dubal explores the Spanish spirit with pianists sharing a deep love for the Iberian Peninsula. The program features some of the high points of Spanish pianism: Enrique Granados playing his own "Danza Lenta," Joaquin Rodrigo’s "In the Shade of the Tower Bermeja," and Isaac Albéniz’s "Malaguena."
The soul of Spanish music also inspired the likes of Arthur Rubinstein. This episode highlights two Rubinstein performances, including Albéniz’s "Navarra" and Manuel de Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance," both staples in Rubinstein's repertoire.
Program playlist:
Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in E Major (L. 23)Dinu Lipatti, pianoEMI Records
Enrique Granados: "Danza Lenta"Enrique Granados, pianoNimbus Recors
Joaquin Rodrigo: "A l'ombre de Torre Bermeja"Mirian Conti, pianoKoch Records
Enrique Granados: "El Amor y La Muerte" (Love and Death)Rexa Han, pianoElmahleh Collection
Isaac Albéniz: "Navarra"Arthur Rubinstein, pianoBMG Classics
Ernesto Halffter: "Danza de la Pastora"Alicia de Larrocha, pianoPhillips
Isaac Albéniz: "Malaguena" from Recuerdos de ViajeBenedetti Michelangeli, pianoFono Enterprise
Enrique Granados: "Reverie" (Improvisation)Enrique Granados, pianoNimbus Recors
Manuel de Falla: "Danza Ritual del Fuego" (Ritual Fire Dance)Arthur Rubinstein, pianoBMG Classics
Listen Saturday, April 13th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the 2023-24 Met Opera Radio Broadcast Season.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023-24 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with an operetta that’s been heard on countless festive occasions – and is celebrating a birthday of its own: Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus. This broadcast celebrates the 150th anniversary of Strauss’s effervescent favorite in a performance from 1986 starring Kiri Te Kanawa – who recently marked the 50th anniversary of her Met debut. Te Kanawa leads a glorious cast, including Håkan Hagegård, Judith Blegen, and Tatiana Troyanos, in this romantic romp about pranks, disguises, and the power of champagne. Jeffrey Tate conducts the infectious, toe-tapping score.
Read synopsis
CONDUCTOR: Jeffrey Tate
CAST:
Rosalinde - Kiri Te Kanawa Eisenstein - Håkan Hagegård Adele - Judith Blegen Prince Orlofsky - Tatiana Troyanos Alfred - David Rendall Dr. Falke - Michael Devlin
Programmatic music is a great place to begin your deeper exploration into the realm of storytelling through orchestral sound. Symphonic poems are a type of programmatic music. They are often single-movement pieces that sonically paint vivid landscapes, evoke emotions, and convey narratives without the constraints of traditional musical conventions.
The Symphonic Poem DefinedAt its core, a symphonic poem (also known as a tone poem) is a piece of orchestral music that seeks to depict a specific subject, scene, or narrative.
The symphonic poem can trace its roots to the Romantic era, a period marked by a profound fascination with individual expression, emotion, and nature. Franz Liszt, Richard Strauss, and Bedřich Smetana pioneered this form, drawing inspiration from literary works, nature, art, folklore, and personal experiences to create musical narratives that reflected the spirit of their time.
Length can vary in this genre, from the 8 minutes of Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia to the 50 some minutes of the epic Alpine Symphony.
Where to start? Symphonic poems offer listeners a subjective experience. While composers may provide program notes or titles to suggest the intended subject matter, the true meaning of a symphonic poem often lies in the listener's perception.
To fuel your imagination, you can research the piece's background to gain a deeper understanding before listening.
What do you imagine when you listen to these pieces you may have heard on WQXR?
Les préludes ("Preludes" or "The Beginnings") by Franz LisztThe third and potentially most well-known of Liszt’s symphonic poems, and was composed in 1854. In a program note written, he indicates that the piece is to be considered a musical depiction of a poem by Alphonse de Lamartine, and Liszt writes:
“What is our life but a series of preludes to that unknown song whose first solemn note is tolled by death? The enchanted dawn of every life is love. But where is the destiny on whose first delicious joys some storm does not break?
Má vlast (also known as My Fatherland) by Bedřich SmetanaMá vlast consists of a set of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879 by Smetana. Living in what was then known as Bohemia, the poems are a love letter to Smetena’s homeland. The piece tells the stories of the landscape, history and myths of his beloved country that is now the modern-day Czech Republic
In the Steppes of Central Asia by Alexander BorodinIn his own words, Borodin describes the piece's story: " A caravan approaches, escorted by Russian soldiers, and continues safely on its way through the immense desert. It disappears slowly. The notes of the Russian and Asiatic melodies join in a common harmony, which dies away as the caravan disappears in the distance."
Eine Alpensinfonie: An Alpine Symphony Op. 64 by Richard Strauss Although the word symphony is implied, Strauss's epic poem, Eine Alpensinfonie, depicts an eventful Alpine mountain ascent. Of his composition, Strauss said: "[The Alpine Symphony] represents moral purification through one's strength, liberation through work, worship of eternal, magnificent nature."
An American in Paris by George GershwinBased upon his experiences as a young composer studying abroad in the 1920s, Gershwin aimed "to portray the impressions of an American visitor in Paris as he strolls about the city, listens to the various street noises, and absorbs the French atmosphere."
Symphonic poems and programmatic music saw their peak at the end of the 19th and into the early 20th century, as a new form of narrative orchestral composition found its way into the spotlight: film scoring. Yet, within today’s performance repertoire, symphonic poems and programmatic music remain popular.
These pieces can provide rich and captivating narratives that provide a brief reprieve from the barrage of constant visual information around us. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and listen. Whether you’re being transported to the snowy peaks of the Alps, or busy Parisian streets–enjoy the journey.
Let us know where classical music takes you in the comments below!
April 12, 2024 - Democratic state lawmakers are pushing for stricter regulations and more awareness of additives put into food, which are generally overlooked by federal officials. We learn about this public health initiative from Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports.
April 12, 2024 - Across the political spectrum there are concerns about the implementation of Raise the Age, so we examine how it can be improved. Our guests are Alison Lake, executive director of the Westchester Children's Association, and Julia Davis, director of youth justice and child welfare for the Children's Defense Fund-New York.
April 12, 2024 - With ticks beginning to emerge after the winter, we consider how to prevent and address tick-borne illnesses with Royale Scuderi, executive director of the Central New York Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Alliance.
Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus is 150 years old and runs over two hours, but Jeff Spurgeon gives you the whole plot in just three minutes.
April 11, 2024 - Is this the year of a grand bargain on tenant protections and housing creation? We consider what should be in a deal with Jay Martin, executive director of the Community Housing Improvement Program.
April 11, 2024 - Business Council of New York State Executive Vice President Paul Zuber makes the case the for the state to replicate a federal tax credit designed to encourage employers to hire people who usually struggle to find employment.
April 11, 2024 - The state's consumer directed personal assistance program is one of the fastest growing Medicaid costs, but controlling costs and retaining the integrity of the initiative requires a nuanced approach, according to Lindsay Miller, executive director of the New York Association on Independent Living, and Doug Hovey, CEO of Independent Living, Inc.
Host Alexa Smith is joined in the studio by singers from The Denyce Graves Foundation’s Shared Voices Program. Tenors Kevin Webb and Justin E. Bell and Mezzo-Soprano Sophia Baete perform songs by Handel, William Grant Still, Adolphus Hailstork, Bizet and more. Each performer is joined by collaborative pianist and Artistic Director of Vocal Arts at Juilliard, Brian Zeger. Alexa also sits down with Denyce Graves to discuss the impact of the program.
Shared Voices is the flagship program of the Denyce Graves Foundation. The program creates points of collaboration between Historically Black Colleges and Universities and top conservatories and music schools throughout the United States. Students have access to classes, individual coaching, peer exchanges and performance opportunities that foster diversity, equity and inclusion in the vocal arts landscape.
Program:
Handel: “Total Eclipse” from Samson- Kevin Webb, Tenor
Giordano: “Amor ti vieta” from Fedora- Kevin Webb, Tenor
Adams: “For you there is no song”- Kevin Webb, Tenor
Adams: “Prayer”- Kevin Webb, Tenor
Still: “Grief”- Kevin Webb, Tenor
Lalo: “Vainement ma bien-aimee” from Le roi d’ys- Justin E. Bell, Tenor
Hailstork: “My heart to thy heart”- Justin E. Bell, Tenor
Brahms: “Wie bist du, meine königin”- Justin E. Bell, Tenor
Rossini: “La Promessa”- Justin E. Bell, Tenor
Price: “Songs to the Dark Virgin”- Sophia Baete, Mezzo-Soprano
Price: “Forever”- Sophia Baete, Mezzo-Soprano
Bizet: Seguidilla and Habanera from Carmen- Sophia Baete, Mezzo-Soprano
All performers were joined by collaborative pianist, Brian Zeger.
March 10, 2024 - After a wolf was detected in central New York, environmentalists have been calling on the state to gather more information about this endangered population. We discuss this issue with Protect the Adirondacks Executive Director Peter Bauer and Protect the Adirondacks Deputy Director Claudia Braymer.
April 8, 2024 - The push for environmental issues at the Capitol is getting new energy from young activists, such as Keanu Arpels-Josiah, a high school senior and policy co-lead of Fridays for Future NYC.
March 8, 2024 - The proliferation of artificially generated political content is prompting calls for greater disclosure requirements. We consider how those new rules should be applied with Daniel Weiner, director of the elections and government program at the Brennan Center.
March 8, 2024 - Despite New York banning the sale of flavored vaping products in 2020, Democratic lawmakers and health officials worry that more needs to be done. We talk about additional enforcement tools with Kevin O'Flaherty, director of advocacy for the northeast region of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, and Max Ferris, director of environmental health for the Albany County Health Department.
So nice, we're playing them twice! Before the 2023-24 Carnegie Hall Live season begins on October 4, you have a final chance to hear highlights from the 2022-23 season. Encore broadcasts include the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra's Carnegie Hall debut under the baton of Marin Alsop, Mahler 7 performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker, andthe Sphinx Virtuosi with a program amplifying works by living BIPOC composers.
Marin Alsop conducting the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (Photo by Jennifer Taylor / Carnegie Hall)
View the full encore schedule below. Friday nights at 9pm, July 28 through September 29. July 28: Opening Night Gala 2022 (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
August 4: São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
August 11: The Los Angeles Philharmonic with Gustavo Dudamel
August 18: The Berliner Philharmoniker
August 25: Sphinx Virtuosi
September 1: The Cleveland Orchestra
September 8: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mutter Virtuosi
September 15: Vienna Philharmonic
September 22: Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Mitsuko Uchida
September 29: Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Listen to an encore presentation on Friday, August 4th at 9pm. This episode of Carnegie Hall Live was originally aired on Friday, October 14th, at 8pm.
Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Brazil’s independence, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra makes its Carnegie Hall debut with a program fitting the historic occasion. The Music Director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra from 2013-2020, Marin Alsop returns as the Conductor of Honour.
The night begins with Rimsky-Korsakov’s hugely popular Scheherazade, a symphonic suite inspired by the legendary heroine and folklore of One Thousand and One Nights. The second half of the performance explores the music of essential Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos. Harmonica master José Staneck, one of the preeminent players of this repertoire, maximizes the lyrical beauty of the Harmonica Concerto while the São Paulo Symphony Choir finishes the night with the simmering and ultimately explosive Chôros No. 10.
Jeff Spurgeon and Terrance McKnight host this celebration of Brazilian music.
Program:
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, Conductor of HonourJosé Staneck, Harmonica
The São Paulo Symphony Choir
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35
Heitor Villa-Lobos:
Preludio from Bachianas brasileiras No. 4
Harmonica Concerto (Encore medley: Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Jobim: Girl from Ipanema; Luis Gonzaga: Baiao
Chôros No. 10
Orchestra Encores:
Edu Lobo/Arranjo Nelson Ayres: Pe de Vento
Clovis Pereira/Guerra Peixe: Mourao
Preludio from *Bachianas brasileiras No. 4*: Bachianas Brasileiras N. 4, Prelude, Copyright © Heitor Villa-Lobox (Academia Brasileira de Musica)
Listen Saturday, July 22nd, at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Click here for the upcoming Saturday Opera broadcast schedule.
In this production of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck from the UK’s Royal Opera, Christian Gerhaher stars in the title role, with Anja Kampe returning to the series as Marie. Peter Hoare stars as the Captain, Rosie Aldridge as Margret, and more. The illustrious Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
CONDUCTOR: Sir Antonio Pappano
CAST:
Wozzeck - Christian Gerhaher
Marie - Anja Kampe
The Captain - Peter Hoare
The Doctor - Brindley Sherratt
Margret - Rosie Aldridge
The Drum-Major - Clay Hilley
Andres - Sam Furness
A 2012 report examining the state's care for people with special needs offered a holistic series of recommendations on how to improve the quality of supervision and supports for vulnerable New Yorkers, but the reaction from state policymakers at the time - and since - has largely ignored the broader conversation about the human services system.
On the third installment of the “Justice for All” series, we focus primarily on the workforce providing care to more than 1 million New Yorkers with special needs. We also examine the independence of the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs and consider how abuse and neglect is reported.
Mezzo-soprano Briana Hunter joins host Hanako Yamaguchi in the studio in our final Artist Propulsion Lab member feature of the year. She brings a dynamic program of Baroque, French, and American songs. Briana, accompanied by pianist Juan Lazaro, perform tales of tragedy and joy in music by Bach, Massenet, Harold Arlen and more.
Briana had an eventful 22/23 season, which included her Los Angeles Opera debut and both her role and house debut as the Witch in Into the Woods with Intermountain Opera. She also reprised her role of Mother in Jeanine Tesori’s Blue, which she created as part of the original cast in the opera’s premiere at the 2019 Glimmerglass Festival. Briana is a Lotte Lenya Competition finalist and winner of the Lys Symonette Award from The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music.
To hear more from our Artist Propulsion Lab members, visit our showpage.
Program:
Due to right restrictions, we are unable to include certain works in the program on our website.
Bach: Esurientes Implevit from the Magnificat
Arlen: I Never Has Seen Snow (House of Flowers)
Bach: Erbarme dich, mein Gott (“Have mercy Lord, My God, for the sake of my tears”).
Arlen: I Had Myself A True Love - H. Arlen/Johnny Mercer
Handel: “Pugnerò contro del fato” and “Pena tiranna” from Amadigi di Gaula
Massenet: Élègie
Massenet: J’ai versé le poison
Adams: Prayer
Gordon: Joy
– Briana Hunter, mezzo-soprano; Juan Lazaro, piano
July 18, 2023 - Sen. Sean Ryan, a Buffalo-area Democrat, wants to empower municipalities around the state to collect additional real estate taxes that they could invest in affordable housing initiatives.
July 18, 2023 - Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a Brooklyn Democrat, makes the case for reforming the college admissions process, including discouraging special treatment for "legacies" and responding to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action.
Have You Heard... Ennanga from Ashley Jackson After several months of wanting to make it back to Central Park, I recently had the chance to do so a few weeks ago. Oftentimes, I’m not quite sure what I feel like listening to; so as I was on my way to the Upper East Side, I scrolled through my “favorites” playlist and listened to the bits of music that I enjoyed most before moving on to the next track. (Heathenish, I know.) When I next blinked in the sun I decided to listen to a new release; deadlines were swiftly approaching.
I picked Ennanga while making my way to the Park after hearing the solo opening of “Prema.” Its pace was perfect for the promenade I had planned, but I hadn’t foreseen the sense of serendipity that hit me once I was among the trees and I heard the Harlem Chamber Players join Ashley Jackson in what sounded like a collective Aeolian harp. I knew I was in for something good. The notes on the harp were like wind-shaken leaves on a tree with the ensemble’s mellow chords’ accompaniment. Aside from “Prema” I also really enjoyed the dynamic and various rhythms of Brandee Younger’s “Essence of Ruby” as much as I did the melody of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s version of the spiritual “I’m Troubled in Mind.”
The eponymous piece, William Grant Still’s “Ennanga,” struck me as a kind of interplay between the pastoral and the industrial. I say “interplay” and not battle, because to my mind there isn’t conflict in the ideas presented so much as there is conversation. Good roads follow the natural curvature of mountains they cross and cause minimal disruption. From the seat of a train—one of the most prominent symbols of industrialism—you can still look out the window and take in the fields, or waters, or hills. The first chunk of the first movement is all bustle, but the calm comes soon and is entirely complementary to the whole. The second movement is all ease and smoothness; perhaps it’s a promenade like my own, perhaps it’s a gentle car-ride to a placid, moonlit lake. The third movement starts with a serene dawn, but soon everyone snaps awake, or an Iron Horse passes by—there are occasions where you might hear the engine in the piano and energetic quartet. Many colors of the harp are present in this album.
I must also at this point admit to you that this is the last “Have You Heard?” that I’ll be writing; at the end of July, I’m going to be leaving WQXR to prepare for a PhD program in English literature at Rutgers University this fall. I don’t know about you, but writing this article has encouraged (read: committed) me to listen to records I might have otherwise ignored; I’ve seen the vast breadth and depth of new classical music being made and I am heartened to see so many people coming together to find new ways to engage in that art of music-making that we so love. Thanks to all who have read any of these lauds of mine, and special thanks to my spouse, Noor, who is always my first reader.
This month’s honorable mentions: Joe Hisaishi, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra—A Symphonic Celebration – Music from Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Philadelphia Orchestra—Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3; Isle of the Dead Martin Lohse, Bjarke Mogensen, Mikkel Egelund Nielsen—Echoes
About Quentin Neroes
Quentin Neroes (Photo provided by Quentin)
Quentin is one of two Music Coordinators at WQXR and hails from Dallas, TX (though he now makes his home in Brooklyn). He appreciates all things analog, including—but not limited to—fountain pens, cameras, and vinyl records. He studied English in college and managed a vinyl library in his former dorm, Eliot house; in that capacity, he held weekly listening sessions called “music hours” (after office hours) where he served cheese, crackers, and wonderful records.
Tonight at 10PM on Reflections From the Keyboard, David Dubal concludes his series on Latin American Pianists. Exploring the work of both Latin American pianists and composers, this episode features performances of Ginastera and Cervantes, and also living composer Wim Statius Muller playing his own music.
Program Playlist:
Lecuona: Mazurka en Glissando
—Erikson Rojas, piano
Chopin: Trois Nouvelles Etudes
—Juana Zayas, piano
Cervantes: Two Dances: Adios a Cuba, Zigs Zags
—Sergio Gallo, piano
Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3
—Jorge Bolet, piano
Muller: Montmartre, Elegancia, El Maestro
—Wim Statius Muller, piano
Chopin: Scherzo No. 3
—Guiomar Novaes, piano
Nazareth: Eponina
—Sergio Gallo, piano
Ponce: Intermezzo
—Martha Marchena, piano
Ginastera: Milonga
—Martha Marchena, piano
Ginastera: Danza de la Moza donosa
—Martha Argerich, piano
Listen Saturday, July 15th, at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Click here for the upcoming Saturday Opera broadcast schedule.
Conductor Ivan Repušić and Stellario Fagone lead the Munich Radio Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Chorus alongside an exceptional cast including Nino Machaidze, Réka Kristóf, Piero Pretti, Miklós Sebestyén, and more.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
A picture of Nino Machaidze performing Verdi's I Lombardi (Photo courtesy of WFMT)
CONDUCTOR: Ivan Repušić
CHORUS DIRECTOR: Stellario Fagone
CAST:
Giselda, daughter of Arvino - Nino Machaidze
Viclinda, wife of Arvino - Réka Kristóf
Oronte, son of Acciano - Piero Pretti
Pirro, Arvino’s squire - Miklós Sebestyén
Arvino, son of Lord Folco - Galeano Salas
Pagano/Hermit, son of Lord Folco - Michele Pertusi
Sofia, wife of Acciano - Ruth Volpert
Prior of Milan - Nikolaus Pfannkuch
Acciano, ruler of Antioch - Andreas Burkhart
Listen live on Friday, July 14th at 8pm ET Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Every summer, fabulous musicians ages 16-19 workshop at Purchase College to create the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). After their multi-week residency, these young musicians take their orchestra on the road. The Carnegie Hall concert is an especially powerful moment in the ensemble’s coast-to-coast North American tour, conducted by the great Sir Andrew Davis, and it features a world premiere by Valerie Coleman, commissioned in celebration of NYO-USA’s 10th birthday. The program also features Barber’s Violin Concerto, which highlights esteemed soloist Gil Shaham, and Berlioz’s wildly imaginative Symphonie fantastique.
Hosted by WQXR's Jeff Spurgeon and Clive Gillinson, the Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall.
Program:
National Youth Orchestra of the USASir Andrew Davis, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
Valerie Coleman - Giants of Light (World Premiere, commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
Barber - Violin Concerto, Op. 14
Berlioz- Symphonie fantastique
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, David Dubal continues his new series on Latin-American pianists. Tonight's program features in a variety of works by Spanish and Latin American composers, including a tango by Astor Piazzolla, a waltz by Teresa Carreño, and the piano concerto by Carlos Chavez. Also featured is the famed Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau, in performances of Debussy and Schubert.
Program Playlist:
Piazzolla: Adios Nonino
—Ingrid Fliter, piano
Debussy: Goldfish
—Claudio Arrau, piano
De Falla: Four Spanish Pieces, No. 2 "Cubana"
—Mirian Conti
Nazareth: Odeon
—Marcelo Bratke
Schubert: Moment Musicaux D.780, No. 4
—Claudio Arrau
Chávez: Piano Concerto: Finale - Allegro non troppo
—Jorge Federico Osorio, piano; Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Carlos Miguel Prieto, cond.
Carreño: Little Waltz
—Teresa Carreño
Pignoni: Por el Sur
—Mirian Conti
Bach: Prelude to English Suite No. 4 in F
—João Carlos Martins, piano
Bach: Fantasy in C Minor, BWV 906
—João Carlos Martins, piano
Listen Saturday, July 8th, at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Click here for the upcoming Saturday Opera broadcast schedule.
Conductor and Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi leads the Britten Sinfonia and Opera Rara Chorus alongside an exceptional cast including Ramón Vargas, Irene Roberts, Elizabeth DeShong, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and more.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
A picture of Opera Rara rehearsing Il proscritto (Photo courtesy of WFMT)
CONDUCTOR: Carlo Rizzi
CAST:
Giorgio Argyll - Ramón Vargas
Arturo Murray - Iván Ayón-Rivas
Malvina Douglas - Irene Roberts
Odoardo Douglas - Elizabeth DeShong
Anna Ruthven - Sally Matthews
Guglielmo Ruthven - Goderdzi Janelidze
Clara - Susana Gaspar
Osvaldo - Alessandro Fisher
An Officer of Cromwell - Niall Anderson
Listen Monday, July 10, at 10pm on WQXR In the prime of his illustrious career, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ran in the realm of prominent, Black visionaries. But after composing “Zaide,” an unfinished opera depicting a slave revolt, Mozart was commissioned to create a work more palatable to the politics and pocketbooks of the European upper echelons of the late eighteenth century.
First heard in Vienna in 1782, “Abduction from the Seraglio” catered to the harsh reality of the times. As is too often the case with operas written during this time, characters of African descent are reduced to racist stereotypes.
With this in mind, we ask: What does the future look like for opera as an art form? In this final episode of the four-part radio series, host Terrance McKnight goes in search of opera’s future with composers, musicians, and thinkers of today.
“Every Voice” is hosted by Terrance McKnight. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
July 6, 2023 - Rob Praczkajlo, a state forest ranger who spent about two weeks in Québec responding to Canada's widespread fires, discusses his experience north of the border and whether New York needs to be concerned about similar fires.
Violinist Alexi Kenney joins host Hanako Yamaguchi in the studio to share selections from his most recent project, Shifting Ground, as part of his Artist Propulsion Lab residency.
Throughout the program, Alexi combines pieces for solo violin and violin/electronics by J.S. Bach and other composers, including two new works commissioned for the project by composers Salina Fisher and Angélica Negrón. He premiered the program in Spring 2023 at the Celebrity Series of Boston, Cal Performances, Princeton University Concerts, and the Phillips Collection.
Alexi has built a career dedicated to following his passions, from genre-bending collaborations to soloing with major orchestras around the world. He is an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award recipient, as well as a Young Artists Showcase alumnus. He is also a member of WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab, which supports emerging and mid-career artists through creative work and broadcast opportunities
Watch Alexi Kenney’s Visual Album for Paul Wiancko’s X Suite for Solo Violin:
To hear more from our Artist Propulsion Lab members, visit our showpage.
Program:
Bach: Allemande from Partita in D minor, BWV 1004
Wiancko: Allemande from X Suite for Solo Violin
Negrón: The Violinist for violin and electronics
Burtner: Elegy (Muir Glacier 1889-2009) for violin and electronics
Matteis: Passagio roto
Fisher: Hikari for solo violin
Anonymous (arr. Kenney): Nitida Stella
Bach: Chaconne from Partita in D minor, BWV 1005
– Alexi Kenney, violin
Listen live, Tuesday, August 1st at 7:30pm
The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Hosted by Annie Bergen
Program
OPENING FANFARE : The Westerlies
Milica Paranosic, WORLD PREMIERE WORK, (2023)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, (1756-91)
Divertimento for String Orchestra in D major, K.136, “Salzburg Symphony No. 1”, (1772)
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Presto
William Grant Still, (1895-1978)Danzas de Panama, (1948)
I. Tamborito,
II. Mejorana y Socavón,
III. Punto – Allegretto con grazia,
IV. Cumbia y Congo
- Intermission -
Eleanor Alberga, (b. 1949), Remember, (2000) arranged by ECCO for string orchestra
Josef Suk,(1874-1935), Serenade for Strings in E flat major, Op. 6, (1892)
I. Andante con moto,
II. Allegro ma non troppo e grazioso,
III. Adagio,
IV. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo presto
July 3, 2023 - Four vacant seats on the state's Parole Board were filled in June by Gov. Kathy Hochul, with the consent of the Senate. We discuss the new personnel and the need parole board process with Jose Saldana, director of the Release Aging People in Prison campaign.
July 5, 2023 - State Mental Health Commissioner Ann Sullivan discusses a new, $1 billion investment in the mental health sector, including capital for housing and expanded access to services.
July 3, 2023 - With more and more data indicating that certain forms of child neglect are linked to poverty, the state is embarking on a pilot program to study what happens when families are given a monthly infusion of $500. We talk about the experiment and how it could impact state policies with Suzanne Miles-Gustave, acting commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
Listen Monday, July 3, at 10pm on WQXR
At the heart of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida” is an African love story. Princess Aida is torn between her homeland of Ethiopia — ruled by her father, King Amonasro — and her captor, the Egyptian leader Radamès, who loves her in return.
But since its premiere in 1871, productions have historically portrayed the Egyptian characters as white and the Ethiopians as Black and enslaved, reinforcing colonial stereotypes and colorism. And though the dramatic action is set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt thousands of years prior, the creation of “Aida” was inextricably connected to the realities of its colonialist and post-American Civil War world.
Tune in on Monday, July 3, at 10 pm on WQXR for this special radio broadcast of his podcast Every Voice, when host Terrance McKnight digs into the musical, historical, and social environment that gave rise to this opera — and inquires how future productions might shape our cultural world for the better. Joined by opera talents Limmie Pulliam, Angela Brown, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Sir Willard White and more, McKnight and team revel in the drama of this opera and consider to what extent art imitates life.
“Every Voice” is hosted by Terrance McKnight. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
On this week's Reflections From the Keyboard,host David Dubal begins a new series in tribute to the great Latin American Pianists. Tonight's program features such renowned performers as Guiomar Novaes, Gabriela Montero, Martha Argerich, and more in a range of repertoire spanning from J.S. Bach to Manuel de Falla.
Playlist:
Gluck/Sgambatti: Melodie from Orfeo ed Eurydice
—Guiomar Novaes, piano
Scriabin: Etude No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 42
—Gabriela Montero
Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor
—Nelson Freire, piano
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major
—Martha Argerich, piano; Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado
Schumann: "Valse Noble," "Florestan," "Chiarina," and "Chopin," from Carnaval,Op. 9
—Guiomar Novaes, piano
Strauss (R): Ständchen
—Nelson Freire, piano
De Falla: Spanish Dance No. 1 from La Vida Breve
—Gabriela Montero, piano
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasilieras No. 4
—Sonia Rubinsky, piano
Bach: Invention Nos. 13, 6, and 9
—João Carlos Martins, piano
Listen live, Tuesday, July 11th at 7:30pm
The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Hosted by Terrance McKnight
Program
OPENING FANFARE : eGALitarian Brass
WORLD PREMIERE WORK, (2023), Composer, Anthony Davis
Osvaldo Golijov, (b. 1960), Un día Bom, (2021)III. Arum dem Fayer, arr. Alex Fortes (2023)
Jessie Montgomery, (b. 1981),Banner, (2014)Juantio Becenti, (b. 1983),The Glittering World,(2023)
- Intermission -
Antonín Dvořák, (1841-1904), String Quartet no.12, Op.96, “American”, (1893),arr. by Sarah Darling (2017)
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Lento
III. Molto vivace
IV. Finale: Vivace ma non troppo
June 30, 2023 - State Senate Housing, Construction & Community Development Committee Chair Brian Kavanagh, a Manhattan Democrat, discusses two measures designed to control the growth of rent.
June 30, 2023 - Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, a Manhattan Democrat, makes the case for amending the state constitution to prohibit coercing or forcing incarcerated New Yorkers to do work behind bars.
June 29, 2023 - We break down the latest survey of New Yorkers on the Clean Slate Act, changing the date of municipal elections and more, with Siena College Research Institute pollster Steve Greenberg.
June 29, 2023 - We explore the legal questions raised by the effort to house asylum seekers outside of New York City with Don Chesworth, a partner in the Rochester law office of Tully Rinckey.
June 29, 2023 - Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Donna Lupardo, a Southern Tier Democrat, discusses the economic challenges facing marijuana farmers and proposals to help them sell unsold cannabis from 2022
Listen Saturday, July 1st, at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Click here for the upcoming Saturday Opera broadcast schedule.
Conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the ensemble in Adams's Nixon in China, with Thomas Hampson as Richard Nixon, alongside Renée Fleming as Pat Nixon, with John Matthew Myers as Chairman Mao.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
A scene from Adams's Nixon in China (Photo courtesy of WFMT)
CONDUCTOR: Gustavo Dudamel
CAST:
Richard Nixon - Thomas Hampson
Pat Nixon - Renée Fleming
Zhou En Lai - Xiaomeng Zhang
Mao Zedong - John Matthew Myers
Henry Kissinger - Joshua Bloom
Nancy T'ang - Yajie Zhang
Chiang Ch’ing - Kathleen Kim
Second Secretary to Mao - Ning Liang
Third Secretary to Mao - Emanuela Pascu
Robert Sherman, host of Young Artists Showcase from 1978-2023, passed away on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, peacefully at home, surrounded by loving family. WQXR joins the Sherman family in mourning, and honors Bob’s inspirational life, career, and legacy. Learn more about Bob's incredible career here.
In this second show featuring piano students from the Mannes School of Music, host Simone Dinnerstein brings five young musicians into the studio. Founded in 1916, the Mannes School of Music offers a rigorous curriculum grounded in technique and theory. The conservatory also encourages students to engage in collaborative cross-disciplinary work and provides performance opportunities across New York City.
Tonight, we begin with two Rachmaninoff etudes played by Nicolas Salloum. Then Xiaomeng Zhang brings us an ocean scene with Block’s Poems of the Sea, followed by Yichun Zheng performing Haydn. Finally, the evening comes to a close with Joshua Binkhorst performing Timo Andres’s Honest Labor and a Scriabin Fantasy played by Jiwon Yang.
Program:
Rachmaninoff: Étude-Tableau op.33 No.3 in C minor and No.8 in G minor
- Nicolas Salloum, piano
Bloch: Poems of the Sea
- Xiaomeng Zhang, piano
Haydn: Variations in F minor, Hob.XVII:6
- Yichun Zheng, piano
Andres: Honest Labor
- Joshua Binkhorst, piano
Scriabin: Fantasy in B minor, op.28
- Jiwon Yang, piano
Listen live, Tuesday, June 27th at 7:30pm
The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Hosted by Elliott Forrest
Colin & Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Directors
Eric Jacobsen, Conductor
Masumi Per Rostad, Viola
Program Colin Jacobsen (b. 1978): Bethesda Bliss / Celebratory Fanfare, WORLD PREMIERE WORK, (2023)
Jessie Montgomery, (b. 1981): L.E.S. Characters, (2021), featuring Masumi Per Rostad, viola
NYC Premiere
- The Can Man
- The Poet
- Mosaic Man
- Garbage Art
- The Can Man (Reprise)
[Commissioned by the Grant Park Music Festival, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, in partnership with The Knights]
- Intermission -
Béla Bartók (1881-1945), arr. Alex Fortes: Romanian Folk Dances, (1915-17)
Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981): Source Code for string orchestra, (2013)
George Enescu (1881-1955), arr. Ljova: Romanian Rhapsody no. 1 in A major, Op.11, (1901)
Have You Heard... Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1; Florence Price: Violin Concertos Ascendant violinist Randall Goosby (who was recently featured in the soundtrack for the movie Chevalier) presents us with an excellent sophomore album. According to the liner notes, this live recording of the Concerti Nos. 1 and 2 of Florence Price and the Concerto No. 1 of Max Bruch marks the first time those of Price have been released by a major record label; it, however, is not the first time Yannick Nézet-Séguin and his Philadelphia Orchestra have recorded her music for a large audience. Their recording of her Symphonies 1 and 3 won the 2022 Best Orchestral Performance Grammy Award and Goosby’s performance has matched their prestigious standard.
Goosby plays the familiar opening of the Bruch concerto with great virtuosity, but also with a pathos effortlessly shining through the notes on the page. A more-than-ample accompanying force, the Philadelphia Orchestra matches his vigor, and his sweetness, when it comes to it. A favorite section of mine—the fifth minute or so—practically has me head-banging, certainly air-conducting! Another moment that pulls at the heartstrings in that special way where you seem to be drawn in is around the fifth minute of the second movement. And who can fail to feel the energy of that swashbuckling finale and its frenetic ending?
In Price’s first violin concerto, as mentioned in the liner notes, you can certainly hear some aspects of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto, but I’ll tell you what else I hear: what sounds like an occasional reference to the spiritual “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”; a character that I’ve often heard in Black-American music; and some of the distinctly American sound found in the early 20th century. In my opinion, the mix of the aforementioned and the traditionally romantic sounds makes for a scintillating amalgam; at one point you might hear Tchaikovsky, but the next moment it’s as if Price is saying “just look what I can do.” While being shorter than the first, I enjoy Price’s second violin concerto a little more. It sounds a bit more cohesive, and I find it, especially toward the latter calm section before the end, quite touching. I thoroughly enjoyed both concerti whilst streaming—I’m hoping for an opportunity to hear them live in the near future.
Of course, Price’s “Adoration” is lovely, and not much more needs to be said aside from: be sure to listen to it, and the rest of this album. I simply can’t wait to see what’s next from Goosby; perhaps a quartet album soon, given that he’s a member of the Renaissance String Quartet, which recently had its New York debut—we shall see. If you want more of Goosby now, however, I’m happy to report that he recently performed in our very own Greene Space; you can watch that performance, and hear him in conversation with Jeff Spurgeon in the special presentation below.
This month’s honorable mentions: Reginald Mobley, Baptiste Trotignon—Because James Ehnes, Edward Gardner, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra—Nielsen: Violin Concerto; Symphony No. 4 Arturo Stalteri—Philip Glass: Dodecagon About Quentin Neroes
Quentin Neroes (Photo provided by Quentin)
Quentin is one of two Music Coordinators at WQXR and hails from Dallas, TX (though he now makes his home in Brooklyn). He appreciates all things analog, including—but not limited to—fountain pens, cameras, and vinyl records. He studied English in college and managed a vinyl library in his former dorm, Eliot house; in that capacity, he held weekly listening sessions called “music hours” (after office hours) where he served cheese, crackers, and wonderful records.
In this third episode featuring Mozart’s solo piano music, host David Dubal guides us through Mozart’s extensive touring years as a child and young adult. He and his talented older sister, Maria Anna, travelled throughout Europe with their father, Leopold, dazzling aristocracy and royalty alike. Despite these many years contending with treacherous roads, dangerous illness, and long separations from his mother, Mozart’s musical development continued from his early years as a child prodigy through to the end of his short life.
In addition to the music of Mozart, this program features the first movement of a piano sonata by his father, Leopold Mozart, and the Polonaise mélancolique composed by his youngest child, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart.
Tune in on Sunday at 10pm for Reflections from the Keyboard.
Program:
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332, I. Allegro
--Juana Zayas, piano
Leopold Mozart: Piano Sonata in C Major, I. Allegro
--Cyprien Katsaris, piano
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576, III. Allegretto
--Ingrid Haebler, piano
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 570, I. Allegro
--William Kapell, piano
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart: Polonaise mélancolique in E minor, Op. 17, No. 2
--Cyprien Katsaris, piano
Mozart: Piano Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448
--Josef Lhévinne, piano; Rosina Lhévinne, piano
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 5 in G Major, K. 283, I. Allegro
--Heidi Lowy, piano
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, K. 282, I. Adagio
--Leon Fleisher, piano
Listen Saturday, June 17th, at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Click here for the upcoming Saturday Opera broadcast schedule.
Vienna’s production of Fidelio begins this season of WFMT's Opera Series, starring Brandon Jovanovich as Florestan, alongside an Axel Kober-conducted cast that includes Anja Kampe as Leonore.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
A scene from Fidelio at the Vienna State Opera (Photo courtesy of WFMT)
Conductor: Axel Kober
CAST:
Florestan - Brandon Jovanovich
Pizarro - Jochen Schmeckenbecher
Don Fernando - Martin Hässler
Leonore - Anja Kampe
Rocco - Christof Fischesser
Marzelline - Slávka Zámečníková
Jaquino - Daniel Jenz
ENSEMBLE: Vienna State Orchestra and Chorus
Listen live Tuesday, June 13th at 7:30pm
The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Hosted by Paul Cavalconte
Program
Acronym Ensemble
Anonymous (Biber?/Schmelzer?): Sonata Jucunda a5 in D minor
Samuel Capricornus (1628-1665): Sonata a8 in A minor
Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676): Canzona a8 in C major
Andreas Kirchhoff (fl.1700): Sonata a6 in G minor
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725): Sinfonia a4, (from Agar et Ismaele esiliati)
Clemens Thieme (1631-1668): Sonata a8 in C major
- Intermission -
Johann Pezel (1639-1694): Ciacona a6 in B-flat major
Giovanni Valentini (1582-1649): Sonata Enharmonisch a8 in G minor
Antonio Bertali (1605-1669): Sonata a6 in D minor
Johann Philipp Krieger (1649-1725): Sonata a4 in F major
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704): Battalia a10 in D major
Listen Live on Friday, June 3rd, at 8pm.
Joshua Bell joins the New Jersey Symphony for their season finale. On this program, hear the premiere of Farah (Joy), an all-new commission from the Symphony's Resident Artistic Catalyst, Daniel Bernard Roumain. A work for voice and orchestra, Daniel Bernard Roumain's newest work continues to genre-bend classical music. Joshua Bell joins for Bruch's Violin Concert No. 1, weaving passages of blazing virtuosity and moments of serenity into a masterpiece of artistry. The night finishes with Stravinsky's energetic, dark, and exhilarating musical tale The Rite of Spring. Xian Zhang conducts.
WQXR's Annie Bergen and WNYC's Steve Smith co-host the evening.
New Jersey Symphony with Xian Zhang (Fred Stucker)
Program
Roumain: Farah (Joy) for Voice and Orchestra (World Premiere, New Jersey Symphony Commission)
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
- Joshua Bell, violin
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Watch Joshua Bell and Emanuel Ax perform Beethoven's "Spring Sonata" as part of Bob Sherman's 90th Birthday Concert in WQXR's The Greene Space. Recorded live on June 7, 2022.
On the one hand, I was lucky when I started to get interested in classical music, because New York City at the time (around 1980) had three different radio stations playing it. On the other, it was a somewhat forbidding experience to listen to any of them. The announcers seemed so serious – and old! You know, like over 30! It made me, a kid from Queens whose family aspired to be middle class and had no real exposure to classical music, feel like I was trying to sneak into an exclusive club.
But there was an exception. On occasion, I would hear a show called “The Listening Room” on WQXR, hosted by a guy named Robert Sherman, who, yes, sounded like he was over 30, and sounded like he knew what he was talking about. But he also, somehow, sounded like a guy named “Bob,” and occasionally I’d hear a guest call him that. Which meant these musicians – classical musicians, from that club I was trying to sneak into – knew him and were on a nickname basis with him.
One day, Bob (it’s funny how quickly he became Bob in my head, years before I actually met him) had a trio on “The Listening Room.” I don’t remember their name or anything else leading up to this one moment, but apparently the group had formed because they’d wanted to play a specific piece – I think it might have been the Debussy Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp. So Bob, after speaking with the musicians, introduces their performance, and it goes something like this: “well the Blah Blah Blah Trio came together to play the Debussy Trio so by golly that’s what they’re gonna do.” I don’t remember the exact words he said – almost certainly not “Blah Blah Blah,” but that “by golly” leapt out of my radio and smacked me in the head. “That’s – that’s how people in my neighborhood talk!” I thought. This guy sounds like he could swap dad jokes with my… you know… dad!
“That’s – that’s how people in my neighborhood talk!” I thought. This guy sounds like he could swap dad jokes with my… you know… dad!
I also remember a day when Byron Janis was on the show. I’d never heard of him, had no idea whether this was a coup for the show or whether he was just some local musician with nothing better to do. But Bob made it clear he was important (and had the music to back it up), and while I don’t remember a single thing Janis said, I remember thinking that the two of them sounded like any two guys talking about a shared interest. If they’d been discussing who the Yankees needed to sign in the offseason, it would not have sounded any different.
Bob’s knack for pulling back the curtain and revealing the people who made the music was incredibly important for me as an aspiring college radio DJ. It made me think about how to present music – any kind of music, really – on the radio. If people already love the music, they’ll love it whether I’m playing it on the radio or not. But what about someone who doesn’t yet love it, but might be willing to give it a try? Then I want to be able to be that welcoming voice that says, “Yeah, there’s lots of stuff going on here, but at the end of the day it’s people making music because they love it.” You can understand that.
Bob was still this friendly but knowledgeable guy who was playing songs and introducing me to people I’d never heard of.
So I began to listen a little more to WQXR, and one weekend I heard Bob on the radio doing something totally different. He was playing folk songs on a show called “Woody’s Children.” And it soon emerged that the most amazing thing about this show was that it was not totally different at all. In fact, it was virtually the same thing, except with different music. Bob was still this friendly but knowledgeable guy who was playing songs and introducing me to people I’d never heard of.
In a way, this felt familiar: I loved rock, had my favorite rock DJs, liked the feeling of shared interest and affection you’d develop as you came to know the various radio personalities’ tastes, but I also wanted to hear what else was out there. If I were to end up finding a job in radio, I didn’t want it to be something where I’d have to put on a persona, be someone who was content to just present one kind of music – I’d want that kind of connection that I felt with my favorite late night rock jocks, but with the opportunity to play other types of music, too. Here was a guy on a classical music station who was doing just that, and comfortably moving between two apparently different worlds, without changing who he was to do it.
This has turned out to be a useful experience over the years, as I’ve broadcast decades worth of unusual and experimental and just plain esoteric music on “New Sounds.” Of course, I don’t think everyone will like everything I play. The point has always been to simply present the things I found interesting, hope other people found it interesting to at least be exposed to this music, and then leave them to make up their own minds as to whether they liked it enough to follow up on it. That requires a level of trust between radio host and listener, and building that trust is what Bob has done so well, for so long.
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, host David Dubal begins a four-part series exploring the solo piano works of one of history’s greatest musical masters, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Although he lived only 35 years, Mozart made an enduring impression in nearly every genre of classical music. Taught by his father, the driven and musical Leopold Mozart, the child prodigy spent nearly 14 years of his short life traveling the muddy, treacherous roads of Europe, garnering admiration wherever he went. Through these travels, Mozart absorbed and transformed the music he encountered, filtering it through his own creative genius. On this program, we hear many great Mozart interpreters, including Emil Gilels, Maria João Pires, Vladimir Horowitz, and more.Program:
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310, I. Allegro maestoso--Alicia de Larrocha, pianoMozart: Piano Sonata No. 15 in F Major, K. 533, III. Rondo: Allegretto--Emil Gilels, pianoMozart: Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576, I. Allegro--Martha Argerich, pianoMozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332, II. Adagio--Earl Wild, pianoMozart: Piano Sonata No. 13 in B-flat Major, K. 333, III. Allegretto--Maria João Pires, pianoMozart: Adagio in B Minor, K. 540--Vladimir Horowitz, pianoMozart: Piano Sonata No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 570, III. Allegretto--Emil Gilels, pianoMozart: Piano Sonata No. No. 11 in A Major, K. 331, III. Rondo alla Turca--Maria João Pires, piano
Listen Saturday, June 3rd at 1:00pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
One of opera’s most beloved works receives its first new Met staging in 19 years—a daring vision by renowned English director Simon McBurney that The Wall Street Journal declared “the best production I’ve ever witnessed of Mozart’s opera.” In his Met-debut staging, McBurney lets loose a volley of theatrical flourishes, incorporating projections, sound effects, and acrobatics to match the spectacle and drama of Mozart’s fable. The brilliant cast includes soprano Erin Morley as Pamina, tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Tamino, baritone Thomas Oliemans in his Met debut as Papageno, soprano Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, and bass Stephen Milling as Sarastro. Nathalie Stutzmann conducts the Met Orchestra.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Lawrence Brownlee (center) as Tamino and Errin Duane Brooks (left) and Richard Bernstein (right) as the Armed Men in Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte."(Karen Almond)CONDUCTOR: Nathalie Stutzmann
CAST:
Tamino - Lawrence Brownlee
Pamina - Erin Morley
Papageno - Thomas Oliemans
Sarastro - Stephen Milling
Queen of the Night - Kathryn Lewek
Monostatos - Brenton Ryan
Sprecher - Harold Wilson
Give WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen to his 3-minute summary of Die Zauberflöte below. Want a closer look at the music of Die Zauberflöte? Stream the Aria Code podcast episode featuring Kathryn Lewek's performance of the Queen of the Night's big moment, “Der Hölle Rache.”
June 1, 2023 - Gov. Kathy Hochul has requested guidance from federal health officials on how billions of dollars in unspent health care funding from Washington D.C. could be spent on health insurance for undocumented New Yorkers. We consider how this would work with Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of health initiatives for the Community Service Society of New York, and Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, a Queens Democrat
June 1, 2023 - Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Director of Government Affairs Andrew Binovi makes the case for legislation designed to ensure doctors have current, comprehensive information about nutrition.
June 1, 2023 - New Yorkers aspiring to enter the state's marijuana marketplace are urging policymakers to make startup funding more accessible. We talk about potential improvements to the rollout of the retail licenses and development of retail shops with Britni Tantalo, president of Flower City Dispensary in Rochester.
Mozart's tale is about more than just an evil queen hitting an F6 — the opera draws inspiration from the philosophy of the Freemasons. Want to know more? Morning Host Jeff Spurgeon explains Mozart's magical opera in just three minutes.
With such a dark past, what does the future look like for opera as an art form? From Verdi to Mozart, many of opera’s most celebrated works famously reduce people of African descent to racist caricatures and stereotypes with tragic fates.
In the final episode of this season of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: we go in search of opera’s future with composers, musicians, and thinkers of today, and turn our attention one more time to Mozart's “Abduction from the Seraglio” to learn from a long-voiceless character. Joined by Dr. Sharon Willis, opera and theater director Peter Sellars, and opera greats Chauncey Packer, Limmie Pulliam, and more.
This episode is written, hosted and produced by Terrance McKnight with support from David Norville. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Sapir Rosenblatt Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson.
A transcript of this episode is available on our website: everyvoicepodcast.org
As Bob Sherman retires and steps down as host of the Young Artists Showcase, WQXR will continue the program with a roster of guest hosts.
Join us in celebrating the career and legacy of longtime host Bob Sherman as he retires from WQXR.
From giving world-renowned musicians their radio debut on the Young Artists Showcase, hosting The Listening Room, and producing the award-winning folk series Woody's Children, Bob Sherman has curated exciting programming on WQXR for over sixty years.
Last June, Bob’s friends, colleagues, and family gathered in the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space for a special concert to celebrate his 90th birthday, and tonight we’re hearing highlights from that evening. You’ll hear performances by renowned musicians including Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell and the Emerson String Quartet plus speakers commemorating Bob’s incredible life and career.
Watch the full concert here:
Learn more about Bob Sherman’s nearly 70-year career at WQXR in this special tribute created by New York Public Radio’s Director of Archives, Andy Lanset: The Sherman Legacy
Program:
Lewis: Great Balls of Fire- Charlie Albright, piano
Kreisler - Recitativo and Scherzo- Chee-Yun Kim, violin
Gomidas: Gourung- Ani Kavafian, violin
Dvorak: Piano Quintet Op. 81, II. Dumka (Andante con moto)- Emerson String Quartet; Emanuel Ax, piano
Beethoven: Spring Sonata- Joshua Bell, violin; and Emanuel Ax, piano
May 30, 2023 - In response to a proliferation of warehouse jobs around New York, advocates for warehouse workers are looking to build on legislative successes in 2022 with new labor protections. Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union Public Policy Director Josh Kellerman makes the case for incorporating ergonomics into job duties and limiting exposure to extreme temperatures at work.
May 30, 2023 - State Sen. Rachael May, a Syracuse Democrat, is proposing to narrow the scope of the state's environmental quality review process for evaluating new housing in certain situations to ensure it is only judging the environmental ramifications of a project.
May 29, 2023 - Northeast Dairy Producers Association Executive Director Tonya Van Slyke discusses whole milk in schools, a new dairy processing plant and the utilization of lower carbon bridge fuels.
It could be said that France’s musical voice is defined by the piano. This week host David Dubal concludes his Piano in France exploration with a medley of piano music from five distinguished French composers: Reynaldo Hahn, Darius Milhaud (a member of Les Six), Olivier Messiaen, Cécile Chaminade and Robert Casadesus. These composers drew separately from his or her own style while sharing an indelible French identity in their music.
The program features several experiments in French composition, from Milhaud’s playful Scaramouche performed in the hands of Elena Hammel and Laura Sánchez, to the Danse from Hahn’s Concerto for Piano & Orchestra in E Major played by Magda Tagliaferro.
Program playlist:
Reynaldo Hahn: Concerto for piano and orchestra in E Major, DanseMagda Tagliaferro, pianoDanteDarius Milhaud: Piano Concerto No. 2, AniméSari Biro, pianoPearlDarius Milhaud: Saudades do Brazil, Ipanema and GaveaBoaz Sharon, pianoUnicornOlivier Messiaen: 20 Scenes from the Infant Christ, Regard de l'esprit de joieHayk MelikyanSelf-ReleasedReynaldo Hahn: Sonatine in C Major, Allegro non troppoMagda Tagliaferro, pianoDanteCécile Chaminade: Les SylvainsFrancesco Libetta, pianoVIA AudioRobert Casadesus: Concerto for Two Pianos & Orchestra op 17, first movementGenova & Dimitrov Piano Duo, pianoCPOReynaldo Hahn: Le Rossignol Eperdu 53 Poems, Matinee parisienneEarl WildIvory ClassicsDarius Milhaud: ScaramoucheElena Hammel and Laura SánchezPoliMusica
Listen Saturday, May 27th at 1:00pm.Content Advisory: Champion contains adult themes, sexually explicit language, and physical violence.
Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Originally aired on April 29, 2023.
When Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones opened the Met’s 2021–22 season to universal acclaim, it marked a historic moment in the annals of the company. Now, the six-time Grammy Award–winning composer’s operatic retelling of the dramatic story of boxer Emile Griffith arrives in New York. Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green stars as the closeted young hatmaker-turned-prizefighter, who rises from obscurity to become world champion and, in one of the great tragedies in sports history, kills his homophobic archrival in the ring. Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads a stellar cast that also features bass-baritone Eric Owens as Griffith’s older self, haunted by the ghosts of his past. Soprano Latonia Moore is Emelda Griffith, the boxer’s estranged mother, alongside mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as bar owner Kathy Hagen.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Ryan Speedo Green as Young Emile Griffith surrounded by drag queens in Terence Blanchard's "Champion."(Ken Howard)CONDUCTOR: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
CAST:
Young Emile Griffith - Ryan Speedo Green
Emile Griffith - Eric Owens
Emelda Griffith - Latonia Moore
Kathy Hagen - Stephanie Blythe
Howie Albert - Paul Groves
Benny "Kid" Paret - Eric Greene
May 26, 2023 - State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli reacts to the recently adopted state budget, including what it means for future budgets, how it could impact the use of overtime by state agencies and the ramifications for his oversight powers.
May 26, 2023 - New York Immigration Coalition Executive Director Murad Awawdeh provides context about the influx of asylum seekers to New York and offers a roadmap for how elected officials should respond.
May 26, 2023 - New York State Thruway Authority interim-Executive Director Frank Hoare defends toll increases planned for 2024 and 2027 and discusses the rocky rollout of new service plazas along the thruway.
ROBERT SHERMAN ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT AFTER 68 YEARS ON WQXR Sherman’s final episodes as host of the long-running radio show Young Artists Showcase to air on June 14 and 17Guest hosts to continue Young Artists Showcase as WQXR plans succession hosts.(New York, NY – May 25, 2023) - Longtime WQXR host Robert Sherman today announced his plan to retire after 68 years on the air. Sherman has hosted Young Artists Showcase, the beloved weekly radio show spotlighting generations of young emerging artists, since its launch in 1978. A roster of guests has hosted the show over the past few months. With Sherman’s blessing and continuing support from The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation, the program will continue as WQXR considers a successor.
From giving now world-renowned musicians their radio debut on Young Artists Showcase to hosting other long-running and popular shows such as The Listening Room and the award-winning folk series Woody's Children, Sherman has been an iconic, steady presence on WQXR.
“The end of Bob’s presence on WQXR is truly the end of an era,” said Ed Yim, Chief Content Officer, WQXR.“ He has been part of New Yorkers’ lives for generations and words cannot express how grateful we are for the wit, wisdom and grace he has shared with us as a colleague and as a pillar of our musical community.”
In December 1993, on the occasion of ending the run of Sherman’s show The Listening Room, eminent violinist Isaac Stern remarked, “I can’t remember a time when The Listening Room wasn’t there…it is part of why New York is the center of the musical world. I don’t know of a major musician or a young person who has not had - in Bob Sherman and his work - not only a willing pair of ears but a willing pair of arms. I cannot explain how important this is to the musical life of our city.”
“Our family is extremely proud of its relationship with Bob Sherman and the Young Artists Showcase on WQXR,” said Harold McGraw III, the former Chairman, President and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies. “For 45 years, thanks in large measure to Bob’s extraordinary dedication, we have introduced thousands of gifted young musicians to a wider audience through the Young Artist Showcase platform. We salute Bob for his thoughtfulness and passion and wish him continued success and happiness.”
WQXR will share tributes to Bob Sherman and his work over the next few weeks, including:
ON AIRBob Sherman's 90th Birthday ConcertPart 1: May 31, 9 pm and June 3, 11 pmPart 2: June 7, 9 pm and June 10, 11 pm
In 2022, friends, colleagues, and family members of WQXR host Bob Sherman gathered in the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space to celebrate his 90th birthday. This special program features renowned musicians including Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell and the Emerson String Quartet, plus speakers commemorating Bob’s incredible life and career.
Young Artists Showcase: Bob’s FinaleJune 14, 9 pm and June 17, 11 pm
Bob Sherman takes you on a journey through his incredible 45-year tenure hosting the Young Artists Showcase. He shares fond memories and remarkable performances from pianist Emanuel Ax, violinist Chee-Yun, sibling duo Gil and Orli Shaham, the Gaudete Brass Quintet and others.
ONLINE/DIGITALArchival material from Bob Sherman’s illustrious career (Week of May 29)
WNYC New Sounds Host John Schaefer shares his tribute to Bob Sherman on WQXR.org (Week of June 5)
A photo montage by Bob Sherman’s son - renowned performance photographer Steve J. Sherman - will be highlighted on WQXR.org (Week of June 12)
About Robert ShermanRobert Sherman, award-winning broadcaster and writer, has been associated with WQXR for over sixty years. Formerly Program Director and later Senior Consultant, he continued to produce and host the Young Artists Showcase, underwritten by The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation, for forty-five of those years. He also hosted the popular show The Listening Room and Lincoln Center presentations of the annual Avery Fisher Career Grants for over thirty years. His popular and award-winning folk series Woody's Children, which began on WQXR in 1969, just finished its run on Fordham University's WFUV.
In addition to an award-winning broadcast career on radio, Sherman has been a music critic and columnist for The New York Times and is the author of many books, including The Smart Guide to Classical Music and two books with the comedian and pianist Victor Borge, My Favorite Intermissions and My Favorite Comedies in Music. He also co wrote a pictorial biography about his mother, the acclaimed Lithuanian-born classical pianist Nadia Reisenberg, and wrote about his aunt, the thereminist Clara Rockmore.
Sherman hosted programs on PBS (Vibrations) and CBS (Camera Three) and served on the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School for over 20 years.
Robert Sherman has hosted concerts and moderated panels for many cultural organizations, among them the Brevard Music Festival, Salon De Virtuosi, Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning, Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, and the Yonkers Philharmonic. He has served as narrator for such esteemed ensembles as Canadian Brass, New Jersey Wind Symphony, U.S. Military Academy (West Point) Band, and the Greenwich Symphony, along the way premiering works by Seymour Barab, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, Issachar Miron, Dina Pruzhansky and Grigory Smirnov.
WQXR's Robert Sherman(Steve J. Sherman)About The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation, Inc.The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit private foundation whose primary mission is to improve the lives of others through thoughtful grant making focused on education, youth services, community health and medical research. It was established to celebrate the legacy of Harold W. McGraw, Jr., the longtime Chairman and CEO of McGraw-Hill, the publishing and financial information services company.
May 25, 2023 - Dr. Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, an associate professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, discusses the state's progress in combating Hepatitis C and identifies steps the state should implement to eliminate the virus by 2030.
May 25, 2023 - In the wake of the fight over Gov. Kathy Hochul's failed bid to have the Hon. Hector LaSalle serve as the state's chief judge, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, is pushing legislation designed to increase transparency in lobbying on gubernatorial nominations requiring senate confirmation.
May 25, 2023 - In order to continue to address the disproportionate fallout from the past criminalization of marijuana in New York, state cannabis regulators are implementing a social and economic equity plan. New York State Office of Cannabis Management Chief Equity Officer Damian Fagon explains some of the recommendations in the plan, including how to make capital available and promote a level playing field for stakeholders.
Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio” was first heard in Vienna in 1782, commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II to cater to the German-speaking audience of the capital city. Joseph II and Mozart had more in common than just their native tongue. Joseph II championed liberal ideas, equality, and religious freedom, while some experts interpret Mozart's operas as striving to be liberatory. But 1780s Europe was financially entwined with human trafficking, and the ideals of enlightenment and freedom didn’t apply to every human. In “Abduction,” those real-world restrictions — and the ramifications they have for Mozart’s characters — are on full display.
This week on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: In “Abduction from the Seraglio,” Pasha Selim subjects both European women and men of African descent to servitude within his haram. But their dramatic treatment — which characters get to enjoy escape and victory, and which characters do not — tend to uphold stereotypes of race, class and sex. We hear from the voices of Jennifer Welch Babige as Konstanze and Blonde, Sir Willard White as Osmin, and Nathan Stark as Pasha Selim.
This episode is written, hosted and produced by Terrance McKnight with support from David Norville. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Sapir Rosenblatt Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to the Livermore Valley Opera and the Metropolitan Opera for the use of their performances of “Abduction from the Seraglio.”
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
A transcript of this episode is available on our website: everyvoicepodcast.org
This broadcast originally aired on February 22nd, 2023.
In this Young Artists Showcase episode, we’re featuring highlights from a Lunar New Year celebration in The Greene Space by Manhattan School of Music vocalists. Beginning as a small settlement music school, Manhattan School of Music has become a renowned conservatory over its 100 years of music education. The school boasts an undergraduate and graduate program consisting of 1,000 students from all around the world. The Manhattan School of Music’s students were brought to The Greene Space by The Gerda Lissner Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing young singers support to pursue excellence in their craft.
In this program, Myra Huang, a piano faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music, and Anthony Roth Costanzo, one of Manhattan School of Music’s most distinguished graduates, curated a night of music and poetry based on the theme of home and migration inspired by the Lunar New Year. The evening begins with a poem by Cambodian American poet and librettist Sokunthary Svay and is followed by a performance of Tzu’s Homesickness by bass-baritone Le Bu and pianist Ye In Kwak. Wrapping up the program is “O patria, o cara patria… O Tu Palermo” from Verdi’s I Vespri Siciliani, sung by bass-baritone Le Bu and accompanied by pianist Marco Rizzello.
Program:
Tzu: Homesickness- Le Bu, Bass-Baritone; Ye In Kwak, Piano
Liszt: Mignons Lied, S.275, “Kennst du das Land”- Eva Rae Martinez, Soprano; Ye In Kwak, Piano
Griffin: Warm Water Flows- Henry Griffin, Baritone; Ye In Kwak, Piano
Giordano: Andrea Chénier, “Nemico della patria”- Yeong Taek Yang, Baritone; Ye In Kwak, Piano
Zang: I Don’t Know Where the Wind is Blowing- Yining Xie, Soprano; Marco Rizzello, Piano
López: Entre los árboles- Anthony Roth Costanzo, Countertenor; Myra Huang, Piano
Min-Jung: Such a Clear Current- Yeong Taek Yang, Baritone; Ye In Kwak, Piano
Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani, “O patria, o cara patria… O Tu Palermo”- Le Bu, Bass-Baritone; Marco Rizzello, Piano
Villa-Lobos: Melodia Sentimental- Eva Rae Martinez, Soprano; Marco Rizzello, Piano
May 24, 2023 - Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, a Brooklyn Democrat, discusses her legislation designed to shine a spotlight on LLCs so their direct beneficiaries can be identified by government regulators and certain members of the public.
May 24, 2023 - Onondaga County Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny makes the case for minimum staffing levels at local boards of elections, creating voting centers on Election Day and ensuring all elections commissioners are full-time roles.
May 24, 2023 - The state Department of Environmental Conservation has adopted a new green plan for the agency's operations, including reducing their carbon footprint, decreasing waste and much more. Brendan Woodruff, sustainability director for DEC, explains the 70 steps they plan on taking.
May 24, 2023 - Brian Bird, chair of the New York chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, responds to the 10 percent increase in harvested deer during the 2022 hunting season in the Empire State.
May 23, 2023 - In the wake of a less than perfect creation of a recreational marijuana marketplace in New York, a broad effort to improve the transition has been rolled out by Sen. Jeremy Cooney, a Rochester Democrat and chair of the chamber's subcommittee on cannabis.
May 23, 2023 - Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Deborah Glick, a Manhattan Democrat, discusses the creation of a climate fund and provides an update on negotiations to craft packaging waste legislation.
May 23, 2023 - Assemblymember Amanda Septimo, a Bronx Democrat, talks about ways to increase opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in government contracting in the Empire State.
May 23, 2023 - Professional wrestling may look as real as a mixed martial arts bout or boxing match, but advocates for the sport argue that its choreographed (and fake) nature should lead to unique rules and regulations from the state.
May 22, 2023 - New York Public Service Commission Chair & CEO Rory Christian discusses emergency response plans for electric utility companies in the state.
Listen Saturday, May 20th at 1:00pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Tony Award–winning director of Broadway’s A View from the Bridge and West Side Story, Ivo van Hove, makes a major Met debut with a new take on Mozart’s tragicomedy, re-setting the familiar tale of deceit and damnation in an abstract architectural landscape and shining a light into the dark corners of the story and its characters. Maestro Nathalie Stutzmann makes her Met debut conducting a star-studded cast led by baritone Peter Mattei as a magnetic Don Giovanni, alongside the Leporello of bass-baritone Adam Plachetka. Sopranos Federica Lombardi, Ana María Martínez, and Ying Fang make a superlative trio as Giovanni’s conquests—Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina—and tenor Ben Bliss is Don Ottavio.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
A scene from Mozart's "Don Giovanni"(Karen Almond)CONDUCTOR: Nathalie Stutzmann
CAST:
Don Giovanni - Peter Mattei
Donna Anna - Federica Lombardi
Leporello - Adam Plachetka
Donna Elvira - Ana María Martínez
Don Ottavio - Ben Bliss
Zerlina - Ying Fang
Masetto - Alfred Walker
The Commendatore - Alexander Tsymbalyuk
Give WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen to his 3-minute summary of Don Giovanni below.
This broadcast originally aired on February 15th, 2023.
On this program of the Young Artists Showcase, guest host Midge Woolsey transports us to the Fontainebleau Conservatory’s 2021 Centennial Celebration: Ancient Palace – Cradle of Modern American Music. In 1921 the Conservatoire Américain de Fontainebleau opened its doors to American students to study at the historic Fontainebleau Chateau outside Paris. Each summer, the program introduces a select group of talented American students to the French Music tradition.
Tonight, we hear a selection of music from the program’s talented alumni. We’ll start with a performance of Lili Boulanger’s Two Pieces for Violin and Piano featuring violinists Kelly-Hall Tompkins and Donna Weng Friedman. An alum of the conservatory, George T. Walker’s Sonata for Cello and Piano follows Boulanger. And, rounding out the night, is Ravel’s Quartet for Strings in F performed by the 2022 Prix Ravel first prize winners, Daniel Dastoor, Leerone Hakami, Madison Marshall and Jaime An.
Program
Lily Boulanger: Two Pieces for Violin and Piano, I. Nocturne, II. Cortège- Kelly-Hall Tompkins, violin; Donna Weng Friedman, violin
Casadesus: Eight Etudes, Op. 28, No. 2- Matthew Bengtson, piano
Walker: Sonata for Cello and Piano, III- Khari Joyner, cello; Matthew Bengtson, piano
Fox: Fantasy for Clarinet, Piano and Chamber Orchestra- Charles Fox, conductor; Carol McGonnell, clarinet; Magdalena Baczewska, piano, The Chamber Orchestra of the American Conservatory
Ravel: Tzigane- Bartu Elci-Ozsoy, violin; Mathilde Nguyen, piano
Nadia Boulanger: Three pieces for Cello and Piano, No. 1. Modéré- Diana Ligeti, cello; Donna Weng Friedman, piano
Fox: Variations on the Name Nadia Boulanger, Theme by Robert Levin- Magdalena Baczewska, piano
Brown: Variations on the Name Nadia Boulanger, Theme by Robert Levin- Natalie Darst Xia, violin; Jane Yeong Eun Lee, cello
Levin: Variations on the Name Nadia Boulanger, Theme by Robert Levin- Baron Fenwick, piano
Sheng: Rages of Love for Violin and Chamber Orchestra, I. Dream Song- Dan Zhu, violin; Fontainebleau alumni orchestra
Fauré: Après un Rêve- Dan Zhu, violin; Bright Sheng, piano
Ravel: String Quartet in F Major, I. Allegro moderato- Daniel Dastoor, violin; Leerone Hakami, violin; Madison Marshall, viola; Jaime An, cello
May 19, 2023 - New York State School Boards Association's David Albert explains how the late state budget impacted the budget process for school districts and provides an overview of the results in the recent school budget and school board voting.
May 19, 2023 - SUNY Chancellor John King discusses new operating funds in the state budget for public higher education, touts a matching endowment program for the SUNY universities, and highlights a nursing simulation program.
May 19, 2023 - The 121st New York State Legislative Correspondents Association Show is coming to Planet Albany on May 23rd, so we preview the upcoming event and take a trip down memory lane with Kyle Hughes, who covers state government and politics for NYSNYS News and is a veteran of many LCA shows.
May 18, 2023 - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation Commissioner Erik Kulleseid discusses an historic business registry and the importance of tax credits to preserve historic buildings for future use.
May 18, 2023 - WE ACT for Environmental Justice Director of Policy Sonal Jessel highlights a program included in the state budget designed to identify apartments with possible lead exposure and talks about pending legislation to identify lead paint in older homes and help remediate lead paint safely.
May 18, 2023 - New York Power Authority acting President & CEO Justin Driscoll explains how his agency will implement its mandate in the budget to create and operate new renewable energy projects.
In the prime of his illustrious career, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ran in the realm of prominent, Black visionaries, composed the radical (unfinished) opera “Zaide” depicting a slave revolt, and even shared a home with famed Senegalese / French composer Joseph Boulogne, known as the Chevalier de Saint Georges. The Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, a supporter of Mozart, was also progressive for his time. During his reign, he was known for his religious tolerance, abolition of serfdom, and public friendship with Angelo Solimon, a man of African descent.
But having Black friends doesn’t mean you’re willing to sacrifice political standing and a payday. And though both men may have dreamed of a better world, “The Abduction from the Seraglio,'' commissioned by Joseph II, catered to the harsh reality of the times, oiling the wheels of Europe's economic engine — slavery.
This week on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: Sir Williard White as Osmin, the enslaved eunuch, and Soprano Jennifer Welch-Babidge as Blonde navigate the fiction of race as two enslaved characters in “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”
This episode is written, hosted and produced by Terrance McKnight with support from David Norville. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to the Livermore Valley Opera and the Metropolitan Opera for the use of their performances of “Abduction from the Seraglio.”
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
A transcript of this episode is available on our website: everyvoicepodcast.org
May 17, 2023 - State Sen. Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat, explains the working of the Rent Guidelines Board in New York City, which recently held a rowdy meeting addressing preliminary rent increases.
May 17, 2023 - A group of New Yorkers challenged the constitutionality of the state's plan to invest in a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills, but a mid-level appeals court has given the plan a thumbs up, according to Rob Rosborough, author of the New York Appeals blog.
May 17, 2023 - Martin Cahill, legislative chair for the New York chapter of the American Council for the Blind, discusses the group's legislative agenda and the state's chief disability officer.
Spring 2023 WQXR $500 Trader Joes Gift Card Giveaway Rules
OFFICIAL RULES
New York Public Radio (“NYPR”) is the sponsor of this Giveaway.
ELIGIBILITY: Anyone 18 years of age or older and in the United States can enter the Giveaway except employees of NYPR and its related organizations, their immediate family or persons living in the same household. Void where prohibited by law.
HOW TO ENTER: No purchase or pledge necessary. WQXR, WQXR, and New Jersey Public Radio Monthly Sustainers are automatically entered. Entries to the Giveaway may also be made by responding to e-renewals, calling the WQXR pledge line at 888-376-9692 or through the pledge form at WQXR.org during the following entry period:
Between the hours of 12:00 AM - 7:00 PM on Monday, May 22, 2023. PRIZE DRAWING AND PRIZING: Following the close of the entry period, 2 winners will be chosen from the drawing. The winner will receive the following:
$500 Trader Joes Gift Card Total Value: $500 SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNER: One winning name and one back up name will be selected by random drawing no later than 7/1/2023. Winner will be sent notification via telephone or mail no later than 7/15/2023. If the winner is unable to collect their prize or does not respond to the notification within 30 days the unawarded prize may, at NYPR’s discretion, go to the back-up (subject to the same 30-day response time requirement). Winner must provide their social security number. The chances of winning are dependent upon the number of entrants. The winners’ names will be kept on file at New York Public Radio and will be available by writing to WQXR Listener Services, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
GENERAL: Limit one (1) entry per person; duplicate or incomplete entries and entries that do not comply with these Official Rules will be will be disqualified. No automated entry devices and/or programs permitted. NYPR is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, or invalid entries, or for technical or administrative issues. An entry is deemed “received” when, as applicable, it is recorded by NYPR’s servers or at the end time of an eligible call to the WQXR pledge line. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by NYPR.
By participating in the Giveaway, participants agree to these Official Rules, and that New York Public Radio, its agents and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from their use of the prize or their participation in the giveaway. Prize is nontransferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. There can be no substitutions for a prize. NYPR may use winners’ names for publicity purposes without further compensation. Taxes and expenses as a result of winning this prize are the responsibility of the winners. Winners may receive a 1099 with the above stated value in accordance with applicable law.
RESTRICTIONS: Restrictions may apply. Each entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules, and by all decisions of NYPR with respect to the administration of the giveaway and the choice of winners. One entry per person. Multiple entries and not allowed and will not increase the chances of winning.
May 16, 2023 - The Siena College Research Institute surveyed voters about Gov. Kathy Hochul and the recently adopted state budget, including measures raising the minimum wage, imposing new restrictions on building constructions and expanding the use of cash bail.
Spring 2023 National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall Live Ticket GiveawayOFFICIAL RULES
New York Public Radio (“NYPR”) is the sponsor of this Giveaway.
ELIGIBILITY:
Anyone 18 years of age or older and in the United States can enter the Giveaway except employees of NYPR and its related organizations, their immediate family or persons living in the same household. Void where prohibited by law.
HOW TO ENTER:
No purchase or pledge necessary. WNYC, WQXR, and New Jersey Public Radio Monthly Sustainers are automatically entered. Entries to the Giveaway may also be made by responding to e-renewals, calling the WNYC pledge line at 888-376-9692 or through the pledge form at WNYC.org during the following entry period:
Between the hours of 12:00AM on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 7:00PM on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Eastern Standard Time. PRIZE DRAWING AND PRIZING:
Following close of the entry period, two winners will be chosen from the drawing. The winners will receive the following:
Pair of tickets to National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall Live on July 14 2023 @ 8PMTotal Value: $120 SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNER:
One winning name and one back up name for each drawing will be selected by random no later than 6/1/2023. Winner will be sent notification via telephone or mail no later than 6/1/2023. If the winner is unable to collect their prize or does not respond to the notification within 30 days the unawarded prize may, at NYPR’s discretion, go to the back-up (subject to the same 30-day response time requirement). The chances of winning are dependent upon the number of entrants. The winners’ names will be kept on file at New York Public Radio and will be available by writing to WNYC Listener Services, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
GENERAL:
Limit one (1) entry per person; duplicate or incomplete entries and entries that do not comply with these Official Rules will be will be disqualified. No automated entry devices and/or programs permitted. NYPR is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, or invalid entries, or for technical or administrative issues. An entry is deemed “received” when, as applicable, it is recorded by NYPR’s servers or at the end time of an eligible call to the WNYC pledge line. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by NYPR.
By participating in the Giveaway, participants agree to these Official Rules, and that New York Public Radio, its agents and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from their use of the prize or their participation in the giveaway. Prize is nontransferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. There can be no substitutions for a prize. NYPR may use winners’ names for publicity purposes without further compensation. Taxes and expenses as a result of winning this prize are the responsibility of the winners. Winners may receive a 1099 with the above stated value in accordance with applicable law.
RESTRICTIONS:
Restrictions may apply. Each entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules, and by all decisions of NYPR with respect to the administration of the giveaway and the choice of winners. One entry per person. Multiple entries and not allowed and will not increase the chances of winning.
Spring 2023 WQXR $500 FreshDirect Gift Card Giveaway Rules
OFFICIAL RULES
New York Public Radio (“NYPR”) is the sponsor of this Giveaway.
ELIGIBILITY: Anyone 18 years of age or older and in the United States can enter the Giveaway except employees of NYPR and its related organizations, their immediate family or persons living in the same household. Void where prohibited by law.
HOW TO ENTER: No purchase or pledge necessary. WQXR, WQXR, and New Jersey Public Radio Monthly Sustainers are automatically entered. Entries to the Giveaway may also be made by responding to e-renewals, calling the WQXR pledge line at 888-376-9692 or through the pledge form at WQXR.org during the following entry period:
Between the hours of 12:00 AM - 7:00 PM on Thursday, May 18, 2023. PRIZE DRAWING AND PRIZING: Following the close of the entry period, 2 winners will be chosen from the drawing. The winner will receive the following:
$500 FreshDirect Gift Card Total Value: $500 SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNER: One winning name and one back up name will be selected by random drawing no later than 7/1/2023. Winner will be sent notification via telephone or mail no later than 7/15/2023. If the winner is unable to collect their prize or does not respond to the notification within 30 days the unawarded prize may, at NYPR’s discretion, go to the back-up (subject to the same 30-day response time requirement). Winner must provide their social security number. The chances of winning are dependent upon the number of entrants. The winners’ names will be kept on file at New York Public Radio and will be available by writing to WQXR Listener Services, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
GENERAL: Limit one (1) entry per person; duplicate or incomplete entries and entries that do not comply with these Official Rules will be will be disqualified. No automated entry devices and/or programs permitted. NYPR is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, or invalid entries, or for technical or administrative issues. An entry is deemed “received” when, as applicable, it is recorded by NYPR’s servers or at the end time of an eligible call to the WQXR pledge line. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by NYPR.
By participating in the Giveaway, participants agree to these Official Rules, and that New York Public Radio, its agents and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from their use of the prize or their participation in the giveaway. Prize is nontransferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. There can be no substitutions for a prize. NYPR may use winners’ names for publicity purposes without further compensation. Taxes and expenses as a result of winning this prize are the responsibility of the winners. Winners may receive a 1099 with the above stated value in accordance with applicable law.
RESTRICTIONS: Restrictions may apply. Each entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules, and by all decisions of NYPR with respect to the administration of the giveaway and the choice of winners. One entry per person. Multiple entries and not allowed and will not increase the chances of winning.
May 16, 2023 - After a three-decade career in public health, including time with the Navy and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Dr. Leonard Peruski has been tapped to be the director of the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center. He joins the show to talk about his interest in the leadership role, his vision for the center and the ramifications of a $1.7 billion upgrade.
May 16, 2023 - Community Service Society of New York Vice President of Health Initiatives Elisabeth Benjamin discusses language in the state budget to improve access to financial assistance for health care costs and highlights outstanding initiatives to combat medical debt.
May 16, 2023 - Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Pete Harckham, a Westchester County Democrat, talks about the campaign to produce a comprehensive approach to reducing waste and increasing recycling.
May 15, 2023 - Common Cause NY Executive Director Susan Lerner advocates for a new process for writing ballot referendum language, expanding absentee ballot excuses and making it easier to participate in early voting.
May 15, 2023 - We break down what the state budget means for upstate transit systems with Carm Basile, head of the Capital District Transportation Authority and legislative chair of the New York Public Transit Association.
May 15, 2023 - Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Development Chair Sean Ryan, a Buffalo Democrat, and American Economic Liberties Project's Pat Garofalo discuss the use of non-compete agreements and why they want to ban them in New York.
May 15, 2023 - New York Farm Bureau Director of Public Policy Jeff Williams makes sense of the increasing minimum wage, a new tax credit for farmers and agriculture grants in the state budget
Erik Satie and Emmanuel Chabrier were innovators who transcended modern French pianism. Although they were born 25 years apart, their influence, together, had a tremendous impact on many future French composers.
This week, host David Dubal pairs the music of Satie, a comic genius, and Chabrier, a composer ahead of his time. Featured are selections from Chabrier’s Pièces pittoresques (10), a work that Poulenc described as important to French piano music as the later preludes of Debussy; Satie’s famous and enigmatic Gymnopedie No. 1; as well as Chabrier’s last composition before his death at the age of 53, the Bourée Fantasque.
Program playlist: Emmanuel Chabrier: Dix Pieces Pictoresques IdylleMagdalena TagliaferroMaster ClassErik Satie: Trois Gymnopedies - 1. Lent et douloureauxPeter DickinsonConifer ClassicsEmmanuel Chabrier: Dix Pictoresque Pieces, MelancolieJean-Joel BarbierAccordErik Satie: Sonatine bureaucratiqueThibaudet, Jean-YvesDeccaEmmanuel Chabrier: Scherzo-ValseCasadesus, JeanSony ClassicalErik Satie: Je te veux (Valse pour piano)David DubalArkiv MusicEmmanuel Chabrier: Trois Valses Romantiques 1Casadesus, Robert & GabySony ClassicalErik Satie: Sports et divertissements, Nos. 1-5Peter DickinsonConifer ClassicsEmmanuel Chabrier: Trois Valses Romantiques 3Casadesus, Robert & GabySony ClassicalErik Satie: Gnossienne 5Daniel VarsanoSony ClassicalErik Satie: Poudre d'or - ValsePhillippe EntremontSony ClassicalEmmanuel Chabrier: Bourre FantasqueCasadesus, JeanSony Classical
Listen Saturday, May 13th at 1:00pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The mighty walls and towering monuments of ancient Egypt once again fill the Met stage, as Verdi’s great spectacle returns. Soprano Leah Crocetto takes on the title role of a captive Ethiopian princess torn between love and country. Mezzo-soprano Olesya Petrova is Aida’s implacable Egyptian counterpart, Amneris, with tenor Jorge de León as the warrior Radamès, the object of both of their affections. Baritone George Gagnidze portrays Aida’s father, Amonasro, and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn is the iron-fisted priest Ramfis. Maestro Paolo Carignani conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Angela Meade as Aida and Olesya Petrova as Amneris in Verdi's "Aida."(Karen Almond)CONDUCTOR: Paolo Carignani
CAST:
Aida - Leah Crocetto
Radamès - Jorge de León
Amneris - Olesya Petrova
Amonasro - George Gagnidze
Ramfis - Christian Van Horn
The King - Krzysztof Bączyk
Want a closer look at the music of Aida? Stream the Aria Code podcast episode featuring soprano Latonia Moore's performance of "O Patria Mia."
May 12, 2023 - New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Legislative Committee Chair Kevin Stadelmaier explains how assigned defense attorneys are getting a raise and the state is investing improving the evidentiary discovery process.
May 12, 2023 - Reinvent Albany Senior Policy Advisory Rachael Fauss breaks down the state investments into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in order to solve its fiscal crisis and improve services.
May 12, 2023 - In order to increase access to victim compensation funding, the state needs to expand how victims apply for support, according to Alice Hamblett a senior policy manager at Common Justice.
May 12, 2023 - Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger highlights environmental policies that the New York State Association of Counties is urging state policymakers to adopt.
May 11, 2023 - Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Westchester County Democrat, discusses the recently adopted state budget and looks ahead at what lawmakers might accomplish before the end of the legislative session.
May 11, 2023 - Assemblymember Kenny Burgos, a Bronx Democrat, and United Auto Workers Local 259 President Brian Schneck talk about legislation that would mandate vehicle manufacturers pay the full price of vehicle technician labor for work covered by a warranty.
Listen live on Tuesday, May 9th at 8pmProgram notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall under the exceptional leadership of Susanna Mälkki, a conductor revered for “the absolute integrity of her music-making” (Chicago Tribune) and ability to “invest anything she touches with persuasive grandeur” (San Francisco Chronicle). Mälkki’s critically acclaimed Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage debut came in 2022 when she lent her talents to conducting the New York Philharmonic, and it will be a thrill to see her lead her nation’s own Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, in her last season as Chief Conductor, through this all-Finnish program. Hear masterworks by Sibelius and a transportive piece by Kaija Saariaho—an ideal showcase for Debs Creative Chair and endlessly creative flute virtuoso Claire Chase.
The night is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:Helsinki Philharmonic OrchestraSusanna Mälkki, Chief ConductorClaire Chase, Flute
Sibelius: "Lemminkäinen's Return" from Lemminkäinen SuiteKaija Saariaho: Aile du songeSibelius: Symphony No. 2
On the first show in this two part series, hear a talented collection of performers and organizers from the Open Note concert series perform in the WQXR studio, In partnership with Klavierhaus in Manhattan and the Old Stone House in Brooklyn, Open Note is a concert series run by students from the Mannes School of Music, focused around community building in intimate performance settings. Tonight, guest host Simone Dinnerstein is joined by Open Note’s student organizers and a few of Open Note’s performers in the WQXR studio.
Israeli cellist Tamar Sagiv begins the program with a performance of Bach’s Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor followed by pianist Efe Daghan Bagatur with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in G Major from Book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Pivoting into the 20th Century, pianist Georgi Lekov will play George Rochberg’s Nach Bach and Annie Wang continues with Scott Joplin’s Bethena, A Concert Waltz. Flutist Olivia Chaikin brings us into the 21st Century with Valerie Coleman’s Danza de la Mariposa before pianist John Gibb and clarinetist Taig Egan finish the night out with Beethoven and Debussy.
Program:
Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008, IV. Sarabande- Tamar Sagiv, cello
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G Major, BWV 860- Efe Daghan Bagatur, piano
Rochberg: Nach Bach- Georgi Lekov, harpsichord/piano
Joplin: Bethena, A Concert Waltz- Annie Wang, piano
Coleman: Danza de la Mariposa- Olivia Chaikin, flute
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90, II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen- John Gibb, piano
Messager: Solo de Concours- Taig Egan, clarinet; John Gibb, piano
Debussy: The Girl with the Flaxen Hair- Taig Egan, clarinet; John Gibb, piano
May 2, 2023 - State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat, explains his proposal to give New Yorkers legal standing to bring lawsuits against major polluters in the Empire State in order to win monetary judgements and secure injunctive relief.
May 5, 2023 - New York Times political reporter Nick Fandos shares the story of an influential adviser to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was largely unknown to the citizens of Planet Albany until he was highlighted in the Gray Lady.
May 2, 2023 - Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, a Westchester County Democrat, shares her concerns about the environmental impact of the decommissioning of the Indian Point nuclear power plan.
This month, hear opera downtown, strings in the Bronx, Latin choral music in Queens, a kora-piano duo in Brooklyn, and much more.
City Lyric Opera: La TraviataNeighborhood: NoHoWednesday-Friday, May 3rd-5th, 7pm; Saturday, May 6th, 3pmThe Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, 18 Bleecker St, New York, NY
The City Lyric Opera’s fully staged production of Verdi’s classic takes a keen look at how the patriarchal system of Violetta’s world treats “fallen” women, and borrows imagery from Verdi’s original source material, Alexandre Dumas’s novel-turned-play La Dame aux Camélias. Directed by R. Lee Kratzer (stage) and Michelle Rofrano (music), and the production stars Laura Soto-Bayomi as Violetta.
The New York Metropolitan Flute Trio in ConcertNeighborhood: Park SlopeSaturday, May 6th, 2pmThe Old Stone House of Brooklyn, 336 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY
The New York Metropolitan Flute Trio was born during the early days of the pandemic, when three renowned flutists came together to serenade their neighbors every weekend in the backyard of a Park Slope brownstone. Now on stage at the Old Stone House in Park Slope, the trio (Amy Z. Cohen, Paul-Lucien Kulka, and April Klavins) will perform both canonical and contemporary classical works, including some of their own arrangements.
Melodia Women’s Choir: “Always Something Sings”Neighborhood: ChelseaSaturday, May 6th, 7:30pmChurch of the Holy Apostles, 296 9th Ave, New York, NY
Melodia Women’s Choir celebrates its 20th anniversary with a concert of treble choir music spanning twelve centuries, including works the choir has commissioned. On the program are selections by Hildegard von Bingen, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Ola Gjeilo, and more.
Melodia Womens Choir performing(Abby Verbosky)The Gena Branscombe Project presents Bringing Back Branscombe to the Upper West SideNeighborhood: Upper West SideSaturday, May 6th, 5pmNew York Society for Ethical Culture, Adler Hall, 2 West 64th St, New York, NY
The Gena Branscombe Project champions the music of Gena Branscrombe (1881-1977), a Canadian-born composer, conductor, pianist, educator, and long-time Upper West Side resident. This concert brings some of Branscombe’s remarkable output back to the neighborhood, including songs, piano works, a violin sonata, and works for french horn.
Concerts in the Heights: “Obsession”Neighborhood: Kingsbridge Heights, The BronxThursday, May 11th, 1pmLehman College Art Gallery, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY
This month’s presentation from the free concert series at Lehman College takes its title from a violin sonata by composer Eugène Ysaÿe , which will be performed in a special arrangement for six violins from the String Orchestra of New York. The unique program, which also features works by Bach and contemporary composer Karl Kramer, will additionally include a music-inspired one man play performed by actor Jack Clark, as well as choreography by dancers Angelina Laguna and A’lia Martin.
New York String Orchestra, conducted by Jaime Laredo(Courtesy of The New School / Mannes)Harlem Chamber Players’ Family ConcertNeighborhood: Newark, NJSaturday, May 13th, 12pmNewark School of the Arts, 89 Lincoln Park, Newark, NJ
The Harlem Chamber Players head across the Hudson to perform a free concert for families. The performance will feature Adolphus Hailstork’s “Detroit” Piano Quintet, a work first premiered by the Harlem Chamber Players in 2019.
NYC Master Chorale: “Cor Dulce, Cor Amabile”Neighborhood: Woodside and the Upper West SideSaturday, May 13th, 7pmPS 151Q, 50-05 31st Ave, Woodside, NY
Saturday, May 20th, 7pmThe New York Society for Ethical Culture, Adler Hall, 2 West 64th St, New York, NY
The New York City Master Chorale will present the second concert of its 2022-23 season in both Queens and Manhattan. Highlighting choral works from Latin America, the concert features music by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, Hispanic Baroque works from the New World by Antonio de Salazar, Manuel de Zumaya, and Ignacio de Jerusalem, and a world premiere of a new commission by composer-guitarist João Luiz.
New York City Master Chorale(Mike Benigno)Park Avenue Chamber Symphony presents Tales and Transformations: The Family InsideOut Concerts ExperienceNeighborhood: Hell’s KitchenSaturday, May 20th, 2pmDiMenna Center for Classical Music, 450 West 37th St, New York, NY
The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony continues their “InsideOut” series especially designed for families and children, which allows audiences to sit directly inside the orchestra during the performance. This installment highlights the music of Sergei Prokofiev, including his Symphony No. 5 and the beloved Peter and the Wolf, featuring narration by WQXR’s very own Terrance McKnight.
TENET Vocal Artists: “Rejoice! Rejoice!”Neighborhood: Upper West SideSaturday, May 20th, 7pmSaint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, 552 West End Ave, New York, NY
The New York-based chamber choir closes out its 2022-23 season with a concert dedicated to the sacred music of 16th century England. Featuring works by Thomas Tallis, Robert White, John Sheppard, William Mundy, and William Byrd.
TENET Vocal Artists(Tatiana Daubek Photography)Crossings: Malang Jobarteh, kora & Chelsea Randall, pianoNeighborhood: Park SlopeThursday, May 25th, 7pmBrooklyn Conservatory of Music, 58 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY
The Brooklyn Conservatory presents “Crossings,” a unique encounter between New York-based pianist Chelsea Randall and Gambian kora player Malang Jobarteh. The evening will include piano works by György Ligeti and Philip Glass, traditional kora music passed down in Jobarteh’s family, and a brand new collaborative composition by Jobarteh and Randall.
Music for a While: A Composer Portrait of Henry PurcellNeighborhood: Brooklyn HeightsWednesday, May 31st, 7:30pmMcKinney Chapel at First Unitarian Congregational Society, 121 Pierrepont St, Brooklyn, NY
Repast Baroque Ensemble returns to First Unitarian to present a program celebrating the works of English composer Henry Purcell, including songs, fantasies, keyboard works, and the Chaconne. The evening will feature the vocals of soprano Sonya Headlam.
RePast Baroque Ensemble perform(Andrew Cribb)
Listen Saturday, April 29th at 1:00pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Originally aired on November 9, 2022.
A work of subtle beauty, Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece delivers a tragically realistic rendering of the mistrust, misunderstandings, and dark secrets that lurk within even the closest communities. Tenor Allan Clayton, following his 2022 Met debut in the title role of Brett Dean’s Hamlet, takes on another complex protagonist as Peter Grimes, the enigmatic fisherman accused of the death of two apprentices. Nicholas Carter conducts John Doyle’s chilling production, which also features soprano Nicole Car as the empathetic Ellen Orford and baritone Adam Plachetka as the retired captain Balstrode, whose condemnation seals Grimes’s fate.
Nicole Car as Ellen Orford and Allan Clayton as Peter Grimes in Britten's "Peter Grimes."(Richard Termine)Read a synopsis of the opera.
CONDUCTOR: Nicholas Carter
CAST:
Peter Grimes - Allan Clayton
Ellen Orford - Nicole Car
Balstrode - Adam Plachetka
In 2023, this program will air Thursday, April 27th at 8pm.Originally aired on Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Due to rights restrictions, some of the music used in the original broadcast has been removed for the on-demand stream.
“Joseph Boulogne — The Chevalier of Music and Revolution” is a look at the life and works of one of Mozart’s contemporaries: Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a composer, violinist, conductor, and fencer! Born in the French colony of Guadeloupe, he was the son of a wealthy plantation owner and his slave, and grew up to be a well-known and respected musician in Europe for most of his life.
Hosted by Terrance McKnight, the program includes a conversation with Marlon Daniel, Artistic and Music Director of the Saint-Georges International Music Festival; Lady Jess, violinist and Co-Artistic Director of the Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra; and Bill Barclay, the Artistic Director of Concert Theatre Works and former Director of Music at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Producer: Rosa Gollan
Maurice Ravel’s secret to composing piano music was innovation and observation, using the resources of the modern piano to its full potential. His first piano lesson was at age seven, and he entered the Paris conservatory when he was just 14 years old. However, Ravel never stopped being a student. He relished in Paris's creative atmosphere, especially at nighttime, using this as major inspiration in his work.
Ravel’s music is brought to life in this episode through Emil Gilels, Martha Argerich and Arturo Benedetti Michaelangeli, among others.
Program playlist (all by Maurice Ravel):
Sonatine: 3. AniméMartha ArgerichPhilips
Pavane for a Dead PrincessAngela HewittHyperion
Le Tombeau de Couperin: ToccataEmil GilelsPhilips
NoctuelleJacques FevrierNaxos
Gaspard de la nuit: 2. le gibetWalter GiesekingPhilips
Piano Concerto in G: 2. Adagio assaiArturo Benedetti Michaelangeli
Une Bargue sur l'OcéanLeonard PennarioMSR
Piano Concerto in G: 3. PrestoKrystian Zimeran; Pierre BoulezDeutsche Grammophon
Listen Saturday, April 22nd at 1:00pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The opera that announced the young Mozart’s genius to the world returns to the Met, with acclaimed maestro Manfred Honeck making a notable company debut on the podium. A distinguished cast of leading Mozarteans comes together to bring the moving drama and dazzling arias to life, with tenor Michael Spyres in the title role of the ancient Cretan king, alongside mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey as the noble prince Idamante and soprano Ying Fang as his conflicted beloved, Ilia. Soprano Federica Lombardi is the jealous Elettra, who loses her senses in a mad scene of virtuosic rage.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Kate Lindsey as Idamante and Ying Fang as Ilia in Mozart's "Idomeneo."(Karen Almond )
CONDUCTOR: Manfred Honeck
CAST:
Idomeneo - Michael Spyres
Ilia - Ying Fang
Elettra - Federica Lombardi
Idamante - Kate Lindsey
Arbace - Paolo Fanale
High Priest - Issachah Savage
At the heart of Verdi's opera “Aida” is an African love story, where an Egyptian general and an Ethiopian princess fall in love. It premiered in Cairo in 1871, but the truth is, very few Africans went to see it, let alone could afford the price of a ticket. This was a European conception of the East, for European audiences at a time when Egypt’s leadership was attempting to make Egypt ‘the Paris of the East.’
Verdi’s “Aida” often portrays Egyptians as white and free and Ethiopians and black and enslaved, reinforcing colonial stereotypes and colorism, still present in many modern day productions.
Verdi’s “Aida” opera painted a picture of Africa for colonial consumption, and subjected its Egypt and Ethiopian characters to stereotypes and colorism that run rampant through even modern productions.
In this episode of Every Voice with Terrance Mcknight: Joined by bass baritone Sir Willard White as the King of Egypt, soprano Angela Brown as Aida, and mezzo soprano Raehann Bryce Davis as Amneris; we hear from “Aida’s” African characters in their own voices.
This episode is hosted by Terrance McKnight. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit
www.arts.gov.
Guest host Simone Dinnerstein presents the prizewinners of the 2022 International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in a performance from the competition’s winners concert. Founded in 1950, 200 years after Johann Sebastian Bach’s death, the Leipzig Bach Archive has organized the bi-annual International Bach Competition. The competition, which awards prizes to outstanding young musicians, takes place every two years alternating between the disciplines of piano, harpsichord and violin and those of violoncello, organ, and voice. Tonight we’re featuring a selection of prizewinners in the piano and harpsichord divisions.
Recorded by MDR Klassik Leipzig, this program from the winners concert will feature first prize winner of harpsichord, Alexander Von Heissen, second prize winner in piano, Mattia Fusi, third place winner in piano, Eden Agranat Meged, second prize winner in harpsichord, Irene Gonzalez Roldan, and first place winner of piano, Olga Davnis. They’ll perform Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in D Minor, Haydn’s Concerto for Harpsichord in G Major, and Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, to name a few.
Program:
Haydn: Keyboard Concerto in G Major, Hob. XVIII: 4, 2. Adagio, 3. Rondo-Presto- Alexander Von Heissen, harpsichord; Leipzig Baroque Orchestra
Haydn: Sonata in B Minor, Hob XVI: 32- Mattia Fusi, piano
Shostakovich: Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, Op. 87, No. 24- Eden Agranat Meged, piano
Bach: Partita in E Minor, BWV 830, 4. Air, 5. Sarabande- Irene Gonzalez Roldan, harpsichord
Bach: Keyboard Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052, III. Allegro - Olga Davnis, piano; Leipzig Baroque Orchestra
Bach: English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809, 4. Sarabande- Olga Davnis, piano
Do we know when we’re living through history? In 1893, New Yorkers gathered outside Carnegie Hall to hear the ground-breaking premiere of composer Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, better known as the “New World Symphony.” One of the most hotly anticipated premieres in musical history, it was delivered in the midst of a national debate over what a distinctly “American” classical music should sound like — and it was destined to become one of the most beloved works in Western classical repertoire. Over a century later, the NY Phil performed the same work a world away in Pyongyang, North Korea, once again making history, and revisiting those same questions of what it means to perform American music — and how music, regardless of its origin, can serve as a bridge between peoples.
The NYPhil Story: Made in New York production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Helena de Groot, Sapir Rosenblatt, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonemaker, Eileen Delahunty, Christine Herskovits, Natalia Ramirez, and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes: George Wellington and Ed Haber. Production assistance from: Ben James, and Jac Phillimore and Mary Mathis. Special thanks to Monica Parks, Adam Crane, Gabe Smith, and the New York Public Radio Archives.
April 18, 2023 - Syracuse Post Standard and Syracuse.com government reporter Tim Knauss shares a story about a state economic development deal in Syracuse that never materialized, cost the state millions and has been shrouded in secrecy.
April 18, 2023 - Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, a Capital Region Democrat, discusses his legislation banning companies with ties to America's foreign adversaries, like China, from owning farm land in New York, which he views as a risk to food security in the Empire State.
April 18, 2023 - Changes to bail aren't the only proposed amendments to New York's pre-trial detention laws that have been considered during budget negotiations in April, as there has also been talk about evidentiary discovery requirements. Legal Aid Society's Kalle Condliffe responds to proposed changes endorsed by district attorneys and discusses the implementation of 2019 reforms to the state's discovery laws.
April 13, 2023 - Just when you thought New York's congressional boundaries were set until the 2030 census, a legal challenge could result in the Democratic majorities in the state Legislature getting a second crack at drawing the lines. We examine the issue with Jeff Wice, a senior fellow and adjunct professor with the New York Law School’s Census and Redistricting Institute.
April 13, 2023 - New York State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon discusses the state's updated sexual harassment model policy, which includes guidance on protections for remote workers and transgender New Yorkers.
Have You Heard...Prisma from the Goldmund QuartetThe Goldmund Quartet’s new EP, Prisma, is an excellent example of an effective track list. It has left me wanting more, and I hope that when you listen, you will agree. Played on a set of Stradivari instruments called the “Paganini Quartet,” the overall sound of the instruments is impeccable, and each facet of music displayed sounds natural to the centuries-old works of art.
The second track, an arrangement of Arvo Pärt’s “Da pacem Domine” is a particularly lovely piece on the EP, especially in comparison to the original, choral, version. The way the high voice is played in the quartet version very faithfully captures the delicacy with which the voices begin and end their interjectory notes. Almost as if the note was always being played, the violin comes from silence and returns to silence in an auditory display of the kind of plaint for peace that the words of “Da pacem Domine” convey; it’s a plaint that yearns for peace more than anything. And that same phrasal crescendo and decrescendo is admirably mirrored in the piece more broadly, as it swells and fades over the four-and-a-half minutes it is played.
The last two pieces were commissions for this project of the Goldmund Quartet. According to a press release, they wanted to “[pay] special attention to the promotion of emerging talents,” and therefore commissioned “Prismatica” from Pascal Schumacher and “Fall, Glow, Dissolve” from Sophia Jani. The former gives one a sense of teeming life, practically leaping out of its bounds, particularly in the pizzicato section early on. You hear an echo soon after, when the bows are used again. The rather playful tone of the piece ends, however, and grows a little more contemplative; it’s tense in some places, and almost menacing towards the end. The latter piece is more along the vein of “Da pacem Domine,” and as the composer wrote, there is rather a literal “fall” in the music; it constantly stumbles and genuflects, but it always rises again. I hear the glow in the upper strings’ music, like newborn stars attempting to flash into existence, only to flicker in the struggle—silence to silence, like in Pärt’s piece. Mere listener that I am, I cannot name the effect whereby the violins, I believe, play with their fingers lightly on the string (as it’s not a clean harmonic), but it makes for quite a haunting end to the piece that really is reminiscent of a dissolution. This EP will only take about twenty minutes of your time, so do go listen to this; I’m confident that you’ll find it as lovely as I did. And if music videos enhance the experience for you, you’ll be happy to know that there are three of them available here.
This month’s honorable mentions: Dan Tepfer — Inventions / Reinventions François Lazarevitch and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien — Beauté BarbareAbout Quentin NeroesQuentin Neroes(Photo provided by Quentin)Quentin is one of two Music Coordinators at WQXR and hails from Dallas, TX (though he now makes his home in Brooklyn). He appreciates all things analog, including—but not limited to—fountain pens, cameras, and vinyl records. He studied English in college and managed a vinyl library in his former dorm, Eliot house; in that capacity, he held weekly listening sessions called “music hours” (after office hours) where he served cheese, crackers, and wonderful records.
Listen Saturday, April 15th at 12:00pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
A sterling cast assembles for Strauss’s grand Viennese comedy. Soprano Lise Davidsen is the aging Marschallin, opposite mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as her lover Octavian and soprano Erin Morley as Sophie, the beautiful younger woman who steals his heart. Bass Günther Groissböck returns as the churlish Baron Ochs, and Brian Mulligan is Sophie’s wealthy father, Faninal. Maestro Simone Young takes the Met podium.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Günther Groissböck as Baron Ochs and Samantha Hankey as Octavian in Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier."(Ken Howard) CONDUCTOR: Simone Young
CAST:
Octavian - Samantha Hankey
Marschallin - Lise Davidsen
Baron Ochs - Günther Groissböck
Sophie - Erin Morley
Faninal - Brian Mulligan
Annina - Katharine Goeldner
Valzacchi - Thomas Ebenstein
A Singer - René Barbera
Give WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen to his 3-minute summary of Der Rosenkavalier below.Want a closer look at the music of Der Rosenkavalier? Stream the Aria Code podcast episode featuring Renée Fleming's performance of "Da geht er hin."
In Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida,” Princess Aida is torn between her homeland of Ethiopia (ruled by her father, King Amonasro) and her captor, the Egyptian leader Radamès who loves her and whom she loves in return. It’s a powerful love story, an African love story - so why are Egyptians portrayed as white and the Ethiopian as Black and enslaved?
This week on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: We’re joined by tenor Limmie Pulliam, the first Black man to take on the role of Radamès at the Metropolitan Opera, soprano and arts activist Maleasha Taylor, and WQXR host, opera expert, and Cairo native Nimet Habachy on how Aida was commissioned to help position Egypt as the “Paris of the East” and what that means for Egyptians like her today.
This episode is hosted by Terrance McKnight. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov
At the start of 2023, WQXR introduced a new series of live concert recordings in the evenings, including more prominent placement for our hometown organizations – the New York Philharmonic and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Starting April 15, WQXR will introduce one of the nation's top-ranking orchestras to the Saturday evening line up: the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. You’ll hear exciting programs featuring works from the standard repertoire, as well as by new composers in world premieres. The Pittsburgh Symphony broadcasts, hosted by Jim Cunningham, will replace the European Broadcast Union series.
The April programming update also includes a swap of California-based orchestras: on Friday, April 21, the San Francisco Symphony joins the Friday evening program schedule, replacing the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Lastly, the Gateways Festival Orchestra Monday evening series concluded on April 10, but we’ll still be bringing you the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center every Monday night at 9pm. Terrance McKnight will be back on the mic with more of the music you love from 10-11pm.
WQXR’s primary mission is to present listeners with the best range of classical music repertoire and performance. By giving you more live concert programming, the world’s major orchestras get a showcase in the classical music capital of America, and their work becomes more easily available to you, our loyal listeners.
If you’d like to know in advance which pieces you'll hear in the evenings, become a WQXR member and you’ll receive the WQXR Daily Playlist each morning, right to your inbox.
Here is your evening schedule as of April 15: Mondays 9pm-10pm: Encore - Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Tuesdays9pm-10pm: Chicago Symphony
Wednesdays9pm: Young Artists Showcase 10pm: Performance Today
Thursdays9pm-11pm: New York Philharmonic This Week
Fridays9pm-11pm: San Francisco Symphony
Saturdays8pm -10pm: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra10pm- 11pm: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center11pm - Midnight: Encore - Young Artists Showcase
Please note: these programming updates will not impact Sunday programming or the Carnegie Hall Live broadcast series. The full 2022-23 season schedule of Carnegie Hall Live is available here.
Let us know how you are liking our winter programming experience! Leave a comment below or contact our Listener Services department via this link.
Guest host Simone Dinnerstein introduces the 2022 Astral Artist’s National Competition winners with their performances from Philadelphia’s Stotesbury Mansion. When Vera Wilson founded the Astral Artists in 1992, she understood that young artists require deep mentorship along with incredible performance opportunities to become great performers and musicians. In its over 30 years of existence, the Astral Artist organization has continued to foster young artists in career planning, community engagement, and performance development.
On this episode, hear the four winners of the Astral Artists’ 2022 National Competition. The newest additions to the Astral Artists’ roster, bassoonist Andy Sledge, soprano Kayla Harriott, soprano Sage DeAgro-Ruopp, and accordionist Iwo Jedynecki will play an impressive array of music, along with 2019 Astral Artist pianist Byeol Kim. Starting off with Alexis Lamb’s In Memoriam, the program continues with Mozart, Gounod, and Manuel Ponce before closing with Franck’s 5 Pièces pour harmonium and Ginastera’s Argentine Dances Number 3.
Program:
Alexis Lamb: In Memoriam- Andy Sledge, bassoon
Leslie Adams: Poem of Love- Andy Sledge, bassoon; Byeol Kim, piano
Mozart: “L’amerò, sarò constante” from Il Re Pastore- Kayla Harriott, soprano; Byeol Kim, piano; Eunice Kim, violin
Gounod: “Ah, Je Veux Vivre” from Roméo et Juliette- Kayla Harriott, soprano; Byeol Kim, piano
Manuel Ponce: Intermezzo No. 1- Byeol Kim, piano
Gottschalk: Souvenir de Porto Rico- Byeol Kim, piano
Weill: “Stranger Here Myself” from One Touch of Venus- Sage DeAgro-Ruopp, soprano, Byeol Kim, piano
Sage DeArgo-Ruopp: Sie- Sage DeAgro-Ruopp, soprano, Iwo Jedynecki, classical accordion
J.S. Bach: Partita in G-major, BWV 829, II. Allemande; III. Corrente- Iwo Jedynecki, classical accordion
Ginastera: Argentine Dances Op. 2, No. 3, “Dance of the Outlaw Cowboy”- Iwo Jedynecki, classical accordion
April 29th, 1865: Fifteen days after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Philharmonic paid tribute to the late president with the Funeral March from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3. Beethoven intended this work to honor Napoleon — but ripped out the dedication page when Napoleon declared himself Emperor of France. Now, the symphony merely known as “Eroica” (or “heroic”) is fitting music to honor any national leader or heroic figure.
Later, in the wake of an all-too-familiar tragedy, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School reached out to two New York Philharmonic musicians. Clarinetist Anthony McGill, trombonist Joseph Alessi, and former band director of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Alex Kaminsky discuss how music helped console a community in the face of violence and loss.
The NYPhil Story: Made in New York production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Helena de Groot, Sapir Rosenblatt, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonemaker, Eileen Delahunty, Christine Herskovits, Natalia Ramirez, and Ed Yim. Our engineering team includes: George Wellington and Ed Haber. Production assistance from: Ben James, and Jac Phillimore and Mary Mathis. Special thanks to Monica Parks, Adam Crane, Gabe Smith, and the New York Public Radio Archives.
This episode contains discussions of self-harm and school violence. If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. And if you’re outside the U.S., you can visit findahelpline.com to find resources for your country. You can also find free multilingual trauma resources online from the Child Mind Institute.
April 11, 2023 - As part of New York's environmental justice movement, the state's Climate Justice Working Group has come with criteria to identify disadvantaged communities that will be prioritized as part of the green revolution in the Empire State. Sonal Jessel, director of policy for WE ACT for Environmental Justice and a member of the working group, explains the definition of disadvantaged communities and discusses the potential investments as the state tries to realize the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
April 11, 2023 - The future investment of state revenues from marijuana sales will be determined by New York's Cannabis Advisory Board, which is tasked with crafting a process to get money into communities impacted by the war on drugs. We spoke with Joseph Belluck, the board's chair, about investing marijuana revenues and advising state cannabis regulators.
On this edition of The Piano in France, host David Dubal explores the pianism of Claude Debussy. From compositions that integrate layers of exquisite chording and harmonies, to pieces with Eastern influences and sounds from the natural world, Debussy was ahead of his time. He developed new concepts in pedaling and in rhythms, requiring the highest sensitivity and elasticity from a pianist.
Featured this week are some of the greatest Debussy interpreters: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli playing Reflets dans l'eau; Pierre-Laurent Aimard in Poissons d'or (Goldfish); and Samson Francois with the Toccata from Pour le piano.
Listen Saturday, April 8th at 1:00pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Sparks are sure to fly as some of opera’s most electrifying artists light up Puccini’s classic thriller. Set in 1800's Rome, an adored singer, Tosca, must make the impossible choice between saving her lover or submitting to the authoritarian chief of police. Soprano Angela Gheorghiu takes on the title role of the desperate diva, opposite tenor Matthew Polenzani as the ardent painter-revolutionary Cavaradossi. Baritone Željko Lučić portrays the merciless Baron Scarpia, with Domingo Hindoyan conducting.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
CONDUCTOR: Domingo Hindoyan
CAST:
Tosca - Angela Gheorghiu
Cavaradossi - Matthew Polenzani
Scarpia - Željko Lučić
Sacristan - Patrick Carfizzi
Give WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen to his 3-minute summary of Tosca belowWant a closer look at the music of Tosca? Stream the Aria Code podcast episode featuring Joseph Calleja's performance of "E lucevan le stelle."
This episode features young artists who are reinvigorating music of the past, including early music from the baroque period. Violin and bass duo, Tessa Lark and Michael Thurber, banjoist Jake Blount, and the ensemble Beneath a Tree will also play their own compositions, which are deeply influenced by and infused with early European and American music traditions.
The violin and the banjo are integral to American music making and today’s show features young performers of both instruments. Tessa Lark is a GRAMMY nominated soloist, a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, and a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award winner. She combines her command of the classical repertoire with the Appalachian and bluegrass music that she grew up with. Violinists Rachell Ellen Wong and Gail Hernandez Rosa both play on baroque violins, but fuse their playing with elements of folk music, no matter what genre they play in. Jake Blount is a multi-instrumentalist, both a banjo and violin player, who brings Black and Indigenous Appalachian traditions to the present. Jake has been named the 2020 recipient of the Steve Martin Banjo prize and is a two-time winner of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival. Jake shares his love of the banjo with guitarist Paul Holmes Morton who loves bringing the banjo into his baroque performances with groups including Beneath A Tree, and Ruckus. Many of tonight’s performers are graduates of the Juilliard School’s Historical Performance Program who you’ll hear playing Bach’s rocking Brandenburg Concerto No.3.
Program:
Georg Philipp Telemann: Sonata à 4 in A minor- Twelfth Night Ensemble (Rachell Ellen Wong, violin + direction; David Belkovski, harpsichord + direction; Carmen Lavada Johnson-Pájaro, violin; Andrew Gonzalez, viola; Nathan Whittaker, cello; Doug Balliett, bass; Daniel Swenberg, theorbo)
J.S. Bach (arr. Thurber & Lark): Invention No. 1 in C Major, BWV 772- Tessa Lark, violin; Michael Thurber, bass
Thurber & Lark: Tumble Time- Tessa Lark, violin; Michael Thurber, bass
J.S. Bach (arr. Thurber & Lark): Invention No. 8 in F Major, BWV 779- Tessa Lark, violin; Michael Thurber, bass
Thurber & Lark: Weather Vane- Tessa Lark, violin; Michael Thurber, bass
Tessa Lark and Sierra Hull: Chasin’ Skies- Tessa Lark, violin; Sierra Hull, mandolin
Henry Purcell: La Furstemberg- Twelfth Night Ensemble (Rachell Ellen Wong, violin + direction; David Belkovski, harpsichord + direction; Carmen Lavada Johnson-Pájaro, violin; Ravenna Lipchik, viola; Nathan Whittaker, cello; Jonathan Luik, bass; Adam Cockerham, theorbo)
Henry Purcell: Rondeau, “The Indian Queen”- Twelfth Night Ensemble (Rachell Ellen Wong, violin + direction; David Belkovski, harpsichord + direction; Carmen Lavada Johnson-Pájaro, violin; Ravenna Lipchik, viola; Nathan Whittaker, cello; Jonathan Luik, bass; Adam Cockerham, theorbo)
Jimmie Driftwood: We’re Gonna Hunt the Buffalo- Jake Blount, violin
Manco Sneed: Old-Timey Grey Eagle - Jake Blount, banjo; Tatiana Hargreaves, violin
Lucius Smith: Goodbye, Honey, You Call That Gone- Jake Blount, banjo; Nic Gareiss, step percussion
Beneath A Tree: Telemann Folk- Beneath A Tree (Gail Hernández Rosa, violin; Daniel Turkos, bass; Paul Holmes Morton, guitar)
J.S. Bach (arr. Ferguson, Morton, and Ruckus): Prelude in C Minor- Emi Ferguson flute; Ruckus (Adam Cockerham, theorbo; Paul Holmes Morton, banjo; Shirley Hunt, viola da gamba; Evan Premo, baroque bass)
J.S. Bach (arr. Ferguson and Ruckus): Prelude in E Major - Emi Ferguson flute; Ruckus (Adam Cockerham, theorbo; Elliot Figg, organ and harpsichord; Paul Holmes Morton, banjo; Shirley Hunt, viola da gamba; Evan Premo, baroque bass; Clay Zeller-Townson, baroque bassoon)
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, I. Allegro- Juilliard415; (Chloe Kim, Rafa Prendergast, Shelby Yamin, violins; Manami Mizumoto, Natalie Rose Kress, Rebecca Nelson, violas; Cullen O’Neil, Sydney ZumMallen, Charlie Reed, cellos; John Stajduhar, violone; Carl Patrick Bolleia, harpsichord)
Sacred Harp Traditional: Family Bible- John Taylor Ward, voice; Ruckus (Doug Balliett, baroque bass; Emi Ferguson, piccolo; Elliot Figg, harpsichord; Priscilla Herreid, recorder; Paul Holmes Morton, banjo; Loren Ludwig, viola da gamba; Rachell Ellen Wong, baroque violin; Clay Zeller-Townson, baroque bassoon)
Special thanks to:
Jonathan Een Newton at Freedirt Records for the use of tracks by Jake Blount.
John Schaefer and WNYC’s New Sounds for the use of “We’re Gonna Hunt the Buffalo”
Karin Brookes and Robert Mealy from the Juilliard School’s Historical Performance department for the use of their live recording of Brandenburg Concerto No.3
And all of the artists who shared their music and performances as part of this show.
On December 7, 1842, a group of musicians gathered in the Apollo Rooms in Lower Manhattan and performed – for the first time – as the Philharmonic Society of New York. The first piece they played? Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
In this episode, we try to listen to that most famous of famous symphonies as our 1842 audience would have: as if for the very first time. And, host Jamie Bernstein follows the twists and turns on the journey an early musician, Solidor Milon, took to get to that stage. Even today, the path that NY Phil musicians take to Lincoln Center is a breathtaking one, as we hear in the story of concertmaster Frank Huang.
April 4, 2023 - 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich makes the case for adding language to Gov. Kathy Hochul's housing creation plan that would mandate the use of prevailing wage requirements on new home construction covered under her new state approval process.
April 4, 2023 - SUNY Empire State University President Lisa Vollendorf discusses her school's unique mission to educate working adults and its role in the public higher education system.
April 4, 2023 - A long awaited, $14 million dollar renovation of the state museum in Albany is poised to get underway this fall. Museum Director Mark Schaming explains what's envisioned with the overhaul, which will cover about 40,000 square feet.
April 4, 2023 - New York State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri explains why the state has overhauled how prescription drugs are purchased for Medicaid patients and responds to concerns raised by health care providers.
April, 3, 2023 - Legal Aid Society Health Law Unit Director Rebecca Antar Novick explains how a change in federal rules will require New Yorkers on public health insurance programs, like Medicaid, to begin reapplying for coverage for the first time since the arrival of COVID-19.
April 3, 2023 - Buffalo News Albany Bureau Chief Chris Bragg dives into the world of political housekeeping accounts, an obscure corner of campaign finance that can easily be misused without serious repercussions.
April 3, 2023 - Assembly Housing Committee Chair Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat, makes the case for the state to invest nearly $400 million into rental assistance for New Yorkers living in government subsidized housing who were were shut out of previous emergency rent support.
A new month brings a new assortment of live music across the tristate area. This month, hear a lost Bach Passion reconstructed in midtown, Latin impressionism in Harlem, marimba music in Queens, opera in New Jersey, a brass band in Connecticut, and much more.
underStaffed: Then and NowNeighborhood: YorkvilleTuesday, April 4th, 7:30pmBohemian National Hall, 321 E 73rd St, New York, NY
The Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews presents a concert of music for string orchestra spanning three centuries (appropriately by one Czech and two Jewish composers): Josef Suk’s Serenade for Strings (1892), Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 (1925), and up-and-coming Israeli composer Shahar Regev’s “New Horizon” (2020). The music will be performed by underStaffed, a new chamber orchestra comprised of emerging musicians from the New York City metropolitan area, at Bohemian National Hall.
underStaffed performing(Anna Yatskevich)The Passion According to Saint Mark: A Contemporary ReconstructionNeighborhood: Midtown EastFriday, April 7th, 12pmSaint Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Ave, New York, NY
As part of the church’s Good Friday liturgy, Saint Peter’s presents J.S. Bach’s lost Saint Mark Passion in a contemporary reconstruction by Dr. Bálint Karosi, winner of the 2008 International Bach Competition. Featuring the church’s own Choir and Bach Collegium Period Orchestra, this community-funded performance will also encourage audience participation during the work’s chorale movements.
Saint Peter’s Bach Collegium Period Orchestra and Saint Peter’s Choir(Photo courtesy Saint Peter’s Church.)Musica Reginae Productions: Dual KeyboardsNeighborhood: Forest HillsSaturday, April 15th, 7:30pmChurch in the Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave, Queens, NY
Forest Hills’ Musica Reginae Productions presents a “dual keyboard” concert of marimbist Makoto Nakura and pianist Barbara Podgurski. The concert will feature transcriptions of beloved classical works for this unusual instrumentation, as well as works commissioned especially for the duo by contemporary composers such as Philip Lasser and David Conte. Arrive a few hours early for “Marimba Magic,” a special introduction to the marimba by Nakura for kids and families.
Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra performs Grieg and SibeliusNeighborhood: Prospect HeightsSunday, April 16th, 2pmBrooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
The Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra continues its 2022-23 season at the Brooklyn Museum with a Scandinavian-tinged program: Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 alongside Silbelius’s Violin Concerto and second symphony. Featuring guest conductor David Bernard and violinist Kento Hong.
The Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra performs at the Brooklyn Museum(Loren Abdulezer)Concerts on the Slope: Juri Seo, Beethoven, and GriegNeighborhoods: Park SlopeSunday, April 16th, 3pmSt. John’s Episcopal Church, 139 Saint John’s Place, Brooklyn, NY
Concerts on the Slope, a chamber music series based at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Park Slope, presents a program of three very different works for strings: Beethoven’s early String Trio, Grieg’s String Quartet, and “Respiri,” a string quartet by living composer Juri Seo. Featuring Kae Nakano and Mayuki Fukuhara, violins, Liuh-Wen Ting, viola, and Benjamin Larsen, cello.
The Renaissance String Quartet’s New York DebutNeighborhood: Hell’s KitchenSunday, April 16th, 7:30pmDiMenna Center for Classical Music, 450 W 37th St, New York, NY
The Renaissance String Quartet was founded in 2021 by four longtime friends: violinists Jeremiah Blacklow and Randall Goosby (whose 2021 album Roots has been a favorite on our airwaves), violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass. The ensemble makes its New York debut at the DiMenna Center with a program of works by Beethoven and Mozart, as well as the world premiere of Hass’s String Quartet No. 1, a genre-blending work entitled “Love and Levity.”
La Camerata Washington Heights: Impressionism from Paris to Latin AmericaNeighborhood: HarlemThursday, April 20th, 7pmAaron Davis Hall, The City College of New York, 129 Convent Ave, New York, NY
La Camerata Washington Heights, the in-house chamber ensemble of the Association of Dominican Classical Artists, presents a program of impressionist music spanning centuries and continents, with works by Debussy, Ravel, 20th-century Dominican composer Enrique de Marchena, and contemporary Argentine composers Ariel Pirotti. Admission is free to the concert, which will be held at City College’s Aaron Davis Hall.
La Camerata Washington Heights(Photo Courtesy of ADCA)PhiloSonia Chamber Series – CONTRASTS V: TemporumNeighborhood: Park SlopeThursday, April 20th, 7:30pmBrooklyn Conservatory of Music, 58 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY
The Brooklyn-based chamber music series PhiloSonia continues their 2022-23 season, “Contrasts.” The fifth installment, “Temporum,” features music for strings, piano, and soprano, including works by Shostakovich, Libby Larsen, Dobrinka Tabakova, and Ilse Weber. Audiences will hear the Jewish children’s songs of Weber, a victim of the Holocaust, in a new arrangement by Jorell Williams, co-commissioned by the Brooklyn Art Song Society.
Opera Magnifico: The Old Maid and the ThiefNeighborhood: Somerset County, NJSaturday, April 22nd, 7:30pmSt. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 182 Main St, Gladstone, NJ
The second of three productions this month by the Gladstone, NJ-based company Opera Magnifico, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief was originally written for radio, but proved so popular that it was adapted for the stage soon after its on-air premiere in 1939. Menotti was inspired to write this one-act dark comedy after visiting the hometown of his partner, fellow composer Samuel Barber. Opera Magnifico’s production stars Perri di Christina as Miss Todd, Alison Saporta as Laetitia, Muir Ingliss as Bob, and Amanda Livesey as Miss Pinkerton.
Opera Magnifico’s recent production of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love(Michael Willis)The Collective Brass at the Westport LibraryNeighborhood: Westport, CTSunday, April 23rd, 2pmThe Westport Library, 20 Jesup Rd, Westport, CT
The Collective Brass— a quintet of two trumpets, a trombone, french horn, and tuba—comes to the Westport Library for a free concert. The program includes brass works spanning many centuries and continents, ranging from Baroque masters like Bach and Monteverdi to 20th and 21st century composers such as Steven Sacco and Kenny Wheeler.
Variant 6: Sacred & ProfaneNeighborhood: Princeton, NJSunday, April 23rd, 4pmAll Saints’ Episcopal Church, 16 All Saints Rd, Princeton, NJ
Vocal sextet Variant 6 presents a program of mystical a cappella works both sacred and secular, including excerpts from Menotti’s unique “madrigal fable” The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore. The program also includes works by Benjamin Britten, Maurice Ravel, and Pablo Ortiz.
Variant 6(Andrew Bogard)Riverside Orchestra’s Spring ConcertNeighborhood: Upper West SideFriday, April 28th, 7:30pmSt. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 263 W 86th Street, New York, NY
The penultimate concert of the Riverside Orchestra’s 2022-23 season features Florence Price’s Ethiopia’s Shadow in America—a tone poem chronicling the experiences of enslaved Africans whose long lost score was recovered in 2009—alongside Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony. Reception with drinks and light bites to follow, as per the Upper West Side community orchestra’s longtime tradition.
Like so many of the great French composers of the 19th century, César Franck was a child prodigy who began his formal music education at the Paris Conservatory. But almost all of his significant works were composed after age 60. This week, host David Dubal focuses on one of classical music’s unappreciated late bloomers.
Listen Saturday, April 1st at 12:30pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Verdi’s glorious Shakespearean comedy features a brilliant ensemble cast. Baritone Michael Volle sings his first Verdi role at the Met as the caddish knight Falstaff, gleefully tormented by a trio of clever women who deliver his comeuppance. Reuniting after their acclaimed turns in the production’s 2019 run are soprano Ailyn Pérez as Alice Ford, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano as Meg Page, and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Mistress Quickly. Soprano Hera Hyesang Park and tenor Bogdan Volkov are the young couple Nannetta and Fenton, and Maestro Daniele Rustioni conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Hera Hysesang Park as Nannetta, Ailyn Pérez as Alice, Jennifer Johnson Cano as Meg, and Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Mistress Quickly in Verdi's "Falstaff."(Karen Almond)CONDUCTOR: Daniele Rustioni
CAST:
Falstaff - Michael Volle
Alice Ford - Ailyn Pérez
Mistress Quickly - Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Ford - Christopher Maltman
Nannetta - Hera Hyesang Park
Fenton - Bogdan Volkov
Meg Page - Jennifer Johnson Cano
March 30, 2023 - Record state investments in child care in 2022 haven't necessarily translated into more New Yorkers accessing care, as providers don't have the workforce to adequately expand their capacity. We learn about the situation and assess solutions from Amie Bloom, the nursery school director at Temple Israel in Albany, and Katie Albitz, a policy and communications specialist at the Schuyler Center for Analysis & Advocacy.
March 30, 2023 - As public safety continues to be one of major issues of debate at the Capitol, we're reassessing the landscape for this conversation by highlighting the latest criminal justice data from New York with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services' Leigh Bates and Joseph Popcun.
March 30, 2023 - Assemblymember Mary Beth Walsh, a Capital Region Republican, wants New York to change how it determines what minors arrested for serious crimes go to family court and which ones stay in the criminal court, where they will face stiffer penalties.
March 30, 2023 - Siena College Research Institute pollster Steve Greenberg shares how New York voters feel about key issues being debated in budget negotiations, including higher income taxes on multi-millionaires, proposals to spur housing growth and the governor's proposed expansion of the use of bail.
The Rambling House bar in Woodlawn is usually closed at 10 a.m., but on Fridays, the tables are pushed back against the walls, and a group of 20 or so dance students is learning the bachata. These dancers are part of the city's fastest-growing population: adults over 60. WNYC's Amy Pearl heads to The Rambling House to watch the dancers in action.
Giuseppe Verdi's Otello rose from enslavement to the ranks of army general and marries an aristocratic Venetian woman. It’s difficult to imagine the rich cultural heritage of Otello’s African past; that history is only hinted at.
Through the whitewashing of his imagined character, some forget that Otello is of African descent. But for Iago, the identity of his enemy, Otello, was never far from mind. To him and Verdi’s high-society audience, that assimilation signaled all the dangers of the free black man.
This week in Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: how a handkerchief, a memento, a gift from one to his love, was used to forge a wedge between Otello and Desdemona’s union, catalyzing the brutish, dangerous, parts of Otello deemed a threat to white womanhood. And that handkerchief: simple plot device? was it white? was it black?
This episode is hosted by Terrance McKnight and produced by David Norville. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Music provided by the Livermore Valley Opera. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
Join us for a program of music written by contemporary composers in the past ten years. Cellist Tommy Mesa joins guest host Emi Ferguson in the studio to explore the modern landscape of classical music. Tommy Mesa is a lauded cellist, receiving the 2023 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Award. He has won the Astral Artists 2017 National Auditions and the Alhambra Orchestra Concerto Competition. As a soloist, Tommy has appeared with The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
In this program, Tommy Mesa plays Andrea Casarrubios’s Seven and Mensajes del Agua, Carlos Simon’s Silence, Stephanie Ann Boyd’s Aleluia Olora, and Lydia Jane Pugh’s Carolina’s Jig. The Westerlies and Conrad Tao play Dendrites I, the opening track from their 2021 album Bricolage. Rounding out these incredible pieces will be violinist Jordan Bak’s performances of Leilehua Lanzilotti’s koʻu inoa and Tyson Gholston Davis’s Tableau XII. Tune in for incredible performances of new music by living composers, championed by these groundbreaking young musicians.
Thanks to:
Louis Levitt and Bright Shiny Things for the use of tracks from Impulse.
Bob Lord and Parma Recordings for tracks from Division of Memory.
Andrea Casarrubios, Carlos Simon, Stephanie Ann Boyd, Lydia Jane Pugh, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Tyson Gholston Davis, The Westerlies and Conrad Tao, Jordan Bak, and Tommy Mesa for sharing their music and performances.
Program:
Andrea Casarrubios: Seven- Tommy Mesa, cello
Carlos Simon: Silence- Tommy Mesa, cello
Stephanie Ann Boyd: Aleluia Olora- Tommy Mesa, cello
The Westerlies and Conrad Tao: Dendrites I- Conrad Tao, Piano; Riley Mulherkar, Trumpet; Chloe Rowlands, Trumpet; Andy Clausen, Trombone; Willem de Koch, Trombone
Leilehua Lanzilotti: koʻu inoa- Jordan Bak, violin
Tyson Gholston Davis: Tableau XII - Jordan Bak, violin
Andrea Casarrubios: Mensajes del Agua- Tommy Mesa, cello; Andrea Casarrubios, piano
Lydia Jane Pugh: Carolina’s Jig- Tommy Mesa, cello
Watch the livestream Tuesday, March 28, at 6pm ETJoin us LIVE from The Greene Space for the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grants announcement ceremony hosted by WQXR's Elliott Forrest. Performances by this year's recipients follow the announcement. Since the first Career Grants were awarded in 1976, there have been 171 Career Grant recipients. Past awardees include clarinetist Anthony McGill, violinist Gil Shaham, and pianist Yuja Wang. WQXR has been a broadcast partner since the first Career Grants were awarded, a relationship spanning 47 years.
Avery Fisher Career Grants are designed to give professional assistance and recognition to talented instrumentalists and chamber ensembles who the Recommendation Board and Executive Committee of the Avery Fisher Artist Program believe to have great potential for major careers in classical music. The Avery Fisher Artist Program is committed to all forms of diversity, with recipients chosen based on outstanding artistic merit.
Additional information at www.averyfisherartistprogram.org.
Listen live on Tuesday, March 28th at 7:30pmProgram notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Internationally renowned soprano Jeanine De Bique makes her Zankel Hall debut alongside opera and early music ensemble Concerto Köln. The program features music from De Bique’s acclaimed debut album, Mirrors, which explores emotionally charged arias composed for heroines such as Cleopatra, Rodelinda, and Alcina. By pairing and juxtaposing Handel’s famous works with arias written by his contemporaries for these same female protagonists, the insightful project reveals the deep, multifaceted nature of these characters, even when derived from a single libretto. De Bique’s riveting interpretive gifts make these contrasting musical visions all the more profound.
The night is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:Concerto KölnJeanine De Bique, Soprano
Handel: Sinfonia from Partenope
C. H. Graun: "Risolvere non oso" from Rodelinda, regina de' Longobardi (NY Premiere)
Handel: "Ritorna, o caro e dolce mio tesoro" from Rodelinda, regina de' Longobardi
Vinci: Sinfonia from La Rosmira fedele (Partenope)
C.H. Graun: "L'empio rigor del fato" fromRodelinda, regina de' Longobardi(NY Premiere)
Handel: "Ballo: Entrée des songes agréables" from Alcina
Handel: "Ah, Ruggiero crudel . . . Ombre pallide" from Alcina
Handel: Selections from Suite from Rodrigo
Manna: "Chi può dir che rea son io" from Achille in Sciro
Handel: "M'hai resa infelice" from Deidamia
Handel: Passacaille from Sonata in G Major, Op. 5, No. 4, HWV 399
Handel: "Che sento? Oh dio! ... Se pietà di me non senti" from Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Handel: "Ballo: Entrée des Songes agréables effrayés—Combat des Songes funestes et agréables" from Ariodante
C. H. Graun: "Tra le procelle assorto" from Cleopatra e Cesare
March 23, 2023 - FWD.us New York Director Alana Sivin, a former public defender, responds to Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal that would ensure more criminal defendants are held behind bars awaiting trial and she discusses the implementation of pre-trial detention reforms since 2019.
March 22, 2023 - Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, explains her legislation requiring public universities and colleges make emergency contraception available in vending machines on their campuses.
March 22, 2023 - With time running out on budget negotiations, we're joined by Politico New York reporter Marie J. French to consider the major environmental initiatives that could be included in a final deal between the legislative leaders and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
This week on The Young Artists Showcase is part two of our series on promising young artists who were awarded the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. A merit-based application process, Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships provide immigrants and children of immigrants up to $90,000 in tuition and stipends to aid in their pursuits of graduate studies in the United States. Based on individuality, innovativeness, and accomplishment, the fellowship is highly competitive with a selection of about thirty fellows each year.
Many of the musical Paul and Daisy Soros fellows have been featured on The Young Artists Showcase in the past. Tonight, you’ll hear a roster of recent fellows including Chinese-Australian soprano Yvette Keong, Nigerian-American trumpeter David Adewumi, and Taiwanese-American cellist Audrey Chen. They’ll perform powerful music by Richard Strauss, Earl Kim, Matthew Evan Taylor, and Carl Fruhling.
Thanks to:
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.
The Marlboro Music Festival and Presser Music for the use of Earl Kim’s Three Songs in French.
The Met Museum, Andrew Cyr & The Metropolis Ensemble, and Matthew Evan Taylor for the use of Life Returns and Postcard No.12.
You can watch the whole piece here:
Program:
Bach: Cello Suite No.2 in D minor, BWV 1008- Christine Lamprea, cello
R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, “The Presentation of the Rose”- Yvette Keong, soprano; Eric Sedgwick, piano
Earl Kim: Three Poems in French, I. En Sourdine and II. Colloque Sentimental- Yvette Keong, soprano; Eric Sedgwick, piano
Matthew Evan Taylor: Life Returns- David Adewumi, trumpet; Ganavya, vocalist
Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcard, No. 12- David Adewumi, trumpet; Matthew Evan Taylor, saxophone
Carl Frühling: Clarinet Trio, Op. 40- Audrey Chen, cello; Amalia Rinehart, piano; Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet
March 21, 2023 - AARP New York Legislative Representative Bill Ferris outlines policies to add to the final budget to help seniors, including better oversight of nursing homes and more transparency in drug prices.
March 21, 2023 - Investigative Post Executive Director & Editor Jim Heaney sheds light(or as much as possible)on the details behind New York's agreement to subsidize a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills.
March 21, 2023 - With the state looking to prepare New Yorkers for job openings and careers of the future, New York Association for Training and Employment Professionals Deputy Director Therese Daly outlines steps to promote workforce development in the Empire State.
March 20, 2023 - Patrick Orecki, director of state studies for the Citizens Budget Commission, a business-backed watchdog, makes sense of the taxing and spending priorities formally adopted by the majorities in the Assembly and Senate.
March 20, 2023 - Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Westchester County Democrat, discusses delivering an on-time budget, funding the Senate's priorities and whether some major policies could be tackled later in the session.
March 20, 2023 - Sen. James Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat, shares his reservations about language in the Senate's budget resolution that backs "Good Cause" legislation, which is designed to protect tenants from onerous rent increases.
Gabriel Fauré was a composer of subtlety and imagination who helped throw open the doors of the Paris Conservatory to the sounds of modernism. Throughout his life, he composed piano works that bore his signature melodic warmth and harmonic sophistication.
Listen Saturday, March 18th at 12pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Wagner’s soaring masterpiece makes its triumphant return to the Met stage after 17 years. In a sequel to his revelatory production of Parsifal, director François Girard unveils an atmospheric staging that once again weds his striking visual style and keen dramatic insight to Wagner’s breathtaking music, with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct a supreme cast led by tenor Piotr Beczała in the title role of the mysterious swan knight. Soprano Tamara Wilson as the virtuous duchess Elsa, falsely accused of murder, go head-to-head with soprano Christine Goerke as the cunning sorceress Ortrud, who seeks to lay her low. Bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin is Ortrud’s power-hungry husband, Telramund, and bass Günther Groissböck is King Heinrich.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Tamara Wilson as Elsa and Piotr Beczała in the title role of Wagner's "Lohengrin."(Marty Sohl)CONDUCTOR: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
CAST:
Lohengrin - Piotr Beczała
Elsa - Tamara Wilson
Ortrud - Christine Goerke
Telramund - Evgeny Nikitin
Heinrich - Günther Groissböck
Herald - Brian Mulligan
Give WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen to his 3-minute summary of Lohengrin below
March 16, 2023 - Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski, a Rockland County Democrat, discusses New York's high number of fatal building fires and outlines policies that could potentially address the recurring problem.
March 16, 2023 - In 2022, New York policymakers set a goal of cutting child poverty in half over the next decade, but their budget priorities in 2023 could make that benchmark difficult to achieve, according to Jason Cone, chief public policy officer for Robin Hood, which works to combat poverty in New York City.
March 16, 2023 -Assemblymember Clyde Vanel, a Queens Democrat, discusses his legislation designed to prevent New Yorkers from being victimized by scams from people they connect with on dating apps.
March 16, 2023 - Senate Internet & Technology Committee Chair Kristen Gonzalez, a Queens Democrat, talks about protecting the state's digital presence from attacks and explains why she wanted to lead a committee focused on high-tech issues.
“Otello” debuted in Milan in 1887, just two years after European nations gathered in Berlin to agree on a campaign to carve up and colonize the African continent for their own profit. Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, based on the play Shakespeare wrote in the very early 1600s, centers on the Moor, Otello — an African who becomes a much-celebrated Venetian general for leading a successful war against his fellow Africans. Despite that, there’s no lasting comfort in store for Otello: the rage and jealousy of his lieutenant won’t stand for it.
In this episode of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight, tenor Limmie Pulliam and baritone Kevin Maynor join Terrance to examine the character of Otello.
This episode is hosted by Terrance McKnight and produced by David Norville. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
Listen live to WQXR and find out which concert we're giving away tickets to this hour!Springtime in New York promises some of the most highly anticipated nights in classical music across the city. Whether it means heading uptown, downtown, or going into the city, WQXR wants to give you a chance to enjoy live, world class music in NYC (and beyond!) with our Spring Preview Giveaway!
This hour, we're giving away tickets to a performance at Carnegie Hall. All you need to do is listen live to WQXR to find out which concert we're giving away tickets to this hour and enter for your chance to win using the form below.
During select hours from 6am - 9pm on Wednesday, March 15, WQXR will be giving away tickets to performances at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, 92Y, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Please see complete giveaway rules here.
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For the next two weeks on the Young Artists Showcase, you’ll hear a lineup of music from the promising young artists who were awarded the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Hungarian immigrants themselves, Paul and Daisy Soros founded their charitable Fellowship program in December of 1997 as an opportunity to aid immigrants and children of immigrants in their pursuit of graduate studies. Each year, thirty merit-based fellowships are awarded to creative, original, and innovative students in all fields of study.
In this episode, we’ll introduce you to pianist and harpsichordist Hilda Huang and carillonneur and composer Julie Zhu. You’ll hear selections from Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, Frescobaldi’s Ancidetemi Pur, and some of Zhu’s own compositions. Then, a Bach Gigue from pianist, Soros Fellow, and Young Artists Showcase alum, Sean Chen.
Program:
J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in A major, Well tempered Clavier Book 1, BWV 864- Hilda Huang, piano
J.S. Bach: Partita in D Major, BWV 828: III. Courante, V. Sarabande- Hilda Huang, piano
D’anglebert: Passacaille d’Armide- Hilda Huang, harpsichord
Frescobaldi: Ancidetemi Pur- Hilda Huang, harpsichord
Zhu: Allegro, for Carillon- Julie Zhu, carillon
Zhu: Lumiére, for Carillon and electronics- Julie Zhu, carillon
Zhu: Pinks- L'Académie Voix Nouvelles
Zhu: Other of Two- Robert Fleitz, piano
Bach: Gigue, from French Suite no.5 in G major- Sean Chen, piano
Froberger: Tombeau de Blancrocher- Hilda Huang, harpsichord
SPRING PREVIEW DAY GIVEAWAY RULES HOW TO ENTER: No purchase or pledge necessary. Entries may be made via the WQXR website between 6:00 a.m. and 8:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Eastern Standard Time. One entry per person, per hour is permitted.
ELIGIBILITY: Anyone 18 years of age or older can enter except employees of New York Public Radio and its related organizations, their immediate family or persons living in the same household. Void where prohibited by law.
PRIZES:
3 winners for a pair of tickets (2) to a performance with the New York Philharmonic, each pair valued at $____.
3 winners for a pair of tickets (2) to a performance at The Metropolitan Opera, each pair valued at $400.
3 winners for a pair of tickets (2) to a performance at Carnegie Hall, each pair valued between $120-$216.
2 winners for a pair of tickets (2) to a performance at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, each pair valued at $168.00 and $218.00.
2 winners for a pair of tickets (2) to a performance at the 92Y, each pair valued at $150.
2 winners for a pair of tickets (2) to a performance at the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, each pair valued at $180.
SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNER: The pools from which winners will be selected will be constituted from all entries received during each full hour on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 between 6:00 a.m - 8:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. Out of each hourly pool, one winner and one back-up winner will be selected by random drawing for each giveaway no later than March 20, 2023. Winners will be notified by email or telephone. If a winner is unable to accept their prize, the unawarded prize will go to the back-up (and a subsequent back-up, if necessary) until the prize is awarded. Winners will pick up their tickets at their respective concert venues; in some cases e-tickets will be emailed or paper tickets will be shipped by US mail. The chances of winning are dependent upon the number of entries. A list with the winners’ names will be kept on file at New York Public Radio and will be available by writing WQXR Listener Services, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
GENERAL: By participating in the Spring Preview Day Giveaway, participants agree that New York Public Radio, its agents and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from their use of the prize or their participation in the give-away. Prize is nontransferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. There can be no substitutions for a prize. New York Public Radio may use winners’ names for publicity purposes without further compensation.
RESTRICTIONS: Restrictions may apply. By participating in the Spring Preview Day Giveaway, a participant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules, and by all decisions of the contest judges. Up to one entry per person, per hour is permitted. Multiple entries per hour are not allowed and will not increase the chances of winning. Winners are ineligible to win more than 1 hourly prize.
Listen Saturday, March 11th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The captivating soprano Angel Blue stars as the self-sacrificing courtesan Violetta, one of opera’s ultimate heroines, in Verdi's La Traviata. Tenor Dmytro Popov takes on the role of her self-centered lover Alfredo, alongside baritone Artur Ruciński as his disapproving father. Michael Mayer’s vibrant production also features maestro Nicola Luisotti.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Scene from Verdi's La Traviata(Jonathan Tichler)CONDUCTOR: Nicola Luisotti
CAST:
Violetta Valéry - Angel Blue
Alfredo Germont - Dmytro Popov
Giorgio Germont - Artur Ruciński
Give WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen to his 3-minute summary of La Traviata below.Want a closer look at the music of La Traviata? Stream the Aria Code podcast episode featuring Violetta Valéry's "Addio del passato."
Listen live on Thursday, March 9th at 8pmProgram notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Mitsuko Uchida is an incomparable interpreter of Mozart. From her deeply studied readings and performances to her leadership of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard, there is no better way to experience this repertoire. The program boasts two of Mozart’s late piano concertos, each of them a standout work even among the master’s timeless oeuvre. Also featured is Schoenberg’s KammersymphonieNo. 1, a work of constant motion and flowing interplay.
The night is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:Mahler Chamber OrchestraMitsuko Uchida, Piano and DirectorJosé Maria Blumenschein, Concertmaster and Leader
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503Schoenberg: Kammersymphonie No. 1Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595
Listen all day long on Wednesday, March 8In 2022, the Donne Foundation, a UK-based organization that "celebrates, advances and amplifies women in music" published an expansive report surveying the representation of female composers in the programming of 111 orchestras across 31 countries. According to the report, results show that "of the 20,400 compositions scheduled only 7.7% of the works were written by women, and 92.3% of the works were written by men."
The gender disparity in classical music programming is no secret. Many women composers from centuries ago are just now, in 2023, having their works brought to light by major orchestras. Concert programs featuring contemporary women composers still aren't ubiquitous as that of their male counterparts. WQXR strives to bring you a diverse playlist of classical works and represent a wide range of voices. This work is never finished and we're constantly looking for ways to improve and expand our music catalog. Whether through our Music Team's research or word-of-mouth recommendations from the music community and our listeners, we're always listening and actively adding more works by women composers to our library.
In line with the mission behind International Women's Day, WQXR embraces equity, celebrates women's achievement, and increases visibility of women's voices all year around, and on Wednesday, March 8, WQXR will celebrate the contributions of women composers on International Women's Day in a special marathon featuring 24 hours of music by over 120 women composers.
Programming highlights include works by:Amy BeachMargaret BondsCécile ChaminadeRebecca ClarkeLouise FarrencJennifer HigdonBetty Jackson KingÉlisabeth Jacquet de La GuerreElena Kats-CherninEmmy LindströmAlma MahlerFanny MendelssohnJessie MontgomeryFlorence PriceClara SchumannMaddalena SirmenEthel SmythBarbara StrozziHildegard von Bingen
Listen to WQXR's Women Composers Playlist on YouTube:
On this edition of The Young Artists Showcase, guest host Emi Ferguson presents the 2022 winners of the esteemed Salon de Virtuosi Career Grants. Founded in 1989 by concert pianist Charlotte White, Salon de Virtuosi discovers and supports outstanding young artists through their career grant and performance opportunities in venues throughout New York. Over its three decades of existence, the Salon has awarded over $500,000 towards their career and scholarship grants, cultivating promising young musicians and allowing them to flourish.
Tonight, you’ll hear selections from the Gala Awards Concert featuring the eight 2022 recipients. We’ll open with violinist Miray Ito’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Valse Sentimentale and Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro (in the style of Pugnani). Chopin’s iconic Mazurka in C-sharp Minor Number 3 will follow, featuring pianist Evren Ozel. Rounding out the night of festivities is Hungarian-Egyptian sisters Amira and Mariam Abouzahra’s performance of Halvorsen’s Sarabande con Variazioni on a Theme by Handel for violin and viola and Carl Bohm’s Perpetuum Mobile.
Program:
Kreisler: Praeludium and Allegro (in the style of Pugnani) - Miray Ito, violin; Rohan de Silva, piano
Schumann: Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70- Derek Louie, cello; Noreen Polera, piano
Chopin: Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 50, No. 3- Evren Ozel, piano
Wetzger: Am Waldesbach (By the Forest Brook), Op. 33- Nikka Gershman, flute; Vivian Fan, piano
Dinicu: Hora Staccato - Nikka Gershman, flute; Vivian Fan, piano
Elgar: Sospiri, Op. 70 - Daniel Rafimayeri, violin; Rohan De Silva, piano
Popper: Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68- Ismael Guerrero, cello; Allison Freeman, piano
Halvorsen: Sarabande con Variazioni on a Theme by Händel- Mariam Abouzahra, violin; Amira Abouzahra, viola
Bohm: Perpetuum Mobile, Op. 380, No. 6- Mariam Abouzahra, violin; Amira Abouzahra, violin; Nóra Emödy, piano
Listen live on Friday, March 3rd at 8pmProgram notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic opens its three-concert residency with a program of Schoenberg and R. Strauss. The concert begins with Verklärte Nacht, a powerful early creation by one of Vienna’s most influential 20th-century composers. The second half of the program features Strauss’s tone poem Eine Alpensinfonie, in which an eventful Alpine mountain ascent is depicted across 22 continuous musical sections.
The night is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:Christian Thielemann, ConductorVienna Philharmonic
Schoenberg: Verklärte NachtR. Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie
France had a rich harpsichord tradition, but once the piano arrived on the scene, the Paris Conservatory soon ended up using harpsichords for firewood. David Dubal’s new series traces the history of French piano music, focusing on the nation’s great composers and interpreters. The inaugural episode is dedicated to the first great piano composer of the French Romanticism: Charles-Valentin Alkan.
Listen Saturday, February 25th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Originally aired on October 12, 2022.
In October 2022, soprano Svetlana Sozdateleva made an exciting Met debut as the fiery femme fatale at the center of Shostakovich’s searing modern drama, joining forces with tenor Brandon Jovanovich as her illicit lover. Maestro Keri-Lynn Wilson also makes her Met debut conducting Graham Vick’s vivid staging, which also features tenor Nikolai Schukoff and bass-baritone John Relyea.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Svetlana Sozdateleva as Katerina Ismailova and Brandon Jovanovich as Sergei in Shostakovich's "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk."(Evan Zimmerman) CONDUCTOR: Keri-Lynn Wilson
CAST:
Katerina Ismailova - Svetlana Sozdateleva
Sergei - Brandon Jovanovich
Boris Ismailov - John Relyea
Zinovy Ismailov - Nikolai Schukoff
Police Sergeant - Alexey Shishlyaev
Shabby Peasant - Rodell Rosel
Old Convict - Alexander Tsymbalyuk
Sonyetka - Maria Barakova
Priest - Goran Jurić
Listen live on Friday, February 24th, at 7pmProgram notes courtesy of Metropolitan Opera.
The Metropolitan Opera, in association with Lincoln Center and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, present a one-time live broadcasted concert to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will conduct the Met Orchestra and Chorus, and soloists Golda Schultz, Emily D’Angelo, Dmytro Popov, and Vladyslav Buialskyi. The program will feature Mozart's Requiem, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, and Silvestrov's "Prayer for Ukraine." The night of solidarity opens with Verbytsky's Ukrainian National Anthem.
Program:
Mykhailo Verbytsky: Ukrainian National Anthem
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem, K. 626- Golda Schultz, soprano; Emily D’Angelo, mezzo-soprano; Dmytro Popov, tenor; Vladyslav Buialskyi, bass-baritone
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op.67
Valentin Silvestrov: “Prayer for Ukraine”
Listen Saturday, February 18th at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Originally recorded on November 3, 2022.
David McVicar’s monumental production—created for the Met premiere of the original French version (Don Carlos) of Verdi’s gripping drama in the 2021–22 season—returns, now sung in Italian and starring an unbeatable cast of dramatic voices. Russell Thomas, one of today’s fastest-rising tenors, takes on the title role, a Spanish nobleman caught between private passion and public duty, sharing the stage with soprano Eleonora Buratto as Elisabeth of Valois, mezzo-soprano Yulia Matochkina as Princess Eboli, baritone Peter Mattei as Rodrigo, bass-baritone John Relyea as the Grand Inquisitor, and bass Günther Groissböck as King Philip II. Carlo Rizzi conducts one of the repertory’s most epic works.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Günther Groissböck as Filippo II and Peter Mattei (kneeling) as Rodrigo in Verdi's "Don Carlo."(Ken Howard)CONDUCTOR: Carlo Rizzi
CAST:
Don Carlo - Russell Thomas
Elisabetta di Valois - Eleonora Buratto
Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa - Peter Mattei
Princess Eboli - Yulia Matochkina
King Filippo II - Günther Groissböck
The Grand Inquisitor - John Relyea
Give WQXR Morning Host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll make sense of Verdi's the befuddling drama, Don Carlo:
The Moorish character Monostatos in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” is one of the most famous representations of Blackness in opera - a genre with limited representation of characters of African descent. But many are interrogating the Black caricatures that European classical music long ago crafted and continue to cultivate to this day.
In the debut episode of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight, we meet Dr. Sharon Willis, Dr. Uzee Brown, and others who are lifting the mask behind opera’s representation of marginalized voices to create something more inclusive and more beautiful for all of us.
This episode is hosted by Terrance McKnight and produced by David Norville and Tony Phillips with help from Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Sapir Rosenblatt. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson.
On this program of the Young Artists Showcase, guest host Midge Woolsey transports us to the Fontainebleau Conservatory’s 2021 Centennial Celebration: Ancient Palace – Cradle of Modern American Music. In 1921 the Conservatoire Américain de Fontainebleau opened its doors to American students to study at the historic Fontainebleau Chateau outside Paris. Each summer, the program introduces a select group of talented American students to the French Music tradition.
Tonight, we hear a selection of music from the program’s talented alumni. We’ll start with a performance of Lili Boulanger’s Two Pieces for Violin and Piano featuring violinists Kelly-Hall Tompkins and Donna Weng Friedman. An alum of the conservatory, George T. Walker’s Sonata for Cello and Piano follows Boulanger. And, rounding out the night, is Ravel’s Quartet for Strings in F performed by the 2022 Prix Ravel first prize winners, Daniel Dastoor, Leerone Hakami, Madison Marshall and Jaime An.
Program
Lily Boulanger: Two Pieces for Violin and Piano, I. Nocturne, II. Cortège- Kelly-Hall Tompkins, violin; Donna Weng Friedman, violin
Casadesus: Eight Etudes, Op. 28, No. 2- Matthew Bengtson, piano
Walker: Sonata for Cello and Piano, III- Khari Joyner, cello; Matthew Bengtson, piano
Fox: Fantasy for Clarinet, Piano and Chamber Orchestra- Charles Fox, conductor; Carol McGonnell, clarinet; Magdalena Baczewska, piano, The Chamber Orchestra of the American Conservatory
Ravel: Tzigane- Bartu Elci-Ozsoy, violin; Mathilde Nguyen, piano
Nadia Boulanger: Three pieces for Cello and Piano, No. 1. Modéré- Diana Ligeti, cello; Donna Weng Friedman, piano
Fox: Variations on the Name Nadia Boulanger, Theme by Robert Levin- Magdalena Baczewska, piano
Brown: Variations on the Name Nadia Boulanger, Theme by Robert Levin- Natalie Darst Xia, violin; Jane Yeong Eun Lee, cello
Levin: Variations on the Name Nadia Boulanger, Theme by Robert Levin- Baron Fenwick, piano
Sheng: Rages of Love for Violin and Chamber Orchestra, I. Dream Song- Dan Zhu, violin; Fontainebleau alumni orchestra
Fauré: Après un Rêve- Dan Zhu, violin; Bright Sheng, piano
Ravel: String Quartet in F Major, I. Allegro moderato- Daniel Dastoor, violin; Leerone Hakami, violin; Madison Marshall, viola; Jaime An, cello
Listen live on Friday, February 3rd at 8pmProgram notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Anne-Sophie Mutter—the “undisputed queen of violin-playing” (The Times, London)—returns with the Mutter Virtuosi—an exclusive, constantly evolving ensemble of soloists. Enjoy exemplary string music that includes the Carnegie Hall premiere of an uplifting Saint-Georges concerto as well as classics by Vivaldi—including The Four Seasons, one of the repertoire’s most beloved works. Adding to the excitement is the New York premiere of Unsuk Chin’s virtuosic violin duo Gran Cadenza—composed for Mutter—with thrilling violin dialogue that weaves between cooperation and eruptions of near combat. Both the program and the ensemble itself exemplify Mutter’s dedication to timeless works and commitment to the future of classical music.
The night is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:Anne-Sophie Mutter, Violin and LeaderMutter Virtuosi
Vivaldi: Concerto in B Minor for Four Violins, Strings, and Continuo, RV 580Unsuk Chin: Gran Cadenza for Two Violins (NY Premiere)Saint-Georges: Violin Concerto in A Major, Op. 5, No. 2Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Jan. 23, 2023 - Siena College Research Institute pollster Steve Greenberg breaks down a new survey of voters, including how they feel about some of Gov. Kathy Hochul's priorities for 2023.
Jan. 23, 2023 - New York is heading toward the creation of a cap-and-invest program that charges businesses for their emissions, caps what they can pollute and invests in green initiatives. New York State Energy & Research Development Authority President & CEO Doreen Harris and state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos discuss what shape the program might take and why it's essential to hitting the state's emission reduction goals.
Jan. 23, 2023 - The new head of the Assembly Housing Committee, Manhattan Democrat Linda Rosenthal, talks about her goals for the year and weighs in on Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to double the rate of new housing growth
A few years ago, a colleague asked if I had ever heard the music of Czech composer Erwin Schulhoff (I had not), and shared with me an album of the composer’s fascinating works for string quartet, minting me as a new Schulhoff fan along the way. The music is adventurous and muscular, reflecting the composer’s curiosity and wide range of influences. In many ways he was ahead of his time – for example, in 1919, long before John Cage wrote his seminal 4’33”, Schulhoff wrote “In Futurum,” a piano piece composed of only rests, as part of his five Pittoreske.
Schulhoff was born into a Jewish family in Prague in 1894. His early career includes stories of his encounters with older, established composers. As a child, his mother brought him to perform for an elderly Antonín Dvořák, who recognized Schulhoff’s musical talent. Schulhoff trained as a pianist, and then began composing. As a young adult, he took two composition lessons with Claude Debussy, though those ended abruptly over Schulhoff calling out Debussy for hypocrisy about parallel fifths (the story may be partly apocryphal).
But Schulhoff’s career ended abruptly. He died in 1942 at the age of 48 from tuberculosis in the Wülzberg concentration camp. Schulhoff was one of a generation of composers whose lives the Nazis brutally cut short, and whose work they banned as entartete musik, or “degenerate music.”
When it comes to these composers, including Schulhoff, “there are literal hundreds if not thousands of pieces… everything from small, five minute pieces of piano to large four-hour operas that generally fall into this category of neglect where one can safely say this work never had its true chance because of the Nazi suppression,” says conductor and Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera James Conlon (we spoke over the phone), who has promoted and performed the works of these composers like Schulhoff and many others, through the Orel Foundation, and also the Conlon-Ziering Initiative for Recovered Voices at the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles.
In October 2022, Conlon, pianist Dominic Cheli, and artists from the Colburn School released a new album of Schulhoff’s music, Shapeshifter: Music of Erwin Schulhoff. Shapeshifter features the composer’s works primarily from the 1920s (plus one from 1937) including pieces for solo piano, piano and violin, string quartet, and a piano concerto. During this period, Schulhoff, disillusioned from his experiences in World War I, had embraced jazz and dadaism, but “Schulhoff,” Conlon says, “was different than some of the other contemporary composers… He believed that jazz would be the music of the future… he’s really always going to stay interested and committed to jazz, even though he’ll also go off in other directions”
Among the works on Shapeshifter, there’s a section of the one-movement piano concerto from 1923 that Schulhoff labels “Allegro alla Jazz,” in which Schulhoff makes use of an extensive amount of percussion. Meanwhile, his 1937 song “Susi,” also shows an obvious jazz influence in its nostalgia for the Jazz Age of the 1920s.
During the 1930s, Schulhoff, never abandoned his jazz influences (the album’s liner notes by Rebecca Stewart mention that he was even part of a jazz piano duo during this time) - in 1930, he composed the “Hot Sonata” for saxophone and piano – but he did branch out in other directions, namely Marxism and socialism. A striking example of this is his 1932 setting of The Communist Manifesto.
During World War II, he and his family became Soviet citizens, in an attempt to escape the Nazis, but tragically, this only happened days after Hitler invaded the USSR. Since he and his family were Soviet citizens by this point, he and his son were rounded up by the Nazis, who then discovered that Schulhoff was Jewish, and they were sent him to the Wülzberg camp in southern Germany, where he tragically died of tuberculosis a little over a year later.
Shapeshifter, as well as other available recordings of Schulhoff’s music showcase the breadth of Schulhoff’s accomplishments as a composer. Generally, once people have heard Schulhoff’s music, they tend to like it, but, as Conlon points out, “the problem is getting people to hear it in the first place, or produce it in the first place.”
Conlon talked about how, ten years ago, when he was in Leipzig to conduct a concert, he found a guidebook all about composers in Leipzig, “there was Bach of course and there was Mendelssohn, there was Schumann and there was Wagner, and then I open the page and I see Erwin Schulhoff, and I said ‘Wow, that’s the first time ever seeing any of these composers [who had been persecuted by the Nazis] in a tourist book.’” Schulhoff lived in Leipzig only briefly, but the guidebook included the address of where he lived, so Conlon went to check it out.
“It was not a museum, it was just an address, a beat-up house looking the worse for wear…The great beautiful irony is that today in the basement there is something there, there’s a jazz club…I thought that it was beautiful the way his spirit had stayed in that building.”
Listen live on Saturday, January 21st at 7pm
If the winter blues have you feeling down, WQXR has the perfect pick-me-up for you: host John Schaefer takes you back to the sunny days of summer with music from the 2022 Caramoor Music Festival on this episode of New York in Concert.
This program features highlights recorded live from two concerts at the Caramoor Summer Music Festival in Katonah, NY. You'll hear pianist Marc-André Hamelin perform selections from Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Additionally, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s will perform Mozart’s Haffner Symphony, selections from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, and an orchestral work by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery.
ProgramOrchestra of St. Luke’s
Gemma New, conductor
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 in D
Allegro con spirito 17:22AndanteMenuettoPresto Montgomery: Strum
Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Xian Zhang (Zhin Zhahng), conductor
Marc-André Hamelin (Mark An-dray Ham-Lyn), piano
Beethoven:
Piano Concerto in E-flat Major
I. Adagio un poco mosso 17:25
III. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo
Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Xian Zhang (Zhin Zhahng), conductor
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major
III. Scherzo. Allegro
IV. Allegro Molto 6:12
Listen live on Wednesday, January 18th at 8pmProgram notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The Cleveland Orchestra, “one of the finest ensembles in the nation and the world” (The New York Times), returns with a program that highlights the versatility and incredible dynamic command of a top orchestra. The concert opens with a bold juxtaposition between the first and second Viennese schools, contrasting the dense, snaking harmonies of Berg’s Lyric Suite with Schubert’s passionate Symphony No. 8, which, though left unfinished at just two movements, remains one of his most enduringly popular works.
The second half of the concert is a journey unto itself, as the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and world-renowned soloists join in Schubert’s dramatic Mass No. 6. The evening is hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:The Cleveland OrchestraCleveland Orchestra ChorusFranz Welser-Möst, Music Director and ConductorLisa Wong, Chorus DirectorJoélle Harvey, SopranoDaryl Freedman, Mezzo-SopranoJulian Prégardien, TenorMartin Mitterrutzner, TenorDashon Burton, Bass
Berg: Lyric SuiteSchubert: Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished"Schubert: Mass No. 6 in E-flat Major, D. 950
Listen Saturday, January 7th at 1pm.This performance was originally recorded on October 22, 2022.
Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Having triumphed at the Met in some of the repertory’s fiercest soprano roles, Sondra Radvanovsky takes on the role of a mythic sorceress who will stop at nothing in her quest for vengeance—a tour-de-force role made famous by opera’s ultimate diva, Maria Callas. The Met premiere of Cherubini’s rarely performed masterpiece marks Radvanovsky’s fourth new production with director David McVicar.
Joining Radvanovsky are tenor Matthew Polenzani as Medea’s Argonaut husband, Giasone; soprano Janai Brugger as her rival for his love, Glauce; bass Michele Pertusi as her father, Creonte, the King of Corinth; and mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova as Medea’s confidante, Neris. In an impressive fall trifecta at the Met, Maestro Carlo Rizzi conducts Medea.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Ekaterina Gubanova as Neris and Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role of Cherubini's Medea(Marty Sohl)CONDUCTOR: Carlo Rizzi
CAST:
Medea - Sondra Radvanovsky
Giasone - Matthew Polenzani
Neris - Ekaterina Gubanova
Glauce - Janai Brugger
Creonte - Michele Pertusi
New year, new programming! 2023 has arrived and the team at WQXR is working on new podcasts, newsletters, and web features to make great classical music available and engaging for everyone.
Beginning Monday, January 9 through Saturday, April 15, WQXR will feature live concert recordings in the evenings, including more prominent placement for our hometown organizations – the New York Philharmonic and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
WQXR’s primary mission is to present listeners with the best range of classical music repertoire and performance. By giving you more live concert programming, the world’s major orchestras get a showcase in the classical music capital of America, and their work becomes more easily available to you, our loyal listeners.
So, without further ado, here is your evening schedule for the next few months:
Mondays 9pm-10pm: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center10pm-11pm: Gateways Music Festival
Tuesdays9pm-10pm: Chicago Symphony
Wednesdays9pm: Young Artists Showcase 10pm: Performance Today
Thursdays9pm-11pm: New York Philharmonic This Week
Fridays9pm-11pm: LA Philharmonic
Saturdays8pm -10pm: European Broadcast Union series 10pm- 11pm: Encore - Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center11pm - Midnight: Encore - Young Artists Showcase
With all of these programming changes happening on weekday evenings, you might be wondering where Evening Host Terrance McKnight is going. Terrance will continue to host 7pm-9pm weeknights, and from mid-January to mid-March, he will take a short leave from evening hosting to work on the pilot season of his new podcast, Every Voice with Terrance McKnight (look for a launch date in February!). Guest hosts will fill in for Terrance from January 9 to March 10, and he will return on March 13.
Let us know how you are liking our winter programming experience! Leave a comment below or give Listeners Services a ring at (646) 829-4000.
Listen on Sunday, January 1st, at 11am.
Waltz, polka, and gallop into the new year with the annual New Year's Day concert from the Vienna Philharmonic. The broadcast, conducted this year by Franz Welser-Moest, features music from the Strauss family and their Viennese contemporaries.
Program
Eduard Strauss: Wer tanzt mit? Polka schnell, op. 251
Josef Strauss: Heldengedichte. Walzer, op. 87
Johann Strauss II: Zigeunerbaron-Quadrille, op. 422
Carl Michael Ziehrer: In lauschiger Nacht. Walzer, op. 488
Johann Strauss II: Frisch heran! Polka schnell, op. 386
Franz von Suppè: Ouvertüre zur Operette „Isabella“
Josef Strauss: Perlen der Liebe. Walzer, op. 39
Josef Strauss: Angelica-Polka. Polka française, op. 123
Eduard Strauss: Auf und davon. Polka schnell, op. 73
Josef Strauss: Heiterer Muth. Polka française, op. 281
Josef Strauss: For ever. Polka schnell, op. 193
Josef Strauss: Zeisserln. Walzer, op. 114
Josef Hellmesberger (Sohn): Glocken-Polka mit Galopp aus dem Ballett Excelsior
Josef Strauss: Allegro fantastique. Orchesterfantasie, Anh. 26b
Josef Strauss: Aquarellen. Walzer, op. 2
Listen Saturday, December 31st at 1pm.Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Hear highlights of artists making their Metropolitan Opera debuts during live broadcasts. Soprano Bidu Sayão made her debut in the titular role of Massenet's Manon in the 1937 matinee broadcast. In 1960, Georg Solti debuted as conductor of Wagner's Tannhäuser, and soprano Kiri Te Kanawa's Metropolitan Opera inauguration came in February 1974 as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello. Tune in for a revisiting of some iconic opera debuts from the Met's archives.
CONDUCTOR: Georg Solti
PERFORMERS:
Manon - Bidu Sayão
Desdemona - Kiri Te Kanawa
Sieglinde - Astrid Varnay
Dec. 27, 2022 - LeadingAge New York President Jim Clyne discusses new infectious disease regulations governing nursing homes, state oversight of facilities and the implementation of minimum staffing requirements.
Dec. 27, 2022 - The 2023 budget negotiations could feature a battle between Gov. Kathy Hochul and progressive state lawmakers over raising new revenues with higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Fiscal Policy Institute Executive Director Nathan Gusdorf makes the case for increasing taxes on the richest people in the state and explains how the additional revenue could be used.
Dec. 26, 2022 - Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a Queens Democrat, lays out a package of bills designed to improve transit service in New York City and ensure adequate state investments in the system's operating needs.
In 2022, this program airs live at 10 am on Dec. 24 on WQXR.
Tune in for a live broadcast from the chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England, featuring the 30-voice King's College Choir in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Introduced in 1918 to bring a more imaginative approach to worship, the festival was first broadcast in 1928, and continues as an annual tradition heard by millions around the world. Including biblical readings alongside classic carols like "Once in Royal David's City," "Silent Night," and "Come All Yes Faithful," the festival also includes a newly-commissioned carol arrangement. Hosted by Michael Barone.
In 2022, this program airs at 9 pm on Dec. 21 and at 10 pm on Dec. 24 on WQXR.
One of the great WQXR traditions: Host Nimet Habachy's reflections on Christmas in New York.
Program playlist:
Traditional: "Carol of the Bells," The New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor (Sony SFK 63303).
Traditional: "O Come all ye Faithful," The Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Columbia Brass And Percussion Ensemble (CBS MK 37206).
Leroy Anderson: "Sleigh Ride," Boston Pops Orchestra; Arthur Fiedler, conductor (RCA AGL 1 3436).
Les Petits Chanteurs de Versailles: "La Legende de Saint Nicola," Christmas In France; Jacques Metehen, conductor. (Capitol of the World T-10108).
Meredith Willson: "That Man Over There is Santa Claus," Here’s Love (COL KOS 2400).
Katherine K. Davis: "Little Drummer Boy," The Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Columbia Brass And Percussion Ensemble (CBS MK 37206).
Victor Herbert: "March of the Toys," Babes in Toyland (COL MS 6474).
Handel: "For Unto Us," Messiah, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Columbia Brass And Percussion Ensemble (CBS MK 37206).
Traditional: "Silent Night," The Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Columbia Brass And Percussion Ensemble (CBS MK 37206).
Irving Berlin: "Yule Tide Park Avenue," Call me Mister (CSP X 14877).
Tchaikovsky: "Miniature Overture," Nutcracker, Cleveland Orchestra; Lorin Maazel, conductor (Telarc 10068).
Traditional: "O Tannenbaum," The Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Columbia Brass And Percussion Ensemble (CBS MK 37206).
Traditional: "There’s a Star in the East on Christmas Morn."
Traditional: "La Virgen Lava Panales," The New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor (Sony SFK 63303).
Traditional: "Patapan," The New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor (Sony SFK 63303).
Traditional: "O Holy Night," Joan Sutherland (London 421 095 – 2).
"Russian Liturgy."
"Once in Royal David’s City" (CP 40056).
Listen live Friday, December 9th at 7pm. Tune in for a special live broadcast of Handel’s Messiah, presented by Trinity Wall Street. Trinity Wall Street and Handel's Messiah have a long tradition in New York City, dating back to 1770 when the historic church presented one of the first North American performances of the Oratorio.
Renowned conductor Andrew Megill will lead The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Trinity Baroque Orchestra in what The New York Times calls "the best Messiah in New York." WQXR's Elliott Forrest hosts this live broadcast from Trinity Wall Street.
Performers
Andrew Megill, Conductor
The Choir of Trinity Wall Street
Trinity Baroque Orchestra
Program
Messiahby George Frideric Handel
Part I - On Comfort and Hope
Parts II & III - On Death and Resurrection
Then shall be brought to pass
O death, where is thy sting?
But thanks be to God
Behold, I tell you a mystery
The trumpet shall sound
Hallelujah
Since by man came death
If God be for us
Worthy is the Lamb
Amen
Listen live on Thursday, December 1st at 7:30pm Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
“An ensemble of exceptional insight” (The Telegraph), the Brentano String Quartet performs masterworks with reverence and, with an admirable balance of creativity and restraint, achieves the “marvelous feat of bringing novel qualities to standard repertoire” (Classical Source). Since 1992, the Brentano String Quartet has garnered critical acclaim and is currently the Artists-in-Residence at the Yale School of Music.
In its return to Zankel Hall, the quartet performs a piece by Haydn, the “father of the string quartet”; Fanny Mendelssohn’s wonderful, sole composition for string quartet; and an idiosyncratic Bartók quartet that demands attention.
Hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:
Brentano String QuartetMark Steinberg, Violin
Serena Canin, Violin
Misha Amory, Viola
Nina Lee, Cello
Haydn: String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4
Bartók: String Quartet No. 5
Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E-flat Major
Nov. 28, 2022 - State Sen. Andrew Gounardes is well known for his ties to the Greek community, but did you know he once considered becoming a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church? On the latest edition of Poozer Pop Culture we explore this road not taken and the Brooklyn Democrat's Greek credentials.
Nov. 28, 2022 - It's been six years since state lawmakers approved a minimum wage hike in law and the issue is resurfacing again in Albany, but NFIB state Director Ashley Ranslow is urging Democratic policymakers not to advance a proposal increasing the hourly minimum wage to $21.25 an hour for New York City in 2024.
Listen Saturday, November 26th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT. Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts (China) presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff. Verdi's final opera, the comedy features Roberto de Candia in the title role, with Rachele Stanisci as Alice, Filippo Polinelli as Ford, and more. Renato Palumbo conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Cast of Falstaff from the National Centre for the Performing Arts (China) perform a scene (Photo courtesy of the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China))
CONDUCTOR: Renato Palumbo
CAST:
Sir John Falstaff - Roberto de Candia
Alice - Rachele Stanisci
Ford - Filippo Polinelli
Nannetta - Giulia Semenzato
Fenton - Shi Yijie
Mrs. Quickly - Anna Maria Chiuri
Meg Page - Lilly Jørsyad
Dr. Caius - Liang Yufeng
Bardolf - Kou Jing
Pistola - Huang Yisheng
Nov. 25, 2022 - Default registries are a useful tool to keep municipalities abreast of problematic properties, but Western New York Law Center staff attorney Samantha Axberg says the process needs additional protections for homeowners. (Originally aired Sept. 29)
Make WQXR the soundtrack for your Thanksgiving! We'll have music by American composers and Thanksgiving-themed works parading through your radio all day long — Copland, Dvořák, Price, and more.
If you're on the road for Thanksgiving, tune into WQXR for a musical travel companion. Our Thanksgiving Day musical fanfare is the perfect accompaniment to food and family fun, so turn it on — and leave it on all day!
Here's a sampling of the musical parade schedule.
Mornings with Jeff SpurgeonAaron Copland — Fanfare for the Common Man
Florence Price — Symphony No. 1 in E Minor: III. Juba Dance
Scott Joplin — The Entertainer
John Williams — Main Title from Star Wars
George Gershwin — An American in Paris
Middays with Annie BergenJohn Philip Sousa — The Thunderer
Antonin Dvořák — String Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96, "American"
Richard Rodgers — Carousel: Orchestral Suite
Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral"
Leonard Bernstein — West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
Afternoons with Elliott ForrestJohann Sebastian Bach — Cantata BWV 208: Sheep May Safely Graze
George Gershwin — Rhapsody in Blue
Aaron Copland — Appalachian Spring: Simple Gifts
George Frideric Handel — Water Music Suite No. 1 in F, HWV 348
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor — Pilgrim Song
Evenings with Terrance McKnightAntonin Dvořák — Suite in A Major "American", Op. 98b (B190)
Aaron Copland — The Tender Land Suite
Scott Joplin — Bethena
Florence Price — Symphony No. 3 in C Minor
Franz Schubert — Piano Quintet in A, Op. 114, D. 667, "The Trout"
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, host David Dubal continues to explore the artistry of Arthur Rubinstein. Throughout his extensive eight-decade touring career, Rubinstein befriended many 20th century composers, including Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, and fellow compatriot Karol Szymanowski. Rubinstein’s zest for life kept him frequently performing and traveling the world well into his eighties despite his deteriorating health and eyesight.
On this all-Rubinstein program, we hear concert favorites by Debussy, Chopin, Chabrier, Albeniz, and more from Sony Classical’s box set, Arthur Rubinstein: The Complete Album Collection.
Program:
Debussy: “Poissons d’or” from Images, Book II
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Szymanowski: Mazurka, Op. 50, I. Sostenuto: molto rubato
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Albeniz: Navarra
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Prokofiev: 12 Visions Fugitives, Op. 22, V. Con eleganza
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Villa-Lobos: “O polichinelo” from A Prole Do Bebê, Book 1
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Chabrier: “Scherzo-valse” from Pièces pittoresques
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Chopin: Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Fauré: Nocturne No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 33
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Debussy: “Reflets dans l’eau” from Images, Book I
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Nov. 23, 2022 - State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli discusses New York's process of paying out unemployment claims during the pandemic, which was the subject of a recent audit by his office that found billions of improper payments were made by the state Department of Labor.
Nov. 23, 2022 - The New York Farm Bureau's Steve Ammerman discusses the rising price of a Thanksgiving meal in New York this year, which spiked more than in recent years, and explains what is driving prices in the northeast.
Nov. 23, 2022 - As New York plots a green energy future, with drastically reduced greenhouse gas emissions, Radiant Value Management energy analyst Isuru Senevirante makes the case for an increased utilization of nuclear power.
This broadcast originally aired on November 28th, 2018.
Tonight on the Young Artists Showcase features an encore broadcast of a 2018 studio visit from violinist Danbi Um and pianist Orion Weiss. As a duo, they have often played together at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Tonight on the program they discuss performing together and the experience of playing chamber music, while also performing violin/piano duo works by Richard Strauss, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Joseph Achron, and more.
Program:
Achron: Hebrew Melody
—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Korngold: Much Ado About Nothing Suite - 1. Maiden in the Bridal Chamber, 2. Scene in the Garden, 3. Hornpipe
—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Strauss: Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 18 - 1. Allegro, ma non troppo
—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Hubay: Scènes de la Csárda No. 3, Op. 18
—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Kreisler: Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta
—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
We’ll be the first to admit that classical music has its share of jargon. Considering that much of it isn’t even in English, but Italian, German, and the occasional French, we applaud classical newbies for not changing the station when we casually announce that our favorite allegro con moto is up next on the air.
So, what’s a crescendo? What does forte mean? And what is pizzicato and does it come with extra cheese? Our (very) abridged classical music dictionary has the answers.*
*As the history of Western classical music extends back for centuries this list necessarily excludes a great deal of detail. We hope that this resource will serve as a jumping off point not only for your own listening pleasure, but also for your curiosity! Check out our How To Classical section and dive into our weekly programs to learn more.
An Abridged Classical Music Dictionary 1. Accelerando - Notated as accel. in musical scores, this directive indicates that one must increase the ‘tempo,’ or speed, of the music. Like much of musical terminology, ‘accelerando’ derives from Italian: accelerare is a verb meaning to hasten. (See also ‘tempo’ and ‘ritardando.’) 2. Adagio - A directive indicating a slow tempo. Derived from Italian, ‘adagio’ is an adverb meaning to perform an action slowly or gently. Similar tempo markings include ‘lento,’ ‘grave,’ ‘largo,’ and the German ‘langsam.’ 3. Allegro - The Italian adjective allegro is used to describe cheerfulness and lightheartedness. In music, ‘allegro’ is a tempo marking indicating a quicker, more lively tempo. Vivaldi’s famous Spring concerto from The Four Seasons begins with an allegro movement, transitions into a largo e pianissimo sempre, and culminates in an allegro pastorale. Composers often choose to add additional terminology to standard terms, as in allegro pastorale (pastoral), to mark certain desired characteristics. 4. Andante - Deriving from the Italian verb andare, meaning to go, ‘andante’ refers to a tempo that is approximately walking pace. 5. Aria - A self-contained musical piece, almost always for single voice. Arias are found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas. (See also ‘recitative.’) 6. Atonal - While most music encountered in everyday life is ‘tonal’ – meaning that it exists in a particular key, such as A Major or F minor, which may veer off into other keys but always remains firmly rooted in the system of tonality – ‘atonal’ music rejects the tonality-centric music characteristic of the Western Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic eras. 7. Barcarolle - Deriving from the Italian barcarola, or gondolier, a ‘barcarolle’ is a work characterized by lilting triple meter rhythmic figures – very similar to a Venetian gondolier’s song! 8. Baroque - In music history, music that was composed between around 1600 through 1750. ‘Baroque’ is believed to derive either from the Italian barocco or the Portuguese barroco; the term described that which defied logic, that which was perceived as odd or perhaps exaggerated. The elaborate ornamentation of the Baroque period of music, a stark contrast from the music of the earlier Renaissance period, was a key characteristic in the adoption of the terminology. 9. Bel Canto - Italian for beautiful singing, ‘bel canto’ refers to the school of Italian opera that flourished in Italy as exemplified in the music of Bellini, Rossini, and Donietti, among others. Bel canto singing is characterized by long, legato lines and an evenness of tone throughout the vocal range. (See also ‘legato.’) 10. Cadence - A harmonic and/or melodic resolution at the end of a musical phrase. Cadences are perhaps most obvious in hymns and chorales, in which harmonic movement tends to be straightforward and unobscured, but they are an essential part of the building blocks of Western music and therefore appear throughout and at the close of every piece in the Western tradition. 11. Chamber Music - Music historically performed in the home or in small intimate settings, as opposed to in a concert hall, theater, or church. As such, chamber music is often performed with lean ensembles – perhaps a string quartet or a piano trio (piano plus violin and cello, typically) – and usually without a conductor. 12. Chanson - The French art song, traditionally of the Medieval period and Renaissance. 13. Classical - Music that was composed between around 1750 through 1820. Although the term “classical” is used as a blanket term to refer to music of the Eurocentric tradition, the ‘Classical’ period (with a capital ‘C’) refers to the particular time period when composers like Haydn and Mozart were active. 14. Concerto - A tradition of musical composition in which a soloist (or sometimes a small group of soloists) is featured prominently with orchestra. This differs from a ‘symphony’ (a purely orchestral composition) or a ‘sonata’ (either for soloist or for small ensemble), but the forms are similar in their reliance on the traditional multi-movement structur 15. Consonance & Dissonance - These two terms together refer to the basis of all harmonic movement (see above). Consonance refers to musical intervals associated with a feeling of stability, whereas dissonance refers to intervals associated with tension. Chords have tendencies to resolve into other, different chords because of their dissonances, which “lean,” as it were, toward certain resolutions. 16. Counterpoint - A compositional technique in which two or more melodic lines are juxtaposed upon one another based on patterns of consonances and dissonances. 17. Crescendo & Decrescendo - These two dynamic markings indicate, respectively, an increase and decrease in volume. A crescendo is notated in the score as either the abbreviation cresc. or a right-opening hairpin, while a decrescendo is shown with either the abbreviations decresc. or dim. (short for diminuendo, Italian for ‘diminish’) or a left-opening hairpin. 18. Dominant - Referring to the fifth pitch in the diatonic scale (i.e., ‘sol’ in do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do). In practice, the ‘dominant’ refers more commonly to the chord that is built upon the fifth note in the key of any given musical work (i.e., sol-ti-re), which commonly resolves to the ‘tonic.’ (See also ‘tonic.’) 19. Etude - Deriving from the French étudier, meaning to study, ‘etudes’ are study pieces intended to develop certain technical aspects of musical performance. Many etudes are highly skillful compositions and are frequently performed in concert. 20. Forte - A musical dynamic marking, deriving from the Italian forte, meaning strong, indicating that the music is to be played loudly. ‘Forte’ is denoted with a single f in a musical score. Even louder would be fortissimo, or ff, and louder still would be a triple fff. 21. Glissando - Denoted with the marking gliss. or a squiggly line that connects two notes on the musical staff, a ‘glissando’ refers to a slide either upward or downward between notes so that the individual interim pitches are indistinguishable. 22. Legato - Deriving from the Italian verb legare, or to bind together, ‘legato’ refers to a style of musical production in which each consecutive note flows seamlessly out of the last. (See also ‘bel canto.’) 23. Libretto - The text that is sung in an opera, oratorio, or other vocal work. Librettos are textual constructions, often highly economical ones, that form the dramatic basis for a work of vocal music. 24. Lieder - The long tradition of German-language art song that includes compositions by such composers as Schubert, Schumann, Wolf, and Brahms, among others. 25. Mélodies - A tradition of French art song including works by Fauré, Duparc, Debussy, and Hahn, among others. 26. Modulation - A shift from one key, or tonality, to another, often by way of strategic chords common to both the original key and the target key. 27. Movement - A part of a larger musical composition. Symphonies, sonatas, concertos, and other works are often made up of multiple movements, each with its own tempo and style. 28. Oratorio - A dramatic story, often on a sacred theme, told through music and typically unstaged. 29. Philharmonic - A large, multi-instrument ensemble, as in the New York Philharmonic. The term ‘philharmonic’ can be roughly translated to “music loving” and has roots in the organization of musical events, though today it is used rather interchangeably with ‘symphony. (See also ‘symphony.’) 30. Piano - (1) Also called a pianoforte, a keyboard instrument typically 88 keys. (2) A musical dynamic marking deriving from the Italian piano, meaning even or level, indicating that the music is to be played softly. As with ‘forte,’ this marking is denoted in the score by a single letter, p, and may be intensified with a pp, or pianissimo, or even a ppp, each indicating a progressively softer sound. 31. Pizzicato - A style of playing a string instrument characterized by the action of plucking the instrument’s strings with one’s fingers, rather than playing with the bow, or al arco. 32. Recitative - A style of vocal singing found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas that is intended to reflect the patterns and cadence of speech. An aria is often preceded by a recitative, particularly in the Baroque and Classical eras. (See also ‘aria.’) 33. Rhapsody - A free-flowing, single-movement work with dramatic musical moments interspersed with other, contrasting material. 34. Ritardando - A musical marking denoted by the abbreviation rit. and deriving from the Italian ritardare, meaning to be late or delayed, indicating that the performer(s) should slow down, or decrease the tempo. (See also ‘accelerando.’) 35. Romantic - In music history, music that was composed between the close of the Classical period through around 1900. The Romantic Era was in part a reaction to the earlier Industrial Revolution. The music of the period is not romantic in the lower-case ‘r’ sense, but rather reflects freedom from the strict forms of the Classical Era. 36. Scherzo - Deriving from the Italian scherzare, meaning to joke, a ‘scherzo’ is a fast, light, often playful composition in ¾ time that could exist either on its own or usually as the third movement of a symphony, sonata, or string quartet. 37. Sforzando - A musical marking notated with the letters sfz. indicating a sudden change, either in the form of an accent upon a certain note or chord or in a sudden piano (as in sfp.). 38. Sonata - A musical composition for either solo instrument or small instrumental ensemble, often in multiple movements. 39. Staccato - Performed with each note detached from the others, as contrasted with ‘legato.’ Staccato is marked with a black dot above each note that is to be played in this detached style. 40. Strophic - A song structure in which two or more verses of text are sung to the same music. 41. Symphony - A large, multi-instrument ensemble, as in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (See also ‘philharmonic.’) 42. Tempo - The speed at which a particular musical piece is played. A slower tempo indicates fewer beats-per-minute (bpm), while a quicker tempo indicates a higher bpm. 43. Theme and Variations - A musical composition in which a composer introduces a musical theme, or recognizable phrase, and then recycles the theme under numerous different guises in a series of variations on the theme. 44. Through Composed - A compositional work that does not rely on repetition of themes or other musical material, but rather is composed all the way “through.” 45. Tone Poem - Program music that does not rely on abstract musical ideas but rather is intended to depict a certain story or scene. 46. Tonic - Referring to the initial pitch in the diatonic scale (i.e., ‘do’ in do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do). In practice, the tonic refers more commonly to the chord that is built upon the first note in the key of any given musical work (i.e., do-mi-sol), which is also commonly the resolution in a cadence. (See also dominant’ and ‘cadence.’) 47. Trill - A rapid oscillation between two notes, often a half- or whole-step apart. 48. Tristan Chord - The first chord in Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde, a famously dissonant chord that Wagner resolved in the opera rather unexpectedly into yet another dissonant chord. In the opera, the chord served as a motif for longing, a core dramatic component of the plot. 49. Tritone - The tritone, or “diabolus in musica,” refers to the dissonant interval of an augmented fourth/diminished fifth that got a bad rep in music but can nevertheless be found in some of our most recognizable pop culture tunes, such as the first two notes of theme song to The Simpsons or the first two notes of “Maria” in West Side Story’s “Maria.” 50. Tutti - A musical direction indicating that all musicians are to play or sing a phrase -together. This marking often follows a brief or extended section performed by a soloist or small group.
What are your favorite classical music terms? Share them in the comments below!
Nov. 22, 2022 - Metropolitan Transportation Authority is facing a fiscal cliff as ridership levels continue below pre-pandemic levels and might not bound back for years. Reinvent Albany Senior Policy Advisor Rachael Fauss explains the looming hole in the transit budget and how it should be filled in the future.
Nov. 11, 2022 - Siena College Research Institute Director Dr. Don Levy discusses his organization's election forecasts compared to what voters actually did this year in New York and around the country.
Nov. 22, 2022 - Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright, a Long Island Democrat, discusses his bill designed to jump start the solar panel recycling industry in New York.
Have You Heard... Portrait from Alex Baranowski with Angèle Dubeau and La Pietà In this album, violinist Angèle Dubeau and her all-female string and piano ensemble, La Pietà, have decided to focus on the London-based, Tony Award-nominated composer Alex Baranowski in the sixth of their portrait series. I will say that while I’ve not before heard of Baranowski, including his music in the same series as the other composers who have been featured was an excellent choice. His music is ethereal and contemplative, while mysterious at times and piquant to the emotion. The artistry of Dubeau and La Pietà shine in this record! They perform a good amount of original music: while most of the album is comprised of pieces composed originally for the screen or the stage, Baranowski “expanded” some of them, and there are a few world premiere recordings.
According to the accompanying liner notes, Dubeau commissioned the first track in the album, “Wiosna” (Polish for “spring”), from Baranowski at dinner between the two; it’s “the heart of this album” and is inspired by a poem by the composer’s grandfather—Maksymilian Baranowski—who was a prisoner of the Soviet Union in Siberia. While imprisoned, he wrote (among others) the poem from which Baranowski’s new piece got its name and inspiration. Dubeau mentioned that Baranowski’s grandfather gifted him his first violin at six years old, so I can only imagine the emotion he must have felt composing “Wisona” with a central part for that instrument. I asked Dubeau what it was like bringing life to such a personal piece:
"It is always with great excitement that I create a piece of work. A creative process that I have often experienced in my career. Here, in the case of Alex Baranowski's “Wiosna,” this moment was one of a kind, knowing the personal side which links the composer and his source of inspiration. “Wiosna” (means spring in Polish) is originally a poem written by his grandfather in 1941, in the midst of the loneliness and deep suffering of the Siberian concentration camp where he was held. For me as a performer, to create this personal work that recounts this particular time of his life was very touching. I thought of the loneliness, the fear, the anguish, the pain of this man who despite everything kept hope. Alex, through his music, was able to depict all this and add hope, here tinged with light in the musical discourse. Normally my creative process is detached from the composer's personal intentions. I let my own emotions arise in the performance of a work. In the case of “Wiosna,” my emotions and my interpretation were guided by the music but also and first of all by the deep story that is attached to it. " - Angèle Dubeau
“Wiosna”begins very spare in sound—one and then two straight notes on what sounds like viola and violin, then Dubeau enters with a very simple melody, like a few leaf-buds on a bare, thin branch. The rest of the ensemble comes in, waves of warmth in the winter with the straight tone from the beginning a source of constancy. Dubeau’s part has a hesitation at times, reminiscent of how sometimes winter can seem to hang on. In the middle, it seems to vanish, and the ensemble is fuller. The branch is now clothed. The tree lives. I love “Wiosna” the more I listen to it; and if I attend carefully, I hear the progression of the poem, which slowly grows in the hopefulness of spring from the winter frost. I also like how the next piece “Boy and Bird” seems to expand, or blossom, from the first. A good touch.
While all the pieces performed on this record are well worth listening to, a couple of others stood out to me. “Margot” may be out of context—it was composed for the movie Nureyev, about ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev—but I think that it holds up on its own strength. The solo violin part kind of reminds me of Arvo Pärt’s “fratres” at times. I also—the sucker for astronomy that I am—really liked “Constellations.” When I hear it, I think of the time in college I spent in one of the observatories; there were several cold, but hopeful nights spent trying to capture data on white dwarf stars. Those nights we braved the wind at the top of the Science Center and crossed the roof from one observatory (the one Neil DeGrasse Tyson frequented) to the astronomy department’s reflector telescope. It was my first time collecting real data, and I felt like I would perhaps contribute to something exciting. Though that time was short-lived, I’ll always look back on it fondly. I hope that this piece reminds you of the stars, too; the piano certainly helps, with its intermittent notes twinkling among the light of the strings.
Seriously, go listen to this album—and read the poem, “Wiosna.” It’s lovely.
This month’s honorable mentions: Víkingur Ólafsson—From Afar Ensemble Pygmalion, Raphael Pichon, and Stéphane Degout—Mein Traum: Schubert, Weber, Schumann Double Sens and Nemanja Radulović—Roots
About Quentin Neroes
Quentin Neroes (Photo provided by Quentin)
Quentin is one of two Music Coordinators at WQXR and hails from Dallas, TX (though he now makes his home in Brooklyn). He appreciates all things analog, including—but not limited to—fountain pens, cameras, and vinyl records. He studied English in college and managed a vinyl library in his former dorm, Eliot house; in that capacity, he held weekly listening sessions called “music hours” (after office hours) where he served cheese, crackers, and wonderful records.
Listen Saturday, November 19th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT. Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
From China's National Centre for the Performing Arts comes Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. The comedic tale of love and playful deceit stars Bruno Pratico in the title role, with Ekaterina Bakanova as Noria, Shi Yijie as Ernesto, and more. Daniele Callegari conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Scene from Don Pasquale with cast of China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (Photo courtesy of the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China))
CONDUCTOR: Daniele Callegari
CAST:
Don Pasquale - Bruno Pratico
Noria - Ekaterina Bakanova
Ernesto - Shi Yijie
Dottor Matatesta - Filippo Polinelli
Natalo - Wang Hexiang
Nov. 18, 2022 - New York Office of Mental Health Director of Crisis Services Denise Balzer discusses the statewide rollout of the 9-8-8 hotline for New Yorkers in a mental health crisis to get connected with local support and services.
Nov. 18, 2022 - Assembly Children and Families Committee Chair Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat, highlights the need for more state primary prevention programs to prevent New York children from being victims of abuse and neglect.
Listen live on Thursday, November 17th at 8pm ET Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
A self-conducted chamber orchestra, Sphinx Virtuosi is the most prestigious group of musicians to represent the magnificently impactful Sphinx Organization. Founded in 1997, the Sphinx Organization is a social justice non-profit that aims to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts by uplifting marginalized voices in classical music.
The 2021 Carnegie Hall performance by these “top-notch string players” received an extended standing ovation for music making described as “splendid,” “vibrant,” and “arresting” (The New York Times). In this broadcast, the ensemble premieres exciting new works by Valerie Coleman, Jessie Montgomery, and Xavier Foley alongside music by Villa-Lobos, Carlos Simon, and Beethoven. Such a varied program is characteristic of Sphinx Virtuosi’s insightful, ongoing exploration of the classical canon’s evolution into historical and modern day Black and Latinx composers.
Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer host.
This concert was originally recorded live on October 13, 2022.
Program:
Sphinx VirtuosiAmaryn Olmeda, violin
Hannah White, violin
Tommy Mesa, cello
Xavier Foley, bass
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas brasileiras No. 9
Valerie Coleman: Tracing Visions(NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
Carlos Simon: Between WorldsJessie Montgomery: Divided(NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall
Xavier Foley: An Ode to Our Times(World Premiere)
Beethoven: Finale from Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Bridgetower" (arr. for string orchestra by Rubén Rengel)
Tracing Visions:
Tracing Visions, by Valerie Coleman, Vcoleman Music Publishing, LLC (ASCAP)
Between Worlds:Between Worlds by Carlos Simon
Copyright © 2019 by CSJr. Music (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved.
Sole Agent: Bill Holab Music.
Divided:
“Divided” by Jessie Montgomery. Used by permission.
This episode, we make our annual journey to Paul Haul to meet the Juilliard School’s Gina Bachauer Competition winners. Named for the legendary Greek pianist, the Bachauer award is among the most prestigious that the school offers. Award recipients also receive scholarships and living expenses for the full academic year.
This year’s winners are Juhee Lim and Arthur Wang. A student of Robert McDonald, Juhee Lim has collected many awards including the Modern Times Prize from the Clara Haskil Competition. She has performed with the Mariinsky Orchestra, the London Symphony, and the Seoul Philharmonics, among others. Lim is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music degree from Juilliard. Arthur Wang received his Bachelor’s degree from Juilliard and is continuing his studies in Juilliard’s Master’s program under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal. He was the grand prizewinner of the 2021 Music for Humanity Scholarship Competition and is currently a Young Steinway Artist.
During this program, the Robert Sherman McGraw-Hill Award for Music Education and Community Outreach was awarded to guitarist Alberta Khoury.
Program
Schubert: Impromptu No. 3 in B-flat Major
– Juhee Lim, Piano
Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2
– Juhee Lim, Piano
Khoury: Synthetic Dance
– Alberta Khoury, guitar
Khoury: Tau of Time
– Alberta Khoury, guitar
Khoury: Pangaea Calling
– Alberta Khoury, guitar
Bach: Organ Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C Major
– Arthur Wang, Piano
Stravinsky: Petrushka, Finale
– Arthur Wang, Piano
Lutoslawski: Variations on a Theme by Paganini for Two Pianos
– Juhee Lim, Piano & Arthur Wang, Piano
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, host David Dubal begins a four-part series celebrating the artistry of pianist Arthur Rubinstein. Born in Poland in 1887, Rubinstein was deemed a child prodigy at a very young age. Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim saw promise in the young pianist, and when Rubinstein moved to Berlin at the age of ten to continue his studies, Joachim closely monitored his musical progress. Rubinstein’s legendary eight-decade career made him a household name and imprinted him into the hearts of classical music lovers worldwide.
On this program, we hear timeless Rubinstein performances of Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, and Saint-Saëns, all from Sony Classical’s CD set, Arthur Rubinstein: The Complete Album Collection.
Program:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Op. 27, No.2 (“Moonlight”) I. Adagio sostenuto
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Schubert: Piano Sonata, D. 960, IV. Allegro ma non troppo
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Chopin: Mazurka No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 30
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Chopin: Nocturne No.2 in G major, Op. 37
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op.16, I. Äußerst bewegt
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (“Pathetique”) III. Rondo: Allegro
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Schumann: Waldszenen, Op. 82, VII. Vogel als Prophet
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op. 12, II. Aufschwung
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22, II. Allegro scherzando
--Arthur Rubinstein, piano
Nov. 15 2022 - A temporary injunction in November from a federal judge could throw a wrench in the state's plan to award conditional licenses to operate marijuana dispensaries before the end of the year. Joe Schafer, an associate with the cannabis practice team at Lippes Mathias, explains the legal challenge to New York's licensing plan.
Nov. 15, 2022 - Great Lakes Research Consortium Director Greg Boyer discusses the state's long-range planning for the Great Lakes region, which includes balancing the needs of New Yorkers, the environment and economy.
Nov. 15, 2022 - In the wake of the State Division of Budget releasing a mid-year financial plan update, we'll examine New York's fiscal condition and projected deficits with Patrick Orecki, director of state studies for the Citizens Budget Commission.
Listen Saturday, November 12th at 1pm Program notes courtesy of WFMT. Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
The second set of NCPA productions begins with Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with Mélissa Petit and Francesco Demuro in the title roles. Patrick Fournillier conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Cast of Romeo et Juliette from the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Photo courtesy of the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China))
CONDUCTOR: Patrick Fournillier
CAST:
Juliette - Mélissa Petit
Roméo - Francesco Demuro
Le Comte Capulet - Luca Grassi
Frère Laurent - Burak Bilgili
Mercutio - Alessandro Luongo
Stéphano - Jurgita Adamonytė
Tybalt - Yuan Lu
Gertrude - Duan Nina
Nov. 11, 2022 - Times Union business reporter Larry Rulison walks us through the state Inspector General's report on decisions by state employees that made possible the stretch limousine crash of 2018 in Schoharie County that killed 20 people.
Nov. 11, 2022 - We look at the administration of the recent elections in New York with Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, a co-executive director of the state Board of Elections.
At the start of his time with the Artist Propulsion Lab, composer and saxophonist Steven Banks set out to compose a piece of music that explores meditation and mindfulness, and in which the music and meditation were supportive partners. The result is Begin Again, created in collaboration with Ten Percent Happier meditation teacher Matthew Hepburn. Begin Again uses guided meditative exploration and musical composition to lend insight into the ways that we relate to struggles within ourselves and in the world. On the final episode of this year's Artist Propulsion Lab, Steven and Matthew take us inside Begin Again, followed by a performance of the entire piece.
Program:
Steven Banks and Matthew Hepburn: Begin Again
Steven Banks, saxophone; Matthew Hepburn, meditation; Andrew Yee, cello; Xak Bjerken, piano
Listen live on Thursday, November 10th at 8pm ET Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The Berliner Philharmonikerreturns in bold fashion with Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko—in his debut performances with the orchestra in New York—with Mahler’s experimental Symphony No. 7. This immense composition lends itself to numerous musical and thematic interpretations, and Petrenko “does more than take Mahler at his word … he can make seasoned Mahlerians even for a moment imagine that this is a first-time experience” (Gramophone).
Hear Mahler's enigmatic Seventh Symphony, hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program: Berliner PhilharmonikerKirill Petrenko, Chief Conductor
Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Nov. 10, 2022 - Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, discusses the battle for control of the state Senate this year and considers what Democrats will do with their very large majority in the chamber in 2023.
Nov. 11, 2022 - Keesha Gaskins-Nathan, a Democratic appointee to the state's Public Campaign Finance Board, makes the case for matching small-dollar donations with state funds and provides an update on New York's effort to implement this system starting in the 2024 state legislative races.
Nov. 9, 2022 - Democratic political operative Bradley Honan, CEO of the Honan Strategy Group, discusses election results from up and down the ballot in New York.
The early years of the 20th century showcased daring stylistic differences and developments in piano music. Contributing to the wealth of new challenges in literature for the contemporary pianist, as well as for audiences, a few composers not just revolutionized music, but reinvented it.
On this finale episode exploring this "Glorious Decade," a few lesser-known composers are featured, including Amy Beach’s Valse Amoureuse played by Virginia Eskin; the middle movement of Sergei Bortkiewicz’s First Piano Concerto in B-flat major, Op. 16 played by Stephen Coombs; and Sergei Taneyev's Prelude and Fugue in G sharp minor, performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Program playlist:
Edvard Grieg: Gibboen's Bridal March Op 72 no 1
Joseph Smith, piano
Musical Heritage Socitey
Edvard Grieg: Cow-call, op 66 No. 1
Joseph Smith, piano
Musical Heritage Socitey
Claude Debussy: La plus que lente (The Even Slower Waltz)
Van Cliburn, piano
RCA Victor
Percy Grainger: March-Jig (Maguire's Kick) No. 1
Percy Grainger, piano
Nimbus
Arnold Schoenberg: 3 Pinao Pieces Op11 - 1. Mässig
Paul Jacobs, piano
Nonesuch
Arnold Schoenberg: 3 Piano Pieces Op11 - 3. Bewegt
Paul Jacobs, piano
Nonesuch
Max Reger: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of JS Bach for Pno Op 81, No 16
Rudolf Serkin, piano
BBC Radio 3 Music
Amy Beach: Les reve de Colombine Op 65: Valse Amoureuse
Virginia Eskin, piano
Northeastern
Sergei Bortkiewicz: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat major, op. 16 II. Andante sostenuto
Stephen Coombs, piano
Hyperion
Sergei Taneyev: Prelude and Fugue in G sharp minor, Op.29
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
Decca
This broadcast originally aired on April 26th, 2017.
This week on the Young Artists Showcase, we hear performances of Mozart and Brahms by the Impromptu String Quartet, the grand prize winner of Lyric Chamber Music Society’s fourth annual music competition in 2017. Host Bob Sherman also honors the late Charlotte White, founder of Salon de Virtuosi, with music by Salon grant recipients. Salon de Virtuosi, an organization dedicated to uplifting and supporting young artists, has become a crossroads for talented young musicians from all over the world.
As its name suggests, the Impromptu String Quartet had an unplanned start when childhood friends violinist Katherine Baloff and cellist Georgiy Khokhlov reunited at the Lynn Conservatory of Music. Rounding out the ensemble is violinist David Brill and violist Camille Ripple. On this program, they perform movements from string quartets by Mozart and Brahms.
Program:
Mozart: String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, K. 421, I. Allegro moderato and IV. Allegretto ma non troppo
— Impromptu String Quartet: Katherine Baloff, violin; David Brill, violin; Camille Ripple, viola; Georgiy Khokhlov, cello
Brahms: String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51, I. Allegro ma non troppo
— Impromptu String Quartet: Katherine Baloff, violin; David Brill, violin; Camille Ripple, viola; Georgiy Khokhlov, cello
Bach-Busoni: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
— Alessio Bax, piano
Kreisler: Tambourin Chinois
— Bella Hristova, violin; Nelson Padgett, piano
Debussy: What the West Wind Saw
— Conrad Tao, piano
Nov. 8, 2022 - Despite COVID-19 retreating into the background of everyday life, hospitals in western New York are still struggling with capacity issues that are as bad as any point during the pandemic. Michael Stapleton, president and CEO of University of Rochester Medicine Thompson Health, explains how a lack of health care staff and nursing home beds are contributing the crunch at hospitals.
Nov. 8 2022 - New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang joins the show to discuss a new online tool designed to help the public access data on the complaints received by the state Inspector General's Office. She also addresses the timing of a report analyzing the state's role into a fatal limousine crash in 2018.
Nov. 11, 2022 - In October, the state reached an agreement with the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo to resolve a two-year-old lawsuit stemming from the failure of local church leaders to adequately respond to accusations of child abuse. Kevin Koscielniak, a member of the Buffalo Survivors Group, discusses the settlement and his frustration with the Catholic church.
HOW TO ENTER: No purchase or pledge necessary. Entries may be made on the WQXR website at https://www.wqxr.org/story/giveaway-enter-win-tickets-berliner-philharmoniker-carnegie-hall/ from 4AM on Monday, November 7, 2022, Eastern Standard Time to 12 PM Tuesday, November 8, 2022, Eastern Standard Time.
ELIGIBILITY: Anyone 18 years of age or older can enter except employees of WQXR New York Public Radio and its related organizations, their immediate family or persons living in the same household. Void where prohibited by law.
PRIZE: One (1) pair of tickets to the Berliner Philharmoniker at Carnegie Hall on Friday, Nov 11, 2022 at 8pm. Valued at $224 per individual ticket.
SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNER: Two winners (and five alternates) will be selected by random drawing on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Winners will be notified by phone and/or email by a Carnegie Hall representative. If any winner does not respond within four hours or is unable to accept their prize, another winner will be randomly chosen from the five alternates or, if applicable and necessary, from the larger pool of eligible entrants. The chances of winning are dependent upon the number of entries. A list with the winners' names will be kept on file at WQXR and will be available by writing WQXR Listener Services, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
Ticket administration will be handled by Carnegie Hall, which will be provided either in the form of Will Call tickets or a digital ticket.
GENERAL: One entry per person; duplicate or incomplete entries and entries that do not comply with these Official Rules will be disqualified. By participating in WQXR’s Berliner Philharmoniker at Carnegie Hall giveaway, participants agree to these Official Rules, and that WQXR New York Public Radio, its agents and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from their use of the prize or their participation in the give-away. Prize is nontransferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. There can be no substitutions for a prize. WQXR New York Public Radio may use winner’s name for publicity purposes without further compensation. Taxes and expenses as a result of winning this prize are the responsibility of the winners. Winners may receive a 1099 with the above stated value in accordance with applicable law.
WQXR is giving away tickets to see the Berliner Philharmoniker perform at Carnegie Hall on Friday, November 11, at 8pm! The concert program features Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Major, K. 207, Korngold's Symphony in F-sharp, and Andrew Norman's Unstuck. Learn more about the concert here.
Enter to win using the form below. Entries will be accepted between 4am ET Monday, November 7, and 12pm ET Tuesday, November 8. See full giveaway rules here.
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Nov. 7, 2022 - Politico New York Capitol reporter Bill Mahoney breaks down races for state Senate and state Assembly and explains whether control of the state Legislature is up for grabs on Election Day.
Nov. 7, 2022 - Senate Aging Committee Chair Rachel May, a Syracuse Democrat, provides an update on the implementation of a minimum wage increase for home care workers this fall and the flow of a budget investment to pay for the salary bump.
Nov. 7, 2022 - We speak with Wildlife Officer of the Year Award recipient Josh Crain, an investigator with the State Environmental Conservation Police. He talks about his lifelong passion for his work, an effort to pass down hunting and fishing skills to younger generations and what he would serve DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos for dinner.
Nov. 7, 2022 - State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Sheila Poole discusses the work of local social service districts and how state policy could improve these municipal operations, including their role in distributing child care subsidies.
The New York City Marathon is this Sunday, November 6, and so is our Beethoven Symphony Marathon. Beginning at 9 am, we'll start our own marathon of all nine Beethoven symphonies, played in order, and cross the finish line with a joyous end. Paul Cavalconte is anchoring our Beethoven marathon and making sure the runners can feel the love from the entire WQXR listening family.
Need to keep up your pace on Sunday or simply invigorate your daily jog? These iconic allegro movements in our "Running to the Classics" playlist are sure to enhance your cardio routine.
Nine symphonies not enough to satisfy your love for Ludwig? Check out our All Beethoven YouTube playlist, featuring a variety of works by the enduring composer performed live in The Greene Space:
Listen Saturday, November 5th at 1pm Program notes courtesy of WFMT.
Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
Haymarket Opera Company brings L’Amant anonyme, Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges’s only extant opera, to the stage in a blockbuster period production featuring a star-studded cast, sumptuous ballets, the complete original French dialogue, wigs and costumes fit for Marie Antoinette herself, and a full orchestra of rarely heard late-eighteenth-century instruments.
The recording of this production was made by Cedille Records in a preview broadcast, with an upcoming album release of L’Amant anonyme in 2023.
Nicole Cabell, a Cardiff Singer of the World and acclaimed international soprano, leads the cast in her Haymarket debut as the beautiful young Léontine, widowed by an unfaithful husband. Tenor Geoffrey Agpalo, also in his company debut, portrays her dear friend Valcour, who has been wooing her with gifts and anonymous letters while he waits for her broken heart to heal. Haymarket favorites David Govertsen (Ophémon), Erica Schuller (Jeannette), Michael St. Peter (Colin), and Nathalie Colas (Dorothée) are all conspirators in the amorous ruse.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Cast of L’Amant anonyme from the Haymarket Opera Company (Elliot Mandel)
CONDUCTOR: Craig Trompeter
CAST:
Léontine - Nicole Cabell
Valcour - Geoffrey Agpalo
Ophémon - David Govertsen
Jeannette - Erica Schuller
Colin - Michael St. Peter
Dorothée - Nathalie Colas
Nov. 4, 2022 - For more than three decades the Franklin H Williams Judicial Commission has been tasked with advising the state court system on issues affecting people of color, including litigants and legal professionals. Mary Lynn Nicolas-Brewster, executive director of the commission, explains the disparate experience in the court system, the impact of having a chief judge of color and why representation on the bench matters.
Nov. 4, 2022 - New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa and Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy Jim Baldwin join the show to discuss the results of students grade three through eight in last year's math and English Language Arts assessments and what the data means.
Nov. 4, 2022 - Youth correspondent and junior political prognosticator Isaac Olshan analyzes the race for governor of New York, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's re-election bid and two congressional seats in the Hudson Valley. He also provides some reporting from the schoolyard.
Nov. 4, 2022 - Dr. Phil Kaplan, chair of the vaccine committee for the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, discusses the merits of making a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for school attendance in the future.
The world of classical music is vast: thousands of individuals have been creating wonderful music for several hundred years. When musicians are asked to name their favorite composer, however, their answers usually reflect just a small percentage of this broad and diverse musical landscape. New Muses Project, founded at Yale University, was created to foster curiosity for the musical riches found outside this small percentage. What would classical music look like if we were always searching for our next favorite composer? Their response is a website that makes composer recommendations based on those who you already like, and they guarantee that you’ll be amazed by the many composers you may not have heard of! By broadcasting the composers discussed here, organizations such as New Muses Project and WQXR seek to expand the small percentage of composers who are performed, taught, and discussed in the twenty-first century.
Below are nine hand-picked composer recommendations from New Muses Project, and who knows? One of them might even become your next favorite composer!
- If you like John Williams or Hans Zimmer, you may also like Doreen Carwithen:
The coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 was a celebratory affair in the United Kingdom, and several artistic projects centered around the ascension of the first queen since Victoria. Among these was the color documentary Elizabeth is Queen, for which Doreen Carwithen (1922-2003) composed the score. As a child who played multiple instruments, Carwithen was known for her early interest in orchestral music (she would listen to BBC broadcasts while following the music with a score). She and her sister also performed duets for wartime entertainment during the early 1940s. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in London, Carwithen taught composition at her alma mater and received publicity when her overture ODTAA (‘One Damn Thing After Another’) was premiered by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1947. Carwithen was later selected for the J. Arthur Rank Apprenticeship Scheme which allowed her to study film music, and she subsequently composed the scores for more than thirty films in addition to writing chamber and orchestral works. She was known for responding to the discrepancy in pay between herself and her male colleagues by slowly increasing her commission throughout her professional career.
- If you like Edvard Grieg or Amy Beach, you’ll may also like Teresa Carreño: Like Pauline Viardot, Teresa Carreño (1853-1917) considered herself primarily a performer although her compositions nonetheless demonstrate a remarkable skill for writing music. Carreño was born in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to the United States as a child. She continued her piano education in New York and later Paris and eventually became an internationally recognized pianist who performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues. Her powerful pianistic abilities earned her the nickname “Valkyrie of the Piano.”
Carreño became an important voice in American classical music society in the late nineteenth century as the teacher of Edward MacDowell and the dedicatee of Amy Beach’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. She was also an opera singer and famously appeared as Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni in the 1870s.
Most of Carreño’s compositions were written for and performed at her early concerts, although she continued to write music throughout her life. Her reputation and talent manifested itself in multiple performing tours throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Africa, and she also helped pave the way for future American women to pursue careers as professional musicians.
- If you like Franz Schubert, you may also like Hélène de Montgeroult:
Hélène de Montgeroult (1764-1836) was a French composer, educator, and pianist whose music focused on making the piano “sing.” Among her many accomplishments was becoming the first female professor at the Paris Conservatoire in 1795 (and the only one until Louise Farrenc was hired in 1842). Montgeroult was born into an aristocratic family and eventually moved to Paris where she continued her piano studies. She began teaching at the Conservatoire in the same year as its opening and was appointed a professor of the première classe, meaning that she made the school’s highest salary level. In addition to composing various chamber works, Montgeroult’s Course complet pour l’enseignement du forte-piano was central to her repertory. This treatise, which includes 972 exercises and 114 études, was conceived to help Montgeroult’s piano students advance in their proficiency. Sheet music for these études, including the particularly virtuosic nos. 37, 62, 74, and 111, are available for free on IMSLP!
Because of her noble family, Montgeroult was in particular danger during the Reign of Terror. However, legend states that Montgeroult’s musical talent (and a passionate performance of “La Marseillaise”) saved her from political persecution.
- If you like Fanny Hensel or Felix Mendelssohn, you may also like Johanna Kinkel:
What do a song cycle, a novel, and a jailbreak have in common? Johanna Kinkel (1810-1858) was involved in the creation of all three! After leaving her conservative family and moving to Berlin in 1836, Kinkel became friends with Fanny Hensel and often performed at Hensel’s famous Sonntagsmusik, or Sunday music concerts. She also sent “Trinklied,” a raunchy drinking song for tenor-bass choir, to Robert Schumann to refute contemporary gendered expectations of music composed by women. This work was later published in Schumann’s Neue Zeitschrift für Musik in 1838.
Kinkel wrote stage works, chamber pieces, and dozens of Lieder although her varied career reached far beyond the domain of music. In the city of Bonn, she helped establish Der Maikäferbund, an intellectual literary collective, of which she was the only female member, and also supported the political revolution in Germany in the late 1840s which sought to improve the lives of working citizens. After her husband was arrested during these uprisings, Kinkel helped decrease his sentence from death to life in prison, thus setting up his escape from prison only months later. Kinkel’s family subsequently moved to England, where she wrote a two-volume novel titled Hans Ibeles in London.
- If you like Johann Sebastian Bach, you may also like Anna Amalia of Prussia:
The life of Anna Amalia von Prussia (1723-1787) reflects the extensive musical activities of the Prussian ruling family in eighteenth-century Germany. Anna Amalia was the younger sister of Frederick II (later Frederick the Great), a talented flautist, and Wilhelmine von Bayreuth, a composer and patron who was instrumental in the construction of Bayreuth’s famous opera house. Wilhelmine also employed the composer Anna Bon at her court, and more information about both these composers is accessible on the New Muses website! Similar to Frederick, Wilhelmine, and Anna Bon, Anna Amalia composed for the flute but also wrote for the organ (which she played), strings, and winds. Her Passion oratorio, Der Tod Jesu (“The Death of Jesus”) and her multiple freestanding chorales reflect the late Baroque choral idiom particularly appropriate for religious ceremonies. Despite never marrying, Anna Amalia supported herself by working as an abbess of a secular convent. This allowed her to build an important music library which included hundreds of works by leading Baroque composers (including J.S. Bach, who was the composition teacher of Anna Amalia’s composition teacher). She also hosted musical events at her home in Berlin which were important gatherings for intellectuals from around Europe.
- If you like William Grant Still, you may also like Ulysses Kay:
Ulysses Kay (1917-1995) was an important American composer and teacher originally from Tucson, Arizona. During his youth, Kay was influenced by his musical family which included his uncle, jazz bandleader Joe ‘King’ Oliver. After graduating from the University of Arizona, Kay studied composition at the Eastman School of Music, Yale University, and Columbia University and later taught at Boston University, University of California, Los Angeles, and the City University of New York. The significance of Kay’s professional career was reflected by the six honorary doctorates, Fulbright Scholarship, and Guggenheim Fellowship bestowed upon him. He also became the first African American composer to win the prestigious Prix de Rome. Towards the end of his career, multiple “All-Ulysses Kay Concerts” which celebrated the composer’s life and works were held in New York City and Boston. Kay wrote dozens of orchestral, chamber, choral, and operatic works, many of which feature a distinct twentieth-century American aesthetic. During the Civil Rights Era Kay’s wife, Barbara, participated in the Freedom Rides in Mississippi and was ultimately arrested for her involvement. This may have influenced Kay to compose works which reflected perspectives of African American figures, such as his opera Frederick Douglass which premiered in 1991.
- If you like Clara Schumann, you’ll may also like Pauline Viardot: The Garcías were an important musical family in the nineteenth century, and it was to this lineage that Pauline Viardot, née García (1821-1910), belonged. As a pianist, vocalist, teacher, and composer, Viardot led an extensive and celebrated professional career.
Viardot never considered herself primarily a composer, yet her influence on Chopin, Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Wagner, and many other contemporary composers was strong. She was the dedicatee of multiple roles and musical works, including Desdemona in Gioachino Rossini’s Otello and Robert Schumann’s song cycle Liederkreis, op. 24. Viardot also inspired the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, who fell in love with her, to move to Germany to enjoy her company as often as possible. Additionally, Viardot was friends with Clara Schumann, led important musical salons at her homes in Baden-Baden and Paris, and was an influential vocal teacher. She traveled around Europe multiple times, fluently spoke six languages, and composed in a variety of nationalist idioms (such as the Spanish style exhibited in her “Sérénade” for piano). Despite her busy performing and teaching career, Viardot composed over 100 songs, several operettas, choral works, chamber pieces, and a manual on singing during her lifetime of eighty-eight years. 8. If you like Antonín Dvořák, you may also like Florence Price: In 2009, several documents and manuscripts belonging to Florence Price (1887-1953) were found in an abandoned house in Illinois. This discovery prompted a recent renewed interest in Price’s life and works.
After graduating from the New England Conservatory, Price became one of the most important American composers of the twentieth century. She established herself in Chicago, became affiliated with the Black Chicago Renaissance, and also collaborated with pianist Margaret Bonds, singer Marian Anderson, and various other prominent social and artistic figures from around the country. In 1932, Price won first place in the Wanamaker Music Contest which resulted in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing her Symphony no. 1 in E Minor the following season. This was the first time a symphony by a black woman had been performed by a major American orchestra.
In her compositional output (which included four symphonies, songs, choral works, chamber pieces, solos for piano and organ, and more), Price often implemented African-American themes and genres (as in the First Symphony and Five Folksongs in Counterpoint for string quartet). Additionally, many of her works reference late romantic musical idioms from Europe, as does her Organ Sonata no. 1.
- If you like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, you may also like Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: In addition to being a masterful composer and conductor of classical music, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) was a champion fencer, successful military leader, and renowned violinist. He was born on the island of Guadeloupe in the West Indies and later traveled to France where he spent most of his professional career.
At his first public violin performance in 1772, Saint-Georges performed two original violin concertos (including op. 2, no. 2 in D Major) with the Concert des Amateurs, a group for whom he soon became the conductor. He later helped found the internationally-admired Concert de la Loge Olympique, and it was for this ensemble (under Saint-Georges’s baton) that Haydn composed his Paris symphonies (nos. 82-87). Over the course of his life, Saint-Georges published several operas, more than ten violin concertos, multiple symphonies concertantes, some of the earliest string quartets in Paris, and various other works. Towards the end of his life, Saint-Georges remained active: in 1787, he was invited to demonstrate his fencing skills in London, and in 1795 he likely traveled to Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti) to support the contemporary slave revolt occurring in the region.
During "the Glorious Decade," the period from the turn of the 20th century to about the beginning of World War I, America became the land of opportunity and it beckoned millions. Pianists, too, came in droves. This decade brought new life to composers and the piano, inspiring them to create and perform towering pianistic masterpieces.
This week's program features pianists Lyubov Bruk and Mark Taimanov playing Stravinsky’s 1907 Etude in F-Sharp Major, which gives a nod to his later Firebird Suite. And the finale to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is in the incomparable hands of Vladimir Horowitz.
Program playlist:
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos, Op. 15: Tarantella
Lyubov Bruk and Mark Taimanov, piano
Philips
Igor Stravinsky: Etude in F Sharp Major Op. 7, No. 4
Rexa Han, piano
Victor Elmaleh Collection
Claude Debussy: Feux D'artifice
Walter Hautzig, piano
Americus
Ethelbert Nevin: Water Scenes Op. 13, No. 4 Narcissus
David Dubal, piano
Arkiv Music
R. Nathaniel Dett: Juba Dance
David Dubal, piano
Arkiv Music
Maurice Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit: Le Gibet
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
Philips
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30: Finale Alla breve
Vladimir Horowitz, piano
RCA Victor
Claude Debussy: Preludes, Book II: No. 8 Ondine
Walter Gieseking, piano
Philips
Alexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 23: Andante
Vladimir Horowitz, piano
RCA Victor
Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata No 2 in D Minor: 4th Movement
Barbara Nissman, piano
Pierian Recording Society
This broadcast originally aired on April 19, 2017.
This week on the Young Artists Showcase, we hear back-to-back performances by Showcase alumnus Mackenzie Melemed and Showcase newcomer Annelle Kazumi Gregory, playing pieces by Mozart, Sibelius, and Prokofiev.
Pianist Mackenzie Melemed, prizewinner at the Sixth New York International Piano Competition, is joined by the Downtown Sinfonietta in the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23. A recipient of the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Melemed continues to his international acclaim, performing with orchestras around the country, including the Norrlands Operan Orchestra and the Florence Symphony Orchestras.
In addition to winning first prize and the audience choice award at the 2017 Sphinx Competition, violinist Annelle Kazumi Gregory is a laureate of the 2013 Stradivarius International Violin Competition. She has performed at venues in Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, and throughout the United States. On this program, Gregory is joined by the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra in pieces by Sibelius and Prokofiev.
Program:
Mozart Piano Concert No. 23 in A Major, I. Allegro
--Mackenzie Melemed, piano; Downtown Sinfonietta, conducted by Vincent Lionti
Sibelius Violin Concerto, I. Allegro
--Annelle Kazumi Gregory, violin; Sphinx Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins
Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 2 in D Major, I. Moderato
--Annelle Kazumi Gregory, violin; Alexander Sinchuk, piano
Nov. 2, 2022 - The state Court of Appeals is going to weigh in on the constitutionality of pay raises to state lawmakers and members of the governor's cabinet that were authorized by a special commission. Government Justice Center Executive Director Cam Macdonald, who argued before the state's top court on behalf of the plaintiffs, helps recap this long running legal drama.
Nov. 11, 2022 - New York Tobacconist Association President Mike Glynn makes the case for lowering state taxes on premium cigars so retailers can compete with online shops in other states and describes a process for letting cigar lounges serve alcohol.
Nov. 2, 2022 - New York State Nurses Association President Nancy Hagans, a registered nurse, discusses a package of bills awaiting the governor's signature designed to give nurses more control over their schedules by restricting the use of mandatory overtime in hospitals, nursing homes and homes.
Film and television scores accentuate and, at times, personify the scariness and fear of the horror genre. Whether it be the stabbing stingers that accompany a jump scare or a haunting choice of instrumentation, horror scores are the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit. From psychological new age horror to the classic thrillers, here are some of the best horror soundtracks to accompany the spooky season.
Jerry Goldsmith - Poltergeist Suggested Track: The Clown/They’re Here/Broken Glass
Whether it be the creepy lullaby theme, the iconically underscored “they’re heeere,” or the combination of orchestral and atonal music, Goldsmith’s Poltergeist (1982) score effectively spins an idyllic suburbia into an eerie world of spirits. The film opens with a rendition of The Star Spangled Banner before devolving into the anxious orchestral arrangements of Goldsmith’s spirit world.
Poltergeist’s score brings out the best of the classic Spielbergian score tropes with his masterful use of stingers, glissandos, and chromatics. Poltergeist takes its listeners through every sonic twist and turn of the film, embodying panic and comfort and everything in between.
Robbie Robertson - Shutter Island Suggested Track: Nam June Paik - Hommage À John Cage
One of Scorsese’s most unsettling psychological thrillers, Shutter Island’s (2010) soundtrack is just as jarring, bleak, and ominous. It features an array of works from the piano arrangement of “Music for Marcel Duchamp” to the dissonant, chromatic tones of Symphony No. 3 by Kryzsztof Penderecki. Produced by Robbie Robertson, the soundtrack for Shutter Island contains no original music, yet each composition adds an entirely new layer of horror to the film’s meaning (see the film’s use of Mahler).
Perhaps one of the most hair-raising pieces in the soundtrack is Nam June Paik’s “Hommage À John Cage.” Oscillating from jumbled layers of electronic glitches and distorted vocals to the singular flatline buzz of passive electricity, the piece adds to the unreliable instability of the thriller, making it the perfect, perhaps unconventional, way to get in the Halloween spirit.
Howard Shore - Silence of the Lambs Suggested Track: Finale
Howard Shore’s score refuses to rely on the established sonic tropes of horror. Instead, Shore opts for the melodious Silence of the Lambs (1991) score, which uses a combination of character themes and underscoring to create a complex, fascinating, and thrilling listening experience.
The scariest aspect of Silence of the Lambs isn’t necessarily the grizzly murders of Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lecter or Buffalo Bill, but the twisted intrigue that the characters continue to cultivate in its audiences decades later. Chilling, dark, and riveting, Shore’s soundtrack captures the intense menace of the film. Listen to Shore’s disturbingly beautiful masterpiece this Halloween, perhaps while having a friend (over) for dinner, and maybe the lambs will stop screaming.
Michael Abels - Us Suggested Track: Anthem
Us (2019), Jordan Peele’s second film in the horror genre, explores tensions of privilege and repression, forming fear out of our everyday lives. Michael Abels’s score mirrors the film’s themes by taking sonic perceptions of safety and innocence and turning them on their heads. “Anthem,” a work original to the film, builds around a chorus of childrens’ voices chanting nonsensical vowels with a quasi-Afro-Cuban beat and staccato, stop-and-start string accompaniment.
The general percussiveness of “Anthem” creates a feeling of marching towards an impending, unavoidable doom. The score’s unconventional instrumentation including the kalimba, berimbau, and didgeridoo paired with horror genre’s typical choral and string arrangements forces an exploration into the dread of the known.
Angelo Badalamenti - Twin Peaks Suggested Track: Twin Peaks Theme
An instantly recognizable soundtrack, Badalamenti’s “Twin Peaks Theme” takes layers of synths and repurposes them into the erie Lynchian mystery of Twin Peaks (1990). Revolving around the fictional small town murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer, Twin Peaks combined surrealist horror with drama and comedy.
The Emulator II’s mock bass notes, pitched down and modulated to match the twangy tone of a picked bass, along with the unique tones of the Roland D-550’s suspended notes, created perhaps one of the most influential synth scores in television history. Beyond its influence, the score is absolutely haunting. The layers of classic string synths along with the more experimental Roland D-550 melodic tones create an overwhelming dream-like texture that seeps into the uneasy surrealism of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
Wayne Bell - Texas Chain Saw Massacre Suggested Track: Opening Title
A score just as viscerally gruesome as its accompanying film, Wayne Bell pushes the line between music and sound in his Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) score. Consisting of creaking doors, imitation animal sounds from Bell’s father, and an upright bass, Bell combines sound design with scoring, centering all auditory elements within the film’s universe.
The ominous radio announcement mixed into the “Opening Title” sonic sequence cements the feeling of apprehension. Even instruments like the bass, prepared piano, and slide guitar are repurposed into the grisly sounds of the film until they are unrecognizable. Mixed with the absolute panic that is the cannibalistic film’s villains, and this score is sure to send anyone into a spiral of jump scares in their everyday life.
Jack Nitzsche - The Exorcist Suggested Track: Krzysztof Penderecki - Polymorphia
Krzysztof Penderecki’s “Polymorphia,” originally composed in the wake of World War II, aptly fits on screen horrors as much as the real world horrors it was inspired by. “Polymorphia” has been notably used twice in classic horror films with William Friedkin including the unsettling piece in The Exorcist (1973) before Stanley Kubrick did so in The Shining (1980).
Structured in three equally disquieting movements, the almost 12 minute piece consists of 48 string instruments performing dense, maximalist clusters of sound. While the tone clusters of the A sections and the apocalyptic percussiveness of the B section make “Polymorphia” a go-to horror soundtrack, it’s the ongoing tension and dread that the piece culminates that makes it so effective in film and in real life.
The Newton Brothers - The Haunting of Bly Manor Suggested Track: It’s You, It’s Me, It’s Us
A Netflix original, The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) takes a contemporary horror spin of Henry James’s novella The Turn of the Screw. The story follows an American au pair’s move to a haunted manor in the English countryside where she cares for two orphaned children. As she confronts her own internalized hauntings, she begins to discover the ghosts looming around every corner of the manor. The Newton Brothers’ score is an embodiment of love and loss, showing how these very real feelings can manifest into faceless hauntings that bend reality.
“It’s You, It’s Me, It’s Us” sums The Haunting of Bly Manor’s music into its hauntingly beautiful essentials. Beginning with a lone piano, the Newton brothers let each note in the main melody reverberate throughout the room before being joined by a music box. Just as the piece blooms into a full string and piano accompaniment, the atmosphere devolves into a flurry of jumbled strings and ominous ambients.
Pino Donaggio - Carrie Suggested Track: The Closet / St. Sebastian / The Mirror / Reflection
Donaggio’s sorrowful melody that characterizes Carrie’s (1976) score brings to life the cruelty and tragedy of teenage life. Led by a lush arrangement of strings, flute, piano, and celeste, the instrumentation of Carrie’s score isn’t typical of a horror film. Yet, by slowly adding in low tremolos, high stabbing strings, and sustained dissonance, Donaggio pays his dues to the iconic sound of Herrmann's Psycho scoring while keeping the nostalgic romanticism of the original arrangement.
As versatile as the absolute terror and bittersweetness of high school, Donaggio’s score embodies the highs and lows (and occasional telekinesis) of Carrie’s life. The Carrie soundtrack offers an homage to classic sonic horror tropes while also personifying the emotionality and ruthlessness of teenagers.
John Carpenter - Halloween Suggested Track: Halloween Theme
Halloween (1978) is Carpenter’s masterclass in the slasher film, spawning one of the most recognizable villains of all time:Michael Myers. After test screenings of the film underwhelmed audiences and film executives alike, Carpenter put pen to paper and wrote the iconic soundtrack to the film.
Instantly recognizable, the main theme to Halloween hinges on a three note motif. The 5-4 asymmetrical meter, which Carpenter learned from a bongo rhythmic exercise as a child, adds an ominous clock like ticking to the film. Safe to say, with the full synth score added underneath the film, Halloween has kept audiences scared for decades. Simple, dissonant, and relentless, Halloween wouldn’t be complete without, well, the Halloween soundtrack.
Listen Saturday, October 29th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of WFMT. Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
It would be difficult to assemble a better cast for Giuseppe Verdi‘s Aida than LA Opera’s recent production conducted by James Conlon. Latonia Moore (Billie in Lyric Opera’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones) made her LA Opera as the Ethiopian princess, a role she has sung to acclaim on stages around the globe including Ravinia Festival in 2013. She is paired with the leading Verdi tenor Russell Thomas (currently starring in Lyric’s Ernani) as Radamès. The cast includes Morris Robinson as the High Priest of Egypt.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Latonia Moore performing scene from Aida (Cory Weaver)
CONDUCTOR: James Conlon
CAST:
Aida - Latonia Moore
Amneris - Melody Moore
Radames - Russell Thomas
Amonasro - George Gagnidze
Ramfis - Morris Robinson
Priestess - Alaysha Fox
King of Egypt - Peixin Chen
Messenger - Anthony Ciaramitaro
Want a closer look at the music of Aida? Stream the Aria Code episode featuring Giuseppe Verdi's "O Patria Mia” sung by Latonia Moore.
Listen live on Wednesday, October 26th at 8pm ET Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic performs a program of music from the Americas, including a New York premiere by Gabriela Ortiz, whom Gustavo Dudamel has called “one of the most talented composers in the world” (NPR).
Ortiz’s Kauyumari opens with a glorious array of brass and percussion reminiscent of Copland’s iconic Fanfare for the Common Man, which is proudly quoted in Copland’s own Third Symphony, also featured on this triumphant program. A second premiere rounds out the celebration of music: Arturo Márquez’s Fandango for Violin and Orchestra, featuring violin superstar Anne Akiko Meyers, who invited the great composer to create this virtuosic, rhythmically charged showcase.
Experience the sonic expanse of the Americas with this program hosted by Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer.
Program:
Los Angeles PhilharmonicGustavo Dudamel, Music and Artistic Director
Anne Akiko Meyers, Violin
Gabriela Ortiz: Kauyumari (NY Premiere)
Arturo Márquez: Fandango for Violin and Orchestra (NY Premiere)
Aaron Copland: Symphony No. 3
Excited for this program? Take a look at last month's "Have You Heard?" article featuring Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic's recordings of Dvořák’s Late Symphonies.
Oct. 24, 2022 - The crops are in, but New York's marijuana farmers still face an uncertain future, according to Sarah Stenuf, CEO of Ananda Farms, who discusses her first year growing marijuana, hopes for the industry going forward, and the financial challenges of the industry.
Oct. 24, 2022 - The state Department of Health proposed new regulations to improve drinking water safety, but Environmental Advocates NY Director of Clean Water Rob Hayes says they don't go far enough and contain a dangerous loophole.
Oct. 24, 2022 - In the wake of a new report on the thousands of suspensions used by New York educators, The Children's Agenda Education Policy Director Eamonn Scanlon makes the case for alternative disciplinary measures.
Sunday, October 23, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
WQXR's Classical Kids Fair August 2021 (Photo by Flavio Pardo)
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WQXR is heading to Queens for our first Classical Kids Fair at the Queens Theatre! Families can experience live performances, an instrument petting zoo, arts and crafts, dance and songwriting workshops, and more! Listen, look, and play alongside WQXR and our friends from the Copland School of Music at Queens College, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Musiquita, and the Queens Theatre.
Admission is FREE!
¡WQXR viene a Queens para la primera feria clásica en el Queens Theater! Toda la familia puede disfrutar actuaciones en vivo, un “petting zoo” de instrumentos, artes y manualidades, talleres de danza y de composición de canciones ¡y mucho más! Escucha, mira, toca y juega con WQXR y nuestros amigos de la Copland School of Music de Queens College, la Casa Museo Louis Armstrong, Musiquita, y el Queens Theatre.
¡La entrada es GRATIS!
纽约市公共电台古典音乐频道WQXR 将在法拉盛科罗娜公园皇后区剧院举办第一届皇后区儿童古典音乐嘉年华！现场活动包括音乐表演，乐器体验，艺术手工，舞蹈及歌曲写作工作坊等等。表演艺术家及老师来自皇后大学科普兰音乐学院，路易斯·阿姆斯特朗博物，Musiquita二重奏，以及皇后区剧院。欢迎各位家长和小朋友一起来“玩音乐”！
活动全部免费！
WHERE/DONDE/地址: Queens Theatre @ Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
14 United Nations Ave S
Corona, NY 11368
Add to Calendar:
WQXR's Classical Kids Fair May 2022 in Brooklyn (Photo by Alfred Kan)
Listen Saturday, October 1st at 1pm Program notes courtesy of WFMT
Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts Opera Company debuts in the 2022 WFMT Opera Series as a part of an ongoing partnership with the world-renowned Chinese arts organization. This stunning production of The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár features Song Yuanming as Hanna Glawari, with Thomas Laske as Count Danilo, Sarah Zhai Strauss as Valencienne, and Shi Yijie as Camille de Rosillon. Thomas Rösner conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Cast of The Merry Widow from the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Photo courtesy of the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China))
CONDUCTOR: Thomas Rösner
CAST:
Hanna Glawari - Song Yuanming
Count Danilo Danilovitsch - Thomas Laske
Valencienne - Sarah Zhai Strauss
Camille de Rosillon - Shi Yijie
Sept. 30, 2022 - Protect the Adirondacks Executive Director Peter Bauer discusses the ramifications of a recent DNA test that confirmed an animal killed last winter in upstate New York was a wolf and reflects on the state's reluctance to accept this identification.
Sept. 30, 2022 - New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe breaks down her organization's environmental scorecard for state legislators for 2022 and reflects on the progress made during the recent legislative session.
Sept. 30, 2022 - New York Public Interest Research Group Executive Director Blair Horner identifies a wish list for the state's new ethics oversight body to implement in order to be more effective than its predecessor and secure the public's trust.
Sept. 30, 2022 - Central New York is getting a new player into the marijuana business, with the Oneida Indian Nation announcing plans for a "seed to sale" model that is expected to be fully up and running by late 2023. Joel Barkin, vice president of communications for the Oneidas, explains their investment in a processing facility and how the burgeoning industry will be regulated.
For their 12th consecutive season, WQXR and Carnegie Hall proudly unite to present the 2022-2023 season of Carnegie Hall Live, a series of live concert broadcasts, hosted by WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon and WNYC’s John Schaefer.
This season features outstanding performances from The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra in their Carnegie debut with conductor of honor Marin Alsop; the Berliner Philharmoniker with chief conductor Kirill Petrenko; the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Christian Thielemann; pianist Mitsuko Uchida and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and many more. These global performers spotlight a diverse array of music, spanning from early works to contemporary compositions by some of the best artists of the modern day.
Below is the Carnegie Hall Live 2022-2023 broadcast schedule.
The 2022/2023 Broadcast schedule: Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 7:00 PM The Philadelphia OrchestraYannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director and ConductorDaniil Trifonov, Piano
This program features:
Ravel: La valseLiszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat MajorGabriela Lena Frank: "Chasqui" from Leyendas: An Andean WalkaboutDvořák: Symphony No. 8
Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Chris Lee)
Friday, October 14, 2022 at 8:00 PM
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra Marin Alsop, Conductor of HonorJosé Staneck, Harmonica
The São Paulo Symphony Choir
This program features:
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Preludio from Bachianas brasileiras No. 4
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Harmonica Concerto
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Chôros No. 10
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 8:00 PM Los Angeles PhilharmonicGustavo Dudamel, Music and Artistic DirectorAnne Akiko Meyers, Violin
This program features:
Gabriela Ortiz: Kauyumari (NY Premiere)
Arturo Márquez: Fandango for Violin and Orchestra (NY Premiere)
Aaron Copland: Symphony No. 3
Gustavo Dudamel conducting an orchestra (Adam Latham)
Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 8:00 PM Berliner PhilharmonikerKirill Petrenko, Chief Conductor
This program features:
Mahler: Symphony No. 7
Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 8:00 PM (Originally recorded on October 13, 2022) Sphinx VirtuosiAmaryn Olmeda, ViolinHannah White, ViolinTommy Mesa, CelloXavier Foley, Bass
This program features:Villa-Lobos: Bachianas brasileiras No. 9
Valerie Coleman: Tracing Visions (NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
Carlos Simon: Between WorldsJessie Montgomery: Divided (NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
Xavier Foley: An Ode to Our Times (World Premiere)
Beethoven: Finale from Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Bridgetower" (arr. for string orchestra by Rubén Rengel)
Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 7:30 PM Brentano String QuartetMark Steinberg, ViolinSerena Canin, ViolinMisha Amory, ViolaNina Lee, Cello
This program features:
Haydn: String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4
Bartók: String Quartet No. 5
Fanny: Mendelssohn String Quartet in E-flat Major
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 8:00 PM The Cleveland OrchestraFranz Welser-Möst, Music Director and ConductorJoélle Harvey, SopranoDaryl Freedman, Mezzo-SopranoJulian Prégardien, TenorMartin Mitterrutzner, TenorDashon Burton, BassThe Cleveland Orchestra ChorusLisa Wong, Chorus Director
This program features:
Berg: Lyric SuiteSchubert: Symphony No. 8, "Unfinished"
Schubert: Mass No. 6 in E-flat Major, D. 950
Carnegie Hall's opening of the 129th Season with The Cleveland Orchestra (Photo courtesy of Carnegie Hall)
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 8:00 PM Anne-Sophie Mutter, ViolinMutter Virtuosi
This program features:
Vivaldi: Concerto in B Minor for Four Violins, Strings, and Continuo, RV 580
Unsuk Chin: Gran Cadenza for Two Violins (NY Premiere)
Saint-Georges: Violin Concerto in A Major, Op. 5, No. 2
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Friday, March 3, 2023 at 8:00 PM Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Christian Thielemann, Conductor
This program features:Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4
Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64
Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 8:00 PM Mahler Chamber OrchestraMitsuko Uchida, Piano and Director
This program features:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503
Arnold Schoenberg: Kammersymphonie No. 1, Op. 9
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595
Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Pianist Mitsuko Uchida (Jennifer Taylor )
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 7:30 PM Concerto KölnJeanine De Bique, SopranoMirrors
This program features:
A selection of arias by George Frideric Handel
Carl Heinrich Graun: "Risolvere non oso" from Rodelinda
Leonardo Vinci: Sinfonia from PartenopeCarl Heinrich Graun: "L'empio rigor del fato" from RodelindaC.H. Graun: "Tra le procelle assorto" from Cleopatra e Cesare
Conductor Susanna Mälkki (Photo by Chris Lee)
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 8:00 PM Helsinki Philharmonic OrchestraSusanna Mälkki, Chief ConductorClaire Chase, Flute
This program features:
Jean Sibelius: "Lemminkäinen's Return" from Lemminkäinen Suite, Op. 22
Kaija Saariaho: Aile du songeJean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43
This episode contains discussions of syphilis. If you are concerned you have syphilis or another sexually transmitted infection, you can find information about sexual health clinics in New York City here.
This Composer is Sick wraps up with an exploration of how syphilis affected the life, works, and death of American composer Scott Joplin. Host Emi Ferguson and her guests, Joplin biographer and ragtime scholar Edward Berlin, and syphilis researcher Sheila Lukehart, look at Joplin's life as he battled syphilis, particularly his last years in New York, as he worked to stage a production of his opera, Treemonisha.
Recordings:
“Frolic of the Bears” by Scott Joplin, performed by The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra and Singers. From the sound recording Scott Joplin: Treemonisha. New World Records #80720-2 (p) & © 2011 Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc. Used by permission. Available here.
"The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, performed by Benjamin Loeb, courtesy of Naxos of America
"Maple Leaf Rag" performed by the United States Marine Band
"Maple Leaf Rag" performed by Jade Simmons; "A Real Slow Drag" from Treemonisha performed by Laquita Mitchell and Joshua Rifkin, from WQXR Presents: Joplin at 150 in the Greene Space, November 2019
"Magnetic Rag" performed by Lara Downes from Scott Joplin's New York in the Greene Space, March 2022
Additional recording of "A Real Slow Drag" from Treemonisha by Emi Ferguson
Additional thanks to the NYC Municipal Archives, the National Archives, and the New York Public Radio Archives for archival audio.
Listen Thursday, September 29, at 7 pm Native New Yorkers are back in their routines, summer vacations are done, and Carnegie Hall is celebrating the start of its 2022–2023 season! Be it from your car, couch, or backyard, join in on the Ravel-ery with the best (and cheapest) seat to the Opening Night Gala concert. The Philadelphia Orchestra will be conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin with pianist Daniil Trifonov performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Also on the program is Ravel’s La valse, Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Chasqui” from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 to close out the festive evening.
Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer host.
Program: The Philadelphia OrchestraYannick Nézet-Séguin, conductorDaniil Trifonov, piano
Ravel: La valse
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major
Gabriela Lena Frank: "Chasqui" from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout
Dvořák: Symphony No. 8
Watch Daniil Trifonov perform live in The Greene Space at WQXR (2015):
Sept. 29, 2022 - Deputy State Comptroller for Budget & Policy Analysis Maria Doulis explains how the average amount borrowed by New York households stacks up with the rest of the country and why financial literacy is an important tool in managing debt.
Sept. 29, 2022 - In the wake of movement from federal environmental regulators, Environmental Advocates NY Clean Water Director Rob Hayes is pushing for state health officials to take additional steps to promote safe drinking water.
Sept. 29, 2022 - Default registries are a useful tool to keep municipalities abreast of problematic properties, but Western New York Law Center staff attorney Samantha Axberg says the process needs additional protections for homeowners.
Sept. 29, 2022 - Democratic candidates running for statewide office in New York continue to maintain comfortable leads over their Republican challengers, according to the latest survey of likely voters by the Siena College Research Institute, which also examined the top issues for November.
This broadcast originally aired on March 15, 2017
This week on the Young Artists Showcase, we begin a two-part program featuring the wide range of music played by the National Festival Orchestra during its 29th season in 2016. Every year, the National Orchestral Institute and Festival brings together gifted young musicians from across the country. Having passed rigorous auditions, these emerging artists convene at the University of Maryland for seminars, master classes, and rehearsals guided by eminent faculty artists.
Tune in to hear music by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, and Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, plus a bonus encore by Haydn.
Program:
Nielsen: Overture to Maskarade
-- National Festival Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vanska
Ginastera: Variaciones concertantes
-- National Festival Orchestra
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2, III. Vivacissimo and IV. Finale: Allegro moderato
-- National Festival Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vanska
Haydn: Symphony No. 82, Minuet
-- National Festival Orchestra conducted by Osmo Vanska
By the turn of the 20th century, the piano had infiltrated every level of society and globally proved that the piano was indispensable to the art of music.
On this episode, host David Dubal presents a world-wide cross-section of works from Brazil to Finland to Russia. Enrique Granados’s "El Pelele" is performed by pianist Jean-Francois Heisser; the finale from Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto is in the hands of Lang Lang; and Sibelius's Romance in D-flat is performed by Folke Gräsbeck.
Program playlist:
Ernö Dohnányi: Gavotte und Musette
László Baranyay, piano
Hungaroton Classic
Enrique Granados: Goyescas No. 7, "El Pelele"
Jean-François Heisser, piano
Apex
Edward Elgar: Allegro (Concert Solo) Op46
David Golub, piano
Arabesque
Nikolai Medtner: Trois arabesques op. 7 Tragédie (fragment)
Geoffrey Tozer, piano
Chandos
Ernesto Nazareth: Brazilian Dances, Brejeiro
Antione Zemor
Fleur de Son Classics
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18, 3. Allegro scherzando
Lang Lang; Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre; Valery Gergiev, conductor
Deutsche Grammophon
Jean Sibelius: Ten Pieces, Op.24 - 9. Romance in D flat major
Folke Gräsbeck, piano
Bis
Alexander Scriabin: Eight Etudes Op. 42, No. 4 Etude in F sharp
Garrick Ohlsson
Bridge
Frederic Chopin: Waltz No.2 in C sharp minor, op.64 Tempo giusto
Tamás Vásáry, piano
Deutsche Grammophon
Sept. 28, 2022 - Crain's New York healthcare reporter Maya Kaufman discusses her deep dive into the services provided to homeless New Yorkers who are mentally ill and highlight the gaps in this critical safety net.
Sept. 28, 2022 - Senate Health Committee Chair Gustavo Rivera, a Bronx Democrat, joins the show to discuss the state's $1.2 billion investment in bonuses for health care workers, including how it could impact retention of critical front-line workers.
Sept. 28, 2022 - The state's use of aircraft for traffic enforcement has been nonexistent for years, but the road signs warning of cops in the skies aren't going away anytime soon, according to WGRZ reporter Nate Benson.
Sept. 28, 2022 - The state is investing $4 million into a pilot program designed to improve screening and treatment for New Yorkers over the age of 50 with diagnosed HIV, as they represent the fastest growing age group with the virus. The state Health Department's John Hartigan explains the goals of this initiative and offers a status update on New York's campaign to eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Sept. 27, 2022 - Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny explains how tensions have escalated in recent years at polling sites and advocates for legislation imposing tougher penalties for threatening election workers.
Sept. 27, 2022 - A surge of demand for New York City's homeless shelters has shined a spotlight on the state's right-to-shelter guarantee and how municipalities respond to this responsibility. Coalition for the Homeless Deputy Executive Director for Policy Shelly Nortz explains the origin of the shelter protection, how it's been implemented over the last four decades and what policymakers should do now to care for vulnerable New Yorkers.
Sept. 27, 2022 - Rising costs and labor shortages have forced some upstate hospitals into the red and are jeopardizing future services, according to Gary Fitzgerald, CEO and president of the Iroquois Healthcare Alliance.
Sept. 26, 2022 - Association for Community Living Associate Executive Director Doug Cooper details the state's latest proposed investment in permanent, supportive housing for vulnerable New Yorkers, including those with psychiatric disabilities.
Sept. 26, 2022 - The opioid epidemic continues to rage in central New York, as Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. tries to aggressively attack this public health crisis, while still drawing the line against a controversial harm reduction strategy.
Sept. 26, 2022 - Attorney Derrick Hogan explains how former Gov. Andrew is going on the legal offensive against state Attorney General Letitia James, while also needing to playing defense, as he and top former staffers are being sued in federal court by a low-level staffer who accused him of sexual harassment.
Dear Listener,
I am an expert in neither music composition nor music theory; nor am I a celebrated critic disguised as a (relatively) recent college graduate three years into his first job. Like you, I am a mere enthusiastic classical music listener. Every week, I pop on my headphones and dive into the depths of the ocean that is the ever expanding catalog of new albums. These monthly reflections will mostly not speak of the technical aspects of the records and the music therein; they are simply for me to share the new music that I have liked best from the last month with you, listeners like myself.
I hope you enjoy and revel in these new recordings as well,
Quentin Neroes
Music Coordinator, WQXR
Have You Heard...Dvořák: Symphonies Nos. 7–9 from Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic If you’ve recently seen a guy shamelessly air-conducting near 160 Varick St. in Soho, he might’ve been me, listening to Gustavo Dudamel’s set of Dvořák’s Late Symphonies. While I come across a great deal of music every month, this one struck me; it did so perhaps, in part, because of nostalgia. The first live concert I attended, at age 13, included Dvořák’s 8th symphony. Conductor Jaap Van Zweden led his old ensemble, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and it was, in fact, my birthday. My mother had told me to get dressed up for the bookstore; I awoke in the parking garage of the Meyerson Symphony Center. Some time after that wonderful night, I distinctly recall discovering his 9th from a 2007 performance of the fourth movement on YouTube conducted by Dudamel; you might see how it would impress one as young as I was then. Imagine, then my excitement in listening to the present album!
The seventh symphony begins with an intensity that first smolders and then explodes; but eventually the word “intensity” seems less apt than “verve” might be in those explosive moments, and the softness to be found in the first movement beckons. In the end, it broods like a beast retreating into darkness. The second movement is more into the near pastoral-sounding second movement, as grandeur is not precluded by an idyllic whole. There is, of course, some tension even in the most peaceful of fields; what use is a shepherd if all is always safe? But the second movement ends peacefully and leads to the dance-like third. I particularly like how the way the Los Angeles Philharmonic makes it feel like you’re being gently tugged into the dance at first. The gentleness ends there, of course—until the end it’s mostly whirlwind. The last movement brings back the verve from the first and adds a dash of impetuosity to my ear, and I like it. The horns stand out, as they should, and the more lyric sections are a reprieve from the intensity. They transition smoothly and without shock where shock would be unwelcome. The very end marvelously builds up to a frenetic but—importantly—well-controlled pitch.
The eighth starts admirably, but the second movement shines in its sensitive treatment here. The solo violin a few minutes in (probably concertmaster Martin Chalifour) truly sings and then we are led to a truly stately few moments of music. The second movement gently fades into the third—the grazioso is followed very well. The music is easy (in the first sense of the word) and the performance has a pleasing lightness. The fanfare that ushers in the fourth movement is, of course, impeccable and is like the bow that begins a ball dance; the dance first gentle and elegant grows more dignified in tone before, of course, that lovely, ferocious passage just a few minutes in, a passage as impressive to me at the age of 13 as it is at the age of 25 ¾. It’s lovely and the finale is all one can wish for—heraldic trumpets blast to my great pleasure.
The ninth symphony, and my favorite of the bunch, hardly needs to be expounded upon in great detail. From the turmoil-tinged sense of discovery that begins and dominates—to my mind—the first movement, on to the second that doffs the turmoil entirely and instead takes a mantel of wonder, wonder perhaps of the vast, beautiful lands of North America that Dvořák might have seen while living here; and from there he brings back the tumult, but not without some reprieves. I was particularly curious to compare the performance of the last movement to that of one from 2007; the current Dudamel is more mellow and judicious when it comes to pace and sharpness, expressing perhaps how his performance style has refined over the last decade and a half. Both performances impress, but for different reasons, and because of that I cannot recommend this album highly enough to reflect the enthusiasm that I feel when listening to it.
This month’s honorable mentions: The Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick Nézet-Séguin—Beethoven: The Symphonies The Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Thomas Dausgaard—Schubert: The Symphonies B’Rock Orchestra and René Jacobs—Schubert Unfinished and Great Symphonies
About Quentin Neroes
Quentin Neroes (Photo provided by Quentin)
Quentin is one of two Music Coordinators at WQXR and hails from Dallas, TX (though he now makes his home in Brooklyn). He appreciates all things analog, including—but not limited to—fountain pens, cameras, and vinyl records. He studied English in college and managed a vinyl library in his former dorm, Eliot house; in that capacity, he held weekly listening sessions called “music hours” (after office hours) where he served cheese, crackers, and wonderful records.
This program airs at 7pm on Saturday, September 24th with an encore broadcast on Monday, October 3rd at 9pm
For Itzhak Perlman, the Jewish High Holidays — Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — bring a flood of memories, many of them associated with music. In this one-hour special, the superstar violinist shares a wide variety of recordings that have special meaning for him, including several of his own performances.
Ranging from classical gems to cantorial singing to raucous klezmer fiddling, the music will spark warm associations and an emotional response for all listeners.
Program playlist:
Kol Nidrei
Max Bruch
Jacqueline du Pré, cello
Daniel Barenboim, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Brahms: Cello Sonatas Nos.1 & 2; Bruch: Kol Nidrei
EMI Classics 724355729323
Kol Nidre
Arr. Hankus Netsky
Itzhak Perlman, violin
Eternal Echoes
Sony 88725420062
B’Rosh Hashanah
Max Helfman
Cantor Ephraim Biran
Paula Biran, Rodeph Sholom Choir
Music at Congregation Rodeph Sholom
Tik’u
William Zukof, countertenor and Phyllis Elaine Clark, soprano
The Birthday of the World, Part I: Rosh Hashanah
Western Wind Records 1854
Gefilte Fish
Isador Lillian, arr. Michael Winograd
Adrienne Cooper, vocalist
Enchanted: A New Generation of Yiddishsong
Golden Horn Records 634015103427
Shoyfer Shel Moshiakh (Ram’s Horn of the Messiah) or The Jewish Hope
Abraham Goldfaden, arr. Hankus Netsky
Itzhak Perlman and Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot
Eternal Echoes
Sony 88725420062
Avinu Malkeinu
Max Janowski
Barbra Streisand
Higher Ground
Sony CK 66181
Ovinu Malkeinu
Gershon Sirota
Ten Great Cantors: Masterpieces of the Synagogue
Tara Music
Deux melodies hébraïques: Kaddisch
Maurice Ravel
Victoria de los Angeles, soprano
Georges Prêtre, Paris Conservatory Orchestra
A French Recital
EMI Classics HMV ASD 530
Hassidic Chant: Kaddish
Text by Levi Yitzkhok of Berditchev; music by Joel Engel
Paul Robeson, bass; Alan Booth, piano
On My Journey: Paul Robeson’s Independent Recordings
Smithsonian Folkways SFW40178
Hayom t’amtzeinu
Herman Zalis, arr. Western Wind and Matthew Lazar
The Western Wind
The Birthday of the World, Part I: Rosh Hashanah
Western Wind Records 1854
Fun Tashlikh (Returning from Tashlikh)
Naftule Brandwein, arr. The Klezmer Conservatory Band
Itzhak Perlman and The Klezmer Conservatory Band
Live in the Fiddler's House
Angel 7243 5 56209 2 7
Break:
L’shmoa
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
Craig Taubman Presents Jewels VIII, Music for the High Holy Days
Craig N Co/Sweet Louise Music
Kol Nidre
Arr. Hankus Netsky
Itzhak Perlman, violin
Eternal Echoes
Sony 88725420062
Kol Nidre Collage:
Al Jolson
Johnny Mathis
Perry Como
Gershon Sirota
Itzhak Meir Helfgot
Yossele Rosenblatt
Ephraim Biran
Richard Tucker
Jan Peerce
Kol Nidrei
Max Bruch
Jacqueline du Pré, cello
Daniel Barenboim, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Brahms: Cello Sonatas Nos.1 & 2; Bruch: Kol Nidrei
EMI Classics 724355729323
Quartet No. 14, Opus 131, movement 6, Adagio quasi un poco andante
Ludwig van Beethoven
Brentano Quartet
Beethoven: The Late String Quartets, Op. 127 & Op. 131
Aeon: AECD1110
Omnon Kayn
Text by Rabbi Yom Tov of York, England (12th century)
Music by Sholom Secunda
The Western Wind
Mary Ellen Callahan and Phyllis Elaine Clark, soloists
The Birthday of the World, Part II: Yom Kippur
Western Wind Records 1872
Abodah: A Yom Kippur Melody
Yehudi Menuhin, violin; Hendrik Endt, piano
Yehudi Menuhin
EMI Classics
Rachel, quand du seigneur
Music by Jacques Halévy, text by Eugène Scribe
Beniamino Gigli, tenor
Rainaldo Zamboni, Royal Opera House Orchestra
The Very Best Tenor Collection
Classique Perfecto
Chichester Psalms, Movement II
Leonard Bernstein
John Bogart, boy soloist
Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic, Columbus Boychoir, Camerata Singers
Bernstein Century/Bernstein Conducts Bernstein
Sony Classical 88697880862
Adonai hu ha elohim
Joseph Schmidt, tenor
Religiöse Gesänge und Arien
Preiser Records 5580998
Listen Saturday, September 24th at 1pm Program notes courtesy of WFMT
Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts Opera Company debuts in the 2022 WFMT Opera Series as a part of our ongoing partnership with the world-renowned Chinese arts organization. Antonín Dvořák’s fantastical Rusalka features a stunning cast of artists that includes Zhou Xiaolin in the titular role with Ladislav Elgr as the Prince, with Guo Yanyu (Jezibaba), Ke Luwa (Foreign Princess), and more. Rastislav Stur conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Cast of Rusalka from the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China) (Photo courtesy of the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China))
CONDUCTOR: Rastislav Stur
CAST:
Rusalka - Zhou Xiaolin
Prince - Ladislav Elgr
Jezibaba - Guo Yanyu
Water Sprite - Tian Haojiang
Foreign Princess - Ke Luwa
Spirits - Li Xintong, Wang Jing, Yang Yanting
Gamekeeper - Kou Jing
Chef - Zhang Xin
Hunter - Liang Yufeng
Sept. 23, 2022 - New York's framework for mobile sports wagering broke new ground when it launched earlier this year and came with big expectations - more than $500 million in annual revenue once fully mature. Legal Sports Report Managing Editor Adam Candee reviews the success of the state's big bet and how the internet sports gambling landscape might change.
Sept. 23, 2022 - The Bronx Defender's Eli Northrup discusses efforts to help New Yorkers navigate the process of applying for a license to operate one of the first marijuana retail dispensaries in New York.
Sept. 23, 2022 - Whether as the result of a directive from the governor or legislation awaiting her signature, New York is poised to begin the long process of converting its fleet of state vehicles into zero-emission forms of transportation by 2040. Earthjustice Senior Research and Policy Analyst Alok Disa explains why the transition matters and the challenges in achieving this future.
Sept. 22, 2022 - In the wake of a proposal this summer to test cannons in the Adirondacks, Adirondack Council Director of Communications John Sheehan explains why regulators for the park need to carefully scrutinize the proposal and makes the case for a broad ban in the region on private weapons testing.
Sept. 22, 2022 - Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Deborah Glick, a Manhattan Democrat, discusses what New York is doing to help people afford higher education costs and navigate their student debt obligations.
Sept. 22, 2022 - In an attempt to boost the state's nonprofit workforce, Mental Health Association in New York State CEO Glenn Liebman is pushing for a study of the costs of creating a retirement system, akin to what public employees have access to, that would be accessible to workers at nonprofits.
Sept. 22, 2022 - With energy providers predicting dramatic heating cost increases this winter, we talked with Public Utility Law Project of New York Executive Director Laurie Wheelock about what programs are available to help low-income New Yorkers pay their energy bills.
Sept. 21, 2022 - Congressman Lee Zeldin's gubernatorial campaign is getting reinforcements from a political action committee that is reaching out to voters on behalf of the Long Island Republican's longshot bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul. New York City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli explains the work of the Save our State NY PAC and how they hope to influence the race.
Sept. 21, 2022 - New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez discusses a pilot program the state is launching to get new Americans more involved in civic life, including engaging with local government and becoming community leaders.
A house was not a home without its piano, says host David Dubal, especially during the years between 1900 and World War I. The Glorious Decade gave us music of the drawing room and the concert hall. It was an era rich in musical discovery and pianistic masterpieces.
On this episode, Marc-Andre Hamelin plays Felix Blumenfeld’s Left Hand Etude, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Debussy’s poetic prelude The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, Shera Churkassky performs a Strauss Waltz and Andrei Gavrilov tackles two movements from Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
Program playlist:
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude in B minor, Op.32, No.10
Alexis Weissenberg, piano
Philips
Gabriel Faure: Barcarolle No 5 in F sharp minor Op. 66
Robert Casadesus, piano
Philips
Nikolai Medtner: Fairy Tale, Op. 34, No. 2
Shura Cherkassky, piano
Ivory Classics
J.Strauss-Godowsky: Wein Weib und Gesang
Shura Cherkassky, piano
Philips
Isaac Albéniz: III.Lavapiés of III Cuaderno Iberia
Alicia de la Rocha, piano
Radiotelevision Espanola
Felix Blumenfeld: Etude pour la main gauche seule, Op.36
Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano
Hyperion
Claude Debussy: Prélude, Book 1 La fille aux cheveux de lin
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano
Philips
Serge Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No 1 in D flat, Op 10: Movements II & III
Andrei Gavrilov, piano
Philips
Alexander Scriabin: Étude in F-sharp major, op.42 no.3 - Prestissimo
Sviatoslav Richter, piano
Melodiya
This broadcast originally aired on February 15, 2017
This week on the Young Artists Showcase, we continue our two-part series featuring the talented young Astral Artists. A mentoring program that specializes in nurturing the careers of emerging artists, Astral celebrated its 30th anniversary this past February.
This program features a wide variety of music, from Bach to Pedro Iturralde, performed live at the Trinity Center for Urban Life in Philadelphia. Violinist Luosha Fang and pianist Ilya Poletaev play selections by Bach, Elliott Carter, and Alfred Schnittke. Saxophonist Jonathan Wintringham is joined by his colleague at the Eastman School of Music, pianist Pi-Lin Ni, as well as his saxophone ensemble, the East End Quartet, for music by Piazzolla and others.
Program:
Bach: Sonata No. 4 for Violin and Piano in C minor, IV. Allegro
— Luosha Fang, violin; Ilya Poletaev, piano
Carter: Four Lauds for solo violin, IV. Fantasy – Remembering Roger
— Luosha Fang, violin
Schnittke: Gratulations Rondo
— Luosha Fang, violin; Ilya Poletaev, piano
Demersseman: Fantaisie sur un thème original – (Fantasy on an original theme)
— Jonathan Wintringham, saxophone; Pi-Lin Ni, piano
Iturralde: Pequeño Czarda
— Jonathan Wintringham, saxophone; Pi-Lin Ni, piano
Piazzolla: Otoño Porteño (Autumn)
— East End Quartet: Jonathan Wintringham, soprano saxophone; Myles Boothroyd, alto saxophone; Matthew Amedio, tenor saxophone; Luninobu Bando, baritone saxophone; Pi-Lin Ni, piano
Enescu: Violin Sonata in A minor, “Torso”
— Luosha Fang, violin; Ilya Poletaev, piano
Sept. 21, 2022 - One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman calls for an end to New York's use of the tipped minimum wage in the hospitality sector and explains how the different pay structure has disproportionately hurt women of color.
Sept. 20, 2022 - Model Alliance founder and Executive Director Sara Ziff makes the case for increasing labor protections for workers in the fashion industry and discusses the state of sexual harassment in the industry.
Sept. 20 - We examine the ongoing legal complications with the state's redistricting results, including who will get to redraw the Assembly maps for the future, with Jeff Wice, a senior fellow and adjunct professor with the New York Law School’s Census and Redistricting Institute.
Sept. 20 - Albany Law distinguished professor and author of the New York Court Watcher blog Vin Bonventre explains how corruption convictions connected to the "Buffalo Billion" might get dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court and describes the interim leadership at New York's top court.
Sept. 19, 2022 - New York is poised to distribute half a billion dollars in checks to low-income New Yorkers this fall, so we check in with New York University School of Law professor Daniel Hemel to consider the ramifications of this initiative and how else the state tax code could be used to address poverty in the Empire State.
Sept. 19, 2022 - After winning a Democratic primary this summer for a new state Senate seat in New York City, Kristen Gonzalez is poised to join the growing ranks of Democratic Socialists at the Capitol. In advance of taking office in January, we talked with the Queens activist about her decision to run, where upstate begins and much more.
Sept. 19, 2022 - State Senate Education Committee Chair, Shelley Mayer, a Westchester County Democrat, discusses new regulations from the state Board of Regents designed to ensure nonpublic schools, especially Hasidic yeshivas, are providing a basic education to the students they serve.
Listen Saturday, September 17th at 1pm Program notes courtesy of WFMT
Click here for the upcoming Saturday at the Opera broadcast schedule.
Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts Opera Company debuts in the 2022 WFMT Opera Series as a part of our ongoing partnership with the world-renowned Chinese arts organization. The first set of NCPA productions begins with Bizet’s impeccable Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers), starring soprano Olga Peretyatko in the role of Leila alongside Francesco Demuro as Nadir, Alfredo Daza as Zurga, and Paul Gay as Nourabad. Donato Renzetti conducts.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Cast of Les pêcheurs de perles from the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China) (Photo courtesy of the National Centre of the Performing Arts (China))
CONDUCTOR: Donato Renzetti
CAST:
Leila - Olga Peretyatko
Nadir - Francesco Demuro
Zurga - Alfredo Daza
Nourabad - Paul Gay
Sept. 16, 2022 - Politico New York reporter Marie French highlights the vision for two Capital Region ports as part of the supply chain for offshore wind projects on Long Island and explains the challenges in realizing that future.
Sept. 16, 2022 - Assemblymember John McDonald, a Capital Region Democrat, makes the case for updating New York's permitting process for landfills and discusses state regulation of industrial sites.
Listen to an encore presentation on Thursday, August 25th, at 9 pm. This episode of Carnegie Hall Live was originally aired on Friday, February 25th, 2022.
In a performance applauded as “expert music-making” by The New York Times, The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with pianist Seong-Jin Cho brings the gorgeous melodies and emotional power of two of Rachmaninoff's masterpieces to Carnegie Hall led by maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The program begins with a romantic favorite: Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto. With inherent passion and luminous keyboard solos, it’s a piece known to pull on the heartstrings. In fact, it came in first place for the 2022 listener-curated WQXR Valentine’s Day Countdown of favorite romantic works. The composer’s equally breathtaking and lush Second Symphony closes the program. Be sure to keep a box of tissues close by for the especially beautiful and tender Adagio movement.
Hosted by John Schaefer and Jeff Spurgeon.
Pianist Seong-Jin Cho and maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Carnegie Hall (Photo by Chris Lee)
Program
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Seong-Jin Cho, piano
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18
Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27
ENCORE
Tchaikovsky
October: "Autumn Song” from The Seasons
Editor's note: On February 24, Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra announced that Yannick Nézet-Séguin would step in for Valery Gergiev to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and on February 25 it was announced that pianist Seong-Jin Cho would step in for Denis Matsuev.
Listen to an encore presentation on Thursday, August 11th at 9pm. This episode of Carnegie Hall Live was originally aired on Thursday, January 6th, 2022 at 8pm.
Carnegie Hall Live kicks off the new year with a performance from the New York Philharmonic, under the baton of conductor Susanna Mälkki in her Carnegie Hall debut. The program includes two works by living composers: Adolphus Hailstork's An American Port of Call, a depiction of the port city Norfolk, Virginia where Hailstork currently serves as a professor of music and Composer-in-Residence, and John Adams's jazz-inspired Saxophone Concerto, with Branford Marsalis as the featured soloist. The night will conclude with the Fifth Symphony of Sibelius.
Hosted by John Schaeferand Jeff Spurgeon.
Program
The New York Philharmonic
Susanna Mälkki, conductor
Adolphus Hailstork - An American Port of Call
John Adams - Saxophone Concerto
Branford Marsalis, saxophone
Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82
Listen to an encore presentation on Thursday, August 4, at 9 pm. This episode of Carnegie Hall Live was originally aired on Wednesday, October 6, 2022 at 7 pm.
On-demand streaming rights to this concert have expired.
Live music at Carnegie Hall returns with the Opening Night Gala concert featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The new season begins with music by Shostakovich—his Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring superstar pianist Yuja Wang. You’ll also hear Beethoven's iconic Symphony No. 5, alongside a work inspired by Beethoven: Iman Habibi’s Jeder Baum Spricht, a reflection on climate change. You'll hear another commentary on contemporary times from composer Valerie Coleman, whose Seven O’Clock Shout is a nod to the essential frontline workers of the pandemic. The evening also includes the Overture from Candide, a favorite by Leonard Bernstein.
Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer host.
Program: The Philadelphia OrchestraYannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Valerie Coleman: Seven O'Clock Shout
Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2
Yuja Wang, piano
Leonard Bernstein: Overture to Candide
Iman Habibi: Jeder Baum spricht
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
Seven O’Clock Shout, by Valerie Coleman, VColeman Music Publishing, LLC (ASCAP).
Listen Tuesday, August 2nd at 7:30pm The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
PROGRAM
ECCO: East Coast Chamber Orchestra
Adolph Adolphus Hailstork, (1941- ), Sonata di Chiesa, (1992)
1] Exaltation
2] O Great Mystery
3] Adoration
4] Jubilation
5] O Lamb of God
6] Grant Us Thy Peace
7] Exaltation
Maureen Nelson, arr., Peruvian Renaissance Suite
1] "Di, Perra Mora" by Pedro Guerrero (b. 1520, Spain)
2] "Mille Regretz" by Josquin des Prez (1450-1521, France)
3] "Follia: A Chacua" by Anonymous (Peru)
- Intermission –
Franz Schubert, String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D 810, 'Death and the Maiden', (1824)
1] Allegro
2] Andante con moto
3] Scherzo Allegro molto
4] Presto
Listen Tuesday, June 28th at 7:30pm
The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
PROGRAM
Aisslinn Nosky, Director and Violin Soloist
Handel and Haydn Society
Arcangelo Corelli, Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op, No. 4, (1712 or before)
Charles Avison, Concerto Grosso No. 5 in D Minor, (after Scarlatti), (1758)
Antonio Vivaldi, Violin Concerto in A minor, RV 356, (1711 or before)
Francesco Geminiani, Concerto Grosso after Corelli, Op. 5, No. 5 in G Minor, (1727)
- Intermission – Arcangelo Corelli, Concerto Grosso in B-flat Major, Op. 6, No. 11, (1712 or before)
George Frideric Handel, Concerto Grosso in F Major, Op. 6, No. 9, (1741)
Francesco Geminiani, Concerto Grosso in D Minor, La Follia, (1732), (after Corelli, Op. 5, No.12)
Listen Tuesday, June 14th at 7:30pm The Naumburg Orchestral Concert series has been delighting New Yorkers with free outdoor performances in Central Park since 1905. This summer, WQXR will be broadcasting each concert live from the bandshell so you can enjoy the music wherever you are.
Hosted by Terrance McKnight
PROGRAM
The Knights
Colin and Eric Jacobsen, artistic directors
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Colin Jacobsen, ‘Kreutzings’
Ludwig van Beethoven, (1770-1827), Violin Sonata No. 9, “Kreutzer Sonata” , Op. 47, (1803), arranged by Colin Jacobsen
1. Adagio sostenuto - Presto
2. Andante con variazioni
3. Finale, Presto
- Intermission –
Anna Clyne, Stride
Leoš Janáček
String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata”, (1923), original concept & arr. by Eric Jacobsen, orchestration by Michael P. Atkinson
1. Adagio – Con moto
2. Con moto
3. Con moto – Vivo – Andante
4. Con moto – Adagio – [Più Mosso]
Listen Saturday, June 4th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera. Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of live Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the network broadcast premiere of Hamlet, the striking new opera by Brett Dean with a libretto by Matthew Jocelyn based on Shakespeare’s towering tragedy. Tenor Allan Clayton sings the tour-de-force title role of the prince of Denmark, tormented by his father’s murder and his mother’s hasty re-marriage. He’s joined by soprano Brenda Rae as Ophelia, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly as Gertrude, baritone Rod Gilfry as Claudius, and bass-baritone John Relyea as the ghost. The superb ensemble cast also features Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Christopher Lowrey, David Butt Philip, William Burden, and Jacques Imbrailo. Nicholas Carter conducts the Met Orchestra and Chorus in the opera’s audacious and riveting score.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Sarah Connolly as Gertrude; Rod Gilfry as Claudius; Chad Shelton, Justin Austin, and John Relea (on floor) as Players; William Burden as Polonius; and Brenda Rae as Ophelia in Brett Dean's "Hamlet." (Karen Almond)
CONDUCTOR: Nicholas Carter
CAST:
Hamlet - Allan Clayton
Ophelia - Brenda Rae
Gertrude - Sarah Connolly
Rosencrantz - Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen
Christopher Lowrey - Guildenstern
Laertes - David Butt Philip
Polonius - William Burden
Horatio - Jacques Imbrailo
Claudius - Rod Gilfry
Ghost - John Relyea
Want a closer look at the music of Hamlet? Stream the Aria Code episode featuring Hamlet’s "To Be or Not To Be."
Listen live on Wednesday, June 1st at 8:00pm Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2019 Carnegie Hall opening night performance was called “virtually flawless” (The New York Times). That’s exactly the level of excellence audiences have come to expect each time music director Franz Welser-Möst leads this outstanding orchestra. Joining them on the stage is the Danish-Israeli violinist, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.Szeps-Znaider has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra in the past including his recent performances of Sibelius and Shostakovich this past April at Severance Hall. The Cleveland Orchestra's versatility is showcased in this program that features a sinfonia by George Walker, a Szymanowski concerto influenced by Polish folk melodies, and Schubert’s magnificently melodic and emotionally powerful “Great” Symphony.
Hosted by John Schaefer and Jeff Spurgeon.
Program
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director and Conductor
Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Violin
G. WALKER - Sinfonia No. 4, "Strands"
SZYMANOWSKI - Violin Concerto No. 2
SCHUBERT - Symphony No. 9, "Great"
June 1, 2022 - Senate Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Committee Chair Pete Harckham, a Westchester County Democrat, discusses policies designed to reduce barriers to drug abuse treatment and increase the utilization of harm reduction strategies.
June 1, 2022 - Reinvent Albany Executive Director John Kaehny makes the case for ending tax breaks for investments in areas ripe for new projects as part of a program that is designed to foster the development of distressed communities.
Take anyone to an opera for the first time, and they will instantly notice that some men are sung by women. “Is this because of gender equality?” a friend whispered recently after a performance of Ariadne auf Naxos. She had just encountered her first trouser role (also known as breeches role, pants role, or, in German, Hosenrolle), a male character who is conventionally sung by a female-identified singer. One of the many thrills of opera is how it thrives on exaggeration, bending conventional rules and assumptions and activating our imagination. In hardly any aspect of opera does this come forth as much as in the trouser role, which encompasses a broad repertoire, winding up somewhere on a gradient between mimicking “reality” and engaging in smirking double-entendres. Depending on where they appear, a trouser role could represent a central male hero, a youthful sidekick, or a gender-bending figure who may be a little more difficult to classify. A trouser role is evidence of the tradition and historicity of opera—immediately, my friend’s question prompted an elaboration that went 400 years into the past—but also tells of opera’s inherent provocation and bawdiness, its proximity to queer culture.
The origins of the trouser role lie in the second half of the 18th century. Its story is closely linked to another gender-bending operatic trajectory, one that puts our contemporary understanding of gender and masculinity into perspective: that of the castrato and his star-cult. Contrary to the operas of the 19th century, which are dominated by the heroic pairing of a soprano with a tenor—usually as the characters who are destined to tragically expire by the end of the show—the voice of the masculine hero of the 17th and early 18th century lay somewhere in the range of today’s mezzo-sopranos. The more daunting and elaborate the role, the more masculine he became. Singers of these heroes were castrati, men who through an often-hazardous surgery had retained their ethereal pre-pubescent high-notes, all while singing with the muscles and lung capacity of a full-grown male body. In an era of political absolutism, the castrato’s performance was meant to be the central attraction of the opera, elevating the singer to a kind of monarch of the stage, and their lavish arias were intended for decorations unique to the respective star singer. When by the beginning of the 19th century castrati went out of fashion in opera, a vast repertoire remained that was difficult to cast with male singers. The arias were more easily sung by female singers en travesti, cross-dressing mezzo-sopranos with heroic voices.
(Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera Archives)
Women were now singing virtuous emperors, knights, and princes—roles that had previously been intended for male singers. Using nuances in their vocal and theatrical performances, not to mention their costumes, female singers tend to present these roles to an audience that can effortlessly interpret the characters as men. [Examples of these roles are: Sesto and the titular hero in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Ruggiero in Handel’s Alcina, Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Eurydice, Idamante (who in some versions is sung by a tenor) in Mozart’s Idomeneo, Sesto in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, Rossini’s Tancredi, Arsace in Rossini’s Semiramide, Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and many others.]
Lucy Crowe as Susanna, Golda Schultz as Countess Almaviva, and Isabel Leonard as Cherubino in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro." (Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera)
In the early romantic era, around 1830, opera underwent another paradigm shift. As the castrato had gone out of fashion, the masculine hero with the high voice was displaced by the tenor as the primo uomo, or leading man, of an opera. Consequently, characters and their singers were rearranged. Now, a new vocal type would be needed to express those characters who were neither the masculine hero nor the hero’s rival or foil (a type which in the romantic repertoire is usually sung by a baritone—think Escamillo in Carmen, Germont in La traviata, etc). The voice of a youthful sidekick, a page or servant, could be represented by the tone and range of a mezzo-soprano. Since castrati were by now rare if nonexistent, these youthful roles were written for female singers, with the intention of the performers realistically representing virtuous and chaste young men. [Examples of these characters are: Oscar in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, Stephano in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette and Smeton in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena.] Not all of these youthful characters, however, were meant to be read as entirely virtuous, or even masculine.
In Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, the young page Cherubino finds himself in the turmoil of the discovery of romance and love, and in return wreaks havoc within the household he serves. Flung out of nowhere, Cherubino seems to personify a fantastical cupid-like creature, erupting in declarations of passion, disturbing women and men alike, and endangering his safety in his worship of the Countess. While Cherubino clearly presents as a young boy to the characters around him, the gender of his performer is meant to add an erotic nuance to the audience’s take on the role. Never a “realistic” character, Cherubino was always intended to be sung by a woman, even in 1786, when the opera was written. In fact, Beaumarchais, on whose play the opera is based, gave clear instructions in his character notes that Cherubino “…can only be played by a young and very pretty woman: we have no very young men who are at the same time sufficiently mature to appreciate the fine points of the part.” Cherubino’s presence thins the verisimilitude of Mozart’s opera, replacing it with a defamiliarization charged by sexuality. In one scene, set in the Countess’ bedchamber, the Countess and her maid Susanna conspire to disguise Cherubino as a girl. In his various stages of undress, the more feminine Cherubino appears, the more excited the women become. Between the delight he elicits in women and the jealous, almost sadistic rage he provokes in the male characters, Cherubino most likely stems from Mozart and Beaumarchais’ piqued interest in the idea of a woman in boy’s clothing—here a castrato would have appeared as far too ethereal and de-sexed. In contrast to the heroic trouser roles, Cherubino, a side-character, occupies a liminal but significant space in the elaborate plot of Le nozze di Figaro, oscillating between genders, serving as a a symbol of queer lust instead of just a comedic character in an opera buffa.
Magdalena Kožená as Octavian and Camilla Nylund as the Marschallin in Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier." (Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera)
In the early 20th century, this boundary-pushing idea received a new twist in the music of Richard Strauss. Collaborating with the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who at the time was obsessed with Mozart’s characters and 18th century Rococo, Strauss constructed Der Rosenkavalier, an opulent and complex elaboration on the boudoir escapades of a trouser role. The opera opens with a highly suggestive overture and the curtain opens on the two lovers, Octavian and the Marschallin, in bed. In another referential echo, Octavian dresses up as and mimics a girl throughout the opera. His gender transgression paired with his high libido—Octavian’s storyline follows the exchange of one female lover for another—are intentionally tongue-in-cheek. We are meant to see Octavian not as a teenage boy sung by a woman, but as a female singer dressed as a teenage boy. In 1911, when the opera premiered, a castrato would not only have been hard to come by, he would also not have matched the lavish, decadent, and fantastical nature of Strauss and Hofmannsthal’s vision. In the subsequent Strauss/Hofmannsthal collaboration Ariadne auf Naxos, the trouser role of “The Composer” is once again intended for a female singer—this time personifying a character standing on a brink between youthful enthusiasm and maturity, where desire is tantamount to inspiration.
The appearance of trouser roles occurs not just as a replacement of male singers, but to fulfill a performative function that challenge the norm of heteronormative portrayals in opera. Meanwhile, opera, like all art forms, continues to evolve. Societal changes and shifting cultural norms allow for a more nuanced understanding of sexuality and gender representation in society, and a rising number of trans and non-binary singers will most likely leave their own marks on opera, both in representing characters as well as in the music itself.
Want to learn more about trouser roles? Be sure to listen to this episode of Aria Code where host Rhiannon Giddens and her guests explore the transformational power of love and music, and putting on a pair of pants.
There’s nothing quite like summer in the city. When the scorching temperatures and humidity of the day break and the relief of night falls, the city comes alive with a pulsing energy. Music from classical to jazz to rap to soul emanates from open windows and lively street corners.
There’s endless music to be heard, and we hope you experience it to your heart’s content! All summer long, we’ll be sharing our list of classical concerts, and a few classical-adjacent contenders, for you to enjoy al fresco. So grab your keys and your picnic blankets, and we’ll see you out there soon.
The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks (June 14 - 17 at 8pm) First presented in 1965, the NYPhil’s iconic Concerts in the Parks series returns this summer for four evenings of outdoor music-making and spectacular post-show fireworks (along with one indoor concert).
This year’s program includes Wagner’s momentous Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, two new works from NYPhil Very Young Composers Naama Rolnick and Alexander Douaihy, Bruch’s classic Violin Concerto, performed by Bomsori Kim, and Dvořák’s lush and moving Symphony No. 7. The concerts are conducted by Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Jaap van Zweden.
- Tuesday, June 14, in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx
- Wednesday, June 15, in Manhattan’s Central Park
- Thursday, June 16, in Cunningham Park in Queens
- Friday, June 17, in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park
American Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Series at Brooklyn Bridge Park (June 9 at 6pm) The Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Sounds at Sunset series presents ASO musicians Robert Zubrycki, James Tsao, Adria Benjamin, and Emily Brausa in a string quartet concert of Italian chamber music. The event will include works by seventeenth-century composer Isabella Leonarda, twentieth-century expressionist Niccolò Castiglioni, and nineteenth-century bel canto genius Gaetano Donizetti.
MasterVoices presents Songs for a Summer Night (June 8 at 7pm) For even more Josquin, join The MasterVoices Chorus and Orchestra of St. Luke’s with soloists Shereen Pimentel and Tariq al-Sabir for a summer night of music at Waterline Park. The program includes works by Mendelssohn, Ricky Ian Gordon (who will also be in our very own Greene Space on June 13), Barber, Josquin, and more, along with a world premiere by Tariq al-Sabir.
New York City Opera presents Pride in the Park (June 17 at 7pm) Operavores, we’ve got you covered. Dubbed “The People’s Opera” by Mayor LaGuardia at its founding, the revived New York City Opera returns to Bryant Park this year for its fourth annual Pride in the Park celebration. The yet-announced lineup of artists will perform a program of selections from opera and musical theater.
The Opera Next Door performs Weekly Stoop Concerts (All Summer Long!) The Opera Next Door, a fresh and inspired newcomer to the scene, presents its popular Stoop Concerts all summer long. The series begins the first week of June. Performance dates are still being finalized, so check back on TOND’s website and socials regularly for updates. TOND’s summer Stoop Concerts will lead up to a Stoop Opera in September – all to be performed, of course, on a stoop!
A performance by Opera Next Door (Photo by Krystal Pagán )
Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (June 14 & June 28 at 7:30pm) Celebrating 117 years of free classical music, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts return to Central Park’s Naumburg Bandshell this June with The Knights and the Handel and Haydn Society. All of the orchestral concerts will also be broadcast live by WQXR this summer.
June 14, The Knights present an evening of Beethoven and Janáček, along with recent works composed by Anna Clyne and The Knights artistic director Colin Jacobsen.
June 28, the Handel and Haydn Society will perform a concert of varied works from the Baroque Era.
Violinist Lara St. John and Ensemble LPR at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. (Paulina Jeng/WQXR)
Josquin Marathon at the Met Cloisters (June 8 at 3pm) Josquin des Prez died 500 years ago. This June, to commemorate the life of this momentous composer, The Clarion Orchestra and Choir will perform a marathon of his music at the Met Cloisters. Tickets are going fast to the event which takes place over a period of five hours. The ensemble will perform in various indoor and outdoor areas of the museum. (We Josquin-not wait.)
New York Scandia Symphony in the Scandinavian Music Festival (June 5, 12, and 19 at 2pm) The Scandinavian Music Festival returns this summer for its 18th season. Upper Manhattan residents can also enjoy three afternoon concerts of Scandinavian music and heritage in Fort Tryon Park.
June 5, the Scandia Brass Quintet performs music from each of the five Scandinavian countries, including five national anthems.
June 12, the Scandia String Orchestra performs Grieg, Schierbech, and more.
June 19, the Scandia String Quartet presents a selection of virtuosic works from the Scandinavian string quartet repertoire.
The Speakeasy at Jaffe Drive (June 5 & June 12 at 6pm) Here’s a special insider tip for fans of the New Standards stream: from June 4 - August 13, Lincoln Center presents its summer series The Speakeasy. Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the Jaffe Drive parking lot beneath the Lincoln Center campus will be transformed into an uber-cool underground venue for free comedy shows, jazz sets presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center, and spoken word and poetry performances.
June 5, jazz singer Samara Joy and guitarist Chico Pinheiro take over the pop-up space. With Samara’s “voice as smooth as velvet” and Chico’s “beautiful sound and great fluidity,” this evening is not-to-be-missed.
June 12, summer nights of jazz resume with the Julieta Eugenio Group, led by the young Argentinian saxophonist who has exploded onto the NYC club scene, Julieta Eugenio.
The Metropolitan Opera presents its 2022 Summer Recital Series (June 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, and 29) Last, but certainly not least, from the Lincoln Center family is the 13th year of The Metropolitan Opera's free outdoor summer recitals in all five boroughs. This summer’s concerts feature Met artists Brittany Renee, Ben Bliss, and WQXR’s own Justin Austin (member of the WQXR’s 2022 Artist Propulsion Lab) for the first two performances, followed by up-and-coming singers Brittany Olivia Logan, Cierra Byrd, and Vladyslav Buialsky for the latter four. Met assistant conductor Bryan Wagorn and Dimitri Dover join the singers at the piano.
- Monday, June 20, at 8pm at Central Park’s SummerStage
- Wednesday, June 22, at 7pm at Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Thursday, June 23, at 7pm in Jackie Robinson Park (Manhattan)
- Saturday, June 25, at 4pm in Williamsbridge Oval (the Bronx)
- Monday, June 27, at 7pm in Socrates Sculpture Park (Queens)
- Wednesday, June 29, at 7pm in Clove Lakes Park (Staten Island)
The Metropolitan Summer Recital series in Brooklyn Bridge Park (Photo by Cory Weaver)
May 31, 2022 - A coalition of nursing homes in New York is suing the state to block the implementation of a 2021 law requiring their facilities to meet minimum staffing levels. Jim Clyne, president and CEO of LeadingAge New York, which represents non-profit and public continuing care operations, makes the case for the legal challenge and highlights the health care industry's staffing challenges.
May 31, 2022 - Not all students in New York have access to quality school libraries, with trained staff and properly equipped facilities, but legislation kicking around the Capitol could change the landscape, especially in New York City. The New York Library Association's Briana McNamee and Arlene LaVerde discuss the pending bill and expound on the benefits of good school libraries.
On Saturday, May 28, 105.9FM experienced technical difficulties, temporarily interfering with the scheduled broadcast of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten on the air. The online stream was not affected. This issue has since been resolved. We apologize for the disruption in your Saturday afternoon listening.
Listen Saturday, May 28th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera. Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of live Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the transcendent experience of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo reprises his Grammy Award-winning portrayal of the visionary pharaoh who tried to convert Egypt to the worship of a single god – the sun god Aten. The cast also features Rihab Chaieb as his wife Nefertiti, with Zachary James, Dísella Lárusdóttir, Aaron Blake, Richard Bernstein, and Will Liverman. Karen Kamensek conducts the Met Orchestra and Chorus in this mesmerizing score.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Rihab Chaieb as Nefertiti, Anthony Roth Costanzo as Akhnaten, and Dísella Lárusdóttir as Queen Tye in Philip Glass's "Akhnaten." (Ken Howard)
CONDUCTOR: Karen Kamensek
CAST:
Akhnaten - Anthony Roth Costanzo
Nefertiti - Rihab Chaieb
Amenhotep III - Zachary James
Queen Tye - Disella Lárusdóttir
High Priest of Amon - Aaron Blake
Aye - Richard Bernstein
Horemhab - Will Liverman
Want a closer look at the music of Akhnaten? Stream the Aria Code episode of Akhnaten’s "Hymn to the Sun."
Anthony Roth Costanzo will join us live in The Greene Space at WQXR on June 30! Get your tickets nowto WQXR's PRIDE Concert hosted by the Akhnaten star.
(Photo provided by artist)
May 27, 2022 - For the latest Poozer Pop Culture conversation, we're talking about Korean food with Assemblyman Ron Kim, a Queens Democrat, who immigrated to America from South Korea when he was seven and passed a resolution to recognize Kimchi Day in New York.
May 26, 2022 - Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, an Albany County Democrat, makes the case for legislation setting a goal of preserving 30 percent of New York land and water by 2030.
May 26, 2022 - Dr. Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiology at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, talks about the state of the pandemic in New York and recommends policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
May 26, 2022 - Politico New York capitol reporter Bill Mahoney breaks down the finalized state senate lines, including how they compare to the current boundaries and what they mean for control of the chamber next year.
On November 12, 2018, baritone John Brancy and pianist Peter Dugan recorded their album, The Journey Home: Live from the Kennedy Center, to mark the centennial of the signing of the Armistice that ended WWI. This album features a collection of pieces inspired and created by artists looking for meaning after tragedy and war. Tonight, in honor of Memorial Day, we will hear excerpts from their Kennedy Center performance with special insights from John and Peter themselves, as they share background information on the pieces and the album.
Program:
Speaks: When the Boys Come Marching Home
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Vaughan Williams: Whither Must I Wander
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Schubert: Der Wanderer
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Vaughan Williams: Bright is the Ring of Words
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Dugan: I Have A Rendezvous with Death
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Dugan: In Flanders Fields
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Seeger (arr. Brancy and Dugan): Where Have All the Flowers Gone
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Stephan: Am Abend
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Stephan: Memento Vivere
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Rachmaninoff: I Wait for You
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Rachmaninoff: How Fair This Spot
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Rachmaninoff: Spring Waters
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Berlin: Goodbye, France
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Vaughan Williams: I Have Trod the Upward and the Downward Slope
-John Brancy, baritone and Peter Dugan, piano
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.2, Op.17: 4. Finale
-Manhattan School of Music Precollege Symphony; Tanatchaya (Tanya) Chanphanitpornkit, cond.
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, host David Dubal begins a new four-part series exploring Frederic Chopin's preludes and impromptus. Dubal dives deeply into the repertoire of the Polish master, from comparative performances to samplings of notable historic recordings.
Chopin was devoted to the keyboard music of J.S. Bach. So much so, that he emulated the great composer in his own cycle of 24 preludes. Chopin’s set has one prelude for every major and minor key, just like Bach’s. His preludes have become some of the most honored miniatures in music history.
Alongside the preludes, Chopin wrote four impromptus, each one showcasing the composer’s poetic nature. In this episode, the least known impromptu, No. 3 in G Flat, is performed by Claudio Arrau and Vladimir Sofronitsky. The famous “Raindrop” prelude is played by Helene Tysman. The miniscule C Major Prelude is played in a comparative performance by four pianistic giants.
Program playlist (all by Frédéric Chopin):
Prelude Op 28 No 4 in E minor
Jorge Bolet, piano
Philips
Impromptu for piano in G flat major, Op. 51
Vladimir Sofronitsky, piano
Philips
Impromptu for piano in G flat major, Op. 51
Claudio Arrau
Philips
Prelude Op.28 no. 1 in C
Claudio Arrau
Appian, piano
Prelude Op.28 no. 1 in C
Martha Argerich, piano
Philips
Prelude Op.28 no. 1 in C
Jorge Bolet, piano
Philips
Prelude Op.28 no. 1 in C
Alfred Cortot, piano
Philips
Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 45
Martha Argerich, piano
Philips
Impromptu no.1 in A flat major, op.29
Yundi Li, piano
Deutsche Grammophon
Impromptu in A Flat Major, Op.29
Artur Rubinstein, piano
Philips
Prelude op.28 no. 21
Robert Lortat, piano
Dante
Prelude Op.28 No.7 in A
Claudio Arrau, piano
Appian
Prelude No.7 Op 28 in A
Martha Argerich, piano
Philips
Prelude No.7 Op 28 in A
Alfred Cortot, piano
Philips
Prelude No.7 Op 28 in A
Robert Lortat, piano
Dante
Prelude Op28 No15 in D flat "Raindrop"
Helene Tysman, piano
Self Released
Prelude No. 22 Op 28 in G minor
Robert Lortat, piano
Dante
Prelude No. 22 Op 28 in G minor
Alfred Cortot, piano
Philips
May 25, 2022 - Investigative Post editor Jim Heaney discusses the policies in Buffalo that have led to the de facto segregation of New York second largest city.
May 25, 2022 - State Sen. Rachel May, a Syracuse-area Democrat, discusses her package of bills designed to protect New York's freshwater, including measures designed to foster holistic state regulatory policies.
May 25, 2022 - Schuyler Center for Analysis & Advocacy Director of Policy Dede Hill talks about the organization's end of session child welfare and child care priorities designed to help low-income families
May 24, 2022 - Consumer Reports' Chuck Bell makes the case for prohibiting car insurance companies from setting premiums based on credit scores.
May 24, 2022 - Former Assemblyman Keith Wright, the Manhattan Democratic leader and director of Strategic Planning with Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron, explains why "Good Cause" housing legislation is unlikely to be enacted in 2022.
May 24, 2022 - David Imamura, a Democratic appointee and chair of the state's bipartisan redistricting commission, reflects on the congressional boundaries crafted by a court-appointed special master and considers the future of redistricting in New York.
May 23, 2022 - Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, discusses her equal rights amendment to the state constitution, which is designed to enhance existing protections against discrimination in New York.
May 23, 2022 - Legal Services NYC Director of Foreclosure Prevention Jacob Inwald explains legislation awaiting the governor's signature that would require mortgage lenders and loan servicers to follow the state's statute of limitations when bringing foreclosure proceedings.
Listen Saturday, May 21st at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the haunting bel canto tragedy Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti. Soprano Nadine Sierra stars as Lucia, a loving soul in an oppressive world, driven to despair and violence. Tenor Javier Camarena is Edgardo, the only joy in Lucia’s life – and her family’s mortal enemy. They’re joined by baritone Artur Ruciński as Enrico, Lucia’s ruthless and manipulative brother, and bass Christian Van Horn as the sympathetic chaplain Raimondo. Riccardo Frizza conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus in Donizetti’s timeless drama, performed in a vivid new production by Simon Stone.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Artur Ruciński as Enrico and Nadine Sierra in the title role of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor." (Marty Sohl)
CONDUCTOR: Riccardo Frizza
CAST:
Lucia - Nadine Sierra
Edgardo - Javier Camarena
Enrico - Artur Ruciński
Raimondo - Christian Van Horn
Check out WQXR's recent interview with soprano Nadine Sierra! Sierra shares about her career journey as an opera singer and her experience growing with the character of Lucia.
Want a closer look at the music of Lucia di Lammermoor? Stream the Aria Code episode of Lucia's famous Mad Scene.
May 20, 2022 - We get an update on the effort to grow marijuana legally in New York, issue regulations for dispensaries and hire state regulators from Jen Metzger, a member of the state's Cannabis Control Board.
May 20, 2022 - For the latest Poozer Pop Culture conversation, we're talking about professional Jewish athletes with Assemblyman Phil Steck, a Capital Region Democrat, who - while never a professional athlete - did lead his high school football team to an undefeated season.
May 20, 2022 - Times Union reporter Josh Solomon explains why the state's existing gun control laws didn't prevent the recent tragedy in Buffalo and outlines the legislative responses that might be advanced through the Capitol.
May 20, 2022 - For the first time in more than 30 years the lakes in the Adirondacks may be subject to a comprehensive review, following a $500,000 investment in the budget. Syracuse University professor Charles Driscoll explains how the state funding will be used and discusses the review from the 1980s, which he participated in.
May 19, 2022 - One Brooklyn Health System CEO LaRay Brown and SBH Health System CEO Dr. David Perlstein break down the state's investments in safety net hospitals and the role they play in providing medical care for low-income New Yorkers.
May 19, 2022 - Families for Safe Streets co-founder Amy Cohen makes the case for traffic safety measures, including giving municipalities around New York the ability to decrease their speed limits below 30 miles per hour.
May 19, 2022 - Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, Capital Region Democrat, talks about the dwindling number of police officers in the state parks and discusses strategies to increase their ranks.
May 19, 2022 - Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, a Manhattan Democrat, talks about efforts to regulate illegal basement and attic apartments in New York City, in order to increase the state's supply of affordable housing and make the residences safer.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and WQXR is celebrating musicians, conductors, and composers of AAPI descent by sharing performances that showcase their extraordinary contributions to classical music. Here are five noteworthy musicians of Asian descent to keep on your radar.
Helen Huang
Helen Huang (New Asia Chamber Music Society)
Helen Huang is a Taiwanese American pianist who has played with major orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and orchestras abroad such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Orchestre National de France. Huang’s impressive career began when she was just eight-years-old and made her debut with a major symphony orchestra, performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She was discovered by German conductor Kurt Masur after winning the Young People’s Competition and given the opportunity to play with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and sign a recording contract with the Teldec Record Label. Her recordings on the label include Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1, Mozart’s Piano Concertos K. 488 and K.467, Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No.1, and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2. with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Masur. Other recordings by Huang include her album titled For Children, which include pieces that are warm and animated to fit the album’s theme.
Kent Nagano
Kent Nagano (Photo from Kent Nagano's personal website)
Kent Nagano is a Japanese American conductor with an extensive background of working with many of the world’s most prestigious ensembles. Nagano began his career at the Boston Opera where he later became the assistant conductor to Seiji Ozawa in 1984 for the premiere of Olivier Messiaen’s opera Saint François d’Assise. His conducting career continued to flourish and he was able to succeed abroad by serving as the Music Director of Opéra National de Lyon (1988-1998) and Music Director of the Hallé Orchestra (1991-2000). Since 2015, he has been the Music Director of the Hamburg State Opera and was Music Director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2020. One of his peak collaborations was in 1996 at the Verbier Festival where he performed Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire with Icelandic artist Björk who covered the speaking part of the piece.
In addition to Nagano’s long list of awards, he is also a Grammy-award winner for his recordings of Busoni’s Doktor Faust with Opéra National de Lyon, Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf with the Russian National Orchestra and Saariaho’s L’amour de Loin with the Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin. Nagano’s popularity has led him to guest conduct the New York and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig.
Paul Chihara
Paul Chihara (Tony Plewik)
Paul Chihara is a Japanese American composer known for his variety of musical styles with influences of Asian music and culture. He has composed music for ballets, musicals, symphonies, choral, and chamber music. Chihara was the first composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra with world-renowned conductor Neville Marriner and his many commissions include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, the New Juilliard Ensemble, Continuum, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Chihara also enjoys an impressive career in film scoring and has composed scores for more than 100 motion picture films and television shows. His career in film scoring started with Death Race 2000 (1976) for director Roger Corman. A few of the films he has worked on include The Morning After (1986), Forever, Lulu (1987), and Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989). His musical work in television include The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, Dr. Strange, and Brave New World.
Joel Fan
Joel Fan (Photo from Joel Fan's personal website)
Joel Fan is a Taiwanese American pianist and concerto soloist. He began playing piano at the age of five and made his debut at 11-years-old after winning the Young People’s Concert auditions playing Mozart’s Concerto in A Minor with the New York Philharmonic. Throughout his career, he has performed with over 40 different concertos with orchestras across the world including the New York Philharmonic, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the Odessa Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, the Boston Pops, and London Sinfonietta. He has worked with world-renowned conductors including David Zinman, Zubin Mehta, Alan Gilbert, Keith Lockhart, and David Robertson. One of Fan’s most memorable collaborations is with cellist Yo-Yo Ma as a member of the Silk Road Ensemble. They performed at Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and appeared on Good Morning America and Late Night with David Letterman.
His latest album, Dances for Piano and Orchestra, is his third release for Reference Recordings. The album uniquely centers on the relationship between music and dance and was recorded with the Northwest Sinfonietta chamber orchestra and music director Christophe Chagnard. The album features a mix of well-known pieces and compositions by Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Pierné, Castro, and Gottschalk and pieces from them that are often overlooked.
Anne Akiko Meyers
Anne Akiko Meyers (Kaupo Kikkas)
Anne Akiko Meyers is a violinist born to parents of Japanese and Jewish descent. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, she is a “musical wizard, with astonishing access to every kind of expressive color.” Meyers has performed on stages across the world and has played with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Seattle, Washington D.C., Helsinki, Hyogo, Leipzig, London, Lyon, and New Zealand, among others. She has appeared on several T.V. programs including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Evening At Pops with John Williams in the 1980s. Some of her recent performances include her world premiere of Fandango, Arturo Márquez’s mariachi-inspired concerto. This past year she also performed Michael Daugherty’s Blue Electra about American aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart.
Meyers holds an extensive list of awards including being a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Distinguished Alumna Award from the Colburn School of Music, and the Luminary Award from the Pasadena Symphony, and is on the advisory council of the American Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Fun fact, her violin is the Ex-Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesu. It was built in 1741 and is considered by many to be the best sounding violin in the world!
This broadcast originally aired on March 9, 2016.
Tune in for the second part of our visit to Texas and the summer of 2015’s Round Top Festival. Founded in 1971 by pianist James Dick, the Round Top Festival provides students with an intensive six-week course of coachings, masterclasses and rehearsals on a beautiful 210-acre campus between Houston and Austin. Students at Round Top give 30 concerts each summer in the 1,000-seat Festival Concert Hall.
That summer, members of the Texas Festival Orchestra performed beloved works from the classical canon, including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the Overture to Mozart’s The Magic Flute with Austrian conductor Christian Arming. We'll hear both works, along with talented, young chamber musicians playing Fauré’s Piano Quintet No. 1.
Program Playlist:
Mozart: Overture to The Magic Flute
Texas Festival Orchestra; Christian Arming, conductor
Fauré: Piano Quintet No. 1, op. 89
Andrew Bravo and Tobias Elser, violin; Timothy McDuff, viola; Bree Ahern, cello; Wesley Ducote, piano
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, op. 67, III. Scherzo, IV. Finale
Texas Festival Orchestra; Vladimir Kulenovich, conductor
Recorded live at the 2015 Round Top Festival
In this series, Beethoven and the Sonata Idea, host David Dubal explores the musical and emotional landscape of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. It was during Beethoven’s lifetime that the harpsichord was supplanted by the piano, and Beethoven made good use of the broadened range of the instrument’s expressive power. Only the piano was adequate to handle the surge of the Romantic movement, and to handle Beethoven’s stormy and virtuosic masterpieces.
On this program, we hear movements from the early, middle, and late periods of Beethoven’s 32 sonatas, including the minuet movement from the 7th sonata, the second movement of the “Pastorale” sonata, and the expressive andante movement from “Les Adieux.”
Tune in Thursday night at 8pm or Sunday night at 10pm to hear the latest episode of Beethoven and the Sonata Idea.
Program:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, Op. 22: II. Adagio con molto espressione
--Alfred Brendel, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1: II. Allegro molto e vivace
--Shura Cherkassky, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major (“Les Adieux”), Op. 81a: II. Andante espressivo – L’absence
--Vlado Perlemuter, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3: III. Menuetto. Allegro
--Annie Fischer, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 15 in D minor, Op. 28 (“Pastorale”): II. Andante
--Murray Perahia, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung
--Myra Hess, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 7 in D minor, Op. 10, No. 3: I. Presto
--Paul Jacobs, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight”): II. Allegro
--Walter Gieseking, piano
May 18, 2022 - Bloomberg Government capitol reporter Keshia Clukey previews the 120th presentation of the Legislative Correspondents Association Show on May 24, when the state government reporters will skewer the politicians they cover ... in song!
May 18, 2022 -Assembly Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee Chair Daniel O'Donnell, a Manhattan Democrat, discusses the state of regulations governing the live-event ticket industry and weighs in on potential changes.
May 18, 2022 - Assemblymember Robert Carroll, a Brooklyn Democrat, explains the need to improve early dyslexia detection for New York students and shares his personal experience with dyslexia.
May 18, 2022 - Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe explains why he's trying again to win the executive mansion and talks about the challenges of getting on the ballot in November.
May 17, 2022 - State Sen. John Brooks, a Long Island Democrat, discusses bills to help veterans find civilian employment and offer property tax breaks for active service members, and talks about restructuring a state agency that serves veterans.
May 17, 2022 - State Sen. James Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat, is pushing legislation designed to ensure that expecting parents are aware of the accuracy levels of prenatal testing, which has been plagued by false positives.
May 17, 2022 - State regulators are punting on a decision about permits for a controversial natural gas project in Brooklyn, which Lee Ziesche, of the Sane Energy Project, says is counter to the state's campaign to combat climate change.
May 17, 2022 - New York State Association of Cemeteries Legislative Director David Fleming talks about issues impacting the state's cemeteries, including funding to address vandalism and legislation preparing for future emergencies.
May 16, 2022 - WE ACT for Environmental Justice Director of Policy Sonal Jessel explains a bill awaiting the governor's signature that is designed to prevent communities from being disproportionally burdened with pollution-producing projects.
May 16, 2022 - Senate Labor Committee Chair Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat, discusses her legislation designed to improve health outcomes at Amazon's warehouses by giving workers a say in their working conditions and regulating worker quotas.
May 16, 2022 - Citizens Budget Commission Housing and Economic Development Studies Director Sean Campion explains what could happen if a controversial property tax break in New York City - known as 421-a - is allowed to expire this summer.
Soprano Nadine Sierra is singing the title role of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the Metropolitan Opera. The modern staging by director Simon Stone is set in the American Rust Belt and focuses on a family's fraught relationship to their community in decline. Sierra also explores the role of Lucia in her latest album, Made for Opera, as well as two other iconic opera heroines whose tragic story lines share a common theme: women who were deprived of their right to choose their destinies due to unavoidable circumstances in a rigid, patriarchal world. In this interview with Artist Propulsion Lab baritone Justin Austin — who makes his Met debut this month in Dean's Hamlet — Sierra discusses growing with the character of Lucia, the unflagging support for her family during challenging times, and making what once seemed like unattainable dreams for women, a bright and successful reality for herself.
Be sure to listen to the live broadcast of Lucia di Lammermoor live from the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday, May 21, at 1pm.
Nadine Sierra in the title role of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor." (Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera)
Lucia is one of the great iconic roles in the operatic canon, how does it feel to take this role on yourself?
It feels amazing. Definitely humbling. To come to this point of my life and career and everything I've done since I was so young, it feels like a job well done. It feels full circle, and in a way, there's also another level to strive for from now on. So the work is not done, but the work that has been done up until this point doing this Lucia at the Metropolitan Opera. It's very gratifying, I have to say.
You've been studying opera since you were 10-years-old. When was your first experience with Lucia?
I joined the Palm Beach Opera when I was 14-years-old. I joined their opera choir because I wanted to be involved in the opera within the industry just to get a behind the scenes look as to what it is to be part of an opera. I was in the Palm Beach Opera chorus all throughout my high school years. The first opera I was ever part of was Lucia. That was my first experience. I was blown away. I was like, “Ah, how is this humanly possible to sing like this and to continue on like this?” I almost felt like an audience member being onstage. You know, submersed in the entire thing. I was trying to act of course, be part of the show, but I was just in so much awe of what was going on around me that I thought at that moment, “This is absolutely what I want to be a part of.” And there is no wonder that I fell in love with opera at 10-years-old. So that was my first experience with Lucia, literally being part of it as a chorus member.
Wow. That is so amazing to hear. I started my career very early. I was a boy soprano and at the age of five, I started my professional singing career. It's rare that I meet people along the way that have had similar experiences as a child and then continue to as they grow up. It's really inspiring to see someone like you just thriving and continuing to strive for new heights and meeting them and just being the prime example of excellence.
Well, you know how it is, it's a lot of hard work and you put so much of your soul into it all, you know? It feeds my soul. I'm sure it feeds yours as well. It's literally just a gift that keeps on giving.
Absolutely. So would you say that Lucia in some way a dream role?
Oh yes!
You're singing Lucia in three different productions this year. How has your approach or your interpretation evolved as you've explored this iconic role?
I started singing Lucia eight years ago. I was a bit younger and the things I had experienced in life up until that point. Not to say it was minimal, but it was definitely less than what I've experienced now, almost close to my mid -thirties. Because I've changed as a human being, and as a woman, and have developed over time, Lucia has developed, because I'm not the woman that I was eight years ago. I'm different now. Honestly, it doesn't really matter with the production. It's more [about] how I've changed personally. She changes more because of that, than the production itself. The production has certain influences: how you move, how you express yourself with your colleagues or with the other characters, but the core of her is really just because I change.
Has this production at the Met, as modern and fascinating as it is, [stood] out to you? What makes it special?
I grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I have two sisters. My parents worked so hard when we were kids. We were raised in kind of a lower-class, middle-class family. My parents really struggled with money. My father at some point had three jobs and he was trying to support us girls. He was supporting my voice lessons, all these lessons that I had when I was young. I mean, my parents sacrificed a lot and so I grew up within a family who struggled. This family in Simon's Stone's adaptation of Lucia is a family that is absolutely struggling financially, so much so that they're having to turn to darker avenues to support themselves, through drugs, through strange ties with other families and controlling Lucia within that process. It's showing a family, and people as individuals, that are doing certain things or making certain decisions because of their environment.
And I know exactly how that feels. Lucia finds her escape from this life through loving Edgardo. When that chance of escape is taken away from her, she snaps. For me when I was a child, music was my escape. It was my escape from the realities of our life that my parents struggled.
There was a lot of fighting going on because of those struggles. It felt like we would never come out of that. And I thank God we did, and my parents still, today, are unbelievably supportive and are the best human beings I know in my life. So it's relatable if you really open your mind to it and not just see it as a modern adaptation of Lucia di Lammermoor. It's supposed to be something that opens up people's minds and is thought-provoking. It’s not just showing Lucia, but also demonstrating what is going on in the world today. These are real issues that we're especially facing in the United States and absolutely after the pandemic. So yes, it is very relatable. And because of the tangible elements that it has, I think it's all the more impactful.
These composers allowed for these women to be at the forefront of their own stories and then become so iconic, but [in their stories] they were never able to actually choose for themselves.
Maria Callas, Sutherland, have tackled this role and made it their own. Now, it's your turn and you have made it your own. How have previous Lucias influenced you?
[The character of Lucia] pushed me in a way emotionally. With the very famous mad scene, there's a lot of room for expressivity and making this moment your own, but you have to have the courage to go there: to be vulnerable, to portray that in a believable way, but in a way that is unique to you, not like how Callas did it, not like how Sutherland did it and copying the ladies from the past, but being true to yourself and not being ashamed of that. I think sometimes with these roles like Violetta and Lucia, young singers are almost afraid to tackle these roles because they're afraid of putting themselves in it. Because in a way it means they'll never be as good as Sills or Sutherland or iconic as Callas, but that's actually not the point. The point is to just be the best that you can possibly be to serve the music, not to serve yourself.
I don't want to become a legend. I'm just myself. I'm just me. I'm Nadine. And that's all I want to be. I want to serve the music. It's kind of the goal I always had when I was even a child. So [Lucia] influenced me a lot in this way. She's made me think a lot about the singer I want to be, the artist I want to be, how I've found the courage through portraying her, and how I found the courage to simply be myself and not be ashamed of that.
You explore these characters, Violetta and Lucia. What is it about these characters that speaks to you emotionally, as well as musically?
My grandmother was born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, as well as my mom. My mother was the one who introduced opera to me at 10-years-old because of her mother, my grandma, who had wanted to become an opera singer when she was very young, but my great grandfather wouldn't allow her to pursue any career outside of being a housewife and a mother, so she never got the chance to kind of lead the life that she had wanted.
We find that in these three women that are in [my upcoming] album, Juliette, Violetta, Lucia, it's like these composers allowed for these women to be at the forefront of their own stories and then become so iconic, but [in their stories] they were never able to actually choose for themselves. And really, [it's] because they were women. It's very much like my grandma. It's the same story. Maybe my grandmother's was not as tragic, but there was definitely a little bit of tragedy within my grandma's story because of that. I didn't just want to show these women as, “Oh, you know, look what I can do vocally.” I never liked to choose repertoire because of that, because it's a little bit too narcissistic for me. I wanted to correlate this real life story of my grandmother, the one who inspired me to become an opera singer, and to continue down that road with these three women with their storyline and being a modern day woman, an opera singer. How having the luxury and being blessed to live my life the way I want, not just as a strong woman, but as literally a human being, as a free human being and what that means, how far we've come in society from the days of my grandmother to now.
That's why I chose these ladies. They're remarkable. And I think we remember them so much and they leave such an impact. Not just because of how beautiful the music is, but because of how iconic they lived their lives and what they gave up and what they sacrificed, to experience just a moment of freedom.
Well, thank you so much. You are a gift to us and our audience.
This conversation has been edited for this written article. Listen to the full conversation via the audio at the top of this page.
Want to hear more from Nadine Sierra? Watch her performances from The Greene Space at WQXR.
Listen Saturday, May 14th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with Wagner’s epic comedy about tradition and innovation, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – the Mastersingers of Nuremburg, in a performance from last fall. Maestro Antonio Pappano made a triumphant return to the Met podium, leading the Met Orchestra and Chorus in this rich score. Baritone Michael Volle starred as the wise shoemaker Hans Sachs, alongside tenor Klaus Florian Vogt as the impetuous young Walther, and soprano Lise Davidsen as Eva. The acclaimed cast also featured Paul Appleby, Johannes Martin Kränzle, and Georg Zeppenfeld.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Lise Davidsen as Eva and Michael Volle as Hans Sachs in Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg." (Richard Termine)
CONDUCTOR: Antonio Pappano
CAST:
Eva - Lise Davidsen
Magdalene - Claudia Mahnke
Walther Von Stolzing - Klaus Florian Vogt
David - Paul Appleby
Hans Sachs - Michael Volle
Beckmesser - Johannes Martin Kränzle
Kothner - Martin Gantner
Pogner - George Zeppenfeld
Nightwatchman - Alexander Tsymbalyuk
May 13, 2022 - Naturopathic medicine practitioner Tia Trivisonno makes the case for legislation that would require the state to license and regulate her industry, which currently falls under an uneven patchwork of different rules and oversight.
May 13, 2022 - After receiving an influx of National Guard members late last year to accommodate a surge of COVID-19 patients, Dr. Kim Townsend, president and CEO of Loretto Management Corp. in Syracuse, believes this type of emergency staffing flexibility could be vital in the future.
May 13, 2022 - Rob Rosborough, author of the New York Appeals blog, breaks down a recent decision from the state Court of Appeals on Miranda Rights and explains what it tells us about the divisions in New York's top court.
May 13, 2022 - New York Post City Hall Bureau Chief Bernadette Hogan talks about the state legislative agenda for New York City Mayor Eric Adams and outlines what he is - and isn't - doing to make it happen.
Ah, young love – the stuff of many an opera! In Wagner’s comedic masterpiece, the young Eva is to be engaged to the winner of the mastersingers’ local song contest. As is the habit in tales of romance, though, things don’t exactly proceed without a hitch. Jeff Spurgeon tackles Wagner’s five-hour work in three minutes.
→ Explore more of Jeff's 3-Minute Operas.
May 12, 2022 - New York State School Boards Association Executive Director Bob Schneider explains what's at stake with the upcoming round of school elections, when voters will weigh in on their district's spending plan and board members.
May 12, 2022 - Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee Chair Kevin Parker, a Brooklyn Democrat, discusses legislation that would put a two-year moratorium on air permits for fossil fuel power plants powering cryptocurrency mining operations.
May 12, 2022 - Members of the Let's Get Immunized NY campaign make the case for increasing immunizations in New York by building up the state's vaccine infrastructure, combating misinformation and ensuring New Yorkers have access to accurate vaccination records.
In this series, Beethoven and the Sonata Idea, host David Dubal takes us inside Beethoven’s world, revealing the master not just as a musician, but also as a man. Beethoven was troubled and tormented, unable to find comfort amidst his unrelenting health problems and his domestic concerns. And yet, despite the many challenges he faced, Beethoven created music of enduring power and beauty.
This week, host David Dubal continues to explore individual movements from Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, including movements from the Sonata Pathétique and the Hammerklavier, as well as a comparative performance of the Presto from the sixth piano sonata.
Tune in Wednesday or Sunday night at 10pm to hear the latest episode of Beethoven and the Sonata Idea.
Program:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: III. Finale – Presto --Daniel Barenboim, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: III. Finale – Presto --Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: II. Prestissimo --Maurizio Pollini, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, Op. 26: I. Andante con variazoni --Nicholas Angelich, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major, Op. 79: II. Andante --Jean-Bernard Pommier, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: III. Rondo: Allegro --John O’Conor, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: III. Rondo: Allegro --Igor Kipnis, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major (Hammerklavier), Op. 106: II. Scherzo: Assai vivace --Richard Goode, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53: I. Allegro con brio --Claudio Arrau, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major, Op. 79: III. Vivace --Jean-Bernard Pommier; piano
This broadcast originally aired on March 4, 2016.
The Young Artists Showcase travels deep into the heart of Texas to showcase orchestral and chamber music performances at the Round Top Festival from last summer.
Founded in 1971 by pianist James Dick, the festival annually provides about 100 students with an intensive six-week course of coachings, masterclasses and rehearsals on its 210-acre campus midway between Houston and Austin, Texas. Additionally, students perform about 30 concerts in the festival's 1,000-seat concert hall during their time at Round Top.
This program captures performances of the resident Texas Festival Orchestra playing Paul Dukas's famous tone poem The Sorcerer's Apprentice under Polish conductor Mariusz Smolij and the timeless Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. The Piano Quintet in G Minor by Dmitri Shostakovich closes the hour.
Program Playlist:
Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Texas Festival Orchestra; Mariusz Smolij, conductor
Barber: Adagio for Strings
Texas Festival String Ensemble; Linus Lerner, conductor
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G Minor, op. 57
Tristan Siegel, violin; Emma Powell, violin; Hannah LaGassey, viola; Sonja Kraus, cello; Maria Wietrzynska, piano
Recorded live at the 2015 Round Top Festival
May 11, 2022 - National Multiple Sclerosis Society Advocacy and Policy Senior Director Jennifer Muthig and New York State Bleeding Disorders Coalition Coordinator Jessica Graham explain why they're pushing legislation prohibiting insurance companies from limiting deductible qualifying costs to a patient's out-of-pocket expenses.
May 11, 2022 - New York State Society of Physician Assistants President Jonathan Baker makes the case for codifying a pandemic rule that relaxed the supervision requirements for physician assistants.
May 11, 2022 - Assembly Health Committee Chair Dick Gottfried, a Manhattan Democrat, discusses the potential legislative responses in New York to the likely overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision.
May 10, 2022 - The Adirondacks might not be the first part of the state that comes to mind when thinking about communities struggling to offer affordable housing, but state regulations and vacation properties have limited the available stock of places for locals to live. Municipal leaders from Essex County join the show to talk about how they think a land bank program might help address their housing problems.
May 10, 2022 - Environmental Advocates NY Director of Clean Water Rob Hayes discusses the recent actions taken by the state's Drinking Water Quality Council and outlines their unfinished business.
May 10, 2022 - American Chemistry Council's Margaret Gorman makes the case for "advanced recycling centers" in New York and answers questions about the plastic industry's past misleading recycling claims.
Wedding season is upon us! You’ve picked your venue and your caterer, your wedding party, and your loved ones have saved the date. You’re blasting through your spreadsheet of to-dos and deadlines and feeling unstoppable. Until you remember… the music!
If you’ve realized you have a whole ceremony worth of music to select but not a clue where to begin, we’re here to help. After all, sharing classical music recommendations is kind of our thing.
We chatted with the 2022 Artist Propulsion Lab cohort, got in touch with music coordinator of Innocenti Strings Anna Gillan, and caught up with co-founder of justice-focused music programming initiative New Muses Project Gloria Yin to compile a list of 20 best classical wedding ceremony picks.
The Prelude Picture the scene: Your guests are walking in, glasses of champagne in hand, their light laughter and conversation punctuating the music emanating from the instruments nearby. Here are some suggestions for the 20-30 minutes of music that greets guests as they enter the ceremony venue to set the tone for your wedding.
Air on the G String (J.S. Bach)
Bach’s classic Air on the G String is a wedding favorite. It’s dignified and refined, and those good old Baroque dissonances just might make you shed a pre-ceremony tear or two.
Ave Maria (Charles Gounod / J.S. Bach)
This Gounod arrangement of Bach’s Prelude No. 1 in C Major is another wedding favorite. It’s all the beauty of Bach made even more luscious through the soaring melodic freedom of the Romantic Era.
Quintett, Op. 38, II. Andante con moto (Louise Farrenc)
Originally written for nonet of wind quintet and strings, Farrenc also created a string quintet version that would be a gentle, inviting welcome to guests.
Lullaby for Strings (George Gershwin)
WQXR held a contest back in 2011 asking listeners to share their wedding playlist. This romantic, lilting Gershwin piece was part of the winning playlist curated by listener Rose Peña.
The Swan (Camille Saint-Saëns)
The Swan is, quite simply, divine and would make for the perfect elegant Prelude.
Overture of Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart)
If you don’t mind a bit of insider opera humor, the overture to Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro might make for the perfect celebratory tune to greet your guests. Here’s hoping your wedding won’t be filled with too much folly, though!
The Processional The Processional of the couple, their families, the wedding party, officiant, and any other key members of the ceremony is often set to music with a clear beat and tempo in a comfortable walking pace.
Canon in D (Johann Pachelbel)
If steady rhythm and a walking-pace tempo is what you’re looking for, Pachelbel’s play-on-repeat ditty is the one for you. Fair warning: 10/10 will be stuck in your head all night long.
Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
Here comes the bride! This wedding classic comes straight from Act 3 of Wagner’s opera. Best for a grand entrance, of course.
Jesu bleibet meine Freude (J.S. Bach)
Bach’s steady rhythms and moving melodic and harmonic structure will keep the members of your ceremony moving down the aisle. No kissing hello to friends and family in the aisles – you’ve got a ceremony to get to!
Where’er You Walk from Semele (Handel)
Handel’s delicate setting of William Congreve’s text is love: “Where'er you tread / The blushing flowers shall rise / And all things flourish / And all things flourish / Where'er you turn your eyes.”
Prince of Denmark’s March (Jeremiah Clarke)
If a royal tone is what you’re after, perhaps this march, used in the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, will do the trick.
String Quartet Hob. III, Op. 1, No. 3, I. Adagio (Franz Joseph Haydn)
“This is a gorgeous movement where the two violin parts weave and embrace like vines over the lower strings' steady bass line. It would be perfect for a processional or any moment during the wedding that invites quiet contemplation.” – Miho Saegusa (Aizuri Quartet)
Enfin la beauté que j’adore (Étienne Moulinié)
“It’s basically a 1624 version of Etta James’ ‘At Last.’ The text translates to: ‘At last the beauty who I adore / Lets me know upon her return / That she still wishes me to see / Those eyes for which I die of love. / And since I see again the beauty that consumes me, / Be gone, troubles, leave my soul.’ This is the piece that I had selected for the ceremony of my own wedding to be sung by my wonderful friend, tenor Karim Sulayman.” – Emi Ferguson
Mid-Ceremony Depending on the particular traditions of the wedding couple, there may be certain rituals Mid-Ceremony that may either be set to or interspersed by musical selections. Traditions vary widely, but there are a few standard pieces we hear time and again.
Ave Maria (Franz Schubert)
A classic by all accounts, Schubert’s Ave Maria was originally composed not to the Latin text, but to a text by Sir Walter Scott. The “Ave Maria” text comes from a passing reference to the Latin prayer in Scott’s original text. With or without text, this classical wedding favorite has long moved wedding guests.
Sheep May Safely Graze (J.S. Bach)
Although the cantata from which this aria derives was composed in honor not of a wedding but rather a birthday, it has since become a wedding classic for its sheer beauty.
Adoration (Florence Price)
Originally written for organ, this meditative piece can also be performed by violin and piano or entirely by strings.
The Recessional The Recessional is when all individuals who entered during the Processional exit the ceremony venue and go off to prepare for the cocktail hour or reception. The spirit of the Recessional is one of celebration.
*Wedding March from* A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Felix Mendelssohn)****
Send the newlyweds off to the cocktail / reception with a wedding classic. Popularized by Queen Victoria when she chose this as the Recessional music for her eldest daughter’s marriage in 1858, it’s a royal favorite.
Ode to Joy (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Classic joyful music for a joyful occasion.
Hornpipe from Water Music (George Frideric Handel)
The perfect musical accompaniment for a ceremony set atop a barge floating along the River Thames, but also a goodie for non-water-based ceremonies as well.
Gloria in excelsis Deo from Gloria (Antonio Vivaldi)
Vivaldi knew how to say “hooray!” Come for the dancing, stay for the woahhh.
May music continue to bring you all the happiness in the world on your wedding day and for many years to come. (And remember, always read the lyrics first!)
Want to share your own wedding music selections or have advice on what not to have on the musical program? Tell us in the comments below!
May 9, 2022 - Michael Fitzgerald, senior reporter for The Imprint, explains why the state is being sued for what is allegedly a "shadow" foster care system without the rules and protections of the actual foster system.
May 9, 2022 - Association on Aging in New York Executive Director Becky Preve discusses what the state recently adopted $220 billion budget means for New York's seniors.
May 9, 2022 - As the result of pandemic restrictions on in-person gatherings, New York got creative with its open meetings law requirements over the last two years, allowing for remote viewing and participation of public meetings. Reinvent Albany's Rachael Fauss explains how this experience shaped changes to the state's open meetings law that were adopted in the budget.
May 9, 2022 - Saving for retirement can be a challenge if your employer doesn't offer options for your golden years, but the state's Secure Choice Savings program is designed to create a new pathway for New Yorkers interested in putting money aside for their future. AARP NY state Director Beth Finkel provides a status update on the initiative and highlights legislation that would expand the program to New York's gig workers.
Listen live on Saturday, May 7th at 8:50pm Program notes courtesy of All Classical Portland
All Classical Portland is teaming up with WQXR to present a simultaneous live broadcast of the world premiere of Portland-based composer Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem. Commissioned by Portland’s Resonance Ensemble, this pivotal work memorializes the lives of Black Americans lost to racial violence in a first-of-its-kind requiem. The requiem includes African American spirituals as well as texts from civil rights activists Ida B. Wells and Jamilia Land. It also highlights words dedicated to Eric Garner, a line from a poem by Antwon Rose, and words written and performed by Portland poet Dr. S. Renee Mitchell.
The renewed production will also feature the Oregon Symphony and the African American Requiem Choir, made up of singers from Resonance Ensemble, Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir, and Portland-based choirs. William Eddins will conduct, and Resonance’s Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon will prepare the chorus. The concert will also feature a quartet of renowned African American opera singers: soprano Brandie Sutton, mezzo-soprano Karmesha Peake, tenor Bernard Holcomb, baritone and Kenneth Overton.
Hosted by Terrance McKnight and Suzanne Nance.
This broadcast originally aired on January 27, 2016.
This week's episode features a pair of young keyboard virtuosi who return to the Showcase. First up is Jennifer Nicole Campbell, now on the faculty at music schools in Delaware and Pennsylvania. She performed Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E Major, No. 30, Op 109, a work by Israeli composer Avner Dorman, and one of Campbell’s own compositions. Then Liszt from pianist Michael Davidman, who first appeared on the Showcase playing a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody at age 15. Now a winner of the Kaufman Music Center’s Youth Piano Competition, Davidman performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat with the Manhattan School of Music’s Pre College Philharmonic. More from that bright, young ensemble next week.
Program Details:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
Avner Dorman: Sundrops over Windy Water
Campbell: Variations on a Shaker Tune “Simple Gifts”
--Jennifer Nicole Campbell, piano
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat, S. 124
--Michael Davidman, piano; Manhattan School of Music Pre College Philharmonic; Jonathan Strasser, conductor
Listen Saturday, May 7th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of live Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with Puccini’s riveting opera, Turandot. The stellar international cast features Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska in the title role of the icy princess of legendary Peking. Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee is Prince Calàf, who risks everything for her love. Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho is the devoted Liù, and Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto is Timur, the exiled king of Tartary. Maestro Marco Armiliato leads the Met Orchestra and Chorus in this resplendent score.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Liudmyla Monastyrska in the title role of Puccini's "Turandot." (Ken Howard)
CONDUCTOR: Marco Armiliato
CAST:
Turandot - Liudmyla Monastyrska
Liù - Ermonela Jaho
Prince Calàf - Yonghoon Lee
Timur - Ferruccio Furlanetto
Want a closer look at the music of Turandot? Stream the Aria Code episode on Prince Calàf's aria "Nessun dorma."
OFFICIAL RULES: WQXR Kids and Family Week Survey
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For many AAPI communities, food is a representation of home and comfort. Whether it’s home-cooked kimchi jigae, a soothing bowl of pho at a restaurant, or a mukbang, sharing meals has always been a special way of bringing people together. A Mukbang (pronounced muhk-bahng) is a live-streamed video that features a person eating a large quantity of food and addressing an audience. This unique way of celebrating the diversity and rich cuisines found in other cultures started in South Korea in the late 2000s and translates to “eating broadcast” in Korean. Some of the most popular mukbang stars on YouTube include Eat with Boki with 7 million subscribers and Zach Choi with almost 14 million subscribers. Many people watch mukbangs for the potential “ASMR” experience by hearing the slurps, chews, and crunching sounds the person filming may make while eating. Last year, as part of WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab, violinist Stefan Jackiw, cellist Jay Campbell, and pianist Conrad Tao of Junction Trio sat down to film a mukbang. In the video, they discuss who they are as a trio while feasting on delicious foods from each of their cultural backgrounds.
The piano trio started after Stefan and Jay met on the Ensemble DITTO tour in South Korea in 2015 and asked Conrad to read music with them. Stefan comes from a Korean/Ukrainian family. For the mukbang he brought tteokbokki — a spicy and sweet Korean rice cake dish with gochujang sauce — to the table along with kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage dish that is a staple in Korean households. Jay prepared homemade lumpia, a Filipino fried spring roll and made with a crepe-like wrapper that gives it a satisfying crunch. In the video, Jay mentions he made the lumpia based on his mother’s recipe and put his own spin on it. Conrad served up Taiwanese beef noodle soup that is traditionally made with braised or stewed beef, flour noodles, and a slightly spicy broth.
Besides the delicious food presented, mukbangs can also be engaging if the person eating discusses a topic or invites a guest to have a conversation. Viewers can almost feel like they’re sharing a meal or sitting at a restaurant with the eater. In their mukbang, the trio discussed how Junction Trio began, what being a part of the group has meant to them, and how working together has encouraged them to consider the intentions of the composer, the tradition, and what a piece means to them when interpreting music. Jay describes the act of interpreting music as “reading down the clues the score gives so you can get closer to figuring out what it is about the composer that makes them human.” Interpreting music in that way helps them think about the big “why” in how they play the piece. When deciding their music programming, the trio describe how they try to consider the size and overall vibe of a concert hall. The trio mention how playing in a giant symphony hall and capturing an audience creates a special effect and can be one of the best performances. Stefan says, “that focused attention in such cavernous spaces creates its own type of intimacy.”
May 5, 2022 - NYU School of Law Family Defense Clinic co-Director Chris Gottlieb highlights the unique lack of rights afforded unmarried father in state law and advocates for changing the dynamic with the "Parental Equity Act."
May 5, 2022 - Assemblymember Pamela Hunter, a Syracuse-area Democrat, discusses the broad civil legal protections enjoyed by public employees, such as police officers, and makes the case for legislation that will curtail their "qualified immunity."
May 5, 2022 - Perennial Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins talks about his fourth attempt to run for the executive mansion, including the policies he would like to adopt at the Capitol and the process of getting on the ballot.
May 5, 2022 - Latino Cannabis Association of New York President Jeffrey Garcia and member Indhira Mojica discuss how their group is hoping the Latino community will be able to capitalize on the business opportunities accompanying the creation of a recreational marijuana market.
Listen live on Wednesday, May 4th at 7:30pm Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
When the brother-sister duo of cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and pianistIsata Kanneh-Mason made their Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2019, The New York Times praised Sheku as a “gifted, sensitive artist” and Isata as a “superb collaborator.” Listen to this talented pair in an eclectic program that spans a late sonata by Beethoven to the powerfully expressive music of 20th-century composers Shostakovich, Bridge, and Britten.
Hosted by John Schaeferand Jeff Spurgeon.
Program
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Cello
Isata Kanneh-Mason, Piano
BEETHOVEN Cello Sonata No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102, No. 1
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Sonata in D Minor, Op. 40
BRIDGE Cello Sonata in D Minor
BRITTEN Cello Sonata in C Major, Op. 65
Encore:
TRAD. "Deep River" (arr. Coleridge-Taylor, Kanneh-Mason)
Beethoven was the epic musical force of his age, leaping boldly from the 18th century Classicism of Mozart and Haydn to a new era of Romanticism. However, in taking this leap, he never lost his fascination with the sonata form. Through this form, the great composer captured the broadest spectrum of human feeling, ranging from humor and whimsy to fury and longing.
On this program, host David Dubal continues his exploration of Beethoven and the Sonata Idea, delving into movements from the 32 piano sonatas. We hear a comparative performance of the minuet from Piano Sonata No. 20, as well as the funeral march from Sonata No. 12, which is the only one of Beethoven's piano sonatas that is not in sonata form.
Program:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp minor, Op. 57: I. Adagio cantabile – Allegro ma non troppo
--Friedrich Gulda, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110: II. Allegro molto
--Eugene Istomin, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49, No. 2: II. Tempo di Menuetto
--Emil Gilels, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49, No. 2: II. Tempo di Menuetto
--Paul Lewis, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata in D minor, Op. 31, No. 2: III. Allegretto
--Wilhelm Backhaus, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110: III. Adagio ma non troppo
--Nelson Freire, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22: I. Rondo. Allegro con brio
--Andras Schiff; piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: II. Adagio
--Alfred Brendel, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 12 “Marcia funebre” in A-flat major, Op. 26: III. Marcia funebre “sulla morte d’un Eroe”
--Paul Lewis, piano
May 4, 2022 - New York State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs discusses the switcheroo on the Democratic primary ballot for lieutenant governor, the possibility of a consolidated August primary and much more.
May 4, 2022 - New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang discusses structural changes in her office, publicly unearthing past investigations that were buried by her predecessors and the likelihood of the Supreme Court rolling back constitutional abortion protections.
May 4, 2022 - New York - Geothermal Energy Organization Executive Director Bill Nowak explains how geothermal heat pump systems work and why language in the state budget could make them more affordable for some homeowners.
May 4, 2022 - Assemblymember Josh Jensen, a Rochester-area Republican, makes the case for writing additional oversight rules into law, arguing that there's too much ambiguity for the state's marijuana regulators.
May 3, 2023 - Legislation making its way through the Capitol would end a 1970s car insurance fraud prevention regulation, which independent insurance brokers say has become redundant and overly burdensome. Scott Hobson, a lobbyist for the brokers, explains the issue and what it would mean to drivers in New York to make the rule voluntary.
May 3, 2022 - Museum Association of New York Executive Director Erika Sanger talks about state capital investments in arts and cultural institutions, grant funding to build the capacity of museums and legislation that would assess the museum landscape in New York.
May 3, 2022 - GOP gubernatorial hopeful Harry Wilson joins the show to discuss his plans for improving public safety in New York, including overhauling the pre-trial detention process. We'll also touch on state income taxes and the merits of drug consumption sites.
May 3, 2022 - Gov. Kathy Hochul has chosen Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Hudson Valley Democrat, to be her lieutenant governor and her de facto running mate for this summer's Democratic primaries. Business Insider senior politics reporter Jake Lahut provides some background on the two-term congressman, including whether he has any skeletons in his closet.
May 2, 2022 - Senate Elections Committee Chair Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat, shares his priorities for the end of the legislative session and considers what changes may happen to this summer's primary calendar.
May 2, 2022 - The recently adopted state budget includes a one-year expansion of two tax credits designed to help low-income New Yorkers, so we turned to Schuyler Center President & CEO Kate Breslin and Children's Agenda Director of Policy Pete Nabozny to understand what it all means.
May 2, 2022 - Empire City Casino in Yonkers has its eyes on one of the three casino licenses that could be up for grabs before the end of the year, so we turned to the organization's senior vice president and general manager, Ed Domingo, to discuss the state's evolving gambling landscape.
May 2, 2022 - The conversation surrounding the state budget negotiations in 2021 was focused on increasing taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, but that narrative was largely absent in 2022. Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, a Brooklyn democrat, explains why the conversation changed and what it could look like in the future.
It’s Day 7 of the WQXR Listening Challenge. We’ve chosen 7 pieces to highlight on the air at 5pm every day this week and we want to know how this piece of music makes you (or your students) feel.
While you listen: write a poem, share a story, draw a character, create a scene, make a sculpture, draw a comic strip, or record a dance or musical performance and submit it via the form at the bottom of the page. Make sure you click "Done" when you're ready to submit!
Download our Listening Compass to help you focus.
Listening Challenge Day 1
Listening Challenge Day 2
Listening Challenge Day 3
Listening Challenge Day 4
Listening Challenge Day 5
Listening Challenge Day 6
Halvorsen: Suite ancienne, Op. 31: Intrata The introduction to Halvorsen’s Ancient Suite begins with the strings almost starting awake; the strings snap to life and the rest of the orchestra isn’t too far behind. From there, jubilant music greets the listener with sweeping Scandinavian strings, tinkling triangle, and clear, bright brass. They all come together to make jig-worthy rhythms reminiscent of a town festival, lifting the spirits in the process.
FUN FACT: His violin concerto, which was lost over 100 years ago, was rediscovered in 2016!
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: How is this piece similar or different to what you typically think of (or hear) when you think of classical music?
Want more music? You might also like: Holberg Suite by fellow Norwegian Edvard Grieg
Sunday, May 1, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and 2:00 - 5:00 pm Brooklyn Children's Museum @ 145 Brooklyn Avenue
WQXR is heading to Brooklyn for a Classical Kids Fair at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum! Families can experience live performances, an instrument petting zoo, arts and crafts, radio and dance workshops, and more! Listen, look, and play alongside WQXR and our friends from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Little Orchestra Society, and Dancers from the Met Opera.
WQXR listeners can receive 50% off regular museum admission by using the promo code "WQXR" online or by mentioning "WQXR" at the Museum ticket desk.
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and we're celebrating every day! We’ll be featuring music performed, composed, or conducted by artists of Asian descent every day at 5pm. You’ll hear an array of musicians including brilliant string instrumentalists, dexterous pianists, and world-renowned conductors.
Can't tune in every day 5pm? That's OK, we built this Asian Pacific American Heritage playlist so you can listen any time on Spotify:
It’s Day 6 of the WQXR Listening Challenge. We’ve chosen 7 pieces to highlight on the air at 5pm every day this week and we want to know how this piece of music makes you (or your students) feel.
While you listen: write a poem, share a story, draw a character, create a scene, make a sculpture, draw a comic strip, or record a dance or musical performance and submit it via the form at the bottom of the page. Make sure you click "Done" when you're ready to submit!
Download our Listening Compass to help you focus.
Listening Challenge Day 1
Listening Challenge Day 2
Listening Challenge Day 3
Listening Challenge Day 4
Listening Challenge Day 5
Holst: The Planets: Venus Bringer of Peace Just as Venus is the Roman goddess of beauty, the Venus movement of The Planets is sublimely beautiful. After the vigorous “Mars,” it is shocking to hear the tranquility of pacific Venus. The sweeping strings, soothing winds, and gentle melody truly exemplify peace.
FUN FACT: You can visit Holst’s birthplace in England and learn more about him and Victorian life
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: How is this piece similar or different to what you typically think of (or hear) when you think of classical music?
Want more music? You might also like: Fantasia on a Theme from Thomas Tallis, by fellow Englishman Ralph Vaugahn Williams
Listen Saturday, April 30th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with Puccini’s heart-rending tragedy, Madama Butterfly. Soprano Eleonora Buratto stars as Cio-Cio-San, the young Japanese girl who believes that her marriage to an American naval officer will bring her true love and an honorable life. And tenor Brian Jagde is Lieutenant Pinkerton, who thinks the marriage is just a bit of harmless fun. The cast also features mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as the faithful maid Suzuki, and baritone David Bizic as the American consul Sharpless. Maestro Alexander Soddy leads the Met Orchestra and Chorus in Puccini’s exquisite score.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Eleonora Buratto as Cio-Cio-San and Brian Jagde as Pinkerton in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly." (Richard Termine)
CONDUCTOR: Alexander Soddy
CAST:
Cio-Cio-San - Eleanora Buratto
Pinkerton - Brian Jagde
Suzuki - Elizabeth DeShong
Sharpless - David Bizic
Want a closer look at the music of Madama Butterfly? Stream the Aria Code episode on Cio-Cio-San's aria "Un bel di vedremo."
It’s Day 2 of the WQXR Listening Challenge. We’ve chosen 7 pieces to highlight this week on the air and on the web. Yes, we like it… but we want to know how this piece of music makes you (or your students) feel.
While you listen: write a poem, share a story, draw a character, create a scene, make a sculpture, draw a comic strip, or record a dance or musical performance and send it to us here.
Download our Listening Compass to help you focus.
Symphony No. 1 in E Minor: III. Juba Dance - Florence Price
This symphony was the first to be written by African-American composer, Florence Price, in 1932. A symphony is a piece of music written for a full orchestra (all 4 instrument families) and usually has 4 parts, or movements.
Typically, the 3rd movement of a symphony is some sort of energetic dance and Juba Dance is no different. The Juba dance originates in West Africa and, because of the slave trade, this rhythm is one that can be found in a lot of African-American communities here in the United States.
When her piece was finally played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933, it was the first symphony by a black woman to be performed by a major American orchestra.
INTERESTING FACT: Florence was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and graduated high school at age 14.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: How is this piece similar or different to what you typically think of (or hear) when you think of classical music?
Want more music? If you liked Juba Dance from Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E Minor, we think you’ll enjoy Huapango by José Pablo Moncayo.
Read, listen, and learn more here:
The Price of Admission: A Musical Biography of Florence Beatrice Price
“Juba Dance”
Listen live on Sunday, April 24th at 3:00pm Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Founded in 1993, the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra celebrates the contributions of classical musicians of African descent, bringing together professionals from leading orchestras across the country to perform and inspire communities through the power of music. Hear this marvelous orchestra make its Carnegie Hall debut in a performance of works by Brahms, G. Walker, and Price, along with James V. Cockerham’s vibrant Fantasia on “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The excitement level is raised even higher when Perspectives artist Jon Batiste joins them for the world premiere of his new work. This year, Batiste was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards and took home five, the most of any artist that night, including Album of the Year for FREEDOM.
Hosted by John Schaefer and Jeff Spurgeon.
Program Gateways Music Festival OrchestraAnthony Parnther, conductorJon Batiste, piano
Johannes Brahms - Variations on a Theme by Haydn in B-flat Major, Op. 56a
George Walker - Sinfonia No. 3
Jon Batiste - I Can (World Premiere; orch. Matt Wong)
Florence Price - Symphony No. 3
James V. Cockerham - Fantasia on "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
Listen Saturday, April 23rd at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the Gershwins’ great American opera, Porgy and Bess. This performance from last fall stars bass-baritone Eric Owens as Porgy and soprano Angel Blue as Bess, a couple that falls in love against all odds. Bass-baritone Alfred Walker is Bess’s brutal ex-boyfriend Crown, soprano Latonia Moore is the pious matron Serena, and tenor Frederick Ballentine is the devilish Sportin’ Life. Janai Brugger, Ryan Speedo Green, and Tichina Vaughn are part of an acclaimed ensemble cast portraying the tight-knit African-American community of Catfish Row. David Robertson led the Met Orchestra and Chorus in the Gershwins’ unforgettable score.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Angel Blue as Bess in the Gershwins' "Porgy and Bess." (Evan Zimmerman/Metropolitan Opera)
CONDUCTOR: David Robertson
CAST:
Porgy - Eric Owens
Bess - Angel Blue
Crown - Alfred Walker
Serena - Latonia Moore
Sportin' Life - Frederick Ballentine
Catfish Row - Janai Brugger, Ryan Speedo Green, and Tichina Vaughn
Want a closer look at the music of Porgy and Bess? Stream the Aria Code episode on Clara's aria "Summertime" and Porgy's aria "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'"
Listen to this episode of New York in Concert on Saturday, April 23rd at 7pm, or tune in for an encore broadcast on Tuesday, April 26th at 10pm.
Last summer, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s presented a streaming program called Sounds and Stories which wove together the work of former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and music from the life of George Bridgetower: a violinist, composer, and conductor as well as a friend and contemporary of Beethoven. On the next New York in Concert, you’ll hear a taste of that project. Music by Beethoven, Haydn, Giornovichi, and Bridgetower, as well as poems and conversation with Rita Dove on this special edition of New York in Concert.
Hosted by John Schaefer.
Program Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 9 for Violin and Piano Jesse Mills, violin Rieko Aizawa, piano
George Bridgetower Henry: A Ballad Laquita Mitchell, soprano Margaret Kampmeier, piano
Selections from Sonata Mulattica by Rita Dove Read by Rita Dove
Excerpts from:
Joseph Haydn Sonata No. 60 Allegro MoltoLudwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 10 for Violin and Piano Adagio espressivoLudwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 10 for Violin and Piano, arr. for string quartet PrestoGiovanni Mane Giornovichi Duo in D Major Allegro
April 22, 2022 - Education Trust-NY Executive Director Dia Bryant outlines how the recently adopted state budget makes higher education more affordable, such as expanding access to tuition assistance programs and investing in education opportunity programs
April 22, 2022 - For the latest Poozer Pop Culture conversation, Assemblyman Kenny Burgos, a Bronx Democrat, explains what it takes to be an amateur body builder, including the dieting, and reflects on his recent performance in a physique competition.
April 22, 2022 - The resignation of Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has not led to his ouster from the Democratic primary ballot, but Common Cause NY Executive Director Susan Lerner says state lawmakers should rectify that by adopting a controversially timed law that expands the pathways for candidates to get off the ballot.
April 22, 2022 - State Sen. James Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat, discusses the landscape of state laws protecting mobile home residents from dramatic rent increases and discusses the need for additional consumer protections.
April 21, 2022 - Laura Ladd Bierman, executive director of the League of Women Voters of New York State, explains why her organization is getting involved in the legal fight over Congressional and state senate lines drawn by the Democratic majorities at the Capitol.
April 21, 2022 - We check in with our youth correspondent, 15-year-old Isaac Olshan, who discusses the mock elections he's engaged in, highlights the real-life political races he's following and explains why he thinks Gov. Kathy Hochul is likely to win a full term as governor.
Listen live on Thursday, April 21st at 7:00pm Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
Superstar violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and renowned composer-conductor John Williams bring a special program of Williams’s beloved film music (Harry Potter, Star Wars, and more) and the New York premiere of his new violin concerto written for Ms. Mutter to Carnegie Hall for a one-night-only concert that features the legendary Philadelphia Orchestra.
Hosted by John Schaefer and Jeff Spurgeon.
Program Philadelphia OrchestraJohn Williams, conductorAnne-Sophie Mutter, violinist
Violin Concerto No. 2 (NY Premiere)
"Flight to Neverland" from Hook
Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter for Violin and Orchestra
Theme from Cinderella Liberty for Violin and Orchestra
"Throne Room" and Finale from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
"The Duel" from The Adventures of Tintin for Violin and Orchestra
April 21, 2022 - Dr. Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiology at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, talks about the current state of the pandemic in New York, considers what precautions should be in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and evaluates the proactiveness of public health officials.
Back in February, the winners of the 50th George London Competition were announced, live from Gilder Lehrman Hall at the Morgan Library in a livestream hosted by acclaimed soprano and 2005 George London Award winner, Susanna Phillips. Tonight, we meet them on the Young Artists Showcase! This year's winners are baritone Blake Denson, tenor Eric Ferring, baritone Erik Grendahl, mezzo-soprano Megan Moore, and baritone Timothy Murray. Each of the five George London Award winners receives a $10,000 award, and each of the remaining finalists receives a $2000 Encouragement Award. In addition to the winners, we will also meet several of the Encouragement Award recipients.
Program (all with pianist Michael Fennelly):
Stravinsky: No Word from Tom from The Rake’s Progress-Erika Baikoff, soprano
Mozart: Ah wie will ich triumphieren from The Abduction from Seraglio-Edwin Jhamal Davis, bass
Poulenc: Non monsieur mon marie from Les mamelles de Tirésias-Sophie Naubert, soprano
Mozart: Apri te un po' quegli occhi from The Marriage of Figaro-Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone
Massenet: The Letter Aria from Werther-Megan Moore, mezzo
Korngold: Pierrots Tanzlied from Die tote Stadt-Erik Grendahl, baritone
Donizetti: "Una furtiva Lagrima" from L’elisir d’amore-Eric Ferring, tenor
Tchaikovsky: “Vi mnye pisali … Kogda bi zhizn” from Eugene Onegin-Timothy Murray, baritone
Verdi: “Carlos, écoute” from Don Carlos-Blake Denson, baritone
April 20, 2022 - Senate Housing, Construction & Community Development Committee Chair Brian Kavanagh, a Manhattan Democrat, discusses the housing portion of the recently adopted state budget, including the rent relief funding and capital investments that made it in and the vouchers and tax credits that died during negotiations.
April 20, 2022 - Harry Wilson may not have wrapped up the Republican party's support for his gubernatorial bid, but a minor party - Unite New York - is offering him its ballot line if they can qualify for a spot in the fall. Unite NY Executive Director Tim Dunn explains why they're rallying behind the GOP businessman and discusses the logistical challenges of getting him on the ballot.
April 20, 2022 - Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, talks about her legislation to require private insurers cover abortions for whatever reason and reflects on her experience running a non-profit serving the reproductive needs of Latina women in New York City. (Originally aired 12/16/21)
April 19, 2022 - The state's much beleaguered ethics watchdog is on its way out, but good government groups have little hope that the new oversight entity will be much better. Reinvent Albany's Rachael Fauss explains the shortcomings of the appointment process to the new commission and makes the case for a more independent organization.
April 19, 2022 - In April, state regulators gave 52 hemp farmers conditional licenses to grow marijuana this spring so that the recreational market will have products to sell later this year. New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association President Alan Gandelman, whose Finger Lakes-area farm got one of these licenses, discusses the learning curve for new marijuana farmers, the economic potential and the regulatory hoops to jump through.
April 19, 2022 - A treasure trove of government emails secured by Times Union reporter Chris Bragg sheds new light on the kind of access major donors to Gov. Kathy Hochul have to her administration.
Enter for a chance to win a prize that's fun for the whole family! In celebration of our first-ever Kids and Family Week on WQXR (April 25 - May 1), we're giving away some goodies that can be enjoyed by parents and kids alike. Kids and Family Week is all about introducing children to new music, learning about composers, inspiring creativity, and so much more. Take this week of classical discovery to the next level by attending Young People's concerts at the New York Philharmonic or reading Who Is Florence Price? — a picture book written and illustrated by middle school students at Kaufman Music Center's Special Music School.
Sign up for the WQXR newsletter using the form below and you'll be entered to win one of the following prizes.
A pair of tickets (2) to NY Phil Young People's concert on May 14 Four tickets to a Little Orchestra Society concert at 92Y on May 14 or 15 A copy of the book Who Is Florence Price? (picture book written and illustrated by middle school students at Kaufman Music Center's Special Music School) A WQXR Classical Kids Goodie Bag
Please see full giveaway rules for further details. One entry per person, please!
OFFICIAL RULES: Kids and Family Week giveaways
ELIGIBILITY:
Anyone 18 years of age or older and in the United States can enter the Giveaway except employees of NYPR and its related organizations, their immediate family or persons living in the same household. Void where prohibited by law.
HOW TO ENTER:
No purchase or pledge necessary. WNYC, WQXR, and New Jersey Public Radio Monthly Sustainers are automatically entered. Entries to the Giveaway may be made by providing your email address via the form at WQXR.org or in person at the Brooklyn Classical Kids Fair (5/1/22) during the following entry period:
4/18/2022 - 5/1/2022
PRIZE DRAWING AND PRIZING:
Following close of the entry period, winners will be chosen from the drawing as follows:
2 winners for a pair of tickets (2) to the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concert (One Planet) on May 14, 2022, valued at $90.
3 winners for 4 tickets to the Little Orchestra Society's concerts at the 92Y on either May 14 or May 15, 2022, valued at $244.00 (for 4 tickets)
10 winners of the book "Who Is Florence Price?" published by Schirmer Books, part of Wise Music Group. Valued at $12.99.
3 winners of a WQXR tote bag, valued at $15.
SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS:
One winning name and three back up names for each drawing will be selected by random drawing no later than 5/6/2022. Winners will be sent notification via telephone or email no later than 5/9/2022. If a winner is unable to accept their prize, the unawarded prize will go to the first back-up and subsequent back-ups thereof until prize is awarded. Prizes (books and WQXR totes) will be shipped by US mail. The chances of winning are dependent upon the number of entries. A list with the winner’s name will be kept on file at New York Public Radio and will be available by writing WQXR Listener Services, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
GENERAL:
Limit one (1) entry per person; duplicate or incomplete entries and entries that do not comply with these Official Rules will be disqualified. No automated entry devices and/or programs permitted. NYPR is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, or invalid entries, or for technical or administrative issues. An entry is deemed “received” when, as applicable, it is recorded by NYPR’s servers or at the end time of an eligible call to the WQXR pledge line. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by NYPR.
By participating in the Giveaway, participants agree to these Official Rules, and that New York Public Radio, its agents and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from their use of the prize or their participation in the giveaway. Prize is nontransferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. There can be no substitutions for a prize. NYPR may use winners’ names for publicity purposes without further compensation. Taxes and expenses as a result of winning this prize are the responsibility of the winners. Winners may receive a 1099 with the above stated value in accordance with applicable law.
RESTRICTIONS:
Restrictions may apply. Each entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules, and by all decisions of NYPR with respect to the administration of the giveaway and the choice of winners. One entry per person. Multiple entries are not allowed and will not increase the chances of winning.
April 18, 2022 - Carm Basile, legislative chair of the New York Public Transit Association and head of the Capitol District Transportation Authority, adds up the investments the state budget made in upstate transit and discusses public transportation developments in the Capital Region, including service expansion and more e-scooters.
April 18, 2022 - Assemblymember Al Stirpe, a Syracuse-area Democrat, wants to change the way the state calculates the distribution the bulk of education funding to public schools and is backing legislation to codify the funding levels for schools that serve students with special needs.
April 18, 2022 - Senate Transportation Committee Chair Tim Kennedy, a Buffalo Democrat, makes the case for the gas tax holiday - 16 cents per gallon - that will be in effect from June to the end of the year. He also discusses funding in the state budget for roads, including combatting potholes.
April 18, 2022 - Jon Campbell, capitol reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, discusses changes to the state's alcohol laws in the recently adopted budget, including letting liquor stores open on Christmas and allowing to-go cocktails to be sold by restaurants.
Listen Saturday, April 16th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with Richard Strauss’s searing psychological drama Elektra, starring a formidable pair of sopranos. Nina Stemme reprises her celebrated portrayal of the title character, whose life is consumed by thoughts of avenging the murder of her father. Lise Davidsen is Elektra’s sister, Chrysothemis, who wants to leave the tragedy behind. And mezzo-soprano Michaela Schuster is their mother, Klytaemnestra, haunted by the legacy of violence. The cast also features Stefan Vinke and Greer Grimsley. Maestro Donald Runnicles conducts this riveting score.
Nina Stemme as Elektra and Lise Davidsen as Chrysothemis in Strauss's "Elektra." (Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)
CONDUCTOR: Donald Runnicles
CAST:
Elektra - Nina Stemme
Chrysothemis - Lise Davidsen
Klytämnestra - Michaela Schuster
Orest - Greer Grimsley
Aegisth - Stefan Vinke
Want a closer look at the music of Elektra? Check out the Aria Code episode of Elektra's aria, "Allein! Weh, ganz allein."
April 15, 2022 - Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter’s Roger Downs and Audubon New York’s Erin McGrath explain how the state budget will expand the ability of state regulators to control the development on wetlands.
April 15, 2022 - New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President & CEO Doreen Harris explains why the state has partnered with its neighbors to try to become a regional hub for 'clean hydrogen' power.
April 15, 2022 - Progressive activist Ana María Archila, who is vying to be the Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, discusses her credentials to be the successor to the governor and outlines her vision for the job.
April 14, 2022 - New York's pre-trial detention laws have been changed in the state budget for the third time in four years, as Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic state lawmakers respond to concerns about public safety. Times Union reporter Joshua Solomon explains what the latest tweaks will actually do and how these ramifications compare to the public conversation around the reforms.
April 14, 2022 - Alliance for Quality Education Policy & Operations Director Marina Marcou-O’Malley tallies up the state's commitment for pre-kindergarten classes and what it means for access across New York.
April 14, 2022 - U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Long Island Democrat, who is hoping to be his party's gubernatorial nominee, responds to the adopted state budget, including funding for child care, the environment and marijuana entrepreneurs and talks about pre-trial detention.
April 14, 2022 - Senate Aging Committee Chair Rachel May, a Syracuse Democrat, discusses the state's multi-billion investment in home care wages, which are scheduled to be worth $2 an hour in 2022 and another $1 an hour in 2023.
Tonight we’ll hear the complete violin concerto of Johannes Brahms! Violinist and Showcase Alumnus Benjamin Baker returns to the Young Artists Showcase is the soloist alongside the Charleston Symphony, conducted by Ken Lam. We will also hear the first movement of the Grieg Piano Concerto from the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Symphony, featuring MSM student Simona Heifetz at the piano, and the MSM Precollege Symphony conducted by Tanya Chanphanitpornkit.
Program:
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: 1. Allegro moderato-Simona Heifetz, piano; MSM Precollege Symphony, cond. Tanya Chanphanitpornkit
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77-Benjamin Baker, violin; Charleston Symphony, cond. Ken Lam
Tune in Wednesday at 10pm or Sunday night at 10pm to hear Reflections from the Keyboard's host David Dubal continue his exploration of the musical and emotional landscape of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. The sonata presents rigorous challenges for a pianist, and Beethoven brought all of his intensity and humor to bear on these masterpieces. On this program, we hear movements from seven of the piano sonatas, including Sonata 28, which was the first of five legendary works comprising Beethoven’s late sonata period.
Program:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10, IV. Rondo: Allegro--Murray Perahia, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22, I. Allegro con brio--Emil Gilels, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90, II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorzutragen--Solomon, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 (“Tempest”), III. Allegretto--Steven Lubin, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7, II. Largo, con gran espressione--Louis Lortie, piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101, IV. Allegro--Jeffrey Swann; piano
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2, III. Scherzo: Allegro--Andras Schiff; piano
April 13, 2022 - The state Office of Cannabis Management's Lyla Hunt discusses an outreach campaign to teach New Yorkers about the state's marijuana laws and explains how state regulators are responding to the proliferation of illegal marijuana dispensaries and advertising by out-of-state marijuana retailers.
April 13, 2022 - State Senate Children & Families Committee Chair Jabari Brisport, a Brooklyn Democrat, helps us make sense of the state's investment in child care in the budget, explaining how it will expand access to subsidies for low-income families and why he's still fighting for a larger commitment to realize universal access to care.
April 13, 2022 - State Senate Racing, Gaming & Wagering Committee Chair Joe Addabbo, a Queens Democrat, talks about language in the state budget that will accelerate the development of three downstate casinos.
April 12, 2022 - Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin resigned Tuesday after federal officials charged him with public corruption stemming from his time in the state senate. City & State senior state politics reporter Zachary Williams explains the hot water the Harlem Democrat is in and what his resignation means for New York poltiics.
Listen Saturday, April 9th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with Le Nozze di Figaro – The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart’s brilliant and timeless comedy. It stars bass-baritone Christian van Horn as Figaro, the man with the plan, opposite soprano Ying Fang as his equally resourceful fiancée, Susanna. Bass-baritone Gerald Finley is Count Almaviva, who believes he’s entitled to everything – and everyone – on his estate. Soprano Federica Lombardi is his wife, the long-suffering Countess. And mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke is the irrepressible pageboy, Cherubino. Maestro James Gaffigan leads the Met Orchestra and Chorus in Mozart’s sublime score.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Ying Fang as Susanna and Gerald Finley as Count Almaviva in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro." (Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)
CONDUCTOR: James Gaffigan
CAST:
Figaro - Christian van Horn
Susanna - Ying Fang
Count Almaviva - Gerald Finley
Countess - Federica Lombardi
Cherubino - Sasha Cooke
Want a closer look at the music of Le Nozze di Figaro? Check out these Aria Code episodes!
Countess Almaviva's "Dove sono."
Count Almaviva's "Hai già vinta la causa."
April 8, 2022 - New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe explains the green investments in state budget and identifies the unfinished business for environmentalists.
April 8, 2022 - State Hearing Aid Dispensary Advisory Board member Jerry Bergman explains what this volunteer panel does and makes the case for creating a state office dedicated to the needs of New Yorkers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
April 8, 2022 - For the latest Poozer Pop Culture conversation, Deputy Senate Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, discusses his Star Wars fandom, including how it all began and why he loves the movie Rogue One.
Apparently it is possible to make Mozart's iconic comedy even more hilarious. WQXR Morning Host Jeff Spurgeon runs through the madcap plot of The Marriage of Figaro in three minutes.
→ Explore more of Jeff's 3-Minute Operas.
April 7, 2022 - The Climate Action Council has begun soliciting public input on its draft plan for dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions in New York, which needs to be finalized by the end of 2022. The City reporter Samantha Maldonado recounts the public comments from the first, in-person hearing this week in the Bronx and considers how they may be utilized moving forward.
April 7, 2022 - Assemblymember John McDonald, a Capitol Region Democrat and practicing pharmacist, shares how he came to view drug consumption sites as a powerful tool in combating drug overdose deaths and talks about harm reduction strategies the state should implement to combat the opioid epidemic.
April 7, 2022 - State lawmakers are waiting to determine the fate of mayoral control of New York City school until after the state budget is adopted, so we turned to New York Civil Liberties Union Education Policy Center Director Johanna Miller for her thoughts on what the centralized rule should look like in the future.
Note: This broadcast originally aired on March 9, 2018.
This week on the Young Artists Showcase, we continue last week’s introduction to the Philadelphia-based Astral Artists, particularly pianist Sejoon Park.
Park grew up in a musical family in South Korea; both of his parents are cellists. He was an early sensation, making his orchestral debut with the Busan Philharmonic at the age of 10. He is now based in the US for his study at Juilliard and The Peabody Institute, where he studies with Boris Slutsky. In addition to his stellar musicianship, Park is a concerned artist, contributing to multiple outreach programs bringing music to underserved audiences.
Park’s fellow Astral laureates are featured on this episode in Schumann’s Piano Quartet, and more of their performances can be heard on last week’s episode of the Young Artists Showcase.
Program:
Shostakovich: 24 Preludes, Op. 34, Nos. 10 and 14— Sejoon Park, piano
Scriabin: Sonata No. 5— Sejoon Park, piano
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47— Henry Kramer, piano; Eunice Kim, violin; Maurycy Banaszek, viola; Christine Lamprea, cello
Rachmaninoff: Études-Tableaux, Nos. 5 and 6— Sejoon Park, piano
Reflections from the Keyboard's host David Dubal continues his exploration of the musical and emotional landscape of Beethoven’s piano sonatas. We hear both the originality of each sonata, as well as the originality of each pianist’s interpretation. In an act of comparative listening, we hear two renditions of the first movement of Sonata No. 30, first by Claudio Arrau and then by Rudolf Serkin. Though both performances span the same length of time, they each reflect the artists’ individual connection to the music, as well as the breadth of creative possibilities that exist in each movement of the 32 piano sonatas.
The early 19th century brought fervent activity in culture and the arts, including the development of the sonata form in instrumental music. This form came to dominate the ideas and compositions of many of the greatest classical composers, including Haydn, Mozart, and Schumann. It was in Beethoven’s masterful hands, however, that the sonata idea was executed on a scale never before attempted, and his innovations brought deep and enduring changes to music. Program:Beethoven: Piano Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 “Moonlight” – III. Presto agitato--Radu Lupu, pianoBeethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 – Vivace, ma non troppo--Claudio Arrau, pianoBeethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109 – Vivace, ma non troppo--Rudolf Serkin, piano Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1 – I. Allegro--Isabel Margalit, pianoBeethoven: Piano Sonata in D, Op. 10, No. 3 – II. Largo e mesto--Vladimir Horowitz, pianoBeethoven: Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 10, No. 1 – III. Prestissimo--David Allen Wehr, pianoBeethoven: Piano Sonata in E-flat, Op. 31, No. 3 “Hunt” – I. Allegro--Stephen Kovacevich, piano
Listen live on Friday, March 18th at 8pm. Program notes courtesy of Carnegie Hall.
The Galilee Chamber Orchestra is the first professional ensemble comprising both Arab and Jewish musicians in Israel. This is their first North American tour and the orchestra is led by pianist and conductor Saleem Ashkar. Violinist Joshua Bell performs with the orchestra for Carnegie Hall’s Annual Isaac Stern Memorial Concert and will feature the works of Haydn, Bruch, Al-Zand, and Beethoven.
Hosted by John Schaefer and Jeff Spurgeon.
Program Galilee Chamber OrchestraSaleem Ashkar, conductorJoshua Bell, violin
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 59 in A Major, "Fire"
Max Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26
Karim Al-Zand - Luctus Profugis (New York Premiere)
Ludwig Van Beethoven - Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21
March 17, 2022 - National Federation of Independent Business State Director Ashley Ranslow discusses budget priorities for small businesses, including relief from higher unemployment insurance costs and COVID-19 sick leave requirements.
March 17, 2022 - New York's marijuana czar, Chris Alexander, explains who will be eligible for the first licenses to operate marijuana dispensaries, which could be open as early as the end of 2022 in New York. He also addresses where the initial crop of products will come from.
March 17, 2022 - In 2021, undocumented New Yorkers were able to secure $2.1 billion in the state budget for cash assistance payments to make up the federal benefits they were ineligible to receiver during the pandemic. But those payments didn't cover all the potential recipients, so Assemblymember Karines Reyes, a Bronx Democrat, explains the push to invest $3 billion toward this initiative in this year's budget.
This program originally aired on January 16, 2019.
Tonight we wish a happy 41st birthday to the Young Artists Showcase! For 41 years, award-winning broadcaster and host Robert Sherman has brought the rising stars of classical music to WQXR, and this time is no different. Pianist Conrad Tao has previously appeared on the Showcase in 2012 as a winner of a Salon de Virtuosi grant and later an Avery Fischer Career Grant. Since then he has forged a career as both a pianist and composer, bringing both of those talents to tonight's program, featuring works by Beethoven, Wolfe, Rachmaninoff, Lang, and Tao himself.
Program:
Wolfe: 'Earring'—Conrad Tao, piano
Tao: 'All I Had Forgotten or Tried To'—Conrad Tao, piano
Beethoven: Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest'—Conrad Tao, piano
Rachmaninoff: Etude Tableau in A Minor, Op. 39, No. 2—Conrad Tao, pianoLang: 'Wed' from Memory Pieces—Conrad Tao, piano
The Thursday night airing of this show is being pre-empted for WQXR's Carnegie Hall Live broadcast. It will air as usual on Sunday at 11 pm.
J.S. Bach had to make his way in various positions—Leipzig was a very expensive town to live and work in. During his early years in the city, Bach earned extra money by testing out old and new organs around Germany. His prestige came from his organ virtuosity and a verification of an instrument by the master was a stamp of approval for a church, not to mention adding weight to the composer’s wallet.
March 16, 2022 - Assemblyman Pat Burke, a Buffalo-area Democrat, makes the case for his legislation that would pave the way to doctors prescribing "magic mushrooms" for New Yorkers with conditions, like PTSD, that aren't being successfully treated with existing medicinal options.
March 16, 2022 - John Kane, a Native American activist in western New York and graduate of the Cambridge Central School District, discusses his old school's insistence on retaining its controversial Native American nickname, which they're going to court to fight for, and debates the use of Native American imagery more broadly by public schools.
March 16, 2022 - Assemblywoman Jen Lunsford, a Rochester-area Democrat, talks about the role an expanded child care tax credit could play in expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care.
March 15, 2022 - New York policymakers want to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030 and have begun implementing recommendations from stakeholders across the state to realize this goal. State Department of Health Director of the Bureau of Hepatitis Health Care Colleen Flanigan discusses the state of hepatitis C in New York, strategies to combat the virus and regional engagement on the campaign.
March 15, 2022 - For more than 40 years the state Commission on Judicial Conduct has been responsible for holding judges in New York responsible for their conduct on and off the bench. The commission's administrator and counsel, Robert Tembeckjian, joins the show to talk about the origin of this state entity, how their oversight function and what they focused on in 2021.
Listen Monday, March 14th, at 8pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera presents a special live international broadcast on Monday, March 14: A Concert for Ukraine, a performance offering support and solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine. Met Music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will conduct the Met Orchestra and Chorus and a roster of star soloists – Lise Davidsen, Elza van den Heever, Jamie Barton, Piotr Beczała, and Ryan Speedo Green – in a program that includes Strauss’s Four Last Songs, the stirring final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and works by Barber, Silvestrov, and Verdi. Vladyslav Buialskyi, the Ukrainian bass-baritone who recently made his company debut, will open the concert with the Met chorus in a rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem.
Watch excerpts from the performance:
March 14, 2022 - For decades the grand steps on the eastern side of the Capitol in Albany have been in disrepair and they've been completely closed off to the public for more than six years, but the Times Union's Josh Solomon reports that a $41 million investment in the historic stairs could finally address long festering structural concerns.
March 14, 2022 - There is widespread agreement about the need to avoid criminalizing victims of sex trafficking, but how should New York handle the other players involved in the sex trade, including adults who aren't coerced into sex work or the New Yorkers who pay for sex? For answers we turned to Melanie Thompson of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Alexi Meyers of Sanctuary for Families, who are pushing legislation that would decriminalize sex work, while still preventing it from becoming a legal profession.
This episode of Carnegie Hall Live will be broadcast on Sunday, March 13th at 5pm. Originally recorded live on Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos, and Yo-Yo Ma come together to perform three of Beethoven's piano trios. Ma and Ax have been musical collaborators for nearly fifty years and they have frequently performed with Kavakos. Their last performance at Carnegie Hall was right before the Hall's extended closure due to the pandemic, but they recently released a recording of trio arrangements of Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 and No. 5 called "Beethoven for Three." All three works from the program are from Beethoven's Early and Middle periods.
Jeff Spurgeon and John Schaefer host.
Listen to the backstage interview with Shai Wosner, arranger of Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” for trio:
Program: Yo-Yo Ma, celloEmanuel Ax, pianoLeonidas Kavakos, violin
Ludwig van Beethoven:
Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” (arr. For trio by Shai Wosner)
Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 11, “Gassenhauer”
Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1, “Ghost”
Listen Saturday, March 12th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
Saturday matinee broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera continue with the first live broadcast of the 2021-22 spring season, Ariadne auf Naxos, Richard Strauss’s comedic mashup of operatic drama and lighthearted entertainment. The electrifying young dramatic soprano Lise Davidsen stars in the title role of the mythological princess. She’s joined by Brenda Rae as the comedienne Zerbinetta, Brandon Jovanovich as the god Bacchus, and Isabel Leonard as the idealistic Composer. The cast also features Wolfgang Brendel, Johannes Martin Kränzle, and Sean Michael Plumb. Maestro Marek Janowski conducts the Met Orchestra in Strauss’s rapturously beautiful score. During intermission, HD host Matthew Polenzani will interview the stars backstage.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Sean Michael Plumb as Harlekin, Ryan Speedo Green as Truffaldin, Lise Davidsen as Ariadne, and Aok Kumar as Scaramuccio in Strauss's "Ariadne auf Naxos." (Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)
CONDUCTOR: Marek Janowski
CAST:
Ariadne - Lise Davidsen
Zerbinetta - Brenda Rae
Composer - Isabel Leonard
Bacchus - Brandon Jovanovich
Harlekin - Sean Michael Plumb
Music Master - Johannes Martin Kränzle
Major-Domo - Wolfgang Brendel
Want a closer look at the music of Ariadne auf Naxos? Stream the Aria Code episode on the young Composer's aria "Sein wir wieder gut."
March 11, 2022 - For the latest segment of Poozer Pop Culture, state Sen. James Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat and - more importantly - a millennial, discusses his affinity for the 1990s video game console Nintendo 64.
March 11, 2022 - New York Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham talks about the state's effort to prevent problem gambling from happening and how they're trying to connect New Yorkers to problem gambling services.
March 11, 2022 - The ink was barely dry on her state budget, when Gov. Kathy Hochul was stripping out a controversial proposal that would have given the state the ability to supersede local zoning and planning rules in certain situations. Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, a Rockland Country Democrat, explains why the governor made the right call and consider the future rules for accessory dwelling units, such as basement or garage apartments.
March 11, 2022 - Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Lavine, a Long Island Democrat, makes the case for overhauling the state's complicated tiers of judges with a constitutional amendment championed by the state's top judge.
March 10, 2022 - Democratic lawmakers and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo amended state law in 2020 to make police disciplinary records more accessible to the public, but police departments have pushed back against the law and found some judges to support their obfuscation. We talked with attorneys from the New York Civil Liberties Union about legislation that would clarify the intent of the original transparency effort in order to improve the implementation of the transparency measure.
March 10, 2022 - University at Albany's Jim Schwab and the University of Rochester's Lee Murray discuss a joint initiative measuring methane emissions in New York in order to determine where the greenhouse gas is coming from, as New York tries to reduce its contribution to climate change.
March 11, 2022 - Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, a Long Island Democrat, and the Adirondack Council's Aaron Mair make a pitch for a $2.1 million investment in a pilot program connecting New York City public school students to the Adirondacks, including potential job opportunities in the park.
March 10, 2022 - Sen. Kevin Thomas, a Long Island Democrat, discusses the Senate delegation trip he led to the United Arab Emirates, as part of an effort to strengthen New York's ties with the Middle Eastern country.
This week during David Dubal's month-long exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach’s keyboard works showcases more of the most unique Bach interpreters: Rosalyn Tureck, Dmitri Bashkirov and, of course, Glenn Gould.
This program originally aired June 5, 2019.
This week's Young Artists Showcase from 2019 consists of leftover delights that we were unable to fit into previous evenings. Among the highlights of tonight's program are the last two movements of Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins performed by Mariella Haubs and Jocelyn Zhu of Concerts for Compassion, and the Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Philharmonic performing three movements from Mendelssohn's Third Symphony.
Program:
Grainger/Strauss (R): Ramble on the Last Love Duet from Der Rosenkavalier—Yekwon Sunwoo, piano
Ravel: La Valse(arr.for solo piano)—Yekwon Sunwoo, piano
Prokofiev: Sonata for Two Violins in C Major: 3. Commodo (quasi allegretto), 4. Allegro con brio—Mariella Haubs, violin; Jocelyn Zhu, violin
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 "Scottish" in A Minor: 2. Vivace non troppo, 3. Adagio, 4. Allegro vivacissimo—Manhattan School of Music Precollege Philharmonic; Nathan Hetherington, cond.
March. 9, 2022 - Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo may escape criminal prosecution for alleged sexual misconduct, but he still finds himself facing civil actions. Rob Rosborough, author of the New York Appeals blog, breaks down a lawsuit filed against Cuomo by a former member of his protective detail and highlights a professional misconduct complaint that could lead to his disbarment in New York.
March. 9, 2022 - For New Yorkers who are wrongfully convicted, there is a pathway to justice, but it's a nearly impossible journey. Progressive criminal justice advocates join the show to make the case for legislation that would amend state law so innocent people behind bars would have a real shot at proving their innocence.
March. 9, 2022 - A controversy over speaking roles for Latino political leaders at the Democratic state convention underscores a concern from state Sen. Luis Sepulveda, a Bronx Democrat, that his party is taking Latino voters for granted and is warning that it could hurt the Democrats' election chances in 2022.
March. 9, 2022 - State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, an Ulster County Democrat, has introduced legislation that would relax the state's procurement rules, so government institutions and non-profit organizations could make food purchases that reflect their values and aren't just the lowest cost options.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we asked four composers (Missy Mazzoli, Jessie Montgomery, Angélica Negrón, and Gabriela Ortiz) what WHM and International Women’s Day (March 8) mean to them. Reflecting on their careers and achievements — all four have upcoming premieres with major symphony orchestras — they echoed the importance of amplifying women’s voices, the necessity of representation, and, above all, the value of mentorship.
How do you feel empowered by Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day? Montgomery: What's not to feel inspired by? It's just lovely that there's a time we get to celebrate that there are so many women who have been pioneers, leading the way for artists and for more expansion and prosperity for women. We're all participating in this history of pushing things forward. I just want to encourage the idea of passing things on through mentorship. We have to take into account that we're carrying a history inside of our beings and in the work that we do. There's a huge responsibility there. We all have the responsibility as artists and curators and radio hosts and writers and journalists to embody that history in the truest form and then to find a way to transmit it, to teach it, to share it. One-on-one mentorship and collaborative spaces are places where we can begin to share our experiences and our stories and to lift ourselves up as we go.
Ortiz: If you look at all the obstacles that women had to face in history, they’re enormous. I pay homage to all the women that fight for us. Today, I can share my work and I can have this interview without having any problems, but that couldn't have happened in the 19th century or before. Think about Juanita De La Cruz. She had to be completely devoted to God and become a nun because that was the only way she could gain access to information and books. It's incredible that we are so far from that. Unfortunately, we still have to fight. It’s unbelievable that we are living in the 21st century and we still need to fight for basic rights like the right to get an education. But we have earned a place in society, which is very important. So for me, it's very important to celebrate this day because there's a whole history behind it, and it's important to have a memory of that.
How has your career path been impacted by the work of particular organizations, mentors, or institutions? Negrón: My mentor Tania León has been a great supporter of my work for many years, and I'm very thankful for that and the many doors that's opened for me. She's also been a great inspiration and model to follow in learning how to navigate the classical music / new music world while maintaining a strong sense of individuality and authenticity with a particular fearlessness that's incredibly encouraging.
Mazzoli: I couldn’t really see a way forward for my career, couldn’t even really picture myself as a professional composer, until I connected with female mentors. I connected with Julia Wolfe at the Bang on a Can Summer Festival in 2002 and worked for Meredith Monk in 2004 as an assistant and copyist. Both women had a profound effect on me, in that they had creative, interesting lives and had established themselves as forces to be reckoned with. Soon after that I met Beth Morrison, who not only commissioned and helped produce my first two operas through her company, but who became a dear friend and a source of energy and inspiration.
Montgomery: One of my first ever mentors and role models was my mom. She was an actress and an artist herself and led a very full career and life in the arts. That was a frame that I latched on to, and today I find myself doing many of the things she did as well: teaching, writing, leading ensembles, etc. There are also organizations that have lifted me up throughout my career: the Third Street Music School Settlement, where I began my studies, and the Sphinx Organization, an incredible organization based in Detroit that serves classical music through diversity initiatives, primarily through opportunities for Black and Latinx musicians. Then there are [other] really important mentors, like composer Joan Tower. She was at one point my teacher for a summer festival, and she was kind of the first woman composer I met who had this kind of drive. She has this really energetic personality, and she was so driven in the way that she spoke about music and the way that she taught composition, which was very much about shaping your own point of view on what you're hearing. That was such an important moment for me.
Ortiz: Because of the history of Western European music, it’s Europe that has dictated the rules and dictated what kind of pieces should be played in contemporary music festivals and what kind of aesthetic is accepted. What happens if you don't follow those rules? What happens when you come from a totally different land, which is Mexico and Latin America, that doesn't have anything to do with Europe? People expect to hear certain kinds of music: “Oh, you're from Latin America? Okay. Fiesta.” They are expecting a certain kind of music, very light and with a lot of rhythm, and, yes, I have a lot of rhythm in my music, but it's not only about that. It is difficult to break all these stereotypes. Fortunately, this is changing because people now realize that diversity is extremely important. I think that the Los Angeles Philharmonic – which was the first really major commission that I had – realized that they have a very important community, and part of that community is the Hispanic community. If you want to integrate these people, you have to look to that community, and I think that the L.A. Philharmonic has that very clear.
Can you speak to a particular moment when you had to push for equity so that your music or that of a colleague could be heard? Mazzoli: Probably the most recognized pushes for equity I’ve made have been through my work as a curator and composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony and through my work as a co-founder of Luna Composition Lab. When I was curating a series with the CSO, I decided that at least half of my programming would feature female, non-binary, trans, and non-white composers, and, possibly even more effectively, that none of the composers I selected would have been performed previously by the Chicago Symphony. One of the composers I promoted and programmed was Jessie Montgomery, who later became the next composer-in-residence with the orchestra. Through Luna Composition Lab, a program I founded with composer Ellen Reid in 2016 under the umbrella of the Kaufman Music Center, we’re pushing every day to provide young female, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming composers access to mentorship, community, and support. In this way we’re pushing for equity and looking to change the very culture of early education, academia, and conservatories, changes that are already having a ripple effect on the field at large.
Montgomery: One of the ways in which I'm currently working on creating more opportunities for composers who haven't normally been represented is working with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as their composer-in-residence. As part of that there's a curatorial role, and so within my curatorial role I'm focusing on the work of Black and female composers for this year. That's been a primary focus for me in terms of getting to know my colleagues and getting to know their work a little bit more closely. That's actually been the biggest joy of this moment — realizing how much new music is being written by other composers of color who I didn't really know until this year. They're all my colleagues and we’re all the same age; we all came through some of the same schools and we just hadn't come across each other. And it's just a fruitful time for those kinds of connections and collaborations.
What is the most exciting part of your career right now? Negrón: To be able to collaborate with artists I deeply respect and admire like Kronos Quartet, Mariela Pabón, Sō Percussion, Lido Pimienta, Sasha Velour, and many others. To hear people connect to my music and share they're excited to finally see themselves and their stories represented on stage. To have the space and support to shake up spaces and structures in a way that makes them more accessible and inviting to people that look like me.
Montgomery: I have to say the CSO appointment is really exciting. I am actually really excited that I have a lot of premieres coming up. It's going to be kind of like a whirlwind of going to hear all this music that I've been writing for the past two years during the pandemic and actually being able to hear these premieres back to back and also to be going back on the road a little bit. I have been mostly at home over the winter, December through now, but I take off starting next week. That piece is really exciting – just like actually seeing the fruits of all the labor of the past couple of years really coming to light finally is really exciting.
Can you share one important piece of career advice for emerging composers? Ortiz: Every time I write a piece, I think that piece should be a winner. This means that I have to put all my effort, all my energy, all my heart into that piece. And if you do that, and you have discipline, you're going to get results. But you have to have passion — passion for life, passion for the things you do. All of that is going to be fuel for your creativity. Yes, you have to study a lot, but you have to get a balance and put your heart in everything you do.
Negrón: Do the thing that makes you feel full and happy, and don't let fear of failing stop you from trying new things and putting out in the world what's in your head.
Montgomery: It seems so basic, but it is absolutely learning how to ask for help and being okay turning over some of the responsibility for all of the many, many things that are involved in being a musician and running the business of being an independent artist. Everyone needs a team around them because you can't do it by yourself. And there's always a way, even if you don't have money at first. Collaborate with colleagues and find ways to build things together. Don't be afraid to ask your community for help.
Mazzoli: Reach out for help and support! Don’t be afraid to seek out a mentor, even if that means sending an unsolicited email. You’re not supposed to know what to do at every turn when you’re just beginning a career, and you don’t need to figure it all out by yourself. Most established composers are more than happy to help emerging artists, and if they’re not, you don’t want to work with them anyway. ;)
About the Composers
Missy Mazzoli (https://missymazzoli.com/about/)
Missy Mazzoli, who has been praised for her “apocalyptic imagination” (Alex Ross, The New Yorker), responded via email from Longyearbyen, Norway, the world’s northernmost town, where she was spending a week in residence with the Arctic Chamber Music Festival. Recent premieres: Violin Concerto (Procession) with the National Symphony OrchestraUpcoming premieres: Violin Concerto (Procession) gets its Cincinnati premiere with co-commissioner Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Orpheus Undone with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Jessie Montgomery (Jiyang Chen)
Jessie Montgomery, whose work has been described as “a musical melting pot” (The New York Times) and “exploding with life” (The Washington Post), chatted with us via Zoom.
Upcoming premieres: Hymn for Everyone with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, co-commissioned by National Symphony Orchestra and Music Academy of the West; I Have Something To Say for Chorus, Children’s Choir, Orchestra on text of Robbie McCauley, co-commissioned by Cathedral Choral Society and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Angélica Negrón (Quique Cabanillas)
Angélica Negrón’s music has been lauded as “wistfully idiosyncratic and contemplative” (WQXR). Negrón wrote to us via email to share her insights.
Recent premieres: En otra noche, en otro mundo, a co-commission by the National Symphony and Dallas Symphony orchestras.Upcoming premieres: Color Shape Transmission, presented in conversation with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 and performed by the Seattle Symphony.
Gabriela Ortiz (https://www.gabrielaortiz.com/index.php?idioma=en&p=1)
Gabriela Ortiz’s output has been described as “a dynamic, vital fusion of Latin American and European music” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
Upcoming premieres: Clara with the New York Philharmonic; Altar de Cuerda, a violin concerto, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and Tzam for orchestra with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.Interview transcripts have been edited for the purpose of this written article.
March 8, 2022 - A recent federal auction of coastal waters in the Northeast generated more than $4 billion in lease deals, as firms look to make a profit on the offshore wind goals of states like New York. Politico New York reporter Marie French recaps the highlights of the multi-day auction and explains what happens next for the state's offshore wind development.
March 8, 2022 - Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a Brooklyn Democrat, wants to update New York laws - with language modeled after New York City protections - to keep freelance workers around the state from being taken advantage of by the businesses they contract with.
March 8, 2022 - With control of New York City's public schools up for grabs this summer, we checked in with Chalkbeat New York reporter Reema Amin to discuss how mayoral control of the school system works and learn about the debate over extending the mayor's role for another four years.
March 8, 2022 - Gambling options in New York have been consistently increasing for two decades, and Senate Racing, Gaming & Wagering Committee Chair Joe Addabbo, a Queens Democrat, is pushing legislation for another expansion - casino-style gambling online.
March 7, 2022 - The state's hemlock trees are under attack from an invasive species, but New York State Hemlock Initiative principal investigator Mark Whitmore says New York has the ability to fight back.
March 7, 2022 - High-profile incidents involving mentally-ill, homeless New Yorkers has prompted state policymakers to offer up temporary solutions for helping people with severe mental illness. Coalition for the Homeless Deputy Executive Director for Policy Shelly Nortz and New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services CEO Harvey Rosenthal discuss the response from Gov. Kathy Hochul and an effort to renew a controversial law forcing mental health treatment in certain cases.
March 7, 2022 - New York State Energy Research & Development Authority President & CEO Doreen Harris talks about the state's goal of electrifying 2 million homes by 2030 and explains how it can get done.
Listen Saturday, March 5th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with a broadcast chosen by our listeners: Donizetti’s comedy La Fille du Régiment, The Daughter of the Regiment. This 1973 performance features a sensational pair of superstars: soprano Joan Sutherland sang the title role of Marie, a girl raised by a regiment of soldiers, and tenor Luciano Pavarotti was Tonio, a village boy who enlists just to win her hand. The cast also included Regina Resnik as the Marquise of Berkenfield and Fernando Corena as Sergeant Sulpice. Richard Bonynge conducted a score that’s hilarious and heartfelt, with vocal fireworks that earned Pavarotti the moniker “King of the high Cs.”
CONDUCTOR: Richard Bonynge
CAST:
Marie- Joan Sutherland
Tonio- Luciano Pavarotti
Marquise- Regina Resnik
Sergeant Sulpice- Fernando Corena
Give WQXR Morning Host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen as Jeff breaks down Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment with less breath than it takes to sing Tonio's high C's.
Want a closer look at the music of La Fille du Régiment? Stream the Aria Code podcast of Tonio's aria "Ah, mes amis."
March, 4, 2022 - A state law that took effect in 2022 is designed to program organic recycling of waste from large food generators. But what is organic recycling and how does it work? Jesse Kerns, program coordinator for Syracuse University's Center for Sustainable Community Solutions, answers these questions and more, including how the law has fostered the development of new composting and anaerobic recycling operations.
March, 4, 2022 - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Erik Kulleseid discusses the governor's proposed capital investment in the state park system, including what will be prioritized, how it will effect accessibility and whether it means the parks can accommodate more visitors.
March 4, 2022 - Sen. James Skoufis, a Hudson Valley Democrat, makes the case for overhauling New York's approach to economic development incentives, including new accountability measures and shifting subsidies away from corporate welfare and into human infrastructure.
March. 4, 2022 - For the latest Poozer Pop Culture segment, Sen. Jamaal Bailey, a Bronx Democrat, discusses his love affair with the New York Knicks, including how it began, his favorite memorabilia and the team's prospects this year.
Give WQXR Morning Host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen as Jeff breaks down Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment with less breath than it takes to sing Tonio's high C's.
→ Explore more of Jeff's 3-Minute Operas.
March, 3, 2022 - New York has a lack of standardized requirements when it comes to treating the mental health needs of college students in the state, according to a study from the Mental Health Association in New York State, which is offering a set of guidelines for state policymakers to implement. MHANYS CEO Glenn Liebman also makes the case for a massive increase in funding for mental health services in the state budget.
David Dubal begins a month-long exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach’s keyboard works. This week's program features Bach interpreters including the "High Priestess of Bach" Rosalyn Tureck, who devoted her career to learning his keyboard works.
Also on the program are several other modern-instrument artists: Alexis Weissenberg in the Overture to the Partita No. 4 in D Major and two great interpreters – Joao Carlos Martins and Arthur Loesser – compared back to back.
This program originally aired on June 26, 2019
Tonight, Taiwanese violinist William Wei joins us in the studio, accompanied by pianist Jinhee Park. Wei previously appeared on the Showcase as a 2018 Salon de Virtuosi career grant winner back in January. This evening he showcases his singing tone in a program of Debussy, Strauss, Bartók, and more.
Program:
Poldini/Kreisler: Poupée Valsante—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Debussy: La fille aux cheveux de lin (arr. for violin and piano)—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Ravel: Pièce en forme de Habanera (arr. for violin and piano)—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Debussy: La plus que lente (arr. for violin and piano)—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Tchaikovsky: Melodie—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz.56—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Strauss: Sonata for Violin and Piano in E flat Major, Op. 18, II. Andante cantabile Improvisation—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Kreisler: La gitana—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Ponce/Heifetz: Estrellita—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Gershwin/Heifetz: "Bess, you is my woman now..." from Porgy and Bess—William Wei, violin; Jinhee Park, piano
Tarrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra—William Wei, violin
March 1, 2022 - Congressman Lee Zeldin discusses his campaign for governor after securing the Republican Party's endorsement at the GOP state convention on Long Island.
Mar. 1, 2022 - New York Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy talks about the GOP endorsed candidates for statewide office and where his party goes after their state convention on Long Island.
March 1, 2022 - Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino discusses what's next for his bid for governor after failing to secure the Republican Party's support at their state convention on Long Island.
Listen live at 9 pm on Tuesday, February 22nd or listen on demand. Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up listening to and singing church songs and saw gospel and folk music as natural tools to further the civil rights movement.
We walked away acknowledging that Dr. King’s dream was still a work in progress and I walked away with a renewed confidence in the impact of his life’s work.
In this hour-long special, WQXR host Terrance McKnight interweaves musical examples with Dr. King's own speeches and sermons to illustrate the powerful place that music held in his work — and examines how the musical community responded to and participated in Dr. King's cause.
"She approached me with tears in her eyes. After introducing herself, the woman began telling me that she and her mother recently listened to “A Beautiful Symphony of Brotherhood” for the fifth consecutive year. It had become their King Holiday tradition. She told me how much they enjoyed the music and how much they learned. Hers was the response that I had hoped for. What I wasn’t prepared for was the discomfort I would experience from such a public outpouring of emotion. In that moment, the entire saga of America’s racial divisions raced through my mind like pop ups on a computer screen. As she weepingly described the details of the documentary, somewhere in my consciousness was the thought that some security officer or administrator at the Miller Theater might approach us to be sure she was okay. No one came, we were both okay. We walked away acknowledging that Dr. King’s dream was still a work in progress and I walked away with a renewed confidence in the impact of his life’s work. I also walked away with a renewed commitment to continue sharing stories and music that bring us closer to the ‘Beloved Community’ of Dr. King’s dream." — Terrance McKnight
Program Precious Lord Take My Hand (Spiritual)
"Soon, One Mornin'" (Spiritual)
Steiner: "Tara's Theme" from Gone With the Wind
Schubert: Ave Maria
Grieg: "Brothers, Sing On,"
"Lonesome Trail Blues" performed by Bumble Bee Slim
"Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)" performed by Billie Holiday
"One O'Clock Jump" by Count Basie and His Orchestra
Schumann: Der Nussbaum, No. 3, Op. 25
Charpentier: "Depuis le jour," from Louise
Martini: "Plasir D'Amour"
Chawick: Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat, Op. 21
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat, Op. 83
Donizetti: "Regnava del silencio," from Lucia di Lammermoor
"The Alabama Bus," performed by Brother Will Hairston
"Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round" (Spiritual)
"We Shall Not Be Moved" (Spiritual)
"Elijah Rock" (arr. J Hairston)
"Black," from Black, Brown, Beige by Duke Ellington
"King Fit de Battle of Alabama" by Duke Ellington
"The Oldest Established (Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York," from Guys and Dolls, performed by Frank Loesser
"Amen" performed by Otis Redding
"We Shall Overcome," performed by Pete Seeger
"Only a pawn in their game" by Bob Dylan
"Oh Freedom" by Odetta
"Alabama" by John Coltrane
"Freedom Day" from Freedom Now Suite by Max Roach
"Fables of Faubus" by Charles Mingus
"Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke
"People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield
"Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" (Spiritual)
"There is a Balm in Gilead" (Spiritual)
"Precious Lord Take My Hand" (Spiritual)
The Passion of Martin Luther King by Nicholas Flagello
Symphony No. 1 (Homage to M. Luther King) by Leonardo Balada
Listen live on Tuesday, February 15th at 9pm Florence Beatrice Price wrote more than 300 musical compositions. Some of her works have been lost, others are unpublished, and some of piano and vocal music is still being heard in concert halls. When contralto Marian Anderson gave that historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, she concluded her recital with Price’s “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord.” And since the 1930s, Price’s art songs and spiritual settings have been favorites of artists who specialize in African American concert music.
At 9 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, join Terrance McKnight, WQXR host and former Morehouse professor of music, for "The Price of Admission," a one-hour program that brings to light the music and legacy of one of America’s pioneering but nearly forgotten composers and takes a biographical look at Price’s symphonic music, songs, and works for piano and organ. The radio documentary includes archival interview tape of composer Margaret Bonds talking about her friendship with Price and Marian Anderson’s performances of Price’s music recorded during “The Bell Telephone Hour,” a popular musical showcase in the 1940-'60s.
Price was born in Little Rock, Ark., but spent her professional career in Chicago. Due to her musical talent and her family’s affluence, Price enrolled at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where she majored in organ and piano. After graduating with two degrees, Price worked as a college professor, a church organist and a theater accompanist. However, she is best remembered as the first woman of African descent to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. In 1933, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra played her Symphony in E minor. That orchestra also premiered her Piano Concerto the following year.
Video: Watch Erin Flannery, soprano, and Terrance McKnight, piano, perform Florence B. Price's "To My Little Son."
Music heard within the program:
Florence Price: Concerto in One MovementFlorence B. Price Concerto in One Movement, Symphony in E Minor
Florence Price: "Dances in the Canebrakes: Silk Hat and Walking Cane"Black Diamonds: Althea Waites plays music by African-American Composers
Blind Boone: "Sparks: Galop de Concert" (1894)Marshfield Tornado: John Davis Plays Blind Boone
Florence Price: Symphony in E MinorFlorence B. Price Concerto in One Movement, Symphony in E Minor
Florence Price: "Hold Fast to Dreams"Ah! Love, But a Day, Songs and Spirituals of American Women
Gioachino Rossini: Stabat Mater, "Inflammatus et accensus" Wiener Philharmoniker; Myung-Whun Chung, conductor
Traditional: "Go Down, Moses" Dvorak Discoveries
Carl Heinrich Reinecke: Concerto No. 2 op. 120 in E minor Carl Heinrich Reinecke Piano Concertos 1-4
Alexandre Guilmant: Organ Sonata No. 1 in D Minor Guilmant Organ Music
George Whitefield Chadwick: Symphonic Sketches I. JubileeSymphony No. 2; Symphonic Sketches
Florence Price: Symphony No. 3 in C minor Juba: Allegro Florence Price: The Oak, Mississippi River Suite, Symphony No. 3
Florence Price: "The Oak" Florence Price: The Oak, Mississippi River Suite, Symphony No. 3
Roland Hayes: "Beau Soir," "Alma del core," "Pity a Po' Boy," "Du bist die Ruh," "Orfeo Vi ricordo o bosch ombrosi" The Art of Roland Hayes, Six Centuries of Songs
Alessandro Scarlatti: "Se Florindo e Fedele" Marian Anderson Rare and Unpublished Recordings, 1936-1952
Florence Price: "Fantasie Negre" Kaleidescope: Music by African American Women
Hector Berlioz: L'Enfance du Christ, Op. 25 - Partie 2: La fuite en Egypte: Le repos de la Sainte Famille - Les pèlerins étant venus
Florence Price: "Dances in the Canebrakes: Tropical Noon" Black Diamonds: Althea Waites plays music by African-American Composers
Florence Price (arr.): "My Soul's Been Anchored in de Lord" Marian Anderson: He's Got the Whole World in His Hand Spirituals
Florence Price: "Song to Dark Virgin" American Classics Explore America Vol. 1
Florence Price: "Toccata" Chicago Renaissance Woman, Florence B. Price Organ Works
Florence Price: "Mississippi River Suite" Florence Price: The Oak, Mississippi River Suite, Symphony No. 3
"City Called Heaven"Angela M. Brown, Mosaic: A Collection of African-American Spirituals with Piano and Guitar
Special thanks to Hatch Billops Collection, Helen Walker-Hill Collection at University of Colorado at Boulder, Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Center for Black Music Research and New York Public Radio Archivist Andy Lanset.
Valentine's Day Countdown voting closed on Monday, February 7th at 12pm ET.
Listen starting at 6pm on February 14 to hear which romantic works made the cut! → Click here to view updates to the countdown in real-time. To classical listening ears, "Romantic" usually indicates the musical period that ran from the mid-1800s to approximately 1900. The music written by Romantic composers such as Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Wagner was characterized by enhanced expression — passion, drama, individualism — and often reflected themes from poetry and literature.
Capital “r” Romantic or not, now is your chance to share the top three classical works that get you all warm and fuzzy inside. Whether it's the piece that played at your wedding ceremony, or the love theme from your favorite movie, we want to know!
Submit 1-3 of your favorites and on February 14th, love will be on the air with the WQXR Valentine’s Day Countdown of your most treasured and amorous selections.
Listen Saturday, February 12th at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with a highlight from last fall: Verdi’s Requiem, which was performed in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. This pre-season concert was the first performance to take place inside the Metropolitan Opera House following the company’s 18-month closure due to the pandemic. Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin led the Met Chorus and Orchestra in Verdi’s powerful and deeply moving setting of the Mass, with an acclaimed quartet of soloists: soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and bass-baritone Eric Owens.
The Metropolitan Opera's music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the Verdi Requiem. (Photo by Richard Termine / Met Opera)
CONDUCTOR: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
SOLOISTS:
Ailyn Pérez
Michelle DeYoung
Matthew Polenzani
Eric Owens
This week on Reflections from the Keyboard, David Dubal continues his exploration of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli’s tireless search for perfection at the piano. A man of mystery, like Paganini and Liszt before him, the deeply introverted Benedetti played by his own rules, often disappearing from the public eye and cancelling concerts. But when he did play, his acute intellect and his sharp musical instincts kept his audiences rapt. He believed that being a pianist was not a profession, but a philosophy, and that it must be based in the spirit of sacrifice.
On this program, we hear Benedetti in music by Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven, and more. Tune in on Thursday at 8pm or Sunday at 10pm to explore and enjoy the profound artistry of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
Program:
Brahms: Ballade No. 2 in D Major-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoSchumann: Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Scherzino and Intermezzo-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoChopin: Mazurka in A Minor-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoBeethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”), II. Adagio un poco moto-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoSchubert: Piano Sonata No. 16 in A Minor, IV. Rondo. Allegro Vivace-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano Chopin: Ballade in G Minor-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDebussy: Prelude No. 8, La fille aux cheveaux de lin-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDebussy: Reflets dans l’eau-- Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano
This program originally aired on September 9, 2020.
We first met the Zodiac Trio - clarinetist Kliment Krylovskiy, violinist Vanessa Mollard, and pianist Riko Higuma, back in 2006. Now based in Paris, they originally formed during when they were students at the Manhattan School of Music. Tonight, we meet up with them again, and hear recent performances of works by Arutunian, Piazzolla, Gershwin, and more.
Program (all performances by the Zodiac Trio):Artunian: Suite for Clarinet, Violin, and PianoPiazzolla: Milonga & La Muerte from Angel SuiteRorem: Capriccio and Mazurka from End of SummerJoplin (arr. Bolcom): Easy Winner from Afternoon CakewalkBolcom: Gentle Ghost from Afternoon CakewalkGershwin: An American in Paris (arr. Higuma for clarinet, violin & piano)Menotti: Piano Trio - 2. Romance
Feb. 9, 2022 - Association of School Business Officials New York Executive Director Brian Cechnicki highlights two below-the-radar education proposals from Gov. Kathy Hochul: A boost in state funding for school transportation and construction needs, and forgiving paperwork mistakes by school districts that might otherwise have cost them millions of dollars.
Feb. 9, 2022 - Nature Conservancy New York Director of Strategy and Policy Jessica Ottney Mahar explains the governor's proposed $400 million investment in the Environmental Protection Fund, which is 33 percent above current funding and without a poison pill promoted by her predecessor.
Feb. 9, 2022 - Nearly two years ago, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo was a national leader in the fight against COVID-19 and enjoying record levels of popularity in New York, but now his fan base is limited primarily to a small number of women all over the country who continue to defend him online and donate to his campaign. New York Times political reporter Nick Fandos explains who the remaining Cuomo fans are and why they're staying loyal.
Feb. 9, 2022 - Public Utility Law Project Executive Director Richard Berkley discusses the ramifications of New York's moratorium on utility shutoffs recently ending and makes the case for a state investment in outstanding energy bills.
OFFICIAL RULES: WQXR Calm It Down Survey Swag Bag
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Listen live on Tuesday, February 8th at 9pm In celebration of Black History Month, WQXR host Terrance McKnight presents a portrait of Hazel Scott (1920-1981), the wife of late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and a Juilliard-trained pianist who performed in some of the world's most prestigious concert halls.
Known as the “darling of Café Society,” the Trinidad-born Scott was quickly recognized as a child prodigy, being accepted as a piano student at Juilliard at age 8. By age 14, she was playing in touring female bands while being mentored by Billie Holiday, Fats Waller and Art Tatum.
Later in life, Scott became a trailblazer in Hollywood; an outspoken civil rights activist which made her a political target; and finally an outcast, after being ostracized from her then-husband’s renowned Harlem church because of her musical style.
One of the reasons we've chosen to devote a special to Scott is her under-appreciated place in music, despite activism in the entertainment industry that rivaled that of Paul Robeson.
"She was the first African American woman to host her own television show without sketch comedy or a variety of guests, and I was completely enamored by her story even before hearing any of her recordings, which are amazing and trailblazing," says McKnight. "Her story will be of great interest to historians, music lovers and musicians."
At 9 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, join McKnight for this one-hour special.
Program playlist:
Lucky to Be MeLeonard Bernstein, B. Comden, A. GreenHazel Scott, pianoDecca
The Man I LoveGeorge & Ira GershwinHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
Country GardensPercy GraingerHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
Valse in D flat MajorFrederic ChopinHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
Two Part Invention in A minorJohann Sebastian BachHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
Mighty Like the BluesLeonard FeatherHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
Blues in B Flat Hazel ScottHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 in C Sharp Minor Franz LisztHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
Mary Lou Mary Lou WilliamsJ. Russel Robinson, Abe Lyman, George WaggnerHazel Scott, pianoColumbia
C Jam BluesDuke EllingtonHazel Scott, pianoClassics Records
For You, For Me, ForevermoreGeorge & Ira GershwinHazel Scott, pianoDecca
Love is the ThingNed Washington, Victor YoungHazel Scott, pianoDecca
Just ImagineB.G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, Roy HendersonHazel Scott, pianoDecca
Prelude in C sharp minorSergei RachmaninoffHazel Scott, pianoClassics RecordsHallelujah!Vincent Youmans, Leo Robin and Clifford GreyHazel Scott, pianoClassics RecordsNightmare BluesHazel ScottHazel Scott, piano, voiceColumbiaEv'ry TimeHugh Martin, Ralph BlaneHazel Scott, pianoDecca
I Wish I Didn't Love You SoFrank LoesserHazel Scott, pianoDecca
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Feb. 8, 2022 - A ruling by the state liquor authority in January, accomplished what state lawmakers were unable to do for years: authorize movie theaters to serve patrons alcohol during films. National Association of Theater Owners President Joe Masher explains the ramification of the ruling and how it happened.
Feb. 8, 2022 - Times Union business reporter Larry Rulison breaks down a proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul that would move the state's "NanoCollege" back under the purview of the University at Albany and explains how the original split happened under then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Feb. 8, 2022 - Is sex work exploitative at its core, and therefore needs to be discouraged with laws and regulations, or is it potentially just another way to earn a living in New York? Melissa Broudo, legal director for the non-profit organization Decriminalize Sex Work, makes the case for the latter position and recommends policies that New York should implement.
Feb. 8, 2022 - Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, discusses the mental trauma suffered by students during the pandemic and highlights her bill requiring mental health professional staffing levels for school districts.
Feb. 7, 2022 - Following the rush on supermarkets and increasing food insecurity that accompanied the arrival of COVID-19, state lawmakers and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo tasked the New York State Council on Hunger and Food to find ways to improve the state's food resiliency. Council member Julie Suarez, an associate dean with Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, discusses the challenges facing New York's food supply and recommendations for making it more resilient.
Feb. 7, 2022 - Gov. Kathy Hochul's spending plan for the state's social welfare spending doesn't include the types of cuts proposed by her predecessor, but stakeholders say it's far short of the transformative plan they would like to see after New York received an influx of federal dollars. Assembly Children & Families Committee Chair Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat, weighs in on the governor's budget proposal, discussing the politics of her plan and how a final budget deal could invest much more.
Feb. 7, 2022 - New York's medical marijuana program has undergone many iterations since coming into existence in 2014, so in light of the latest regulatory changes from the state's Office of Cannabis Management, we checked in with PharmaCann's Jeremy Unruh to learn about the current experience for medical marijuana consumers.
Listen Sunday, February 6, at 8 pm ET
Imagine waking up Saturday morning without anything on your calendar. No errands to run, laundry is already washed and folded. “Goodness,” you say to yourself, “I can do something I really want!”
You roll out your yoga mat for vinyasa that feels extra good. You hide away in your favorite book nook with the best cup of coffee you’ve had in what seems like ages. Later that evening, you catch up with a friend over a patio drink. The entire day feels like a mix between a spa and a staycation. You almost don’t want to wash your face to end the night in case it wipes the glow off your smile.
This year, of all years, what if you embraced the idea of the I-want-to-do list rather than the should-do list. This week on Calm it Down Radio, host Chad Lawson invites you to love yourself. File away that daunting, unfulfilling list. Put your phone on silent mode. Find something that feeds your soul and recharges you emotionally, that rejuvenates you spiritually. Breathe in, breathe out, smile to yourself and do something that is completely yours.
Episode Playlist
About Calm It Down Through meditative music both from established names and up-and-coming artists, Calm it Down is a weekly reprieve to help calm the mind through music and replenish the soul through encouraging words and mindful perspectives. The program is hosted by pianist Chad Lawson and based on his podcast of the same name. Like the podcast, WQXR’s Calm It Down is dedicated to the meditative power of music, and seeks to help listeners recharge and find their inner resilience.
"Music is the soundtrack to our daily life; be it celebrating or consoling, music helps relax and recharge your body and mind. I’m excited to bring the marriage of music and these feelings every Sunday evening with Calm it Down Radio," said Lawson.
The program will be one hour long, and air for 6 consecutive Sunday nights at 8 PM ET starting January 9, 2022.
→ Explore past episodes here.
Listen Saturday, February 5th, at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with a special program, “The Met’s First Decade on the Air.” The Met’s first-ever matinee radio broadcast took place on Christmas Day, 1931. As part of the celebration of the series’ 90th anniversary, this program features highlights of broadcasts from the 1930s to 1941. You’ll hear Lily Pons’s first performance in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment (her only broadcast as Marie), Lauritz Melchoir and Kirsten Flagstad perform a duet from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and more in these special performances originally aired live from the Met.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
Rosa Ponselle
Lawrence Tibbett
Kirsten Flagstad
Lauritz Melchior
Zinka Milanov
Jussi Björling
Leonard Warren
Ezio Pinza
Bidú Sayão
Lily Pons
Want to learn more about some of the music you heard today? Explore how and why these arias have imprinted themselves in our collective consciousness and what it takes to stand on the Met stage and sing them. Pull back the curtain with the Aria Code podcast.
Feb. 4, 2022 - In January, a special state wage board got the ball rolling on lowering the mandatory overtime threshold for farmworkers from 60 hours a week to 40 hours a week. Western New York dairy farmer Kendra Lamb makes the case why this will hurt the state's agriculture industry, while New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman calls the change a much needed benefit for farmworkers.
Feb. 4, 2022 - The New York Health Act may be on the fast train to nowhere politically right now in Albany, but what would happen if it made its way through the Capitol and got signed into law? We examine that possibility with Ursula Rozum, co-director of the Campaign for New York Health, which is pushing for the adoption of the New York Health Act. We discuss what it might mean for health outcomes, medical professionals and much much more.
Watch live at 7pm, Thursday, February 3 or on-demand after the livestream There is a rich tradition of Black composers, conductors, and musicians in classical music, from William Grant Still, Scott Joplin, and Florence Price to Marian Anderson and Jessye Norman.
Dr. Howard Watkins, renowned pianist and Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, explores this lineage by curating a recital delving into the rich repertoire of Black American composers, featuring internationally acclaimed soprano Karen Slack and baritone Kenneth Overton. WNYC’s Jami Floyd hosts this illuminating musical performance followed by an insightful panel discussion about the over 100-year tradition of Blacks as creators, conductors, and patrons of classical music.
A community engagement program co-presented by The Greene Space, the Apollo Theater, WQXR, and the American Composers Orchestra in support of The Gathering.
PROGRAM KAREN SLACK, SOPRANO “Prayer,” Carlos Simon
Selection from Songs of Separation, William Grant Still “Idolatry” “If I Should Go” “Black Pierrot”
“Far Away Long Ago” from Champion, Terence Blanchard
“I Want to Die While You Love Me,” Undine Smith Moore
“De Angels Done Bowed Down,” Zenobia Powell Perry
“You Can Tell the World,” arr. Margaret Bonds
KENNETH OVERTON, BARITONE “Weeping Angel,” William Grant Still.
“My Heart to Thy Heart,” Adolphus Hailstork
“Dream Variation” from Three Dream Portraits, Margaret Bonds.
“Dead Fires,” Carlos Simon
“Song to the Dark Virgin,” Florence Price
“Love Response,” H. Leslie Adams
“Stand the Storm,” arr. Timothy Amukele
Feb. 3, 2022 - As part of a coordinated effort to grow employment opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities, New York State Industries for the Disabled President & CEO Maureen O'Brien makes the case for updating the state's preferred source contracting rules.
Feb. 3, 2022 - Environmentalists support the state's plan to restrict the use of pesticides that could harm pollinators, but they are also pushing for legislation - opposed by the New York Farm Bureau - that would impose a much broader crackdown if adopted. Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter's Caitlin Ferrante and Natural Resources Defense Council Dan Raichel make the case for taking additional action.
Feb. 3, 2022 - Adirondack Explorer reporter Gwen Craig explains what the appointment of Barbara Rice as the top staffer for the Adirondack Park Agency could mean for the region's future.
Feb. 3, 2022 - Gov. Kathy Hochul is looking to tweak a tax incentivize for the creation of affordable housing in New York City, but the proposal falls short of generating a meaningful increase in the supply of housing for low-income New Yorkers, according to Ellen Davidson, housing staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society.
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995) was one of the supreme pianists of the 20th century, and yet he remains a great mystery. As an artist, he strove for perfection in every performance and recording, and he often cancelled his engagements at the last moment. Eccentric and deeply curious, Michelangeli sought out unknown and neglected music to play, turning his polished pianistic craft to every note. In 2016, Deutsche Grammophon released a 10-CD set including all of Michelangeli’s recordings on the Yellow Label. On this program, we hear his interpretations of works by Mozart, Debussy, Chopin and more. Over the next four weeks, host David Dubal will explore the genius and artistry of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.Program: Claude Debussy: Poissons d’or from ImagesArturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDeutsche GrammophonWolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat Major, III. AllegroArturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano; Cord Garben, conductor; North German Radio Symphony OrchestraDeutsche GrammophonFrédéric Chopin: Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 45Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDeutsche GrammophonRobert Schumann: Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26, V. Höscht lebhaftArturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDeutsche GrammophonFrédéric Chopin: Mazurka in G-sharp Minor, Op. 22, No. 1Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDeutsche GrammophonClaude Debussy: Ce qu’a vu le vent d’OuestArturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDeutsche GrammophonLudwig van Beethoven: Piano Concert No. 3 in C Minor, III. Rondo. AllegroArturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano; Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor; Wiener SymphonikerDeutsche GrammophonDomenico Scarlatti: Piano Sonata in A Major, K. 322Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianoDecca
Tonight on the Young Artists Showcase, we are re-airing a studio visit from violinist Danbi Um and pianist Orion Weiss. As a duo, they have often played together at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Tonight on the program they discuss performing together and the experience of playing chamber music, while also performing violin/piano duo works by Richard Strauss, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Joseph Achron, and more.
This program originally aired on November 28, 2018.
Program:
Achron: Hebrew Melody—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Korngold: Much Ado About Nothing Suite - 1. Maiden in the Bridal Chamber, 2. Scene in the Garden, 3. Hornpipe—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Strauss: Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 18 - 1. Allegro, ma non troppo—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Hubay: Scènes de la Csárda No. 3, Op. 18—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Kreisler: Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta—Danbi Um, violin; Orion Weiss, piano
Feb. 2, 2022 - Sen. Tom O'Mara, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, discusses his conference's plan to make New York more affordable and hopefully curb years of outward migration.
Feb. 2, 2022 - Tens of billion of dollars are at stake as the result of Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to potentially shakeup who administers Medicaid managed care plans in New York. Maya Kaufman, a health care reporter for Crain's New York, explains what the proposal overhaul could mean for the state's budget, Medicaid consumers and private insurers.
Feb. 2, 2022 - Gov. Kathy Hochul has seen a pothole or two in her travels around the state and she's looking to invest $1 billion over the next five years to help curb their proliferation in New York. New York State County Highway Superintendents Association President Andy Avery discusses what the proposed commitment could mean for the condition of roads in New York and talks about additional state funding for locals streets and bridges.
Langston Hughes, an enduring icon of the Harlem Renaissance, is best-known for his written work, which wedded his fierce dedication to social justice with his belief in the transformative power of the word. But he was a music lover, too, and some of the works he was most proud of were collaborations with composers and musicians.
WQXR celebrates Black History Month with I, Too, Sing America: Music In The Life Of Langston Hughes, a one-hour radio special that shines a light on Hughes's lesser-known musical compositions.
At 9 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, join Terrance McKnight, WQXR host and former Morehouse professor of music, for I, Too, Sing America, which dives into the songs, cantatas, musicals and librettos that flowed from Hughes’ pen. As he did with his poetry, Hughes used music to denounce war, combat segregation and restore human dignity in the face of Jim Crow. His musical adventures included writing lyrics for stage pieces such as Black Nativity and Tambourines to Glory, works that helped give birth to the genre of Gospel Play, as well as songs for radio plays and political campaigns, and the libretto for Kurt Weill’s Street Songs.
A portrait of composer William Grant Still. (Carl Van Vechten/Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division/Wikimedia Commons)
I, Too, Sing America will also tell the dramatic tale of Hughes’ collaboration with William Grant Still, hailed today as “the Dean of African American composers.” For 15 years, against the backdrop of pre-Civil Rights racism, the two fought to see their opera become a reality. Their historic success came in 1949, when Troubled Island – which told the story of Haitian revolution leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines – was staged by the New York City Opera, becoming the first opera by African Americans to ever be staged by a major company.
The radio documentary includes recordings of select pieces of Hughes’ musical works, some of which were never performed again in their entirety after their original production. It also features archival interview tape of William Grant Still discussing Troubled Island.
Feb. 1, 2022 - Leslie Danks Burke hasn’t shied away from her liberal ideology in repeated efforts to knock off a Republican state senator, arguing that candidates are best served by being honest about their values. The Ithaca Democrat is taking the same approach in her third bid to state senate, which may finally bear fruit, as the result of new legislative boundaries.
Celebrate Black History Month by exploring the works of composers of African descent performed live in The Greene Space and throughout NYC. You'll hear works by Florence B. Price, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and more.
Throughout Black History Month, we will be honoring the legacies of a number of influential Black Musical Figures. What follows is a brief introduction to the music of notable composers and conductors whose music you can catch on air.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
During his short life, this English composer was greatly admired by notable contemporaries on both sides of the Atlantic. At the Royal College of Music, he studied composition under the tutelage of Charles Villiers Stanford, an influential teacher who could count Holst and Vaughan Williams among his students. As Coleridge-Taylor’s international renown grew, he became increasingly politically active and drawn to his paternal African ancestry. A meeting with the American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar compelled Coleridge-Taylor to do for Negro folk music what “What Brahms [had done] for the Hungarian folk music, Dvorak for the Bohemian, and Grieg for the Norwegian.” Although he was widely respected — President Theodore Roosevelt even invited him to the White House — he still dealt with the acerbic sting of discrimination. According to some scholars, this may have played a role in the decline of his music’s performance after the Second World War.
Chevalier de Saint Georges
Born on the the Island of Guadalupe to a planter and a slave, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges moved to Paris at a young age. He first made his name as a master fencer, and shocked society when he revealed himself to be a virtuoso violinist. He also served as director of Le Concert de la Loge Olympique, one of the leading orchestras in Paris, and commissioned Joseph Haydn’s Six “Paris” Symphonies. Saint Georges himself composed 14 violin concertos, dozens of chamber works, and six operas, though much of that music has been lost.
Duke Ellington
Over the course of an exceptionally long career, Duke Ellington composed over 3,000 pieces of music — many of which have made their way into the American Songbook. Ellington would write music that highlighted the abilities of the individual talents that made up his orchestra and conduct from his piano bench, demonstrating his ability to really do it all.
James DePriest
The Philadelphia-born conductor and nephew of Marion Anderson would lead major ensembles all over the world. Polio left him paralyzed, but he fought on to build a career of international renown. In the mid-60’s, Leonard Bernstein selected DePriest as the Assistant Director of the New York Philharmonic. In 1969, he began his time with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and made appearances across the Europe and Asia. 1980 saw the beginning of a 23-year period with the Oregon Symphony. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2005.
William Grant Still
From birth, William Grant Still was surrounded by music. His father, who died when Still was just three months old, was the local bandleader. When his mother remarried, he found in his stepfather a man who would foster his every musical curiosity, buying him classical records and taking him to the opera and it wouldn’t have been a surprise that Still studied music theory and composition at Oberlin. He got his career start by completing jazz arrangements and producing radio programs, and eventually moved to Los Angeles to score films. Still’s work was also known for it’s deep infusion with Black tunes, and carried racially charged titles such as And They Lynched Him on a Tree and Deserted Plantation.
Florence Price
Florence Price holds the distinction of being the first African-American woman to have a symphonic work performed by a major orchestra. She was born and raised in Little Rock Arkansas, and as a young woman she accepted a job as the head of Clark Atlanta University’s music department. After she married a civil rights attorney, she moved back to Arkansas, but a lynching forced her to move north, to Chicago. In 1932, she wrote her Symphony in E minor as she recovered from an injury, and it was premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra the following year. She remained a prolific composer, with an output at exceeded 300 musical works.
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin was born into a musical family, but his ability grew when he was introduced to German pianist Julius Weiss, who was so impressed by the boy’s talent that he taught him free of charge. Joplin would fuse his classical training with his deep knowledge of folk tunes, and contribute greatly to the emerging popular genre of ragtime. In addition to well-known tunes like “The Entertainer” and “Maple Leaf Rag”, Joplin also wrote an opera, Treemonisha. Its poor reception would accelerate his tragic ending, but has experienced renewed interest in recent years.
Listen live to this episode of Carnegie Hall Live on Monday, January 31st at 8 pm.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is hopping across the pond to make their first appearance at Carnegie Hall in 25 years! Led by Vasily Petrenko, who was appointed as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director in 2021, the all-English program includes Holst's The Planets and the Elgar cello concerto with soloist Kian Soltani.
Hosted by John Schaefer and Jeff Spurgeon.
Program Royal Philharmonic OrchestraVasily Petrenko, conductor
Benjamin Britten - Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
Edward Elgar - Cello Concerto Kian Soltani, cello
Gustav Holst - The Planets
Encores: Dmitri Shostakovich - Introduction to The Gadfly (arr. for cello ensemble by Kian Soltani)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - "Dance of the Tumblers" from The Snow Maiden, Op. 12
Jan 31, 2022 - At the end of 2022, Assemblymember Sandy Galef, a Westchester County Democrat, will be retiring from elected office, as she will not seek re-election in the fall. The 30-year veteran of state government discusses pushing up against the status quo in the state Assembly, her aborted campaign for Westchester County Executive and why she's ready more new challenges.
Jan 31, 2022 - In January, a blue-ribbon commission assembled by former-Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered its findings on the future role of forensic evaluators, controversial mental health professionals who can play an integral role in child custody and visitation cases in family court. New York State Office of Children & Family Services Commission Sheila Poole, who served as a co-chair on the commission, discusses the group's recommendations for the industry and explains why she didn't want to scrap the job entirely.
You buy a ticket to see a world renowned pianist at Carnegie Hall; your ears perk up when you hear an aria sung by your favorite soprano on the air. No matter what the platform — stage, screen, radio — nothing can compare to a performer’s energy, passion, and precision. Early on in a musician’s career, someone believed in them, and took action so their talent could be heard in a concert hall or on the radio.
Year after year, innovative and inspired artists enter into NYC’s vibrant cultural landscape, and WQXR wants to help them grow. 2022 marks the second year of WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab — a program designed to advance the careers of early and mid-career artists and support the future of classical music. Over the course of 10 months, this impressive cohort of six emerging artists will utilize our station’s platforms and resources to infuse the work at WQXR with their diverse perspectives and ideas. You’ll hear new recordings, inspired commissions, and be invited to attend electrifying live performances in The Greene Space.
Please welcome these six wonderful artists to the 2022 Artist Propulsion Lab!
The Aizuri Quartet Emma Frucht and Miho Saegusa, violinsAyane Kozasa, violaKaren Ouzounian, cello
The Aizuri Quartet (Photo by Shervin Lainez)
Formed in 2012 and combining four distinctive musical personalities into a powerful collective, the Aizuri Quartet draws its name from “aizuri-e,” a style of predominantly blue Japanese woodblock printing that is noted for its vibrancy and incredible detail. The Aizuri Quartet has established a unique position within today’s musical landscape, infusing all of their music-making with infectious energy, joy and warmth, cultivating curiosity in listeners, and inviting audiences into the concert experience through their innovative programming, and the depth and fire of their performances.
Praised by The Washington Post for “astounding” and “captivating” performances that draw from its notable “meld of intellect, technique and emotions,” they were awarded the Grand Prize at the 2018 M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition, along with top prizes at the 2017 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan and the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in London. The Quartet’s debut album, Blueprinting, featuring new works written for the Aizuri Quartet by five American composers, was released by New Amsterdam Records to critical acclaim (“In a word, stunning” - I Care If You Listen), nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY Award, and named one of NPR Music’s Best Classical Albums of 2018.
Justin Austin, baritone
Justin Austin (Photo by Gillian Riesen)
Born in Stuttgart, Germany, to professional opera singer parents, Justin Austin began his singing career as a boy soprano performing at venues such as Teatro Real, Bregenzer Festspiele, Lincoln Center, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. While working with directors such as Götz Friedrich and Tazewell Thompson, he was able to realize early on his love for music and performance. As a multifaceted musician, Mr. Austin performs a wide range of repertoire, from jazz, R&B, and musical theatre, to opera and oratorio. He has collaborated with multiple groups and artists such as Aretha Franklin, The Boys Choir of Harlem, Mary J. Blidge, Elton John, Lauryn Hill, The Roots, 30 Seconds to Mars, John Cale, Ricky Ian Gordon, Damien Sneed, Kanye West, and jazz legends Reggie Workman, Hugh Masekela, and Wynton Marsalis.
This year, Justin will make his Metropolitan Opera debut as Marcellus in the company premiere of Brett Dean’s Hamlet, while also covering the leading role of Charles Blow in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones. He currently stars as George Armstrong in Lynn Nottage’s and Ricky Ian Gordon’s Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater. In addition, he will also return to Carnegie Hall as the title role in Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Oratorio Society of New York, joins the New York Festival of Song for their debut concert at Little Island in New York City, and joins the Cecilia Chorus at Carnegie Hall as the baritone soloist in both Margaret Bonds’ Ballad of the Brown King and Handel’s Messiah.
Steven Banks, saxophone
Steven Banks (Photo by Chris Lee)
Steven Banks is establishing himself as both a compelling and charismatic soloist, dedicated to showcasing the vast capabilities of the instrument, and an advocate for expanding its repertoire. In 2019, Steven won First Prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. This season, Steven appears as concerto soloist at the Colorado Music Festival in performances of works by Glazunov and Ibert, and later with the Colorado Symphony, performing John Adams’ Concerto. He will also appear on subscription concerts with The Cleveland Orchestra in Philip Glass’ Façades with John Adams on the podium. Mr. Banks will also premiere his own original composition for alto saxophone and string quartet in Carnegie Hall alongside the Borromeo String Quartet.
Steven is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in music education, performance, and newly commissioned works in the classical realm. He has written and given lectures on the history of black classical composers and has also collaborated with colleagues Anthony Trionfo, flutist and violinist Randall Goosby to create the Learning to Listen roundtable, a discussion on the nuances of the Black experience in classical music and beyond. In partnership with the Sphinx Organization, they also created the Illuminate! series, which opened three essential conversations on the subject of music education, artist activism, and the LGBTQIA+ community in classical music. As Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Ithaca College, he makes a concerted effort to ensure that all music students feel supported in their everyday studies.
Layale Chaker, violinist and composer
Layale Chaker (Photo by Anna Rakhvalova)
Layale Chaker was raised on the verge of several musical streams since her childhood, and received musical training at the National Higher Conservatory of Beirut in her native Lebanon, Conservatoire de Paris and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Layale's musical world lies at the intersection of classical contemporary music, Jazz, Arabic Music, and improvisation. Her debut album with her ensemble Sarafand, “Inner Rhyme," recipient of the AFAC 2018 fund, is dedicated to the sounds, rhythms, rhymes, shapes and forms of Arabic poetry. The album was released sat at #1 for several weeks on the World Charts of iTunes and Amazon Music, and has received praises by the BBC Music Magazine and The New York Times among others.
A Nadia et Lili Boulanger 2019 laureate, Layale Chaker is a finalist of the Rolex Mentor & Protege 2018 Prize, the recipient of the Diaphonique Franco-British Commission Prize 2019, the 2018 Arab Fund for Arts and Culture Grant, the Royal Academy of Music 2018 Guinness Award, and the winner of the Ruth Anderson 2017 Competition.
Emi Ferguson, flute
Emi Ferguson (Photo by Rebecca Fay)
English-American performer and composer Emi Ferguson stretches the boundaries of what is expected of modern-day musicians. Emi’s unique approach to the flute can be heard in performances that alternate between the Silver Flute, Historical Flutes, and Auxilary Flutes, playing repertoire that stretches from the Renaissance to today.
Emi was a featured performer alongside Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Simon, and James Taylor at the 10th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of 9/11 at Ground Zero, where her performance of "Amazing Grace" was televised worldwide. As a historical Flutist, in addition to her appointment as Principal Flute of the Handel and Haydn Society, Emi is thrilled to be a frequent guest soloist with period ensembles. She was the only flutist accepted to Juilliard’s inaugural Historical Performance class, and was the first person to have graduated from Juilliard with Undergraduate and Graduate degrees with Scholastic Distinction (awarded for her simultaneous studies in Epidemiology) in flute performance, as well as a second Graduate degree in Historical Performance as a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. Emi is currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School, the Bach Virtuosi Festival, and has taught on the faculty of the University of Buffalo.
Andrew Yee, cello
Andrew Lee (Photo by David Goddard)
GRAMMY Award winning cellist Andrew Yee has been praised by Michael Kennedy of the London Telegraph as “spellbindingly virtuosic.” Trained at the Juilliard School, Andrew is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Attacca Quartet who have released several albums to critical acclaim including Andrew’s arrangement of Haydn’s “Seven Last Words.” They were the quartet-in-residence at the Met Museum in 2014, and have won the Osaka and Coleman international string quartet competitions. Andrew is also no stranger to WQXR, in 2019 ChamberQUEER, the organization co-founded by Andrew with the mission of highlighting historically underrepresented queer figures in classical music, performed in the Greene Space for WQXR’s Pride Celebration.
Their newest recording of the string quartets of Caroline Shaw won a GRAMMY for best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble performance. Andrew’s solo project “Halfie” draws on their experience as a bi-racial and non-binary person in having access to multiple communities at once, while not feeling at home in any of them. The works commissioned and on the concerts will feature a wide range of composers all for solo cello.
Jan. 28, 2022 - The state Department of Environmental Conservation is partnering with wildlife organizations and institutions of higher to track and study moose in the wild to learn more about the animals. Krysten Schuler, a wildlife disease ecologist and co-director of the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, and Jen Grauer, a PHD student at Cornell University, explain what we know about moose in New York, what this research project could teach us and whether Bullwinkle J. Moose is an accurate representation of the species.
Listen Sunday, January 30, at 8 pm ET What is your favorite photograph? The one that makes you smile every time you see it. Maybe it was your first time on a beach or of you and your group of college friends. Perhaps an anniversary never to forget.
It’s easy to get lost sauntering down polaroid-lane, but that’s where photographs tend to lead: This particular moment in life was so special I wanted to frame and remember it forever.
If there's anything to learn from a picture it’s to be present, to be in the moment. There is a world of life around us each day that may not feel worthy of the 1-hour print shop, but if you take the time to look for those moments, you’ll be surprised how many are worth framing.Weddings, birthdays, retirement celebrations. These are things we anticipate, we plan, we hire professionally to capture on film, but don’t miss the everyday snapshots hiding in plain sight. On this episode of Calm It Down Radio, Chad Lawson invites you to capture life’s unexpected picture-perfect moments and introduces music to complement your most cherished memories.
Episode Playlist
About Calm It Down Through meditative music both from established names and up-and-coming artists, Calm it Down is a weekly reprieve to help calm the mind through music and replenish the soul through encouraging words and mindful perspectives. The program is hosted by pianist Chad Lawson and based on his podcast of the same name. Like the podcast, WQXR’s Calm It Down is dedicated to the meditative power of music, and seeks to help listeners recharge and find their inner resilience.
"Music is the soundtrack to our daily life; be it celebrating or consoling, music helps relax and recharge your body and mind. I’m excited to bring the marriage of music and these feelings every Sunday evening with Calm it Down Radio," said Lawson.
The program will be one hour long, and air for 6 consecutive Sunday nights at 8 PM ET starting January 9, 2022.
→ Explore past episodes here.
Listen Saturday, January 29th, at 1pm. Program notes courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Click here for the upcoming Metropolitan Opera broadcast schedule.
The 2021-22 season of live Saturday matinee broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera continues with Rigoletto, Verdi’s powerful tragedy about a man struggling to separate the good from the evil in his life. All three stars of the broadcast have won international acclaim for their performances in this opera. Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey sings the title role of the embittered jester. Italian soprano Rosa Feola is Rigoletto’s innocent daughter Gilda, whom he’s desperate to shelter from the world. And Polish tenor Piotr Beczała is his employer, the predatory Duke of Mantua. Maestro Daniele Rustioni leads the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The opera is performed in a new production by Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher.
Read a synopsis of the opera.
Listen to Jeff Spurgeon's 3-minute synopsis of the opera.
Piotr Beczała as the Duke of Mantua and Quinn Kelsey in the title role of Verdi's "Rigoletto." (Ken Howard / Met Opera)
CONDUCTOR: Daniele Rustioni
CAST:
Rigoletto - Quinn Kelsey
Gilda - Rosa Feola
Duke of Mantua - Piotr Beczała
Sparafucile - Andrea Mastroni
Maddalena - Varduhi Abrahamyan
Want a closer look at the music of Rigoletto? Stream the Aria Code episode of Gilda's aria "Caro nome."
Jan. 27, 2022 - The latest chapter of New York Attorney General Letitia James against former President Donald Trump features the state's top lawyer leading a civil probe into the Trump organization. Derek Hogan, an attorney with the law firm of Tully Rinckey in Albany, discusses allegations of fraud against the president's business, efforts by the Trump family to avoid testifying in the matter and the potential timeline for a resolution.
Jan. 27, 2022 - Assembly member Michaelle Solages, a Long Island Democrat, discusses the "people's budget" from the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, which she chairs. The plan includes billions in additional taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, investments in services that lift up low-income New Yorkers and criminal justice reforms.
Jan. 27, 2022 - Dr. Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiology at CUNY's graduate school of public health, assesses the current state of the pandemic in New York and considers what containment measures are appropriate.
Jan. 27, 2022 - Advocates for veterans were pleasantly surprised by Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal, which doesn't include some of the political games as her predecessor's fiscal plans. New York State Health Foundation's Derek Coy explains the proposed investment in state resources to connect veterans with federal resources and to make a peer-to-peer mentoring program available across the state.
Watch the concert live on Thursday, January 27 at 7PM Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is looking pretty good for a composer turning 266 years old! To mark the original Wunderkind’s birthday, WQXR is celebrating with a free, all-Mozart livestreamed concert from The Greene Space.
Remarkable Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto will kick off the evening’s festivities. Akin to the praise Mozart received in his own heyday, Kuusisto has been called “a free-spirited innovator” (The ArtsDesk). Triple threat — flutist, singer, and composer — Emi Ferguson will be joined by Aisslinn Nosky, Maureen Murchie, and Coleman Itzkoff to perform Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D Major, and rising star pianist Ying Li closes out the night with the Piano Sonata No. 13 in B Flat Major.
WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon hosts the event.
NO NEED TO RSVP — JUST COME BACK TO THIS PAGE TO WATCH THE CONCERT LIVE, OR ON DEMAND AFTER THE EVENT. THIS CONCERT WILL RUN APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES LONG.
PROGRAM Pekka Kuusisto, violin Excerpt from The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Arr. by Pekka Kuusist for violin and whistling)
Finnish Birthday Folk Song (Traditional)
Fanfare for Trees by Gabriel Kahane
Finnish Folk Song (Traditional) by Antin Mikko
Barcarole by Iro Haarla
Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006: V. Minuet II by J.S. Bach
Emi Ferguson, fluteAisslinn Nosky, violinMaureen Murchie, violaColeman Itzkoff, cello Flute Quartet in D Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ying Li, piano Piano Sonata No. 13 in B Flat Major K. 333, Mozart
About the Musicians Pekka Kuusisto
Pekka Kuusisto (Photo provided by artist)
Violinist, conductor and composer Pekka Kuusisto is renowned for his artistic freedom and fresh approach to repertoire. Widely recognized for his flair in directing ensembles, Kuusisto is Artistic Director of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, and Artistic Partner with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. He is also a Collaborative Partner of the San Francisco Symphony, and Artistic Best Friend of Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. In the 2021/22 season, he is the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Featured Artist, with whom he performs as both violinist and conductor and has programmed two concerts in the orchestra’s Music of Today series.
Emi Ferguson
Emi Ferguson (Photo provided by Emi Ferguson)
English-American performer and composer Emi Ferguson stretches the boundaries of what is expected of modern-day musicians. Emi was a featured performer alongside Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Simon, and James Taylor at the 10th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of 9/11 at Ground Zero, where her performance of "Amazing Grace" was televised worldwide. She is currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School teaching Ear Training, the Bach Virtuosi Festival, and has taught on the faculty of the University of Buffalo.
Ying Li
Ying Li (Photo provided by Ying Li)
Pianist Ying Li entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2012 and currently studies with Professor Jonathan Biss. Ms. Li attends on a merit-based, full-tuition scholarship, and holds the Harold and Helene Schonberg Fellowship. As a soloist, Ms. Li has appeared with numerous orchestras including her most recent debut with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked with the Longwood Symphony Orchestra, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, and the “Mihail Jora” Philharmonic Orchestra of Romania.
Give WQXR Morning Host Jeff Spurgeon three minutes and he'll give you an entire opera. Listen as Spurgeon breaks down Verdi's Rigoletto in a New York minute (or three).