Podcasts

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: 15 years of Bruce Wood Dance

“Go big or go home” was one of Bruce Wood’s favorite expressions, and the Bruce Wood Dance company is honoring his legacy with their upcoming Texas-inspired gala concert. In this feature with WRR’s Amy Bishop, BWD Artistic Director Joy Bollinger gives a sneak peek into a night that’ll include dancing, live music, rhinestones galore, and… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: Intersecting art & faith through improvisational organ

Organist and composer Zvony Nagy describes the Stained Glass Vespers series at Dallas’ King of Glory Lutheran Church as an intersection of fine arts within a spiritual, contemplative space. In this feature with WRR’s Amy Bishop, Nagy talks about an upcoming event at the church, where he’ll provide organ improvisations on the narration of “The… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: A new artistic exploration for Dallas Bach Society

The Dallas Bach Society presents their Baroque-Carnatic Connection Concert at the Moody Performance Hall on March 16, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. It will also include dancers from the New York Baroque Dance Company and the Silambam Houston Dance Company. WRR’s Kurt Rongey got a chance to talk with James Richman about this unique collaboration.

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: Orpheus Chamber Singers & Santa Fe Desert Chorale unite for a special concert experience

It’s not every day that Dallas audiences have the chance to see the Santa Fe Desert Chorale perform in North Texas – and it’s even more rare to hear them paired with the Orpheus Chamber Singers for a concert. In this feature with WRR’s Amy Bishop, Artistic Directors Joshua Habermann and J.D. Burnett talk about… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: Jerry Junkin’s full-circle march with the Dallas Winds

“For me, there’s actually a bit of an emotional attachment to it, because the very first concert I ever conducted with the Dallas Winds as a guest 32 years ago was a concert called ‘Marches in March.’ So, in a way, it’s coming full circle here,” says Jerry Junkin, Artistic Director for Dallas Winds. They’re… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: Voices of Change welcomes Benjamin Hochman for a world premiere in Dallas

What began as an old-school method of communication among four young composers during the COVID-19 pandemic, became the inspiration for a solo piano piece by Will Stackpole, which receives its world premiere in Dallas in March 2025. In this feature with WRR’s Amy Bishop, Stackpole joins pianist/conductor Benjamin Hochman and Voices of Change Artistic Director… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: SMU students bring the deliciously dark story of Sweeney Todd to the stage

“This piece completely changed my thoughts on how music theater can be done…the piece is operatic in scope, which is one of the reasons why I thought it would be so fantastic for the students,” says Michael Scarola, Visiting Professor of Practice at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, who’s directing their production of Sweeney… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: 2025 TX Guitar Competition & Festival honors beloved co-founder

The Texas Guitar Competition and Festival is an annual UT Dallas tradition, established 24 years ago. But this will be the first year without its beloved co-founder, the late Dr. Enric Madriguera, a longtime UT Dallas faculty member. In this podcast, WRR’s Amy Bishop speaks with Dr. James Wilder of the Bass School at UT Dallas… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: Anime and Symphonic Music intersect at this Fort Worth concert

“I think this way of experiencing an orchestra concert is really great, especially for a younger generation, who might not have had any experience seeing and hearing a live orchestra before,” says Emily Marshall, Music Director and Conductor of Naruto: The Symphonic Experience. The show is on a cross-country tour of the U.S. with a… Read more »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: Verdigris Ensemble presents a groundbreaking opera about a woman ahead of her time

The mesmerizing true story of Isabelle Eberhardt is the subject of “Song from the Uproar” by American composer Missy Mazzoli, which Verdigris Ensemble is presenting February 28th – March 2nd, 2025 at Theater 3. The groundbreaking multimedia opera tells the story of the young Swiss explorer who defied every convention – disguising herself as a… Read more »