March 7, 2025 by Amy Bishop
“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 »
March 5, 2025 by Amy Bishop
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 »
March 3, 2025 by Amy Bishop
“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 »
March 3, 2025 by Amy Bishop
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 »
February 25, 2025 by Amy Bishop
“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 »
February 20, 2025 by Amy Bishop
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 »
February 19, 2025 by Amy Bishop
“Quite simply, the arts are an invaluable tool in brain health, and we want to demonstrate that actively through the activities at the Brain Health Week,” says Bonnie Pitman, Director of Art-Brain Innovations at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for BrainHealth. The center is presenting its 3rd Brain Health Week, full of art-centric… Read more »
January 21, 2025 by Amy Bishop
“This is one of my favorite pieces – not only of the oboe repertoire, but in the classical music repertoire in general,” says Erin Hannigan, Principal Oboe with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, referencing Strauss’ Oboe Concerto. She’ll be in the spotlight as soloist with the DSO to perform the work Jan. 23-26, 2025 and chats… Read more »
January 15, 2025 by Amy Bishop
“I’m proud of the impact in the very short few years that I’ve been able to make in the arts, beginning with TACA right before the pandemic started,” says Terry Loftis, reflecting on his prolific work as a Dallas arts leader. The previous President and CEO of TACA was most recently Chief Advancement and Revenue… Read more »
January 6, 2025 by Amy Bishop
“Forging the very special connection with Maestro Guzman has always been very beneficial and has kind of shaped this new piece I’ve written for the orchestra,” says North Texas-based composer Quinn Mason. Guzman will lead the Plano Symphony Orchestra in the commissioned world premiere of Mason’s Shine Time in a program that also includes the… Read more »
