Midge Woolsey

With the first-ever Gilbert and Sullivan sing-along taking place at Symphony Space and Caramoor kicking off its summer season with H.M.S. Pinafore, Naomi Lewin and Midge Woolsey talk ...

Host Midge Woolsey reminisces about hosting Carnegie Hall's 100th anniversary celebration.

On the WQXR blog, Midge Woolsey ponders why it's important to keep creating new classical works: "After all, there’s a lot of old music out there so why not work on making good with t...

On the WQXR blog, Midge Woolsey observes: "These days, all sorts of performers are willing to go out on a limb and give singing a try – some to good effect, and others not."

I had a really interesting time talking with Jake Heggie recently in The Greene Space here at WQXR. Jake is the composer who first hit the scene in a big way with the San Francisco premiere of his opera Dead Man Walking which he wrote with the playwright Terrence McNally. That was over ten years ago. Since then, the opera has played all over the world. He has written several other operas including Moby Dick, which premiered last year at the Dallas Opera with Ben Heppner as Captain Ahab.

"Those of us who love and value classical music are in the minority," writes Midge Woolsey. "We'll always be fighting an uphill battle when it comes to protecting our interests." But it's a battle worth fighting.

Hey, musical theater fans! I know, I know -- WQXR is a classical music station. But this morning I had the sound of Broadway on my mind, and I came into the office singing a song from a classic piece of American musical theater: Brigadoon, the 1947 Lerner and Lowe show about the enchanted Scottish village that appears every hundred years for only one day.

Midge Woolsey wonders, "is youth is the magic bullet for what ails orchestras right now? Do today's young conductors have what it takes to live up to the hype?"

Speaking of Mozart and his 255th birthday, do you remember the Milos Forman film Amadeus? Just for fun, let’s imagine a remake of the movie and a brand new cast. Whom would you choose to play Mozart? How about Salieri? And what about Mozart’s wife, Constanze?

The Austin, TX choir Conspirare, arrives in New York this week. Midge Woolsey praises their "beautiful voices" and calls them "dedicated people who understand the power in the word 'ensemble.'"

Midge Woolsey considers the career of Vladimir Horowitz, "a man who overcame great emotional challenges to bring classical music lovers some of the most thrilling performances of his day."

Of Beethoven's popularity, Midge Woolsey asks: "Is it name recognition or familiar melodies? Shouldn’t we think about giving one of the other guys a shot at the top?"

Midge Woolsey observes: I've received several notices about this YouTube clip of people in a Canadian mall breaking out into a performance of the Hallelujah chorus. I'm not exactly su...

As I write this, I’m still thinking about how great it was to meet so many listeners last Thursday evening at New York City Opera as we gathered to enjoy Strauss's Intermezzo together. Thank you so much for opting to join us for the adventure!

With the news of her death over the weekend, I found myself watching clips of Shirley Verrett on YouTube yesterday. Sadly, I never saw her perform on the opera stage. But, thanks to YouTube, I was able to get a sense of just how fabulous she was. I was absolutely blown away by what I saw. Her Delilah was to die for. And this from a woman who was known to be quite shy! Amazing. I’m still moved as I think about it this morning.

Midge Woolsey asks: Did you play in a marching band? Do you still play today? And, what makes being in one so much fun anyway? And are they different than they were – say – 20 or 30 years ago?

One of today's most respected Puccini sopranos, Patricia Racette tells Midge Woolsey about her ecclectic career that spans verismo to cabaret. And she reveals why she identifies with ...

In the age of HD broadcasts, svelte opera singers are increasingly commonplace. But Midge Woolsey wonders whether size really matters. And if so, should it matter more than vocal ability?

I'm curious to know about your memorable CD gift giving and/or receiving moments. What was the CD and why was it a successful gift? Was it romantic? Great music for dinnertime?

If there is an audience for it, what difference does it make if a classical artist decides to cross over into the world of popular music every once in a while? I’ll grant you that it...