WRR 101.1 Focus on the Arts

During its 28-year history, Fort Worth's Mimir Chamber Music Festival has become a destination for classical music lovers every summer. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Mimir Founder and Executive Director Curt Thompson shares some of the highlights this year, which includes a bonus concert in collaboration with the Amon Carter Museum.

Every summer, Shakespeare Dallas offers two very different shows during their Shakespeare in the Park series. This year, they're presenting a classic Shakespeare tragedy paired with a lighthearted "rom com" by Oscar Wilde. In this podcast, Shakespeare Dallas' Interim Executive & Artistic Director Jenni Stewart joins WRR's Amy Bishop for a deep dive into each production.

"Her rediscovery has really been the biggest rediscovery of a composer," says Maestro John Jeter, referencing the music of 20th century African-American composer Florence Price. Jeter is the only music director who has recorded Price's repertoire in its entirety, and his new album on Naxos includes her concerti for violin, piano, and orchestral snapshots of Southern life. In this interview with WR...

"We tell them, 'You're going to get emotionally involved and it's going to be hard - or it's going to be glorious,'" says Adelaide Leavens, chair of the Cliburn's host family committee. Every four years, thirty local households open their homes to competitors in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth. Here are a few who are hosting this year.

“It’s such a special ensemble because it carries on the legend of the great jazz pianist, Dave Brubeck, led by two of his sons," says Kira Goidel, the Artist Experience Manager at Windmills Craftworks in The Colony. The venue will welcome the Brubeck Brothers Quartet June 7th and 8th, 2025 in a dining setting reminiscent of New York's Birdland or Blue Note.

“I think it’s the only dance company that I know of, that’s constantly working in South Dallas. People have come and gone and I’m still there,” says Loris Anthony Beckles, Artistic Director of Beckles Dancing Company, which is planning a very special celebration of its 30th anniversary May 30-31, 2025. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Loris gives a sneak peek of the program, which includes a...

“The music begs for dance... it's visceral in sound,” says Joy Bollinger, Artistic Director of Bruce Wood Dance Dallas. The company is teaming up with the Verdigris Ensemble for a production of SHAMS, described as a transformative true story of Rumi and his spiritual mentor Shams Tabrizi, set to music by Iranian-American composer Sahba Aminikia. In this feature with Amy Bishop, Bollinger and Verdi...

“I like to really show the diversity of the cello, and of music... basically, the history of music in one night," says Stjepan Hauser (known professionally as HAUSER), the international cello sensation and former member of classical crossover group 2CELLOS. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Hauser gives a preview of what to expect for the evening at Irving's Toyota Music Factory.... which wil...

Spectrum Chamber Music Society began when a group of Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians decided to get together and play chamber music for fun. Forty years later, they're still doing that for North Texas audiences. Perhaps their most ambitious feat is yet to come when they play a chamber ensemble arrangement of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, conducted by FWSO Music Director Laureate Miguel Harth Be...

“This is my favorite time of year, because I know that we’re planting the seeds that will not only contribute to the economy here, but that will truly be changing lives for our residents and our visitors,” says Martine Philippe, Director of the Office of Arts and Culture for the City of Dallas. She recently spoke with WRR's Amy Bishop about the impact that Dallas Arts Month has on the city's arts...

"There's all the things we love about opera, right? Lust, rage.... all the wonderful things that, of course, unfortunately, are still timely - but it's such a beautiful story and such a beautiful opera," says American bass Raymond Aceto, who will join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in the role of Daland for an upcoming semi-staged production of Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman." In this feature wi...

Nearing his 6th season as Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fabio Luisi has reached a new level of oneness with the musicians, to the point of almost "reading each other's minds." In this conversation with WRR's Amy Bishop, Luisi joins DSO's Chief Artistic Officer Katie McGuinness for an overview of the organization's milestone 125th anniversary season for 2025-26.

The Dallas Opera has announced its 68th season, which includes four mainstage productions, all new to Dallas as company or U.S. premieres. WRR's Amy Bishop recently caught up with Ian Derrer, TDO's Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO, for an overview of the season, which includes a version of Bizet's "Carmen" that may only be seen once in a lifetime.

Organist and composer Zvony Nagy describes the Stained Glass Vespers series at Dallas' King of Glory Lutheran Church as an intersection of fine arts within a spiritual, contemplative space. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Nagy talks about an upcoming event at the church, where he'll provide organ improvisations on the narration of "The Seven Last Words of Christ" during the Lenten season.

"Go big or go home" was one of Bruce Wood's most frequently used expressions, and the company is honoring his legacy with their upcoming Texas-inspired gala concert. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, BWD Artistic Director Joy Bollinger gives a sneak peek into a night that'll include dancing, live music, rhinestones galore, and even real spurs.

The Dallas Bach Society presents their Baroque-Carnatic Connection Concert at the Moody Performance Hall on March 16, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. It will also include dancers from the New York Baroque Dance Company and the Silambam Houston Dance Company. Kurt Rongey got a chance to talk with James Richman about this unique collaboration.

It's not every day that Dallas audiences have the chance to see the Santa Fe Desert Chorale perform in North Texas - and it's even more rare to hear them paired with the Orpheus Chamber Singers for a concert. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Artistic Directors Joshua Habermann and J.D. Burnett talk about the events that led to their upcoming collaboration, and what to expect in this rare opp...

"For me, there’s actually a bit of an emotional attachment to it, because the very first concert I ever conducted with the Dallas Winds as a guest 32 years ago was a concert called 'Marches in March.' So, in a way, it’s coming full circle here," says Jerry Junkin, Artistic Director for Dallas Winds. They're presenting their "Marches Madness" concert on Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 in a program of......

What began as an old-school method of communication among four young composers during the COVID-19 pandemic, became the inspiration for a solo piano piece by Will Stackpole, which receives its world premiere in Dallas in March 2025. In this feature with WRR's Amy Bishop, Stackpole joins pianist/conductor Benjamin Hochman and Voices of Change Artistic Director Jon Cziner to talk about the uniquenes...

"This piece completely changed my thoughts on how music theater can be done...the piece is operatic in scope, which is one of the reasons why I thought it would be so fantastic for the students," says Michael Scarola, Visiting Professor of Practice at SMU's Meadows School of the Arts, who's directing their production of "Sweeney Todd." In this conversation with WRR's Amy Bishop, Scarola does a dee...

The Texas Guitar Competition and Festival is an annual UT Dallas tradition, established 24 years ago. founded 23 years ago, but But this will be the first year without its beloved co-founder, the late Dr. Enric Madriguera, a longtime UT Dallas faculty member. In this podcast, WRR’s Amy Bishop speaks with Dr. James Wilder of the Bass School at UT Dallas about a special tribute planned in memory of...

“I think this way of experiencing an orchestra concert is really great, especially for a younger generation, who might not have had any experience seeing and hearing a live orchestra before,” says Emily Marshall, Music Director and Conductor of Naruto: The Symphonic Experience. The show is on a cross-country tour of the U.S. with a stop at Fort Worth's Will Rogers Auditorium in March. In this feat...

The mesmerizing true story of Isabelle Eberhardt is the subject of "Song from the Uproar" by American composer Missy Mazzoli, which Verdigris Ensemble is presenting February 28th – March 2nd at Theater 3. The groundbreaking multimedia opera tells the story of the young Swiss explorer who defied every convention – disguising herself as a man, joining the Algerian army, and ultimately meeting her fa...

“Quite simply, the arts are an invaluable tool in brain health, and we want to demonstrate that actively through the activities at the Brain Health Week," says Bonnie Pitman, Director of Art-Brain Innovations at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for BrainHealth. The center is presenting its 3rd Brain Health week, full of art-centric events to explore the intersection of creativity and the...

"This is one of my favorite pieces – not only of the oboe repertoire, but in the classical music repertoire in general,” says Erin Hannigan, Principal Oboe with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, referencing Strauss' Oboe Concerto. She'll be in the spotlight as soloist with the DSO to perform the work Jan. 23-26, 2025 and chats with WRR's Amy Bishop about how she approaches each performance of such a...