WRCJ 90.9 - We Are Classical & Jazz

DSO Unmasked is a look inside the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with the men and women who make it happen. Each week we begin with a nuts and bolts peek at the inner workings of classical music in our opening segment, Behind the Score. We follow that with myTunes, a chance to kick back with some of the best professional musicians in the business, and their favorite CDs.

DSO Unmasked is heard on selected Sunday afternoons from noon to 2 p.m. on 90.9 FM, and is a co-production of WRCJ, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Public Schools.

» Miss an episode of DSO Unmasked? You can hear it again in our "On Demand" section! «

Tentative Schedule & Show Descriptions
(Check back often for changes)

SEP 16, 2007: "The Music of John Corigliano," with John Corigliano

John Corigliano is one of the finest and most widely recognized American composers. Among the dozens of citations, doctorates, and other honors he has received are included all of the most important music awards - several Grammy's, a Pulitzer Prize for his Symphony No. 2 (2001), a Grawemeyer for his Symphony No. 1 (1991), and an Academy Award for his score to Francois Girard's 1997 film "The Red Violin." One of the few living composers to have a string quartet named after him, Corigliano's work has been performed by some of the most visible orchestras, soloists, and chamber musicians in the world, and recorded on the Sony, RCA, BMG, Telarc, Erato, Ondine, New World, and CRI labels. Hear it again On Demand.

OCT 21, 2007: "The Music of William Bolcom" with William Bolcom

Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winning composer William Bolcom has taught composition at the University of Michigan since 1973; he has been a full professor since 1983 and was Chairman of the Composition Department from 1998 to 2003. In the fall of 1994 the University of Michigan named him the Ross Lee Finney Distinguished University Professor of Music in Composition. During the fall 2003 semester he was in residence at the American Academy in Rome and was the Ernest Bloch Composer in Residence at UC/Berkeley during the winter of 2005.

Bolcom's setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, a full-evening work for soloists, choruses, and orchestra, culminated 25 years of work on the piece. The April 8, 2004, performance in Ann Arbor, Michigan, commemorated the reopening of recently-renovated Hill Auditorium and occurred, almost to the day, 20 years after the U.S. premiere in the same hall. Bolcom's Grammy nominations from previous years were for recordings of his Fourth Symphony (featuring Joan Morris as soloist) with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Orpheé-Sérénade, recorded by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Bolcom as pianist.

Future commissions include: a fourth opera for Lyric Opera of Chicago, an adaptation of Idiot's Delight, featuring Joan Morris, for Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera, a string octet, and a work for the University of Michigan Bands. Hear it again On Demand.

DEC 2, 2007: "Vivaldi, the Red Priest," with Nicholas McGegan

Based in the San Francisco Bay area where he is Music Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO), Nicholas McGegan is called upon by orchestras across the globe to conduct not only classical, baroque, and early romantic repertoire but also works by various special favorites including Elgar and Britten. Born in England and educated at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, Mr. McGegan has an honorary degree from London's Royal College of Music and was elected an Honorary Professor of Philosophy at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in 2006. His hobbies include food, wine, crossword puzzles, travel, tending roses in his garden in Berkeley, California and furnishing his 19th century flat in Scotland.

DEC 2, 2007: "myTunes," with F. Murray Abraham

F. Murray Abraham Recognized with an Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal of the Italian composer Antonio Salieri in Milos Forman's "Amadeus," Mr. Abraham shares some of his favorite recordings with host Jimmy Rhoades.

JAN 20, 2008: Charles Greenwell

Charles Greenwell was born into a musical family in New York and has had a long and varied career in the performing arts as a conductor, singer, pianist, oboist, composer, actor and stage director. Greenwell is the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Conducting Assistant and serves as host of Ford ConcerTalks, lively musical discussions taking place one hour prior to all classical series performances. He has also served as a producer for the recordings of the DSO for Chandos Records and as host of the DSO’s national radio broadcast series from 1978 to 1987.

Greenwell is currently Music Director of the Southern Great Lakes Symphony, Downriver Detroit’s premier classical musical organization. In September 2005, Greenwell became the Music Director of Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra, after serving as Pops Conductor for 14 seasons. He succeeds Felix Resnick, conductor and Detroit Symphony Orchestra violinist, who has held this post since 1975.

JAN 20, 2008: "myTunes," with Sharon Sparrow

Flutist Sharon Sparrow is one of the most highly regarded flutists in our area. Equally at ease in her position in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, in solo recital, as concerto soloist and as masterclass clinician, Ms. Sparrow brings warmth, personality, flare and impeccable skills to the concert stage.

A native of New York, Ms. Sparrow received her Bachelor of Music from the Juilliard School where she studied with the legendary Julius Baker. She also received training from Geoffrey Gilbert, famed British flutist and teacher of James Galway.

Respected for her inspiring teaching, Ms. Sparrow has taught master classes and performed recitals for the National Flute Association, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Michigan, Interlochen Academy, and the Toledo Flute Fair. To critical acclaim, Ms. Sparrow has performed concertos by Ibert, Nielsen, Bach, Lieberman, Cimarosa, Mozart, and the Carmen Fantasie by Francois Borne.

FEB 17, 2008: "Classical Roots," with Thomas Wilkins

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Thomas Wilkins is currently in his fourth season as Resident Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In the past, he has served as Resident Conductor of The Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), Associate Conductor of the Richmond (Va.) Symphony, as well as on the music faculties of North Park University (Chicago), the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Committed to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Wilkins brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. Wilkins seeks to cultivate a "vibrant, creative imagination" in today's youth, noting, "Successful education is not that which teaches our children how to get a job. Education is a success when we teach our children to love learning."

Wilkins has been featured with many U.S. orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony, the Oregon Symphony in Portland and the Houston Symphony. He is also a favorite guest conductor with the Baltimore Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

FEB 17, 2008: "myTunes," with Denyce Graves

Recognized worldwide as one of today's most exciting vocal stars, Denyce Graves continues to gather unparalleled popular and critical acclaim in performances on four continents. Her career has taken her to the world's great opera houses and concert halls. She has become particularly well-known to operatic audiences for her portrayals of the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Delila. These signature roles have brought Ms. Graves to the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera - Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Washington Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opernhaus Zürich, Teatro Real in Madrid, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles Opera, and the Festival Maggio Musicale in Florence.

One of the music world's most sought after recitalists, Ms. Graves combines her expressive vocalism and exceptional gifts for communication with her dynamic stage presence, enriching audiences around the world. Denyce Graves has been invited on several occasions to perform in recital at The White House, and she provides many benefit performances for various causes special to her throughout each season.

MAR 2, 2008: "The Concertmaster," with Emmanuelle Boisvert

One of the most versatile artists on the concert stage today, Detroit Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert has won the hearts of audiences, critics and musicians alike with an undeniable finesse and charismatic presence befitting her prestigious position.

No stranger to trailblazing, Boisvert was just twenty-five-years old when she became the first woman to win the post of concertmaster in the United States. That year, she also made her first solo appearance with the DSO, and has given annual solo performances ever since. Lawrence B. Johnson of The Detroit News has called Boisvert's solo offerings "brilliant, endlessly imaginative, daring..." As the Orchestra's leader, she is no less inspiring to her colleagues. Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press has remarked that, "Boisvert's musicianship takes a back seat to no one." As a collaborator, her work in chamber music is equally impressive, and her performances with the St. Clair Trio have earned widespread attention and critical acclaim.

MAR 30, 2008: "The Art of the Transcription," with Leonard Slatkin

Mr. Slatkin has made regular appearances over the last two decades with virtually all the major international orchestras and opera companies. He has been praised by critics and audiences around the world for his imaginative programming and interpretations of a vast range of repertoire. His current tenure with the NSO has included highly lauded European, Asian, and US tours; numerous national broadcasts; and intriguing themed festivals - among them "Soundtracks" and "Journey to America." Other distinctions include a White House celebration honoring the Orchestra and Mr. Slatkin for advocacy of America's artistic heritage; a Grammy for Best Classical Recording, awards for programming, and the National Medal of the Arts, the nation's highest honor for a performing artist.

APR 20: "Pitfalls of the Violin Concerto," with Hilary Hahn

Program will air at 10 a.m.
At the age of 27, Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn is one of the most compelling artists on the international concert circuit. Renowned for her intellectual and emotional maturity, she was named "America's Best" young classical musician by Time Magazine in 2001, and appears on a regular basis with the world's great orchestras in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Admitted to Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music in 1990 at the age of ten, Hilary Hahn made her major orchestra debut a year and a half later with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In March 1995, at age 15, Ms. Hahn made her German debut playing the Beethoven concerto with Lorin Maazel and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in a concert broadcast on radio and television throughout Europe. In May of 1999, at the age of 19, Ms. Hahn graduated from Curtis with a bachelor of music degree.

MAY 25, 2008: "Breaking Out as a Composer," with Peter Oundjian & Stacy Garrop

A dynamic presence in the orchestral world, Peter Oundjian continues to make his mark as one of today's most exciting faces on the conducting scene. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra's new Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor is known for his probing musicality, spirit of collaboration, and engaging personality, which have earned him accolades and frequent re-engagements. Stunning performances and cheering audiences prompted appointments at the Caramoor International Music Festival (NY), the Colorado Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he is currently in his second season as Music Director.

Stacy Garrop has received several awards and grants including the 2006/2007 Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble's 2006/2007 Harvey Gaul Composition Competition, the 2005 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Music Composition Prize, 2005, and 2001 Barlow Endowment commissions, Chicago Symphony Orchestra's 1999-2000 First Hearing Composition Competition, Omaha Symphony Guild's 2000 International New Music Competition, and the New England Philharmonic's 2000 Call for Scores Competition. She was selected to participate in reading session programs sponsored by the American Composers Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Dale Warland Singers. She received a 2002 Artists Fellowship Award from the Illinois Arts Council and was a finalist for the 2001 Rome Prize.


Home Schedule Playlists Today's Playlist Past Playlists DSO on WRCJ Hosts Listen Live! On Demand Listening Room® DSO Unmasked ARTiFacts Jazz at the Center In-Studio Guests Special Programs RSS Education DSA Curriculum DPS Radio Support WRCJ
DSO Unmasked is a look inside the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with the men and women who make it happen. Each week we begin with a nuts and bolts peek at the inner workings of classical music in our opening segment, Behind the Score. We follow that with myTunes, a chance to kick back with some of the best professional musicians in the business, and their favorite CDs. DSO Unmasked is heard on selected Sunday afternoons from noon to 2 p.m. on 90.9 FM, and is a co-production of WRCJ, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Public Schools. » Miss an episode of DSO Unmasked? You can hear it again in our "On Demand" section! « Tentative Schedule & Show Descriptions (Check back often for changes) SEP 16, 2007: "The Music of John Corigliano," with John Corigliano John Corigliano is one of the finest and most widely recognized American composers. Among the dozens of citations, doctorates, and other honors he has received are included all of the most important music awards - several Grammy's, a Pulitzer Prize for his Symphony No. 2 (2001), a Grawemeyer for his Symphony No. 1 (1991), and an Academy Award for his score to Francois Girard's 1997 film "The Red Violin." One of the few living composers to have a string quartet named after him, Corigliano's work has been performed by some of the most visible orchestras, soloists, and chamber musicians in the world, and recorded on the Sony, RCA, BMG, Telarc, Erato, Ondine, New World, and CRI labels. Hear it again On Demand. OCT 21, 2007: "The Music of William Bolcom" with William Bolcom Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winning composer William Bolcom has taught composition at the University of Michigan since 1973; he has been a full professor since 1983 and was Chairman of the Composition Department from 1998 to 2003. In the fall of 1994 the University of Michigan named him the Ross Lee Finney Distinguished University Professor of Music in Composition. During the fall 2003 semester he was in residence at the American Academy in Rome and was the Ernest Bloch Composer in Residence at UC/Berkeley during the winter of 2005. Bolcom's setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, a full-evening work for soloists, choruses, and orchestra, culminated 25 years of work on the piece. The April 8, 2004, performance in Ann Arbor, Michigan, commemorated the reopening of recently-renovated Hill Auditorium and occurred, almost to the day, 20 years after the U.S. premiere in the same hall. Bolcom's Grammy nominations from previous years were for recordings of his Fourth Symphony (featuring Joan Morris as soloist) with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Orpheé-Sérénade, recorded by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Bolcom as pianist. Future commissions include: a fourth opera for Lyric Opera of Chicago, an adaptation of Idiot's Delight, featuring Joan Morris, for Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera, a string octet, and a work for the University of Michigan Bands. Hear it again On Demand. DEC 2, 2007: "Vivaldi, the Red Priest," with Nicholas McGegan Based in the San Francisco Bay area where he is Music Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO), Nicholas McGegan is called upon by orchestras across the globe to conduct not only classical, baroque, and early romantic repertoire but also works by various special favorites including Elgar and Britten. Born in England and educated at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, Mr. McGegan has an honorary degree from London's Royal College of Music and was elected an Honorary Professor of Philosophy at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in 2006. His hobbies include food, wine, crossword puzzles, travel, tending roses in his garden in Berkeley, California and furnishing his 19th century flat in Scotland. DEC 2, 2007: "myTunes," with F. Murray Abraham Recognized with an Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal of the Italian composer Antonio Salieri in Milos Forman's "Amadeus," Mr. Abraham shares some of his favorite recordings with host Jimmy Rhoades. JAN 20, 2008: Charles Greenwell Charles Greenwell was born into a musical family in New York and has had a long and varied career in the performing arts as a conductor, singer, pianist, oboist, composer, actor and stage director. Greenwell is the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Conducting Assistant and serves as host of Ford ConcerTalks, lively musical discussions taking place one hour prior to all classical series performances. He has also served as a producer for the recordings of the DSO for Chandos Records and as host of the DSO’s national radio broadcast series from 1978 to 1987. Greenwell is currently Music Director of the Southern Great Lakes Symphony, Downriver Detroit’s premier classical musical organization. In September 2005, Greenwell became the Music Director of Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra, after serving as Pops Conductor for 14 seasons. He succeeds Felix Resnick, conductor and Detroit Symphony Orchestra violinist, who has held this post since 1975. JAN 20, 2008: "myTunes," with Sharon Sparrow Flutist Sharon Sparrow is one of the most highly regarded flutists in our area. Equally at ease in her position in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, in solo recital, as concerto soloist and as masterclass clinician, Ms. Sparrow brings warmth, personality, flare and impeccable skills to the concert stage. A native of New York, Ms. Sparrow received her Bachelor of Music from the Juilliard School where she studied with the legendary Julius Baker. She also received training from Geoffrey Gilbert, famed British flutist and teacher of James Galway. Respected for her inspiring teaching, Ms. Sparrow has taught master classes and performed recitals for the National Flute Association, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Michigan, Interlochen Academy, and the Toledo Flute Fair. To critical acclaim, Ms. Sparrow has performed concertos by Ibert, Nielsen, Bach, Lieberman, Cimarosa, Mozart, and the Carmen Fantasie by Francois Borne. FEB 17, 2008: "Classical Roots," with Thomas Wilkins A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Thomas Wilkins is currently in his fourth season as Resident Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In the past, he has served as Resident Conductor of The Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), Associate Conductor of the Richmond (Va.) Symphony, as well as on the music faculties of North Park University (Chicago), the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Committed to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Wilkins brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. Wilkins seeks to cultivate a "vibrant, creative imagination" in today's youth, noting, "Successful education is not that which teaches our children how to get a job. Education is a success when we teach our children to love learning." Wilkins has been featured with many U.S. orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony, the Oregon Symphony in Portland and the Houston Symphony. He is also a favorite guest conductor with the Baltimore Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra. FEB 17, 2008: "myTunes," with Denyce Graves Recognized worldwide as one of today's most exciting vocal stars, Denyce Graves continues to gather unparalleled popular and critical acclaim in performances on four continents. Her career has taken her to the world's great opera houses and concert halls. She has become particularly well-known to operatic audiences for her portrayals of the title roles in Carmen and Samson et Delila. These signature roles have brought Ms. Graves to the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera - Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Washington Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opernhaus Zürich, Teatro Real in Madrid, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles Opera, and the Festival Maggio Musicale in Florence. One of the music world's most sought after recitalists, Ms. Graves combines her expressive vocalism and exceptional gifts for communication with her dynamic stage presence, enriching audiences around the world. Denyce Graves has been invited on several occasions to perform in recital at The White House, and she provides many benefit performances for various causes special to her throughout each season. MAR 2, 2008: "The Concertmaster," with Emmanuelle Boisvert One of the most versatile artists on the concert stage today, Detroit Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert has won the hearts of audiences, critics and musicians alike with an undeniable finesse and charismatic presence befitting her prestigious position. No stranger to trailblazing, Boisvert was just twenty-five-years old when she became the first woman to win the post of concertmaster in the United States. That year, she also made her first solo appearance with the DSO, and has given annual solo performances ever since. Lawrence B. Johnson of The Detroit News has called Boisvert's solo offerings "brilliant, endlessly imaginative, daring..." As the Orchestra's leader, she is no less inspiring to her colleagues. Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press has remarked that, "Boisvert's musicianship takes a back seat to no one." As a collaborator, her work in chamber music is equally impressive, and her performances with the St. Clair Trio have earned widespread attention and critical acclaim. MAR 30, 2008: "The Art of the Transcription," with Leonard Slatkin Mr. Slatkin has made regular appearances over the last two decades with virtually all the major international orchestras and opera companies. He has been praised by critics and audiences around the world for his imaginative programming and interpretations of a vast range of repertoire. His current tenure with the NSO has included highly lauded European, Asian, and US tours; numerous national broadcasts; and intriguing themed festivals - among them "Soundtracks" and "Journey to America." Other distinctions include a White House celebration honoring the Orchestra and Mr. Slatkin for advocacy of America's artistic heritage; a Grammy for Best Classical Recording, awards for programming, and the National Medal of the Arts, the nation's highest honor for a performing artist. APR 20: "Pitfalls of the Violin Concerto," with Hilary Hahn Program will air at 10 a.m. At the age of 27, Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn is one of the most compelling artists on the international concert circuit. Renowned for her intellectual and emotional maturity, she was named "America's Best" young classical musician by Time Magazine in 2001, and appears on a regular basis with the world's great orchestras in Europe, Asia, and North America. Admitted to Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music in 1990 at the age of ten, Hilary Hahn made her major orchestra debut a year and a half later with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In March 1995, at age 15, Ms. Hahn made her German debut playing the Beethoven concerto with Lorin Maazel and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in a concert broadcast on radio and television throughout Europe. In May of 1999, at the age of 19, Ms. Hahn graduated from Curtis with a bachelor of music degree. MAY 25, 2008: "Breaking Out as a Composer," with Peter Oundjian & Stacy Garrop A dynamic presence in the orchestral world, Peter Oundjian continues to make his mark as one of today's most exciting faces on the conducting scene. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra's new Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor is known for his probing musicality, spirit of collaboration, and engaging personality, which have earned him accolades and frequent re-engagements. Stunning performances and cheering audiences prompted appointments at the Caramoor International Music Festival (NY), the Colorado Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he is currently in his second season as Music Director. Stacy Garrop has received several awards and grants including the 2006/2007 Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble's 2006/2007 Harvey Gaul Composition Competition, the 2005 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Music Composition Prize, 2005, and 2001 Barlow Endowment commissions, Chicago Symphony Orchestra's 1999-2000 First Hearing Composition Competition, Omaha Symphony Guild's 2000 International New Music Competition, and the New England Philharmonic's 2000 Call for Scores Competition. She was selected to participate in reading session programs sponsored by the American Composers Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Dale Warland Singers. She received a 2002 Artists Fellowship Award from the Illinois Arts Council and was a finalist for the 2001 Rome Prize.
	PRIVACY POLICY ABOUT WRCJ CONTACT US FCC COMPLIANCE 123 Selden St. Detroit, MI 48201 (313) 494-6400 © Copyright 2008 WRCJ / All rights reserved