Classical Music for the Uninitiated, The Bessies, and Strauss

Opera and Italian-cooking expert Fred Plotkin recently published Classical Music 101, a comprehensive guide to the art form. He’ll be in the studio with a list of composers he thinks are essential to the classical lover’s music library. The annual New York Dance and Performance Awards (a.k.a., the Bessies) honors performers, choreographers, designers, and composers for their contributions to dance performance, and on today’s show, composer Cynthia Hopkins will stop by to talk about her 2001 Bessie Award. Plus, Tali Makell, director of the Brooklyn Music School’s Summer Opera Theatre, discusses an upcoming performance of the Richard Strauss work Enoch Arden, featuring English film star Michael York.
In addition to Opera 101, his handbook to arias, recits, and more, Fred Plotkin has also written five comprehensive guides to Italian food and wine.
More about Fred Plotkin

Unlike the committees for the Tonys and other local artistic awards programs, the Bessies board never announces nominees before the awards ceremony.
More about the Bessies

Among the programs offered at the Brooklyn Music School are children’s dance and music performance course, plus an adult division that includes music theory and the Summer Opera Workshop.
More about Brooklyn Music School