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Listen to WRTI's Arts Desk features for a daily look into music in the Philadelphia region.
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How Astor Piazzolla Revolutionized the Tango
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By Susan Lewis
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One Woman in a Hundred: Harpist Edna Phillips and The Philadelphia Orchestra
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(First published in 2013). A recent biography reveals what it was like to be the first woman to enter the all-male sanctum of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1930. WRTI’s Meridee Duddleston discovered the powerful combination of talent and fear.By Meridee Duddleston
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The Story Behind "My Favorite Things," from The Sound of Music to Enduring Jazz Standard
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The legendary Broadway musical writing team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II produced their final show together, The Sound of Music , nine months before Hammerstein passed away of cancer. Yet throughout all the songs of the show, there’s a great sense of hope and optimism.By Debra Lew Harder
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The Perfect, Imperfect, Lyrics of "My Funny Valentine"
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Born in New York City to German-Jewish immigrants, Lorenz Hart penned some of Broadway’s most haunting, sophisticated lyrics. At age 24, he began collaborating with composer Richard Rodgers who was 17 at the time.By Debra Lew Harder
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Digging Deeper Into The Life of Duke Ellington with Biographer, Terry Teachout
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It's Black History Month, and on WRTI we're looking closely at bandleader, composer, and pianist Duke Ellington , who wrote over 1,700 songs, as well as longer orchestral suites and film scores. In this interview from 2013, WRTI's Susan Lewis speaks with biographer and blogger Terry Teachout , author of Duke, A Life of Duke Ellington.…
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TIME IN with Composer and Choral Director Rollo Dilworth: Bringing People Together Through Song
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Rollo Dilworth pours his heart into teaching, conducting, and writing music for choral singers—and the choral music world loves him back. Typically logging over 100,000 miles a year, he travels the world to conduct and work with choirs of all ages. In this TIME IN interview, he talks about how the shutdown has reinforced his purpose in life, to use…
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Exploring Mozart's Musical Mysteries with Superstar Pianist Jan Lisiecki
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A mong Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s hundreds of compositions are 27 piano concertos. In 2014, WRTI’s Susan Lewis talked with the young pianist Jan Lisiecki about why he is so drawn to their musical purity, emotional complexity, and sense of fun.By Susan Lewis
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The Story Behind the Presidential Anthem "Hail To The Chief"
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(Originally published in 2017). Even though it's not a universal favorite among presidents, "Hail to the Chief" remains their official entrance theme. WRTI's Meridee Duddleston has more on the origin of the march that begins with the ultimate in fanfare, not three, but four "Ruffles and Flourishes."By Meridee Duddleston
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This Is How Concertmaster David Kim Prepares To Play As Soloist With The Philadelphia Orchestra
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Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster David Kim, who has played Bruch’s First Violin Concerto as soloist many times, has his own routine to prepare for a performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra.By Susan Lewis
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The Story Behind Rodgers and Hammerstein's Beloved Song of Hope—"You'll Never Walk Alone"
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(Originally published in 2016) . Even if you’re not familiar with the Broadway musical Carousel , you’re likely to have heard the uplifting message and melody of the song "You’ll Never Walk Alone." Its roots in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical extend far beyond the story of love and loss.By Meridee Duddleston
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The Enduring Appeal of The Philadelphia Orchestra's 1962 Glorious Sound of Christmas Album
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A 1962 record of holiday music by The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Temple University Concert choir "went gold" in 1963 and continues to be sold today. WRTI’s Susan Lewis explores its ongoing appeal with violinist Herb Light, who played on the original recording of The Glorious Sound of Christmas.By Susan Lewis
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Inspired by Beethoven's Thoughts About Nature, Composer Iman Habibi's "Every Tree Speaks"
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Iman Habibi was one of several composers commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra as part of its 2020 celebration of Beethoven's 250th birthday. The young Iranian-Canadian composer wrote Jeder Baum spricht ( Every Tree Speaks ), which explores climate change, a subject about which Habibi believes Beethoven—as a lover of nature—would have had a lo…
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The Story Behind The Nostalgic Melody by Dvorak That Became The Song "Goin' Home"
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Antonin Dvorak wrote his Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," soon after arriving in America in 1893. A yearning melody from the second movement took on a new life as a popular American song that continues to be reinvented.By Susan Lewis
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This Is What You Should Know About Composer Vivian Fung's Fascinating, Colorful World
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By Susan Lewis
December 6th is Dave Brubeck ’s birthday, and WRTI’s Kile Smith looks at the secret behind the legacy of this giant of jazz. Along with leading his Quartet for decades, 1959 ’ s Time Out was the first jazz album to sell a million copies, and from that, Paul Desmond’s “Take Five” was not only their biggest hit, it is still the biggest jazz single in…
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The Melody of Yom Kippur in Max Bruch's KOL NIDRE
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A concert piece for cello and orchestra uses sacred music from the center of Jewish tradition. Max Bruch's Kol Nidre is a work with wide appeal from an unlikely composer.By Kile Smith
By Debra Lew Harder
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This Is Why Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 Is So Incredibly Popular
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Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony premiered in 1808 and was praised as "one of the most important works of the time" by critic E.T.A. Hoffman. WRTI’s Susan Lewis explores why, in the more than 200 years since, the work retains its extraordinary appeal.By Susan Lewis
It was a 1925 novel, then a Broadway play, before George Gershwin worked with novelist DuBose Heyward to create one of the first American operas. Today, the beloved music of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess lives on—and off— the opera stage.By Susan Lewis
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How a Historic Philadelphia Music Program is Preparing Young Musicians for the Future—Virtually
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Philadelphia's All City Music Program has been teaching kids for over 70 years. The All City Orchestra Summer Academy—ACOSA, now in its second year—is going one step further, teaching the technology skills students need to share their music in 2020 and beyond.By Susan Lewis
