Happy Public Radio Music Month!

VPR is proud to partner with NPR and stations around the country in the second annual Public Radio Music Month, a nationwide initiative that connects local public radio stations, artists and audiences in communities across the United States. 

Listen to VPR Classical and VPR News throughout April to hear special programs, conversations, and more to celebrate public radio's contributions to our state's musical landscape. NPR will also capture and share examples from around the country at publicradiomusicmonth.org, including a post today about VPR Classical’s new Student Composer Showcase, which also debuts this week.

Some other features we’re planning include:

• Guest hosts will join Joe Goetz, Walter Parker, and Kari Anderson on VPR Classical as well as Reuben Jackson on Friday Night Jazz and Robert Resnik on All The Traditions to chat about music in a segment we’re calling "Studio Buddies."
• Reuben Jackson will pay tribute to Duke Ellington, whose birthday is also this month (4/29), with reflections and recommendations for CDs and books, audio from his recent talk about Ellington, and photos.
• My Place Host Joel Najman’s lecture on Darlene Love.
• VPR Classical’s Beethoven Project.
• Vermont Edition live music performances.
• ...and more!

You can learn more at publicradiomusicmonth.org and by following the project on Facebook and Twitter. 

Music For Easter

Listen to VPR Classical throughout Easter weekend for music for the holiday.  A few specific program notes include:

All this week on Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin at 7 p.m., he's exploring Bach's Mass in B minor.

Friday morning, our music will include Poulenc's Stabat Mater and more.

Listen to Sunday Baroque from 8-11 a.m. on Sunday for Easter music.

Healing The Brokenhearted

Last weekend, on the one month anniversary of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, five of the nation's leading children's choirs joined their voices in song at St. James Cathedral in Chicago.

The purpose of the performance was to offer comfort and solace to the families of children lost to gun violence.  VPR Classical will carry this hour-long concert on Sunday, January 20th at noon.

The performance will premiere American composer Lita Grier's "Missa Brevis for the Children," conducted by Doreen Rao.

The young choirs will be joined by members of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, St. James Cathedral Choir, the William Ferris Chorale and organist Bruce Barber II.

The radio host is 11 year-old Masha Lakisova, a talented violinist, and an interfaith roster of spiritual leaders will offer words and prayer throughout the performance.

Tune in at noon on Sunday and let us know your thoughts at vpr.net/classical.

Messiah Watch 2012

AP/George Kochaniec, Jr.

It's time for our annual Messiah Watch! Each year, VPR Classical tracks performances and sing-alongs of Handel’s Messiah in the VPR listening area.

Performances begin this weekend with the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus in Montpelier.  Visit VPR.net to find a performance near you, or to add your own to the list!

Need your Messiah fix now? Check out this Burlington Free Press video of a Messiah flash mob and see if you can spot the VPR Classical host!

VPR Expands Service In Brattleboro & Southern Vermont

88.9 Coverage Map

We are thrilled to announce that Vermont Public Radio has expanded its service in Brattleboro and southern Vermont!

You can now listen to VPR News on a new full-power station at 88.9 FM. 88.9 can be heard from Bellows Falls in the north to Greenfield, Mass., in the south, and from Marlboro in the west to Keene, NH in the east; covering a total population of about 145,000.

Next week, Brattleboro's former translator station in Brattleboro at 94.5 FM will move to 94.3 FM, increase power from 10 to 190 watts, and begin broadcasting VPR Classical throughout Brattleboro and surrounding towns, including Vernon and Guilford.* About 22,000 people will be able to hear that station.

VPR Classical is also available on 88.9-HD 2 with an HD radio.

94.3 Coverage Map

The addition of 88.9 drastically improves reception in Brattleboro and Windham County. It’s an area of Vermont that has never been able to receive VPR well, and this new station fulfills VPR’s long-time goal of serving the Brattleboro area with a stronger broadcast signal. The station also provides “first service” to more than 18,000 people who do not have reliable access to public radio at all. The addition of VPR Classical at 94.3 brings VPR’s 24-hour classical music network to the Brattleboro area for the first time.

We hope you will try out the new stations and let us know how they are sounding in your area!

*Update 11/12/12: VPR Classical is on on the air at 94.3 in Brattleboro as of this morning!

VPR In Brattleboro, VPRCL In Rutland

88.9 WVBA went on the air in Brattleboro today.  This new station brings VPR news, information and entertainment to 32,000 listeners in Windham County.

We are also thrilled to announce the launch of VPR Classical in the Rutland area!

VPR Classical is now broadcasting at 92.5 FM , reaching a population of 60,000, including the communities of Rutland, Proctor, Pittsford, Castleton, and Fair Haven.

Listeners can now enjoy comprehensive programming from VPR, with news and information on VPR News at 88.7, and classical music 24 hours a day on VPR Classical at 92.5.

It has been a long-time dream of ours to bring VPR Classical to the Rutland region. Whether you appreciate full symphony orchestras or chamber ensembles, live concerts or world-class recordings, string ensembles or opera, VPR Classical brings you the best classical music from around the world, 24 hours a day – placed in a strong local context by our local hosts, Walter Parker and Joe Goetz. Plus, you’ll hear local and international musicians performing live from our studio.

You can find more VPR Classical stations at VPR.net. I hope you’ll tune in and let us know what you think!

A Surprise Visit From Bill McLaughlin

We had a surprise visit today from Bill McLaughlin, host of Exploring Music on VPR Classical. He's based in Chicago, but was traveling from Montreal to Massachusetts with his girlfriend, jazz singer Karrin Allyson and called this morning to see if he could pop by for an impromptu visit. He's as nice in person as he seems on the air!



Since we're in the middle of our summer membership drive, we couldn't resist putting him on the air to make the case for supporting VPR - listen for his testimonial on VPR Classical, or check it out here!

Listen to Exploring Music with Bill McLaughlin weeknights at 7.

$25,000 Community Challenge Announced for VPR Classical in Central Vermont

We've been working behind the scenes to raise $300,000 to fund the purchase and maintenance of our VPR Classical station at WVXR 102.1 FM.

Last weekend, we kicked off the public phase of the campaign at Chandler Center for the Performing Arts in Randolph, prior to a concert by pianist and Beaux Arts Trio founding member Menahem Pressler.

During the event (and with 100+ in the audience) we announced a special "community challenge" to build on the campaign’s momentum: when VPR Classical listeners come together to raise $50,000 for WVXR, two local and generous supporters will contribute an additional $25,000 to the campaign.

VPR purchased WVXR in 2010. It was a leap of faith; we are confident that our community of classical music lovers will come together to meet this challenge and support this important campaign. This challenge opportunity may make it possible to meet our goal by the end of the calendar year!

Based in Randolph, WVXR reaches about 92,000 Vermonters across a large swath of central Vermont, from Berlin to Woodstock north to south and from Route 100 to Interstate 91 from east to west.

Last summer, WVXR underwent a major antenna upgrade that allowed VPR to consistently operate the station at full power, resulting in a stronger, higher-quality signal for the WVXR coverage area. With the addition of WVXR, VPR Classical can now be heard all along I-89 in Vermont, from north of Burlington all the way into New Hampshire.

To date, $191,000 has been raised for the WVXR campaign. For information on how to help with this campaign, contact Retta Huttlinger at 1-800-639-2192 or email rhuttlinger@vpr.net.

The Met And Mimosas

We love the opera on VPR Classical. And with the Met’s radio and HD broadcast season in full swing, VPR is doing something else we love: having a party.

Join me for food, drink, and conversation with VPR and other Met in HD ticket holders on Sunday, January 22nd at 11 a.m. at the Top of the Hop, before the HD broadcast of the Met’s exciting new production, “The Enchanted Island.”

What a broadcast it will be, too! Combine two Shakespearean plays with the operatic music of several Baroque composers and the flawless technical and artistic prowess of the Met, and you have a recipe for a very “enchanting” afternoon! It will be a truly unique experience and I hope to see you there! Click here for more information.

- Joe Goetz, VPR Classical Host

The Met On VPR Classical

The Metropolitan Opera's 81st radio broadcast season gets underway this Saturday at half past noon with Handel's Rodelinda, featuring soprano Renee Fleming.

The season continues with an exciting production of Gounod's Faust, with tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the title role. He knocked us out last season as Siegmund in Wagner's Die Walkure, which he'll do again in April. Wagner fans have Gotterdammerung and Siegfried to look forward to in February and April, as well.

On December 17, Popular Italian repertory begins with Puccini's Madama Butterfly, conducted by Placido Domingo. New Hampshire native Patricia Racette will be Puccini's Tosca on January 28.

Join us for the Met every Saturday on VPR Classical. The majority of programs start at 1, right after A Passion for Opera with Peter Fox Smith. Click here for details. And for information about where to see The Metropolitan Opera live in HD at a local theatre, click here.

Photo:
Patricia Racette as Tosca stands over the fallen Scarpia in Puccini's "Tosca."
Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera (c) 2010

À Bientôt - See You Later, Not 'Goodbye'

It seems like there should be a lot to say, now that I've come to the last bit of time on my final day at VPR.

But what I really want to say boils down to the simple words, "thank you".

In my seven years here I've seen the power of listener support transform VPR Classical from being one station to seven (along with many smaller-coverage translators). I've welcomed new staff members on board, helped to create a strong music library and database for the service, and enjoyed so many thoughtful conversations with listeners from around the world.

It has been my great pleasure to share the music with you, along with those special common experiences that can only happen in a place like Vermont. As I move on today and get ready to step into my new role as the Music Director at WGBH in Boston, I do so knowing I will take the many memories, friendships, and learning I've been fortunate enough to experience here along with me.

This is not a goodbye, but rather a "see you later". Because I know as public radio fans, no matter the geographical location we will forever continue to share the common radio experiences that bring us together as a human community.

VPR Classical Bids Adieu to Cheryl Willoughby

Cheryl Willoughby, long-time VPR Classical host and director of music programming, will be leaving VPR to accept a new position of Music Director at WGBH in Boston. Cheryl will oversee all classical music programming for the station.

During her time at VPR, Cheryl contributed greatly to the formation and growth of VPR Classical. She began hosting her daily morning program just after WNCH 88.1 went on the air in the Upper Valley in 2004.

It was under her leadership as music director that VPR Classical has grown and has steadily increased its local programming and community partnerships, as seen most recently with the month-long 60th anniversary celebration of the Marlboro Music Festival this summer.

Cheryl’s last day at Vermont Public Radio will be this Friday, September 9th. We will miss her but wish her well in her new adventure.

During a transition period, you will hear a new line-up of programming on VPR Classical beginning Monday, September 12. Walter Parker will host from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. time slot, followed by two hours of Performance Today with Fred Child. Joe Goetz will continue to host from 3-7 p.m.

Stay tuned for more details as we work to continue our mission to increase our local presence and content on VPR Classical.

VT Flood Relief Concerts

[North Williston Road - I took this shot on Monday, 8/29. Hard to believe what a clear, beautiful day it was considering the storm just a day before.]

While it has been a very difficult and trying week and a half since Irene flooded much of Vermont, there have been a few bright spots in the aftermath: neighbors helping neighbors, or better yet - helping strangers, selflessly. Stories of hope and strength have bolstered spirits statewide and confirmed what we already knew: Vermont's heart and core is its resilient, caring people.

A number of benefit events are being organized around the region to generate funds for various relief organizations. These are the ones we know about, as of this afternoon on Weds. 9/7.

If you know of others or have details to share on the ones listed below please leave a comment here and we'll get the word out.

It's what friends do.

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9/9: Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund benefit concert
Location: Rusty Parker Memorial Park, Waterbury
Time: 6-7:30pm
Donations: Free will
Benefits: Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund (for relief in Waterbury, Duxbury & Moretown)
Online: (on facebook) https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=280452251968545
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9/10: Voices for Vermont (various artists, organized by the Good Earth Singers)
Location: State House Lawn
Time: 1-3pm
Donations: Free will
Benefits: United Way of VT & American Red Cross of VT & NH
Online: http://goodearthsingers.org/
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9/10: Burlington Ensemble
Location: Alumni Auditorium, Champlain College
Time(s): 6-7:30pm & 8:30-10pm
Donations: suggested $10.00 per set
Benefits: The Intervale Farmer's Recovery Fund
URL: http://burlingtonensemble.com/
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9/11: Benefit Concert & Silent Auction (various performers)
Location: Nectar's
Time: 2pm-2am
Donations: $15.00 at the door
Benefits: VT Disaster Relief Fund
Online: http://www.vermont211.org/ , https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127296787368081
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9/14: Phish - A Benefit for Vermont Flood Recovery
Location: Champlain Valley Fairgrounds
Time: Doors 5:30pm, concert @ 7:00pm
Donations: $75.00
Benefits: The Water Wheel Foundation & The VT Community Foundation
Online: http://www.highergroundmusic.com/2011/09/phish/
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9/16: Irene Flood Relief Concert with Rubblebucket + Ritmo Masacote
Location: Higher Ground Ballroom & Showcase Lounge

Time: Doors 7pm, Show 8pm

Donations: $10

Benefits: Vermont Foodbank

Online: http://www.highergroundmusic.com/2011/09/irene-flood-relief-concert/

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9/18: Join Hands, Vermont (various performers being organized by Annemieke Spoelstra)
Location: McCarthy Arts Center, St. Michael's College
Time: 2-5:00pm
Donations: Free will
Benefits: TBD
Online: (on facebook) https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=234555203256683
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A Taste Of The Manchester Music Festival

Last week, VPR audio engineer Sam Sanders and I were at the Arkell Pavillion at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester to record a concert with the Manchester Music Festival. But this was not just any concert...this was a celebration of music and history. It featured a large orchestra, largely comprised of young musicians from all around the country. It featured one of America's foremost concert pianists and host of NPR's From the Top, Christopher O'Riley. And the program featured 3 American works: Copland's "Hoe-Down" from the ballet "Rodeo," Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," And Antonin Dvorak's "New World" Symphony No. 9, a work he wrote while living and teaching in New York City. All of this was part of the 250th anniversary celebration for the Town of Manchester, and it all happened on a cool, crisp, and moonlit night at the foot of Mount Equinox.

Sam and I were actually in Manchester for a day leading up to the performance, allowing ourselves plenty of time to get our sound equipment in place for the recording. It went very well, and by the time Thursday morning's dress rehearsal came around, I sat back and enjoyed the music from a seat in the empty hall. With about five minutes remaining in the Gershwin, I remembered my iPhone was in my pocket, so I decided to get a bit of video. The sound was actually quite good, so I thought I'd share it with you here as a sneak preview of the broadcast, which will be heard on VPR Classical in a month or so. And if it sounded THIS good coming from a cell phone video recording, just wait until you hear what our REAL microphones picked during the performance!

-Joe Goetz, VPR Classical

Opera Quiz For July

July's opera quiz is upon us! Each month, A Passion for Opera with Peter Fox Smith offeres a different "mystery voice" (with a clue or two) and invites you to guess what great operatic voice it is.

This month's singer was born in Spain to Andalusian parents. Her early education took place at a convent, and then as a young lady she entered the Conservatory in her native Barcelona to study singing. She made her American debut in 1915 as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther at the Chicago Opera, where she also sang the fiery title role in Bizet's Carmen. (In fact, one of the recordings Peter and Sam played last Saturday was this singer's recording of "les tringles des sistres" from Carmen.)

Our singer was noted especially for her powerful chest register, and an extremely flexible upper voice that could easily scale the florid passages of Romantic opera. Above all, she was individual and creative in her style.

She made more than 200 recordings in her career, both operatic and in a vast song repertory in Catalan, Spanish, French, Italian and English, as well as pieces from zarzuela and even operetta.

Those are the clues.

Are you ready for the answer? This month's opera quiz 'mystery voice' is...Conchita Supervía!

Thanks to everyone who sent in guesses, the winner of this month's opera quiz is Vesna Danilovic of Buffalo, New York. Congratulations! She will be receiving an inscribed copy of Peter Fox Smith's book A Passion for Opera.

Listen in next month for a chance to guess the August 'mystery voice' on the opera quiz.

VPR Classical's Special Summer

VPR Classical turns seven years old today! And thanks to strong listener support, in that time we've grown from being one station (WNCH, 88.1FM in Norwich) to SIX full-power stations, and many translators to help the signal reach even more listeners in the region.

Along with the expansion of our radio signal, we've also become deeper as a broadcasting service with the inclusion of more live performances, special events, and musical conversations with area artists. Just a week ago we shared the recording we made at the Hopkins Center in May, with pianist Sally Pinkas in her spring recital.

On Monday this week we launched "Marlboro Month", a month-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of the legendary music festival. Each weekday our live programs are featuring exclusive recordings from the Festival's rich archives: from Mozart and Bach to Argento, Couperin, Copland and many others. You may also revisit many of these unique performances at our new Marlboro Music page - and find out what violinist Soovin Kim has been working on with friends during his time at the Festival!

I'm also very happy to tell you that this evening we will be broadcasting Counterpoint's final performance with Robert DeCormier, their founder and longtime director who has now moved into an emeritus role with the ensemble. Over the first weekend of April this year Counterpoint performed three "Legacy" concerts with DeCormier, and VPR Classical recorded the final one on the afternoon of April 3rd. Springtime weather made it warm outside St. Paul's Cathedral in Burlington, and the emotional current running through the concert gave the space a special warmth on the inside as well.

This is the latest in our "VPR Classical Presents" series of live concert recordings, and you can look forward to a couple of others from Chandler in Randolph and from the Manchester Music Festival in coming weeks. The Counterpoint Legacy performance can be heard from 8-10pm tonight on VPR Classical, and then later it will also be available for online listening.

Here's a video I took on April 3rd during the final moments of the concert. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for your continuing support of classical music in Vermont!

Opera Quiz For June

It's time for the latest installment of VPR Classical's opera quiz! Each month, A Passion for Opera with Peter Fox Smith invites you to listen in and identify a different mystery voice.

The subject of this month's quiz was born in Spain to parents who were theater performers, and the family moved to Mexico when he was 8. He attended the Mexico City Conservatory originally as a student of piano and conducting, but it didn't take long for his vocal talents to be discovered. It was a quick ascent from there to international recognition.

Our singer has been a major figure on opera stages since 1959, singing in every major opera house in the world. He's also a favorite performer at the Metropolitan Opera, having appeared there in more than 600 performances of 42 different roles since his Met debut in 1968.

Recent years have also seen him step into leading directorship roles at opera houses in Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

Peter Fox Smith and Sam Sanders selected an unusual aria for the hint on this month's quiz: on last week's show our mystery voice was heard singing the "prize song" from Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg.

It's a little unusual because, for the most part, the mystery voice is better known for his work in Italian Romantic operas.

By now you probably realize that the answer to this month's opera quiz is...Plácido Domingo!

Thanks to everyone who sent in guesses, the winner of this month's opera quiz is Kathryn Tolbert of Westminster West, VT. Congratulations! She will be receiving an inscribed copy of Peter Fox Smith's book A Passion for Opera.

Listen in next month for another chance to guess the mystery voice on the opera quiz.

The Performance Studio Is Heating Up For Summertime

From VPR Classical Host Joe Goetz:

As the summer music festival season begins, the VPR Performance Studio is heating up. Today marked the first summer music festival appearance on VPR Classical, as Walter Parker welcomed musicians from the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival to share a preview of their upcoming season. Pianist Paul Orgel shined in two performances: Francis Poulenc’s Violin Sonata, where he was joined by Kevin Lawrence, and the first two movements of Beethoven’s C Major Cello Sonata, Op. 102, No. 1, in collaboration with cellist John Dunlop.

If you missed it, you can listen to the performance again here.

There’s more live music on VPR Classical tomorrow morning, when Walter welcomes the new 802 Quartet to the Performance Studio at 11 a.m.

(Photo from this morning's performance. From left to right: Kevin Lawrence, Paul Orgel, Walter Parker, John Dunlop)

Improved VPR Classical Signal in Central Vermont

Update for Tuesday, June 28: WVXR 102.1 FM is up to full power as of 3 this afternoon! Thank you for your patience as we finished this big project. I hope you'll try it out and let us know how it sounds!

We have great news for classical music fans in Central Vermont! Engineers are getting ready to replace the antenna for WVXR 102.1 FM in Randolph, which will allow us to broadcast the station consistently at full power. This upgrade will result in a stronger, higher-quality signal for more of the WVXR coverage area.

VPR Classical went on the air in Central Vermont last fall, but due to significant problems with the antenna, we have not been able to broadcast consistently at full power.

As long as the weather holds out, work will begin Monday, June 27 and will take 1-2 days to complete. For the safety of the tower crew we’ll need to take the station off the air during that time, but when it returns it will be a more robust signal than before.

WVXR reaches about 92,000 Vermonters across a large swath of central Vermont including the communities of Randolph, Bethel, Brookfield, Tunbridge, Sharon, Barnard, Woodstock, Royalton, Chelsea, Barre, and more.

We look forward to improving our service to you with this critical upgrade!

Visit the new VPR Classical Homepage

Today we launched a new VPR Classical Homepage at VPR.net with new content, features, and design.

At the top of the page, you'll find the controls to Listen Online, view Today's Playlist, and contact the VPR Classical hosts. You'll also find the program On Now and On Next, and the current piece playing on-air (when it's available). We've also made it easier than ever to find the featured content, such as upcoming Live Performances, Musical Conversations, local Classical Events, and, of course, your favorite VPR Classical Hosts.

In the lower half of the page we've added a lot more content from the world of classical music, including the latest from the NPR Classical Blog "Deceptive Cadence", Classics In Concert from NPR Music, the most recent classical posts from the VPR Blog, and the latest classical posts on the VPR Facebook Page.

Finally, we placed the link to "Share Requests & Comments" right at the top of the page. We hope you'll continue to use that link to share your feedback with hosts about the programming and the music, to send them your musical requests, and to tell us what you think of the new VPR Classical Homepage.

Thanks for listening to VPR Classical!