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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 »

WRR101 Focus on the Arts: The Art of Brain Health

“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 »