Midge Woolsey

My turntable broke about 15 years ago. It was around the time of the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company. I went to see the show and came home eager to put on my original cast album to ‘compare’. The turntable died in the middle of the title song. 

I have to confess that I didn't spend too much time following the story of Chelsea Clinton's wedding. However, yesterday I found myself surfing the Web looking for news of any music that was played during the ceremony.  There was no mention that I could find.

This week, I attended the third Naumburg Orchestral Concert of the summer season in Central Park. And, it made me start to wonder...

The Naumburg Bandshell is one of New York City’s great cultural icons. Midge Woolsey recently spoke to Christopher London, great-grandson of the bandshell donor Elkan Naumburg, about ...

Pianist Lang Lang speaks with Midge Woolsey about the Shanghai Symphony's historic performance in Central Park, what it's like to work in New York and his recording of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2.

This weekend, the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance program draws to a close with fully staged productions of The Magic Flute, Gianni Schicchi and Donizetti’s Rita at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. I distinctly remember the first time I attended one of the Foundation’s summertime performances. It was an extremely hot day and the air conditioned comfort of the theater was absolutely delightful.  It was even better than going to the movies because there was a live orchestra and beautiful sets and costumes. What a way to spend a summer day!

This week on WQXR we’ve been featuring Eric Whitacre’s choral music on a new Naxos CD. Eric is a young American composer who is taking the world of choral music by storm. Everywhere I go, I hear singers and conductors talking enthusiastically about his music.

Soprano Martina Arroyo is among those who will be receiving the National Endowment for the Arts' Opera Honors this fall. WQXR's Midge Woolsey spoke with Arroyo about her career and he...

When my mother was a young woman living in New York in the early 1950’s, she was on a very tight budget. Oftentimes, she would venture down to Battery Park on a hot summer night and ride the Staten Island Ferry for entertainment. In those days it cost five cents. Today, it is free. She also has wonderful memories of buying standing room tickets for Broadway shows. I seem to recall that seeing Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence in The King and I is one of her favorite memories.

Sometimes I’m slow about embracing new technology, and sometimes I’m the first one there. When I worked for Channel 13, I was the very first to buy a fax machine for the Great Performances unit. Until then, we had been using snail mail, FedEx and the Telex (remember the Telex?) to communicate with production companies all over the world.

Do you remember when riding in a cab in New York often included either an interesting conversation with the driver or a pleasant  listening experience via the car radio? These days it seems to be all about passengers on cellphones and the video screen on the back of the front seat that starts doing its thing the minute the ride begins--whether you like it or not!

I was rearranging some of my books recently and came across my copy of Kitchen Classics with the Philharmonic by my former WQXR colleague June Lebell (great book, btw). It made me think how important it is to have the right music playing when you are preparing meals.

Recently I went to see the play RED on Broadway.  Because I knew that it was about the artist Mark Rothko, I spent some time reading about his life and work before I went. However, I did not read any reviews or informational pieces about the actual play until after I saw it. A couple of days after the performance, I had a ball reading as many reviews as I could find! For the most part, I found I agreed with the various critics.  But, there was one who I felt missed the point of the show entirely. Interesting.

This Thursday, the beloved American mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade (known as ‘Flicka’) will sing her farewell recital at Carnegie Hall. When I was a young singer, Frederica von Stade was an important role model for many of us--a young, talented, attractive, hometown girl who made it big! Needless to say, her retirement will serve as a major benchmark in my life.

I’m looking forward to seeing Madama Butterfly at New York City Opera this Friday night with a special group of WQXR Opera Lovers. Naturally, I’ve been thinking about what to wear.

See what WQXR hosts have to say about romance and romantic music. Then tell us about the classical music that has added romance to your life. We'll play some of your selections on Valentine's Day.