Podcasts

“I think it really amounts to one word and that’s ‘accessibility,’” says The Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Ian Derrer. “During the pandemic, we wanted to make sure we remained accessible to our audiences here in Dallas – but we also knew that there was an opportunity to engage globally.” In this conversation with… Read more »

“When we perform for them, we see how lit up they get,” says Wil Baptiste (AKA Wil B.) who, together with bandmate Kev Marcus, founded the classical/hip hop crossover duo, Black Violin. “These kids go crazy when we come onstage and from that moment, they see this idea of this thing that has been seen… Read more »

If you’ve visited the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas recently, you may have noticed a new piece of public art adjacent to the building. The nine-foot bronze sculpture of a crow is a piece by Dutch artist Arie van Selm, who was commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He joined WRR’s Amy Bishop in studio… Read more »

Fifty years ago, a group of parents, educators, and musicians who value music education banded together to create the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, which today includes nearly 500 students performing in nine ensembles from more than 50 communities in North Texas. WRR’s Amy Bishop sat down with GDYO’s Executive Director Cathy Hernandez to chat about… Read more »

Dallas-based Verdigris Ensemble is wrapping up their first post-pandemic season with a program described as being a roadmap for healing trauma through community. Titled “How to Go On,” the concert includes two works by contemporary American composers, plus visual and interactive elements to heighten the performance experience. Verdigris’ Community Relations Manager Richard Oliver joined Amy… Read more »

Some of the finest members of DFW’s music community are coming together to show their support for Ukraine through a benefit concert for internally displaced people and refugees within (and from) Ukraine. Hosted by St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano and programmed by the church’s Director of Music and Worship Arts Taylor Davis, funds… Read more »

Each year, The Arts Community Alliance – or TACA – spotlights two individuals who have made lasting contributions to the cultural fabric of the community through their steadfast support for the arts. This year, it’s Jennifer Burr Altabef and Larry Angelili, who, along with TACA’s President and Executive Director Terry Loftis, joined WRR’s Amy Bishop… Read more »

Contemporary composer and John Cage scholar Kyle Gann grew up in Dallas between 1955 and 1978 – and, we’re proud to share – that WRR played a major role in him falling in love with and learning about music. Now, after a career in music, including 20 compact discs, seven books on American music, and… Read more »

Every year, the University of Texas at Dallas hosts a unique festival and competition, designed to showcase outstanding classical guitar students. This year’s festival will include a GRAMMY Award winner, an international guitar superstar, and a previous UTD Guitar Competition winner. WRR’s Amy Bishop gets the details from Enric Madriguera, Professor and Director of Guitar… Read more »

The Fort Worth Opera’s long-awaited premiere of Hector Armienta’s Zorro debuts at Rose Marine Theater! WRR’s Amy Bishop chats with the opera’s composer/librettist about this swashbuckling musical retelling of Johnston McCulley’s famous pulp fiction character, complete with sword fighting, revenge, heroism, and, of course… love.