WQXR Names Deborah Voigt Inaugural Susan W. Rose Artist-in-Residence
“The Sopranos with Debbie Voigt,” WQXR’s New Opera Series,
Launches Saturday, October 11 at 12pm ET
(New York, NY—September 24, 2014) – WQXR, New York City’s classical music station, announced today that American operatic soprano and Grammy Award-winner DEBORAH VOIGT has been named the inaugural Susan W. Rose Artist-in-Residence, an annual position awarded to a prominent classical artist.
The Susan W. Rose Artist-in-Residence program, made possible through a generous gift from Susan and Elihu Rose, will bring a prominent personality closer to WQXR’s audiences through a range of activities including radio-hosting, live events and performances throughout the course of a season.
Voigt was selected as the Susan W. Rose Artist-in-Residence for the 2014-2015 season in recognition of her stature as one of our generation’s greatest communicators and advocates for music and as a highly respected performer.
As part of the residency, Voigt will host a new WQXR’s series, “The Sopranos with Debbie Voigt,” an eight-part weekly exploration of what it means to be a soprano. Voigt will share insights and anecdotes from her illustrious career as she introduces a vibrant selection of recordings to illustrate each topic. The series will air Saturdays at 12 noon beginning on October 11, with encore broadcasts Wednesdays at 10pm, on WQXR 105.9 FM and atwww.wqxr.org.
Series topics include:
· How to Die at the Opera: Larger than life, exotic, and romantic deaths in opera.
· Puccini’s Women: There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Puccini’s vulnerable heroines.
· Mad Scenes: Opera’s crazy ladies from Lucia to Lady Macbeth.
· The Girls of Opera: Singers whose roles keep them forever young.
· The Great Ladies of Opera: Exploration of the Dramatic and Wagnerian soprano sound.
In addition, Voigt will co-host a live national radio broadcast of Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night performance by the Berlin Philharmonic as part of WQXR’s new season of Carnegie Hall Live on Wednesday, October 1. She will host the New York Public Radio Annual Gala on Monday, November 17, and will appear at events at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WQXR throughout the season.
In January 2015, Voigt will host another new weekly series, highlighting more gems from the operatic repertoire.
"I am honored to have been named WQXR's first Artist-In-Residence,” said Voigt. “I look forward to the many events planned, especially our new opera series 'The Sopranos with Debbie Voigt,' a group of ladies I know a little about!"
“It’s thrilling to have Debbie join us as the first Susan W. Rose Artist-in-Residence,” said Graham Parker, General Manager, WQXR. “She is a natural in front of the microphone and live audiences, bringing an ease and abundant personality guaranteed to draw audiences into the music through her engaging commentary. We are looking forward to working with her closely during this year. And we are grateful to Susan and Elihu Rose for their support of the Artist-in-Residence program.”
“As a lifetime and daily listener to WQXR, I am thrilled to lend my personal support to this new initiative,” saidSusan Rose. “It is crucial that our greatest performers find their way onto WQXR, bringing their unique insights and artistry to the widest audience possible.”
You mean there's going to be a show called "The Sopranos" which is actually going to be about sopranos? That's been bugging me for 15 years, ever since my disappointment at learning what the TV show of that title was actually going to be about.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to this - very ambitious.
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