Best WQXR Radio Podcasts (2024)

1
A Radio Special: Mozart’s "Abduction from the Seraglio" 58:47

11M ago58:47

58:47

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 late 18th century European upper class. First heard in Vienna in 1…

1
A Radio Special: Verdi’s "Aida” 58:28

11M ago58:28

58:28

At the heart of “Aida” is an African love story: the Ethiopian princess Aida is torn between loyalty to her country and passion for her captor, the Egyptian general Radamès, who loves her in return. But when “Aida” premiered in Cairo in 1871, very few Africans went to see it, let alone could afford the price of a ticket. The original audience for “…

1
A Radio Special: Verdi's "Otello" 58:35

11M ago58:35

58:35

“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 g…

1
A Radio Special: Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" 46:52

12M ago46:52

46:52

In this radio special of “Every Voice with Terrance McKnight,” enjoy this season’s journey into Mozart’s "The Magic Flute," its investigation into the overlooked character of Monostatos, and what his portrayal teaches us about ourselves. With a legacy spanning over two centuries, "The Magic Flute" remains a beloved classic, captivating audiences in…

1
Abduction from the Seraglio: Revelations 19:06

1y ago19:06

19:06

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 wi…

1
Abduction from the Seraglio: A Blind Eye 19:27

1y ago19:27

19:27

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 interp…

1
Abduction from the Seraglio: A Dream Interrupted 20:12

1y ago20:12

20:12

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 suppo…

1
Abduction from the Seraglio: Freedom and Justice for Some 20:30

1y ago20:30

20:30

All too often, characters of African descent in operas written during the 18th and 19th centuries are defined as the institution of slavery and the idea of inferiority. But today’s composers, like Dr. Sharon Willis, aim to write about Black life in order to uplift the community where she lives and works. She says she has “no use” for the depiction …

1
Aida: America’s Confederates in Egypt 21:33

1y ago21:33

21:33

When “Aida” premiered in Egypt in 1871, it delivered some not-so-subtle messaging in the dramatization of light-skinned Egyptians dominating dark-skinned Ethopians. Within two years, the man who commissioned “Aida,” Egypt’s Khedive Ishmael Pasha, lived out this fantasy of conquest, mobilizing the nation’s army with help from former American Confede…

1
Aida: 100% Egyptian Cotton 19:01

1y ago19:01

19:01

“Opera has always been not just adjacent to colonial conquest, but perhaps … quite a large part of it.” Pranathi Diwakar, Every Voice with Terrance McKnight researcher. When the US and British cotton industry was disrupted by the American Civil War in the 1860s, Egypt, led by Khedive Ismail Pasha, moved to capitalize on Britain's demand for the val…

1
Aida: Off the Chain 17:54

1y ago17:54

17:54

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 le…

1
Aida: Red Heart, White Eyes 18:45

1y ago18:45

18:45

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…

1
Otello: The North Star 20:40

1+ y ago20:40

20:40

As the one Black man in Shakespeare’s play and Verdi’s opera, Otello was not only tokenized, but villainized, criticized and minimized. With such an emphasis on Otello’s flaws, how is it that Desdemona fell in love? In her play “Desdemona,” Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and theater director Peter Sellers tell the story of the women of Otello. And in…

1
Otello: Black Handkerchiefs Matter 16:36

1+ y ago16:36

16:36

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 character, some may forget that Otello is of African descent. But for Iago, the identity…

1
Otello: Haters 16:12

1+ y ago16:12

16:12

This week on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight, we go deeper into Giuseppe Verdi's character of the “Moor of Venice." Otello is a celebrated general in the Venetian army, and as a Black man in a position of power, his status inspires praise and worship by some and searing loathing from others. Otello’s subordinate, Iago, thinks his boss woefully u…

1
Otello: UNMOORED 15:41

1+ y ago15:41

15:41

“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 g…

1
The Magic Flute: Recycling 18:55

1+ y ago18:55

18:55

The use of blackface is a dying trend, but it was fundamental to one of the most popular operas of all time, Mozart’s hit comedic opera, “The Magic Flute“. Over the last few decades a number of opera companies have been working to create alternate versions of this piece, all of them attempting to shape essential messages relevant to our society; we…

1
The Magic Flute: He Said, She Said 19:08

1+ y ago19:08

19:08

In Mozart's "The Magic Flute," Monostatos is smitten by the white princess Pamina, whom he is supposed to be guarding under the orders of the high priest Sarastro. His desire to love and belong is the source of anguish, as he feels unworthy of Pamina due to his race and enslaved status. Rather than serve as a commentary on the harsh racial realitie…

1
The Magic Flute: Invisible Man 20:59

1+ y ago20:59

20:59

At over 200 years old, “The Magic Flute” remains a classic opera which continues to be taught, studied, and performed in sold-out venues around the world. But with more than two centuries of history since “The Magic Flute’s” conception, how do we best shed light on the stereotypes each staging continues to portray? In this episode of Every Voice wi…

1
The Magic Flute: From Morehouse … to the opera house with Monostatos 19:55

1+ y ago19:55

19:55

Monostatos the Moor 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…

1
Introducing “Every Voice with Terrance McKnight” 2:18

1+ y ago2:18

2:18

“Every Voice with Terrance McKnight” is a show that spotlights the vibrant stories and perspectives that reflect the whole of the American musical experience. There are many different kinds of classical music, depending on where you are in the world. While this music typically preserves the traditions of a given society, classical music in America …

1
IN CONVERSATION - With Alex Ross 20:05

4y ago20:05

20:05

For the last decade, Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker, has been researching and writing about the outsize influence of German composer Richard Wagner on non-musicians — from literature, to film, to politics. The result of that work is his new book, Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music, which was published on September 15. He…

1
IN CONVERSATION - With Simone Dinnerstein 15:49

4y ago15:49

15:49

When the stay-at-home orders in New York began in March, pianist Simone Dinnerstein found herself unable to sit down at the piano. So, she took to reading and going on walks in Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery with her family. In June, her producer, Adam Abeshouse, convinced her to return to the piano through recording in her home. The results of thos…

1
SPECIAL – The Black Experience in the Concert Hall: The Mozart Effect 1:19:36

4y ago1:19:36

1:19:36

WQXR’s Terrance McKnight hosts a conversation about the Black experience in the concert hall and the unique challenges people of color face in the classical music world with violinist Sanford Allen, vocalist & conductor Bobby McFerrin, vocalist Julia Bullock, tenor Lawrence Brownlee, and cellist Alvin McCall.Producer: Rosa GollanTechnical Producer:…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Davóne Tines 26:33

4y ago26:33

26:33

While In Conversations is on summer break, James Bennett sat down with Davóne Tines for a special episode as part of the Mostly Mozart on WQXR Festival to talk about his chamber Opera "The Black Clown", the relationship between Bach's music and R&B, and how sometimes just being in the room (or on stage) is already a form of protest.…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Lauren Michelle 32:54

4y ago32:54

32:54

Lauren Michelle is very good at singing. Seriously — over her career, she's stacked up awards that include First Place in the 2015 Lotte Lenya Competition and Marcello Giordani International Vocal Competition, and claimed prize winner status as BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition prize winner, and The Francisco Viñas International Singing C…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Lucas Meachem 22:51

4y ago22:51

22:51

The latest episode of In Conversation features baritone Lucas Meachem in conversation with Merrin Lazyan. Meachem talks about life at home, his new foundation A Perfect Day, and the importance of diversity in classical music.By wnycdigital@gmail.com

1
CONCERT WATCH – Orli Shaham 1:09

4y ago1:09

1:09

It was last summer that Orli Shaham began recording the complete Mozart piano sonatas. The new album is still in the works, but ever since April, she’s been offering special sneak previews. Every Wednesday, you can hear a selection from the album - available for one week only. It’s called MidWeek Mozart, and Shaham’s hoping it brings just a little …

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Anna Thorvaldsdottir 19:43

4y ago19:43

19:43

This week you can join James Bennett in his conversation with Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir about her chamber opera UR_ (which was due to have its US premiere at this year's Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center which has since been cancelled), the role technology played in this collaboration with International Contemporary Ensemble an…

1
TRAILER – This Week with Yannick 1:53

4y ago1:53

1:53

WQXR and WRTI, Philadelphia’s classical music and jazz station, have come together to launch “This Week with Yannick,” an eight-week radio series hosted by acclaimed conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Nézet-Séguin – Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Orchestre Métropolitain of Montreal – has spent his career …

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Stewart Goodyear 23:00

4y ago23:00

23:00

Pianist and composer Stewart Goodyear joins Zev Kane this week In Conversation. They talk about his love of Beethoven and his "Sonatahons," in which he performs the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas in a single concert, his own compositions, and his experiences as a Black classical musician. His new recording of the complete Beethoven Piano Concerto…

1
CONCERT WATCH – Opera in an Hour Movies 1:13

4y ago1:13

1:13

This month, you can take a crash course in six great operas... and invite the whole family to join you! San Francisco Opera is streaming six Opera in an Hour Movies – abridged versions of some of their family friendly productions. Shows like Carmen, The Barber of Seville, and The Magic Flute, all beautifully filmed and performed, and this month onl…

1
CONCERT WATCH – Cleveland Orchestra 1:12

4y ago1:12

1:12

The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra has traditionally been considered one of America’s Big Five – along with New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. They’ve amassed six decades of recordings at the orchestra’s home in Severance Hall, and this summer they’re making some of those recordings available for on-demand listening. The series is called TC…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Harriet Stubbs 23:55

4y ago23:55

23:55

Harriett Stubs, english pianist and a "Personality with a capital p" is this week's guest In Conversation talking to our Host Paul Cavalconte from her London home where she hosts nighty quarantine concerts where she plays every thing from Bach, Bowie to the Beatles. They talk about social distancing concerts, her debut album Heaven & Hell, and the …

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Pierre Colombet and Gabriel Le Magadure of Quatuor Ebène 14:57

4y ago14:57

14:57

Host Zev Kane talks with the violinists of Quatuor Ebène, Pierre Colombet and Gabriel Le Magadure. Their Beethoven Around the World project, a series of performances of Beethoven's string quartets on 6 continents, was supposed to culminate in a series of performances of all 16 quartets at Carnegie Hall, but was cancelled when concert halls closed d…

1
SPECIAL – Juneteenth: “The Black Experience in the Concert Hall” 1:48:12

4y ago1:48:12

1:48:12

To celebrate Juneteenth, WQXR hosted a live call-in special – “The Black Experience in the Concert Hall” – with WQXR's Evening Host Terrance McKnight. Terrance spoke with leading figures in the world of classical music, including Wynton Marsalis, virtuoso trumpeter and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center; Martina Arroyo, legendary soprano a…

1
CONCERT WATCH – Czech Philharmonic 1:14

4y ago1:14

1:14

Ever since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown, the Czech Philharmonic has been presenting concerts as best they could.They began with two players wearing masks, then moved on to concerts with small chamber ensembles, and this week, they’re going big while staying safe.On Wednesday, 62 players from the Czech Philharmonic will play an open air…

1
In Conversation – With John Holiday 15:01

4y ago15:01

15:01

In January, WQXR’s James Bennett, sat down with opera singer John Holiday to talk about the relationship of black America with opera. Holiday explains how he personally navigated this space, how the stories of opera might seem far away from today’s realities (yet still convey meaning), the chamber opera We Shall Not Be Moved which premiered at Oper…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Lucas Debargue 16:38

4y ago16:38

16:38

French Pianist Lucas Debargue and WQXR host Zev Kane share a passion for composer and J.S. Bach contemporary Domenico Scarlatti. In this latest episode of In Conversation they talk about Debargue's latest recording of Scarlatti's piano sonatas, tough choices (like picking 52 sonatas out of over 500 (!) for the album), and why we shouldn't try to be…

1
CONCERT WATCH – Detroit Symphony 1:11

4y ago1:11

1:11

Detroit Symphony Orchestra – DSO Replay The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is one of the many organizations in the classical music world that has moved its offerings online. But they’ve done something slightly different – you don’t need a schedule to figure out when the orchestra is playing a certain work or where to go to watch it. Instead they have p…

1
CONCERT WATCH – Jules Massenet: Thaïs 1:20

4y ago1:20

1:20

The Metropolitan Opera is closed and will not open before the end of the year. But the Met has been doing what they can for those of us who just can’t wait. Every night, you can watch a free stream of some of their best Live in HD productions, and even though there’s nothing quite like hearing opera live, these do help scratch the itch. This Sunday…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Inbal Segev, Anna Clyne and Marin Alsop 27:01

4y ago27:01

27:01

Our guests today are the collaborators cellist Inbal Segev, composer Anna Clyne, and conductor Marin Alsop. WQXR's James Bennett talked to them about their work, what it means to write contemporary classical music and how it all connects on a new album that juxtaposes Elgar's famous Cello Concerto with DANCE, an inspiring new work by Grammy-nominat…

1
CONCERT WATCH – Stephen Hough 1:11

4y ago1:11

1:11

As restrictions ease, livestreams move back from the sofa to the stage. The Wigmore Hall in London and the BBC Radio 3 are celebrating this return with a month-long series of live broadcasts. Every weekday in June, leading artists will play to an empty hall for audiences around the world. The series begins with pianist Stephen Hough playing a Schum…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Steve Reich 17:10

4y ago17:10

17:10

This week, Steve Reich is our guest at "In Conversation" with WQXR's Zev Kane. Reich is joined by two of his collaborators, cellist and Ensemble Signal's Executive and Co-Artistic-Director Lauren Radnofsky and conductor/composer Brad Lubman. They are talking about the new normal, the relationship between composer and performers and they go into det…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Gabriel Prokofiev 16:31

4y ago16:31

16:31

Composer and DJ Gabriel Prokofiev talks with WQXR's Zev Kane about his Turntable Concerto, why he loves the concerto form, his relationship with the legacy of his grandfather Sergei Prokofiev, and the state of classical music today.By wnycdigital@gmail.com

1
CONCERT WATCH – Anne-Sophie Mutter 1:14

4y ago1:14

1:14

German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who recently recovered from Covid-19, continues to advocate for the welfare of artists and refugee children. Starting today and through this weekend, you can see Anne-Sophie Mutter in a 2014 concert with The Mutter Virtuosi - a string orchestra of students from her foundation promoting young musicians. The conce…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Angel Blue 17:50

4y ago17:50

17:50

This week, Aria Code producer Merrin Lazyan talks to soprano Angel Blue, who recently performed the role of Bess at the Met's production of Porgy and Bess to stellar reviews and is now, like most of us, hunkered down at home. Blue gives insights into how she approaches her roles and talks about the upside of not being able to perform during the cur…

1
CONCERT WATCH – Berlin Balcony Concerts 1:19

4y ago1:19

1:19

Every Sunday evening, the residents of an apartment complex in Berlin join together in solidarity and music. Cellist Eckart Runge and pianist Jacques Ammon have been performing together for decades, and they both happen to live in that apartment complex. When the quarantine took hold, Eckart and Jacques wanted to do something to help their communit…

1
IN CONVERSATION – With Chad Lawson 15:45

4y ago15:45

15:45

Pianist and composer Chad Lawson has just released his new EP ‘Stay’. And as he, like all of us, are staying indeed at home, WQXR's Zev Kane spoke to him via video call about his compositional process, the driving force of melody, and the value of simplicity.By wnycdigital@gmail.com

1
CONCERT WATCH – Sydney Opera House 1:15

4y ago1:15

1:15

There are lots of transcriptions and arrangements of Bach's Goldberg Variations, including some for jazz ensemble, saxophone quartet, and marimba. One arrangement is by Canadian conductor Bernard Labadie, and this one’s for strings and harpsichord. It sticks pretty closely to Bach’s original work, filling it in with Baroque instrumentation. Back in…

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